Big Love Records One Paragraph
Big Love Records is a great little change from the craft beer chains popping up over Tokyo, don’t go expecting a cheap few drinks nor a bar open late into the night. The beer prices are the usual for a Tokyo craft beer bar considering the size, and there is a cool atmosphere as you listen to various types of music and chat with fellow music hunters. The shop/bar is fully non-smoking and there is a lot of English information available for those worried about Japanese.
Very chilled out place.
Big Love Records Full Review
What are we doing reviewing a record shop? Have we gone bonkers? Big Love Records popped up on Twitter feed when someone we were following (@secondutensil) put some pictures up of the bar and off we went soon after. Big Love Records is located in the Harajuku district of Tokyo, about a ten-minute walk from JR Harajuku station, hopefully avoiding the Takeshita-dori as well. It appears to be located in what was once either an old apartment complex or office space.
First and foremost, Big Love Records is about the records though you can’t miss the beer advertisements as the kegs sit by the front door of the shop. It was pretty cold inside, with air con blasting area, and music seeping through the shop and bar. There is space for about five people at the counter, with some smaller, lower tables just behind a shielded section that was already being used at 1:30pm when we arrived by some fellow drinkers / music hunters. There isn’t a table charge either too.
There are only three taps at Big Love Records, and only one size of beer – US pint. The beers on tap seem to be from the Shiga Kogen range. The prices were reasonable I guess for the size, with them ranging from ¥980 to ¥1180. All the prices included tax and the beer serving was pleasing to see. Along with that, the gas levels were also a good level, with them not being overly carbonated nor too flat. You can also get buy Big Love Records beer tickets, with 11 costing ¥9,000, thus getting you 11 beers. A nice little way to encourage either excessive drinking in one night, or repeated visits back there.
Food – well I did spot a kitchen on the way in though the lights were off and there wasn’t going to be any food on the day. There were some small snacks served with the beer but they were tiny and merely made a small dent on the hunger.
Big Love Records Details
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 13:00 to 22:00 Monday 15:00 to 20:00
Happy Hour: None
Phone: 03-5775-1315
How to Get to Big Love Records
The closest stations to Big Love Records are JR Harajuku and also Meijijingu-mae on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Line.
[ezcol_1half]Directions from JR Harajuku [/ezcol_1half]
[ezcol_1half_end]Directions from Meijijingu-mae station[/ezcol_1half_end]
