Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo in Takadanobaba, Tokyo

Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo The Bottom Line

If you’ve missed the last train home and need somewhere to drink, then check out Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo. It also offers up something different in the Takadanobaba area – imported beer alongside domestic craft beer though the prices do leave a lot to be desired considering either side of the station there are cheaper places. There are some good points to Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo with it being completely non-smoking, free Wifi, and some nice views over the Kanda river; however, there is a table charge of ¥300 to add on at the end of drinking. Make sure though you’re with someone who understands Japanese or is good at katakana as there wasn’t any information in English.

Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo The Full Review

Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo, which translates to dining room or cafeteria, opened in October 2018 and since has proven itself to be one of Takadanobaba’s popular drinking spots for craft beer – who’d have thought a popular student area could support one of Tokyo’s upcoming craft beer areas? We’ve probably gone and jinxed ourselves now about the bar and probably the whole area now! Sorry!

Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo is located about 3 minutes from Takadanobaba station, next to the Kanda river that runs to the north of the station. The area is one of the most popular drinking areas in Takadanobaba so make sure you don’t get lost or bump into too many people on the way there. There is space for 28 people inside, with space for 8 people at the counter, and also about 20 people dotted around the high tables along the back wall – if you don’t mind sitting close to others. The whole place is non-smoking, though there is a small smoking area but it there was nothing noticeable about the smoke. There is also ¥300 table charge, so make sure you figure that into your drinking.

Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo has ten taps of craft beer on with the list being split between domestic and primarily American imports. Beers come in two sizes: half pint (235ml) from ¥750 to ¥900, and pints (473ml) from ¥1,200 to ¥1,450 – putting it the expensive end of the scale for craft beer in Tokyo. The beers did come well served, which means in clean glasses and not with crazy amounts of frothy head on top either. There wasn’t any happy hour nor did we notice any beer flights either.

Picture courtesy of Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo

Picture courtesy of Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo

Though the town is popular with students, the food at Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo is anything but – think more along the lines of Yona Yona Works style – lots of grilled meats, such as roast chicken platters, a variety of sausages, and also some other bits and pieces. There was a limited choice of food for vegetarians though, with the usual salads and chips on offer too. Make sure you can read Japanese or have someone that can do so, as none of the menus were in English when we went.

Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo Details

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 17:00 – 05:00

Close: Mondays

Happy Hour: None

Phone: 03-6883-5004

Homepage (in Japanese): N/A

Social Media: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

How to Get to Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo

The closest station to Takadanobaba Beer Shokudo is JR Takadanobaba. It’s about a 3 minute walk.