Ancestor — Restaurant in Nagoya

This is a gem of Nagoya bar scene for adults (yes, adults who wanna savor their time - loud partiers, stay away). I went to probably 30+ bars across Nagoya over the course of several months, and this is among the top places that I found myself keep going back to. When you open the heavy door, you are stepping into an elegant and yet comfortable paradise of cocktail lovers.

Good news if you cannot speak Japanese - the bartender, on top of being a wizard of intoxicating concoction, speaks nice English. I'm bilingual so we talked in Japanese, but he took orders from and chatted with my buddy pretty smoothly in English. Apparently he worked at a hotel bar before opening his own place, so he's used to talking to foreign travelers (that said, don't expect native-level fluency, that's not fair).

This is what the Japanese call an "authentic bar," meaning it serves top-notch cocktails and other types of drinks prepared by bartenders who are serious about their craft and typically underwent some type of apprenticeship at another renowned establishment. Ancestor's bartender, for instance, won a pretty big cocktail competition some time back. No printed menu - that's in his head. You talk to him and you two together decide on what he'll create for you. If you seem to want something quite pricey he'll probably politely mention that, but otherwise you just trust the process (credit cards accepted).

Go. Seriously. Cocktails are divine. Music is relaxing. Light is warm. Time lulls. The bartender has lots of interesting stories to tell, like when he backpacked the world (when it's not too busy, of course).

Life felt sweet...

The owner is an artist. Every drink he serves comes from the passion of his heart and soul. I have never been served a drink made with so much care and attention. I described some flavors I’ve enjoyed in the past and was served a blended pear cocktail that changed my life. Despite the high class atmosphere and attentive service, the prices didn’t break the bank. I would 100% recommend this bar to anyone visiting the area. Don’t miss out if you’re a...

Truly a fantastic experience. The quality of the service in helping me try Japanese whiskeys was outstanding. I’m not sure if I have ever been to a better bar. My wife had several fantastic cocktails as well.

If you want to try Japanese whiskeys, this is an excellent choice. They have private bottles not sold in stores for you to try.

I am honored to have come here and my thanks to the owner...