Kobe Beer Howzit : The Bottom Line
Kobe Beer Howzit doesn’t offer up anything special in the Kobe area besides some cosy outside drinking area. The beer selection was rather insipid but the chips were the star of the show – and who’d have thought that? Go to one of the other places in Kobe instead though if you’re short for time and really want a beer in the Sannomiya station area, then perhaps join our Patreon and find out.
Kobe Beer Howzit : Background
I was briefly in Kobe for less than a day and didn’t have time to get to any of my preferred bars in the area – yes, I do have preferred craft beer bars – but Kobe Beer Howzit came up on the craft beer map and seemed to be open. I was up for trying this new place as the weather was sunny, the skies were blue, and the company was great. What better than to sit outside and have a couple of beers?
Kobe Beer Howzit opened in May 2021 in the redeveloped station building Ekizo that stretches from Kobe-Sannomiya station, along the main pedestrian thoroughfare, and into Motomachi. As such, it’s pretty convenient for those changing trains at this station. It’s also the biggest craft beer bar in Kobe but more about that below.
Kobe Beer Howzit : Atmosphere & Interior
Though Kobe Beer Howzit doesn’t look much from outside, it’s huge inside. There’s two floors to the bar, with seating for over 140 people – yes, you read that right. There’s a huge terrace area outside that, when the weather is nice like on the day I went, fills up very quickly as inside is rather, well, dark and dreary in spite of all the lighting. Something about natural light and drinking makes the experience so much nicer. Seriously, the sun was out and all I wanted to do was sit and drink, while soaking up the afternoon sun, though it was chilly, it was reminiscent of UK summer drinking in pub gardens.
Thankfully, both inside and outside are non-smoking, so you won’t have to experience that sudden change of wind brining smoke over. I didn’t notice any table charge, and there was nothing on the menu to say this. Outside is also pet friendly, so come along with your pet, hopefully a wonderful Labrador, and let them enjoy some of the sun and some of your chips as well.
Kobe Beer Howzit : Beer & Tap Information
Kobe Beer Howzit does have an extensive number of taps of beer, with a count of 14 being on the day I went there. There are two menus – one for imported craft beer and one for locally made beers. The beers come in three sizes: small (250ml) from ¥670, medium (330ml) from ¥880, and then large (570ml) from ¥1,570, with prices including tax. There is also a beer flight option that gets you four 110ml beers for ¥1,650 – not a great deal at all. I didn’t notice any happy hour deals, nor any all you can drink plan.
Kobe Beer Howzit : Food & Menu Information
The food at Kobe Beer Howzit is mixed around grilled food, with some fried items on the menu. I didn’t have enough time to grab a full meal due to needing to get a shinkansen back, but I did order the chips – and they were made from sweet potatoes! I didn’t know this when I ordered them but they were delicious and perhaps the best thing to come out of Kobe Beer Howzit. The menus were in both Japanese and English, so there was no problem when it came to ordering anything at all. While there some vegetarian options, it wasn’t really enough to fill you up, and was mostly greasy fried items too but you could get away with it.
Kobe Beer Howzit : Bar Details
- Open : Daily 11:00 – 23:00 (L.O Food 22:00 Drinks 22:30)
- Closed : –
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 050-5890-2990
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://www.kobe-beerhowzit.com/
- Social Media : Instagram
