Bar TRENCH — Restaurant in Tokyo

The Bar owner/head barman, Mr Vaz, is featured in the first episode of Midnight Asia -Tokyo, Netflix. So I visited the place to taste his concoction.

The bar trench is quite small, and it's located in the small alley near Ebisu JR Station.

The Menu - two sides, classic & their original. Usually I am quite cheeky to order something off the menu, but this place you don't feel like you want to mess up with the host. So I was quite docile to study the menu. Though, I wasn't sure what to order since the bitters, I am not aware of, were written here and there all over the menu.

But Mr Vaz can guide you what to order if you drop names of your go-to drinks. Here are my recommendations.

1. Trench 75 / French 75 inspired but way more tangy and citrus-ey.

2. Italicus-based Tom Collins -ish / I forgot the name but it's on the second on the signature cocktails menu. It's really refreshing, and what a discovery. I didn't realise the dry vermouth or bianco vermouth with bergamot - from Italy - topped with Mediterranean tonic can elevate entirety of the drink. Really pleasant one after a long walk in steamy Tokyo

3. This is very favourite - Vesper-ish but this James in the Barrel! I am a big Martini fan, and this is truly amazing. This barrel aged gin from Chicago and Quinoa vodka with bits of other bitters embodies texture and flavour of the drink. It's another discovery. Truly Hughy recommended.

On average, the price per glass is around 1600-2000 yen, but it's really worth it. I recommend to ask recommendation. The interpretation of the classic is very interesting and...

My wife and I came to this mixology bar per a recommendation from a friend.

The atmosphere was fantastic. It is darker but not too dark and filled with books along with old photos and records. Overall though it is very cozy with seating for about 15 inside and probably another 5-8 outside. This was not a frat boy type of party bar. There is a 500 yen cover charge to keep the dilettantes out.

The drinks were very good and the mixologists were on point. We both did 3 cocktails listed on the menu but the mixologists can mix much more and modify what they have if you want. I added more spice to a tequila drink of mine and loved it. Your drinks are served in glasses that are appropriate for the type of liquor and flavoring and they have a very wide selection of high quality liquors. For instance the Gin selection was so good it did not even include Bombay Sapphire. The prices reflect this with about 1,500 yen (~ 15 USD) per drink but it was well worth it. Food is available which is made by a sister/brother bar down the road.

Mixology is a relatively new thing in Japan and this bar could put any established country to the test. I highly recommend it and will...

Trench Bar is a very popular mixology bar located in an alleyway in Ebisu. We were able to get 2 seats within 5 minutes at 10 pm on a Saturday night and were served by Arthur, a very hospitable Kiwi expat who spoke fluent English and Japanese.

We ordered the Trench 75 (Nikka Coffee gin, lemon, honey, sparkling sake) and Una Vez Nada Mas (shiso-infused mezcal, elderflower, grapefruit, lime, absinthe, with a miso chili-salt rim) for a total of about JPY 4000. The Trench 75 had a subtle citrus edge that masked the alcohol well, while the Una Vez Nada Mas was a bit more tart than expected, though the miso chili-salt rim provided a nice savory balance.

The drinks are definitely more interesting than what you'd find at an average bar. This spot is well worth a visit for any...