Saraeru : The Bottom Line
Saraeru was an absolutely wonderful surprise for me out of nowhere and I would happily have gone back for dinner and drinks later on in the day, if I had known they were going to be closed on Tuesdays. There’s a decent selection of beers on tap, though the prices are higher than expected. This is balanced out with some incredible food that was much cheaper than expected. Though there is no table charge and the whole place is non-smoking, just be weary that this place is cash or PayPay only.
Saraeru : Background
Saraeru came out of the blue for me – I was in Taru Taru the day before, having a couple of beers, when I began to look for bars for the next day ahead of me in Takamatsu. Low and behold, Saraeru came up yet there was barely any information about it except it had opened up November 1st, 2025. The name “Saraeru” comes from the idea “to clean up / finish up everything remaining / to devour it all”, a playful idea perhaps tied to enjoying one’s meal completely but more about that later on this writeup.
Located in the Shiogamicho area of Takamatsu, the place is less than a five minute walk from Kawaramachi Station. The owners are a married couple: a wife and husband who combine their culinary passions to create this space.
Saraeru : Atmosphere & Interior
As you enter Saraeru, you’re greeted by the husband who will take your order as you come in. Don’t take too long to decide though as this place gets busy fast and if you’re hanging around to decide, you might annoy a few people. Inside is light and airy, though it is a bit cramped to say the least. There is space for four people at the counter, with seating for ten along the walls. There is no table charge Saraeru, and the whole place is non-smoking.
It’s a very friendly place as well – the owners try to engage everyone in conversation, and before I knew it, the four of us at the bar counter were talking and laughing with one another, in broken English and Japanese.
Saraeru : Beer & Tap Information
There are six taps of craft beer on at Saraeru, with all of the taps being domestic craft beer, though there is a leaning towards locally brewed beers where possible. The beers come in two sizes : half pint (240 ml) from ¥800 and pint (470 ml) from ¥1,600 – not the cheapest place to get beer by any means. There’s no happy hour nor any beer flights on offer, and there’s also no all-you-can-drink plan. Still, for the price you pay, you do end up with some full beers with just a smidgen of head on top – all liquid!
Saraeru : Food & Menu Information
The core offering is spice-laden curry that pairs well with Japanese-style rice. They use locally grown vegetables and rice from the husband’s family’s farm in Kumamoto which is his hometown. The pricing, for what you get, is very reasonable : one curry lunch set was ¥1,100, while two was ¥1,300, and three is ¥1,400. I had the three and was delighted with what I had – I wanted more but I knew that I could come back later.
They offer homemade coarse-ground sausages, and during lunchtime you can get a “hot-dog plate” for ¥1,300, featuring their sausage. These sausages are actually made in The Day East Tokyo (Asakusa / Tokyo) which meant we had another long conversation about that place, and then another beer was had, The are a few snacks on the menu, but few vegetarian options. The menus are all in Japanese, so you will need a Japanese speaker, or reader, with you.
Saraeru : Bar Details
- Open : Weekdays 11:30 – 15:00 (L.O Food 14:00 Drinks 14:30) 17:00 – 22:00 Weekends & Holidays 11:30 – 22:00 (L.O Food 21:00 Drinks 21:30)
- Closed : Tuesdays
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : –
- Homepage (in Japanese) : –
- Social Media : Instagram
