Bar Benfiddich — Restaurant in Tokyo

Firstly, I still need to catch my breath after having had the opportunity to visit Bar Ben Fiddich after waiting more than 6 years to get a seat and watch Kayama-san work his magic behind the bar.

I first came across the amazing mixology skills of Kayama-san after watching his fresh Campari video on YouTube (2015ish and his bar had already been around since 2013). I've since been a diligent follower of his on IG admiring his flair and his courage to try obscure and unusual spirits.

Went with a very good friend and fellow aficionado after making a reservation (the line outside the bar reminded me of a Disney queue...) and at 6 sharp, the nondescript wooden door separating us humans from a wonderworld of spirits and cocktails was opened. We got a corner seat (my only issue is that the chairs are really large, makes it challenging to move in and settle without making noise, bumping into others or giving ourselves beautiful purple reminders of our visit to the bar...) and the bar table where we sat was a beautiful whole slab of wood. The stuffed animals nailed to the walls were a bit unnerving so I concentrated on the bottles and jars holding amazing promise and the cocktail books he had hidden amongst them.

Of course, we ordered based on our preferred flavor profiles, and we ended up ordering 5 cocktails in succession. Kayama-san bartends with 4 bartenders engaging with the customers and ensuring that bar tools and glassware are in constant supply.

I've read that some people felt that the cocktails were watered down, but I feel that this is very much a personal opinion. Being highly alcohol intolerant, I prefer my drinks to be lighter and not so much of a knock-out punch. My friend likes it strong so we're a perfect pair at the bars!! My personal opinion is that balance is perfectly achieved with the cocktails we had, however they are a bit on the boutique portion size. But it is good, you're forced to slowly sip and savor rather than to guzzle as people are prone to when they've got larger glasses in front of them.

The glassware is a whole other amazing experience. I've seen that Kayama-san has glassware specially made for him, they're whimsical, fragile and totally unique. Well there are highball and wine glasses, I think I also spied coupes and sherry glasses, but we also saw clay and what looked like ceramic beverage ware being used.

There's definitely lot of thought that has gone into this entire concept and I personally feel that his constant ranking in World's Best lists each year is a testament to his creativity,...

As you stand waiting (im)patiently outside the wooden door, a tiny bead of light escaping between the panels, you wonder if your expectations will be met having read the rave reviews posted about this relatively unknown place.

The door opens and the smiling face of a man appears and apologises for keeping me waiting and tells me in very respectful terms that I might be waiting 'a while' to get a table. He then asks if that is ok and that he can inform me at once should a place open up. I wait... about 20 minutes. The call comes! I am shown in politely and led through the exquisite dark-wooded and cozy interior to a small yet uncramped space in the corner, the vintage looking bar with its long curved-edged unvarnished bar top a highlight in the low-lit atmosphere.

You immediately feel at home there, the staff can speak English pretty well and their knowledge of their trade is unsurpassed. You cannot help but be impressed. Everything about the place is unhurried and soothing, as any decent bar of this kind of quality should be. The clientele are needless to say of the more sophisticated types, no lager louts here, thank God! That is not to say that they wouldn't be welcomed! They would be, but then they would also be educated in much the same way as I was, even though I have been to literally hundreds of bars all over Tokyo.

The drinks are served in impeccable fashion, and not only that, in antique glasses as well! Explanations accompany your choice of drink as well, to add to the overall feeling that you have hit upon probably the most excellent bar in south east Asia. I had the Suze, (French bitters flavoured with roots of the Gentian plant... Just Google it!) an aperitif version, and upon recommendation, a 60 year-old digestif version as well to get a sense of the differences between them. Well-worth doing have you the funds.

And then a fantastic Sauvage absinthe, sixty-eight percent alcohol, again in a beautifully decorative glass. I could go on and on but better to let you discover the distinct and unique joys of Ben Fiddich for yourselves. The bottom line? Cancel whatever other plans you may have this weekend and just go! You will not regret it for an instant. Be like me, and spend the next few days reminiscing with a huge smile all over your face and being agog with excitement as you look forward to darkening its...

I was fortunate enough to secure a reservation at Ben Fiddich on Friday night. Upon exiting the elevator on the 9th floor, or walking up the 9 flights if you’re really gung-ho, you enter into Kayama-san’s world. He has transformed the space into a beautiful, fantastical space.

There is no menu. While there are cocktails that are famous or renowned at Ben Fiddich, you can provide the bartenders with flavour profiles and they, in turn, produce something magical. Many of the ingredients, syrups, fruits, and even the decor are sourced directly from Kayama-san’s farm which is under 60 miles from Tokyo. On this night, wormwood, an ingredient in absinthe, was hanging from the lamps.

The flavours I provided were:

1. spicy & smoky
2. umeboshi (pickled & sour Japanese plum)
3. koji (a by-product of sake fermentation)

The three cocktails produced were ones I never could have imagined myself.

To start, it was an Ardbeg (scotch) based cocktail with a spicy pepper syrup from the Kayama-san’s farm and tomato juice, amongst other ingredients.

The second cocktail, and my favourite of the evening, was umeshu (plum wine) and cocoa with tonic and orange. I would order that every day if I could.

The final cocktail was a liquor made from rice but not sake and cucumber. I forgot all the ingredients tbh.

Every drink had multiple components which would be lined up on the bar before Kayama-san by the bartenders. He would then artfully make the cocktail in a variety of ways depending on the drink. It really was like watching a dance; they were so well coordinated.

It was a fantastic experience that I hope to repeat the next time I am in Tokyo. I highly recommend making a reservation to experience it yourself. If you follow listicles, it resides at no.48 for the World’s...