Swan Lake Pub Edo Shinjuku The Bottom Line Swan Lake Pub Edo Shinjuku is nothing like the other two branches in Kyobashi or Tamachi – it’s far more upmarket and not really aimed at craft beer drinkers. Instead, it’s aimed at the local office workers – as I found out on the day. While it follows a similar vein to …
Y Market Brewing Taproom in Nagoya, Aichi
Y Market Brewing Taproom The Bottom Line There’s no better place than a brewery to get the freshest beers going, and with Y Market Brewing Taproom, you have another choice after Y Market Brewing Kitchen to do that. However, Y Market Brewing Taproom is a trek out of the city to do it, so it’s probably only the die-hard Y …
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Hopbuds in Nagoya, Aichi
Hopbuds The Bottom Line Is Hopbuds a bottle shop turned bar, or a bar turned bottle shop? Doesn’t matter as it does both well enough that you should go there for a few beers while you’re in Nagoya. The multi-nationality makeup of Hopbuds means you’ll end up talking with people from different backgrounds, a welcome change in what seemed to …
Barchie’s Kamakura in Kamakura, Kanagawa
Barchie’s Kamakura The Bottom Line Barchie’s Kamakura was a great little find for us and we’re definitely going back down there – but for the food and not for the beer. Not to say that the beer is bad, but the narrow range of taps meant that it was pretty much limited to one or two types of beer. Make …
Y Market Brewing Kitchen in Nagoya, Aichi
Y Market Brewing Kitchen The Bottom Line If you go to Nagoya, then you have to go to Y Market Brewing. Heck, if you live in Nagoya and haven’t been to Y Market Brewing Kitchen, then what are you doing?! Y Market Brewing Kitchen ticks all the right boxes that we love in a craft beer and we could have …
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Rudy Brew in Kamakura, Kanagawa
Rudy Brew The Bottom Line If Rudy Brew can succeed where Xrosk failed, then they’re onto a winner – however, Kamakura is a fickle place it seems. There ska-punk-esque atmosphere in Rudy Brew is completely the opposite of what Xrosk was – and I liked it. The staff are friendly, there is a variety of beer on the menu, and …
Used Like New Beer in Nagoya, Aichi
Used Like New Beer The Bottom Line I’m going to stick my neck out here and say Used Like New Beer should be on your list of places to visit if you go to Nagoya – think of it as the Beach Muffin of the West. It’s quaint and cost atmosphere is enticing and I could have easily stuck around …
Magnetico in Kamakura, Kanagawa
Magnetico The Bottom Line Magnetico was never going to live up to the expectation that I had for it – but I did really like this place and its break from the bustling tourist areas in Kamakura. Its chilled out atmosphere was a perfect relaxant after a busy day of walking and if I am in the area again, I …
Craft Beer Ghent in Nagoya, Aichi
Craft Beer Ghent The Bottom Line If you’re desperate for craft beer and there’s nowhere else in the area, then I guess Craft Beer Ghent is worthy of a visit, but there’s so much that it does wrong that personally I would give it a wide miss unless you’re really wanting some craft beer. When we went, Craft Beer Ghent was …
Craft Beer Keg Nagoya in Nagoya, Aichi
Craft Beer Keg Nagoya The Bottom Line Craft Beer Keg Nagoya is more of an upmarket kind of craft beer bar than usual, but don’t let that detract you from it. The bar has a chilled-out atmosphere, and is even better when the big bay doors are opened up. The prices aren’t as high as to be expected but seeing …