Chelas : The Bottom Line
In spite of me turning up for their anniversary event, I will be going back to Chelas to give it a proper check out and taste test of everything soon – that’s pretty good telling for a place that was in the midst of a busy afternoon and could still keep up with service. The staff were friendly, the beers decent and well-served, and the food was fantastic – pretty much ticking all the right boxes. Chelas is non-smoking, has no table charge, though they do not allow children, perhaps a good thing though the kids won’t be able to experience some awesome food. I didn’t notice any free WiFi but I guess that’s another excuse to go back check this place out.
Chelas : Background
Chelas is a craft beer and Mexican bar located in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, with the closest station to it being Oyamadai station on the Tokyu Oimachi Line that runs towards Futako-Tamagawa, with the bar being less than a 5 minute walk away from the station. If you haven’t head of Oyamadai, need not worry, as I had not heard of it either and was most surprised to hear that this place was the first craft beer bar in the area. Chelas opened in July 2022 and on the day we went there, they were just celebrating their first year anniversary that weekend.
Chelas underwent a crowdfunding campaign to get started and according to their bio, the shop is located in Oyamadai because it has a warm and friendly atmosphere. It is sandwiched between the busy towns of Jiyugaoka and Futakotamagawa, but it is a wonderful town where you can relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with rich nature such as the Todoroki Valley within a short walk.
Chelas : Atmosphere & Interior
As mentioned, this was Chelas’ first year anniversary, a fact that I didn’t know until I got a message from a friend telling me about it – should I go or not? Well off I went. Chelas has space for around 15 people inside, with various combinations of counter seats and tables against the windows, and a couple of high tables too. The whole place is non-smoking and there wasn’t any table charge when I went, though I will double check this on a subsequent visit.
Chelas : Beer & Tap Information
As this was their first year anniversary event, all regular service of beers had stopped at Chelas – I’m guessing that with the crowds there were expecting then washing all the glasses up would have taken time and reduced service. Another reason for me to go back and check it out.
However, there are 8 taps of craft beer on, with a split between domestic and imports, with the latter primarily coming from the California area. In terms of pricing, because this was their first anniversary event, beers were at 350 ml from 900 yen, with prices including tax. During regular times, the beers come in two sizes: regular (340ml or so) from 1,000 yen and then large (470 ml) from around 1,300 yen, with prices inclusive of tax, though imports were priced higher than the domestic beer for the same size.
Chelas also has a beer fridge whereby you can get bottles and cans to drink in, or to takeaway. If you do decide to drink in, then there is a corkage fee of around 300 yen for smaller cans, and then 500 yen for 750 ml bottles.
Chelas : Food & Menu Information
Once again, as this was their first year anniversary event, Chelas put on a special menu of food to ensure maximum service, but the general theme at the bar is Southern Californian Mexican food – a delight to my eyes and nose, and then later on my stomach. I ended up getting a carne asada burrito that was packed – no empty or wasted space with this thick rolled up log that came in at about 1,000 yen. There were also some vegetarian options on the menu too, though that could have been due to the event.
As for menus, they were both in English and in Japanese, with the owners speaking both languages so you can easily get what you want without the stress of needing to invite someone else along to translate for you. The menus also included tax so there wasn’t any surprise at the end of the day.
Chelas : Information
- Open : Wednesday to Friday 16:00 – 23:00 / Weekends 14:00 – 23:00 (L.O Food 22:00 Drink 22:30)
- Closed : Mondays & Tuesdays
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 03-6693-5150
- Homepage : https://www.chelasbar.com/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
