Another8 The Bottom Line
Another8 isn’t a bad bar – it ticks all the right things with prices inclusive of tax, no table charge, and no smoking – but the boxes it doesn’t tick are the prices. Sitting there knowing there were cheaper places on either side of the Yamanote line meant that I felt I was paying more for the atmosphere, which for a Friday night was distinctly missing. It’s a nice bar to have in the area, but it seems more a place where the fashionable crowd hang out, rather than the seasoned beer drinker looking for some quiet time over a couple of beers.
Another8 The Full Review
Meguro, lying between Ebisu and Gotanda on the Yamanote Line, straddles a weird area in Tokyo in that there isn’t much in the area. Surprising as it seems to be a busy commuter area by the station but as I walked towards Another8, the crowds were walking in the opposite direction – perhaps on a Friday night, people just wanted to get home. Another8 is the sister bar to Kyoto’s Before9.
Another8 lies about 5 minutes south of Meguro station, in what appears to be a small housing area. As such, it sticks out like a sore thumb – both with the cursive neon sign hanging from the wall and the dance / hiphop music emanating out from the bar. Another8 opened up on April 1st 2017 to much fanfare with adverts over Facebook and Twitter at the time.
To describe Another8 as spartan would be an understatement. The concrete walls and single glazed sliding doors left me feeling cold – both emotionally and physically as it was a pretty cold night. They’re definitely not going for the hardened craft beer drinker, rather more of a fashionable crowd. Everything seemed clean and clinical, from the benches that curved in the same places, to the benches placed at set angles. There is seating for about 30 people inside, with the benches coordinated so you don’t get in the way of others. The good points about Another8 is that it is fully non-smoking, both inside and out, and there is no table charge either.
There are eight taps on at Another8, though one of them had wine on tap when I went. The taps were mostly domestic craft beers though from time to time they do have imports on. The beers come in three sizes: small (260ml) at¥700, medium (330ml) at ¥850, and large (500ml) at ¥1200 – not the cheapest in Tokyo, but at least the prices include tax and as it is pay-as-you-go, then there are no surprises at the end of the evening. There was no happy hour, nor were there any beer flights on offer.
The food seemed to be mostly fried style, with chips definitely being on the menu, along with some healthier foods, such as salads and vegetarian dishes. Some of the menus were in English, though the daily specials were written in Japanese only.
Another8 Details
Open: Daily 17:00 – 01:00
Closed: Tuesdays
Happy Hour: None
Phone: 03-6417-9158
Homepage (in Japanese): http://sakahachi.jp/another8/
How to Get to Another8
The closest station to Another8 is Meguro on the JR Yamanote, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Toei Mita Line, and Tokyu Meguro Line. The bar is about a five minute walk.
