Bar Gyu — Restaurant in Kutchan

Bar Gyu+, 11/10. Unlike any other cocktail bar I've been to. We visited in February and arrived shortly after it opened for the day, so we did have to wait ~60-90 minutes to get inside on a very chilly, snowy day, but all of that was forgotten and immediately worth it once we were inside. The space is incredible, so intimate & cozy. The cocktails are unique and tasty. From everyone in our group, it was unanimous that we all had the best shot we've ever had that day, some sort of cheesecake shot - we still talk about it and ask other bartenders if they know how to make it (no luck so far). We only went the one day, though if (when) we went back, I'd recommend going later in the evening after the upstairs portion is open and the line to get in moves...

Speakeasy vibe, with funky tunes. My partner and I arrived on a dreamy night with very little wait time to get in through the fridge door entrance. We ordered six fab cocktails to sip while dreamily watching the snow fall outside their huge window: Lavender Bee's Knees' locally distilled gin smells great; the Butter Me Up is perfect for people who like it sweet; Je-ne-sais Poire has a lingeting licorice note; Yo-Yo Noix is delicious; and the our favourite is Hinoki Negroni- a must for negorni afficionados. All their drinks are boozy as heck (alcohol foreward) and comparable to Toronto pricing. This hip joint is well worth the slippery scuttle down the road to get there and a must for a date night when...

We went here on our first night in Niseko. The street is a bit slippery (obviously not the bar’s fault) so just something to note while walking there. We went on a weeknight and it was packed, so I imagine weekends will have a wait, but it’s worth it. We had a variety of drinks (mainly tequila cocktails and whiskey cocktails) and everything was great. The service was very good as well; we had to wave our server down a couple times but it wasn’t a big deal. The wait staff and bartenders are so polite and genuine. The vibe is very cozy and I loved the illustrated menu. This was the perfect spot to kick off our ski trip, definitely...