Tap & Tumbler : The Bottom Line
Tap & Tumbler should be a place that could be on everyone’s list of places to go to, but the exorbitant prices, and the confusing pricing system, along with Craft Beer Bar iBrew Ebisu around the corner, means there are better priced venus in the area that offer up more for less. That’s not to say you won’t like Tap & Tumbler but be prepared to pay a lot. There was just some basic food on the menu – some snacks – and you can’t bring your own food in, so you may leave this place light on money and hungry. The whole place is non-smoking though and there is no table charge, so there are some good points to finish on with.
Tap & Tumbler : Background
Tap & Tumbler is located in Ebisu, and opened in May 2022. It’s the third in the chain of Tap & Tumbler bars, but the names do slightly differ, with the other two branches at the time of writing being based in Shimokitazawa and also Shibuya. Tap & Tumbler is about a 3 minute walk from JR Ebisu station, located on the JR Yamanote, Shonan-shinjuku, and also the Saikyo line. You can also get there from the Tokyo Metro Hibiya line too.
Tap & Tumbler : Atmosphere & Interior
As you walk into Tap & Tumbler, you’re greeted by a lot of standing tables, and a bank of taps against the back wall. The interior of Tap & Tumbler is pretty industrial, with lots of steel and barren concrete walls, though there is some wood to break up the industrial nature of the bar.
In terms of seating, there are eight seats at the counter, with the remainder of the bar being standing room only. Due to the lack of seating at Tap & Tumbler, there is surprisingly no table charge for those people who do choose to sit down. The whole place is non-smoking though there is a smoking area outside the bar.
Tap & Tumbler : Beer & Tap Information
The main premise to Tap & Tumbler is the self-service nature of the beers. When you enter, you’re given a card that stores all of your beer details on it, and then you show that at the end of your drinking. There are some glasses that you can use, though you are encouraged to wash them between each beer with the small fountains located on the drip trays, There are 15 taps or so of beers, with a variety of styles and countries on show, with a heavy leaning towards domestic beers.
Due to the nature of the self-service, there are no set sizes on offer, though prices are a little confusing with prices per fluid ounce – I have no idea about how much a fluid ounce is and why it’s still in use. It’s a tad annoying too as you can either look at the beer being poured, or the value on the screen. It would have been better for the bar to use some graduated markings on their glasses so you can get some idea of how much you’ve poured. And if you screw up the pour then you’re on the hook for it – make sure you don’t pour half a pint of head then!
There are also some fridges around the corner of the taps that you can pick up some beers to drink in or takeway, but like the taps, there is no discount for getting beers to takeaway.
Tap & Tumbler : Food Information
There wasn’t any food besides some snacks on offer, and you can’t bring your own food in. A shame but them’s the breaks. The menus were all in Japanese but prices do include tax.
Tap & Tumbler : Bar Details
- Open : Daily 15:00 – 24:00 (L.O Drinks 23:30)
- Closed : –
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 03-6456-3235
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://www.craftbeers.tokyo/tap-tumbler-ebisu
- Social Media : Instagram
