Old Books and Beer Adanoniki : The Bottom Line
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki is a quaint little place to pick up some books and have a beer or two if you’re in the area. It’s not fair to judge it on its beer list alone as I would go as far to say that it is more of a book shop with a few beers added on. There are some non-Japanese books as well so don’t be put off but you may have to rummage through a lot of aisles to get there. The whole place is non-smoking – paper goes up in flames easily I guess – and has no table charge though there is some free wifi. As for food? There’s a few snacks on offer. And English? None.
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki : The Full Story
I had come across a random craft beer map the day before coming to Old Books and Beer Adanoniki but the map was from 2020 – as well as being the year it was released, it listed 20 craft beer bars in the Sapporo area, and 20 bars a bit further afield. Since then, quite a few of them had closed down, but Old Books and Beer Adanoniki seemed to still be open according to social media. I learnt on this trip that thanks to the ending of the SoE, bars and shops were reverting back to some kind of “normal” hours. Little did I know that Old Books and Beer Adanoniki didn’t follow either.
This is the second location for Old Books and Beer Adanoniki, with its original place opening back in 2008 – before the craft beer boom that Japan has seen. The original store was located within the Odori area and was much larger. The idea for this place came about because the owner wanted to bring together their two loves – books and craft beer. At the time, there were barely any other places offering craft beer in Sapporo, so something unique was born. The current location opened in December 2017
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki : Atmosphere & Interior
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki deserves more than the word quaint to describe it – it’s bonkers really. If you’re ever been to the Japanese chain store Don Quijote, image all of the content that they have, but in books and you’d be close to how Old Books and Beer Adanoniki is organise. It’s a book lovers paradise but a librarians nightmare. Trying to find a specific book would take ages but on the flipside, you’re going to be here for ages if that’s your aim. Combine this with a small reading / drinking area and that would be a fair description of the inside of this place.
In terms of seating, there are probably 4 or 5 seats at the bar and that’s it. There isn’t that much more to say about this place besides it of course being non-smoking and having no table charge. Moreover there is some free wifi. As for opening hours – take them with a pinch of salt. I was told it would open at 2pm and I arrived a little bit after but it was closed. I sat downstairs thinking, oh, perhaps the owner is delayed due to the recent snow – a plausible and logical thought – but they turned up about 15 minutes later and said they were sorry for being late but they had some other things to do. Good job it wasn’t another Magnetico story turning up here.
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki : Approach to Covid-19
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki has the bare bones approach to Covid-19: some alcohol spray at the door and social distancing at the bar. That’s it – but it is worth remembering that this place is primarily a bookstore with some beers thrown in for a little bit extra.
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki : Beer & Tap Information
Here’s where everything gets a little bit murky with Old Books and Beer Adanoniki. I was a bit confused with what is offered at the place as there is so little information about it – either when you are there or looking online. At the time I went, there was only one tap of craft beer on, with several bottles available to drink in store, though those were in limited quantity. Apparently though, there are a few more taps on with the idea that the place showcases a few different beers from the same brewery at one time. The beers come in three sizes: small (250 ml) for 750 yen, medium (350 ml) for 950 yen, and large (470 ml) for 1150 yen. There wasn’t any happy hour and the bottles can not be bought to takeaway.
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki : Food Information
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki isn’t a place where you’re going to eat lots of food. There are just a few snacks on offer though all the prices include tax. In terms of menus, everything is in Japanese so either you’re going to need to come with a Japanese reading friend or just drink bottled beers.
Old Books and Beer Adanoniki : Information
- Open : Monday to Saturday 14:00 – 22:00 (L.O 21:30) Sunday 12:00 – 18:00 (L.O 17:30)
- Closed : Random. Check social media for details.
- Happy Hour : N/A
- Phone : 011-802-6837
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://adanonki.exblog.jp/
- Social Media : Facebook / Twitter
