Karakuri : The Bottom Line
If it wasn’t for the dreaded table charge at Karakuri, then this place would be a shoe-in for a strong contender on places to visit. It’s got everyone that we all know and love – craft beer on tap, decent food, and a warm and friendly atmosphere. Except it’s the table charge of ¥600 that left me a bit cold, considering there’s no signage outside about this cost. So there you go, if you don’t mind paying that charge, then I recommend Karakuri.
Karakuri : Background
Karakuri opened in 2018 – an age ago it seems in the world of bars and restaurants in Japan – but they must be doing something right if they can be busy by 4 pm on a Saturday afternoon. The store specialises in craft beer and nihonshu – both cold and hot – as well as oden. Why it has taken me so long to revisit this place is beyond me then as I love all three of those things.
Karakuri is located in the Kanda area of Tokyo, but you could easily get to the bar from a variety of trains stations with Awajicho and Ogawamachi both around the corner, and all within 5 minutes walking distance. Just make sure you don’t walk past the miniscule sign outside, and don’t fall down, or up, the stairs.
Karakuri : Atmosphere & Interior
Karakuri has space for 22 people inside, with six seats at the counter, and then the remaining seating dotted at various wall tables, and lower tables around the bar. It’s a small place inside, and you can easily have conversations with people around you – as what happened to use on the day. The whole place is non-smoking though there’s no Wi-Fi nor would I recommend to those with young children though they are welcome until 8pm.
The main downside to Karakuri is the table charge, as mentioned in “The Bottom Line” above. And it’s one of the most expensive I’ve seen in Tokyo, let alone Japan. At ¥600, you have been warned, though there was no signage except on a beer menu in the bar but we didn’t notice it, and it was only on receiving the bill that I was saw the charge. You do get three small appetisers for this cost, and they were fantastic, I must say, so it wasn’t all that bad. However, with three people on the day, that was ¥1,800 on top of the beers, sake, and food that we had.
Karakuri : Beer & Tap Information
There are 10 taps of craft beer on at Karakuri, though the actual number varies depending so we had a choice of eight beers on the day we went. I ended up getting a pint of Noboribetsu‘s Single Hop IPA – Centennial effort, and while the pour left a lot to be desired, the staff did kindly top it up. The beers comes in three main sizes for domestic beers : small (200 ml) from ¥980, medium (320 ml) from ¥1250, and then large (470 ml) from ¥1480 – some pricey efforts here considering what is in the area. There is also a three beer flight offer that gets you three small beers on the menu.
Karakuri also offer up a bottle shop, with some domestic beers in store, that can be bought to takeaway, as well as offering up growler fills for those interested, but I didn’t see any prices for the beers, so be warned before you start eyeing up those bottles from Minoh.
Karakuri : Food & Menu Information
Karakuri specialises in oden and other simmered delights, and on the day, I had the simmer tofu with coriander, and they did not skimp on the coriander! The menus are have some rudimentary English on them – enough to order some food and drinks, though the more detailed descriptions are in Japanese. There’s plenty of vegetarian options as well besides just salad stuff that is often provided.
Karakuri : Bar Details
- Open : Mon – Thu 17:00 – 23:00 (L..O. Food 22:00 Drink 22:30) Fri 17:00 – 23:30 (L.O. Food 22:30 Drink 23:00) Sat 15:00 – 22:30 (L.O Food 21:30 Drink 22:00)
- Closed : Sundays & Wednesdays
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 03-6260-8185
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://lit.link/en/karakuri
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
