Another8 Corner : The Bottom Line
Another8 Corner is a place that I really enjoyed and would happily have spent more time at, if I hadn’t had found out some friends were also in the area at a different bar. The atmosphere at this branch of the Another8 chain – Another8 in Meguro – is less, for want of a better word, snobbish, and far more chilled out and enjoyable, as evident with the numerous families and groups of drinkers at the branch as I left. The whole place is non-smoking, has no table charge, though I was unable to find any WiFi.
Another8 Corner : Background
Another8 Corner is the third in the chain of bars from the company, known as Sakahachi, that runs Another8 and also the bottle shops called Dig The Line though it seems that the Kyoto branch – called Before9 recently closed down at the time of writing. Sakahachi have a long and storied history with alcohol with their brewery being located in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture, facing the main road Nakasendou, one of only two roads connecting Kyoto and Tokyo in the past; however, at the time of writing, they no longer brew sake.
Another8 Corner opened in May 2022, and is located in a building which previously housed a flower shop and a beauty salon, a building carefully nurtured by the city. The bar is located less than a five minute / 250 metre walk from Gakugei-Daigaku station on the Toyoko Line.
Another8 Corner : Atmosphere & Interior
As you walk into Another8 Corner, you’re greeted by a massive 13 meter long counter, that stretches halfway through the store – quite impressive too is that it is made from one continuous piece of wood. Wood is a common material throughout this place, with pretty much all areas encompassing the material in one form or another – be it as a table, as a stool, some framing for the walls, or even some benches.
There is space for around for 30 people inside, with the back half of the bar having most of the seating with low tables or benches by the window – my favourite place to sit. There are also some counter seats available though it did seem a bit narrow for my liking as people walked past. Moreover, there appeared to be some outside standing drinking areas too if you wanted to take your beers and conversation outside. The whole place is non-smoking and has no table charge, though I was unable to find any free WiFi to connect to.
Another8 Corner : Beer & Tap Information
There are 8 taps of craft beer on at Another8 Corner, with a split between domestic and imports, though it seems that on the day I went, there were just domestic breweries on tap. The beers come in three sizes: small (200ml) from 650 yen, medium (330 ml) from 800 yen, and large (470 ml) from 1,100 yen, with the prices including tax. There are no beer flights on at Another8 Corner, nor any happy hour or all you can drink plans. One thing to note about the glasses at Another8 Corner, is that they are periously thin, so much so that I felt like I could bite through the glass if I was not careful enough. The beers were served well, with just a minimal amount of head so while the prices are a little bit higher than normal, at least you get served well.
Another8 Corner : Food Information
In spite of the long bar counter taking up most of the space at the front of the store, there was a small kitchen behind it and the food menu seemed to be pretty extensive. There was a most impressive range of vegan and vegetarian food, but as soon as I saw the gapao spring rolls – two of my favourite foods combined into one convenient package – I knew what I was getting. Little pockets of hot fat that would explode and burn my mouth. The menus were both in Japanese and in English and also had hot and cold choices. Something for everyone on the menu and definitely worth trying.
Another8 Corner : Bar Information
- Open : Daily 15:00 – 01:00 (L.O Food 0:00 Drinks 0:30)
- Closed : –
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 03-6303-1642
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://sakahachi.jp/another8_corner/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
