The Red Bulletin EN

EAT & DRINK
NISHIAZABU
IMADOKI
TRIP BAR
Since opening in October 2019, Trip Bar
in Nishiazabu has claimed to be Tokyo’s
first ever VDJ Bar and Lounge, which
refers to a DJ that mixes tracks with
a combination of both live visuals and
audio. The former are displayed across
seven different oversized screens
throughout the bar, making this a multisensory
experience even before you
engage your taste buds – no wonder the
menu skews towards attention-grabbing
dishes, like a delightfully rich caviar
and sea urchin tagliatelle, as well as
a premium katsu sandwich made with
the highest-quality Hida beef, from
cattle raised in Gifu Prefecture.
Address
106-0031 Tokyo, Minato City,
Nishiazabu 1−14−17, WAVE Nishiazabu 1-2F
Website
nishiazabu-tripbar.com
Imadoki is an example of an izakaya,
a Japanese establishment that’s halfway
between a restaurant and bar, where
you’ll typically go with a group of friends
and while away an evening by sharing
numerous small plates of food and even
more numerous rounds of drinks. This
particular izakaya is swankier than most,
located in central Tokyo’s Nishiazabu,
one of the posher parts of town. The
top-quality sashimi and wagyu beef on
the menu is befitting of the location, but
Imadoki’s surprising speciality is actually
motsu-nabe, a hotpot filled with a variety
of offal and tripe cooked in a style that
originates from Hakata, Fukuoka, which
is on the northern shore of Kyushu.
Address
106-0031 Tokyo, Minato City,
Nishiazabu 2−25−19, BARBIZON28 1F
Website
imadoki.jp
M E Z Z O
With its glitzy, golden sign and its
location right in the ‘middle’ of Roppongi
(from which it derives its Italian name of
mezzo), this relatively new addition to
the area’s bar scene is impossible to
miss. Despite its upscale branding,
the ambience on the ground floor is
welcoming and unusually wholesome,
with a fresh fruit buffet (to go with
your fresh-fruit cocktails) available on
weekdays. The upstairs is another story
entirely, ramping up the exclusivity with
a VIP members-only section that requires
an exclusive PIN code to enter. Book
ahead and reserve a table if that’s more
the atmosphere you’re looking for – just
make sure you have a notepad on hand
to jot down your PIN code, which you’ll
receive when you make the booking.
Go to Mezzo in
Roppongi for
exclusivity and
fresh fruit;
and don’t miss
the venue’s
exclusive bar
upstairs that
requires a PIN
code to get in
Address
106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City,
Roppongi 5−1−7, Roppongi Street Building 1F/2F
Website
mezzo.tokyo
84 THE RED BULLETIN