Irish pubs. Dime a dozen in Tokyo and when I heard of Towa The World’s End Irish Pub I was immediately put off. Expensive pints of beer in a faux-Irish pub that is supposed to resemble something that could found in Dublin. Yet I had the wrong place as I was looking for Towa The World’s End Craft Beer and Sake and Soba – and breathe out which is situated around the corner from the Irish pub and immediately out of the Shinobazu exit of Ueno station. Heck, it is literally across the road from the exit.
If you hadn’t had guessed Towa The World’s End Craft Beer and Sake and Soba specialises in Japanese craft beer, sake, and soba. Quite a mix there and it’s not until you go in and sit down with the menu you appreciate the wide and varied selection of drinks on tap. I went in expecting a couple of taps of Japanese craft beer but I was pleasantly surprised by the variety on tap. Sitting down at the counter, as I was on my own waiting for a friend to join me, gave me plenty of time to read over the menu and look at the offerings on tap. There are around fifteen taps on the go with a hand pump as well depending on supplies.
The beers at Towa The World’s End come in three different sizes. Small beers (200ml) cost ¥710, medium beers (300ml) cost ¥880 while large beer (US pint size at 473ml) cost ¥1,150 but all the prices included tax. Unfortunately, there are no tasting sets available and no sampler beers either so it’s a case of putting up and enjoying. All of the beers were peculiarly served with the same amount of carbonation which was unusual but it was a low carbonation. When I asked about this, the head member of staff mentioned that it was to ensure the flavour of the beer came out. But for me, it meant very little head on top of the beer – more liquid for the money you pay.
As mentioned Towa The World’s End does specialise in soba though I couldn’t imagine eating soba along with some craft beer. The buckwheat noodles would not go well with a grapefruit-flavoured wheat beer. Luckily, there are lots of other, smaller dishes on the menu, entitled quick snacks, or 早いおつまみ。The fried aubergine with yuzu-kosho dip was delicious if not small, while the battered tempura chicken reminded me of the sweet and sour chicken balls I ate recently in the UK.
Towa The World’s End One Paragraph Review
I would like to say I would go to Towa The World’s End again but the prices are a little on the high side for a place that is out of the way. It’s a cosy little place with the smoking section well away from the rest of the bar and no table charge too but the dedication to the craft aspect of Japanese cuisine, the beers, and the sake should be commended. If you’re in the area, stop in for one or two but don’t go travelling up there just for the bar.
Towa The World’s End Details
Open: Monday to Sundays & Holidays 11:30 ~ 23:30 (L.O. for food 22:00 L.O. for drinks 23:00)
Happy Hour: None
Phone: 03-3837-8870
SNS: Facebook
How to Get to Towa The World’s End
Leave Keisei Ueno or JR Ueno station from the Shinobazu exit. Cross the road and you’re there.
4 comments
“it was a low carbonation. When I asked about this, the head member of staff mentioned that it was to ensure the flavour of the beer came out.”
What a load of BS. Quite often the opposite. More probably because they were having trouble pouring it at normal gas levels
I’ve had the same reasoning for OVERLY LARGE head on a beer from staff.
I’ve asked a few people why it’s called TOWA and haven’t had an answer yet.
The hand pump could have been the cause of the low carbonation. I had a Minoh W-IPA at RAKUBEER in Hiroshima a couple days ago from their “real beer” offering. It was significantly flatter than the Hiroshima Imperial Lager my wife ordered. The pump tends to agitate the beer and remove the carbonation.
I finally wound up here one afternoon {yes, daytime drinking} in April 2017. The staff’s reception was a little cold, but I can overlook that. Lack of wi-fi is a detriment. Perhaps that will change in the future. For me, and perhaps other Tokyo craft beer consumers, the obstacle to it becoming more popular is: Beer Club Popeye is only 11 minutes, and ¥160 away.