APOTHECA — Restaurant in Kyoto

If you’re looking for a speakeasy, Apotheca will pop up. But don’t expect the vibe, service or atmosphere you get across the world. The place is a funeral home.

A small counter bar that sits about 10 people. 90% of patrons are foreigners. Run by 1 bartender and a bar back dressed like they are from Peaky Blinders, they come with no smiles, personalities and are very slow. Expect no less than 15 mins to get a weak drink. Cost is around 3x’s the price you’d get anywhere else. You’re looking at $10-15 for a 1/2 shot pour. And don’t be surprised if they watch or question how many drinks you’ve had. I had 3 and they said I was only allowed to have 1 more after discussing it amongst themselves thinking I could not speak Japanese. Potential cut off after 2 normal sized drinks?? Insanity

The music is soft jazz at a low volume which completely kills the atmosphere. Even though it’s a great place to meet fellow travelers, they discourage anyone speaking or laughing too loud. All we are doing is bonding over travel stories and have a good time. They truly don’t understand their clientele. You’ll literally be told to “Be quiet” followed by a ‘turn down the volume’ hand gesture. It’s as if you are sitting in a library or being told not to speak at the dinner table.

Drinks are mixed well, but coming from where speakeasy’s started (NYC) it’s nothing special. Not worth the money.. Complete joy kill. A wanna be uppity establishment. Complete waste of time in such a beautiful magical city that offers so much around each corner.

And for those who say ‘this is Japan’, I lived in Japan for 3 years. The place is simply lame on so many...

Yes, us American tourists have been to a ton of hyped up “speakeasies” in large cities before (eye roll). But this one is truly a special one without all the unnecessary snobbery and buzz that surrounds the typical speakeasy experience that we’re familiar with. Relaxing and quiet vibes. You can tell how much love and care the owner has for his bar, and it feels like he has intentionally curated things the way it is (especially through the apothecary concept) so he can pour his thoughtfulness into crafting each drink specially for each and every customer he “consults”. He’s truly an artist, and it shows just how much joy and fulfillment he gets from being able to flex his creativity and knowledge. Each drink he made for us based on our ask was spot on with a special twist. Yes, they are slightly on the pricier side, but to us the experience was worth every penny. I would say this bar isn’t for everyone…but for those looking for that extra level of intention and craftsmanship, the pharmacist bartender is your man 🤘🏼🤘🏼. Will definitely be coming back here after I’ve brushed up on my Japanese a bit more. Highly...

Fulfilled my hopes for an impeccable evening out at a high-class Japanese cocktail bar. The bar was quiet but not too quiet; inviting but not too touristy; one of the bartenders spoke very good English but also indulged my weak Japanese as far as I could get with; and of course, the drinks were fantastic. I would recommend Apotheca for people visiting on their own or with only one or two others, as the only seating as at the long bar. All of the drinks were both classic and creative, including a shiso margarita served up with a strong, distinctive shiso flavor that worked unexpectedly well, a gin & soda made with Kyoto gin aged in smoky scotch barrels, and the gimmickiest (but still great), a Penicillin served in a beaker that came with a float served in a novelty syringe. I went on a Sunday evening from about 5:30 to 7:45 and there were never more than I think 4 or 5 customers in the bar at once (a mix of locals and tourists, all of whom were treated attentiveness and care.) This was basically a perfect night out....