HUNTERS BAR in Akihabara TOKYO — Restaurant in Tokyo

My husband is the Monster Hunter fan, not me. We needed to make reservations weeks in advance to come here. He set a reminder on his phone so we would not miss the chance to book our reservation timeslot online.

While waiting to be seated at the restaurant, we observed an American tourist walk in, sweet talk, bargain, beg, and plead to eat here when he did not have a reservation. Of course, they were fully booked, so they tried to turn him away as politely as possible, but he would not relent. It made us cringe. They (Japan) have your fingerprints, my guy, just let it go.

The restaurant is very well-themed, with all kinds of sizeable decor and weapons that fans will recognize. My husband enjoyed taking his photo with one of the feline character sculptures and rotating the fake meat over the fake fire. Visitors here will also receive a collectible coaster (he got two, thanks to me), as well as other prizes that can be earned via a sort of point system.

I didn't expect much from the food. I am sure it was a bit overpriced (especially since you also need to pay a table fee just to come in here), but that said... the food was actually really good! It was actually among the best meals of the trip, which I did not expect at all. The skirt steak was flavorful, and cooked exactly medium rare. The drinks were also very pretty. We ordered "Magnamalo's drink" and "Kagero's drink." My husband insisted upon the iconic three colored dumplings (that sort of look like rabbits), and we also left room for a bit of dessert, the "Cremet d'Anjou" - essentially, poached pears and ice cream.

Oh, and one last thing - the restroom was fancy AF. The ladies room had manicure kits and a blowdryer, in addition to mouthwash and several other (slightly) more common restroom amenities. Apparently a lot of these themed cafes are run by Pasela Resorts, so there is a sort of uniformity to their luxury and quality. Also, do note that when you are looking for this place, that the outside of the building will say Pasela Resorts. Final Fantasy's Eorzea Cafe is also in this...

Just wanted to enjoy a drink in a novelty bar which bear one of my favourite game series. Unfortunately the service is not very good.

When I got there the place is quite empty with only a handful of customers with a matching handful of staffs. I just came in and took photos before ordering a drink because the staff was busy with this other customer. Then I asked for the menu after they are done with that one other customer. But then the staff rudely asked me how I was able to walk around. I was treated like I was a freeloader/rule breaker when no one was there to serve me or told me how this whole establishment works. How I should've ordered a table.

Then I was asked to pay for a table through a QR code, or else I have to erase all the photos I've taken. Okay, so I decided to pay for the table. Not only do I have to pay, but I have to tediously fill their form for the privilege to be there.

Then ordering a menu is also supposed to be done through a QR code at the table, which the staff hasn't told me. Of course, they rudely tell me what to do. Then the website didn't work so they had to do some tinkering to make it work. I had to walk back and forth 2-3 times just to order because of it.

All this time and effort and inconvenience so that I can order a glass of beer in a cool monster hunter themed bar. By the time I ordered the beer, my excitement and overall mood are ruined. This was one of the things I really looked forward to in my Japan trip but got really disappointed.

The menu and the atmosphere were alright. It's basically a modern bar with some monster hunter themed items spread over the restaurant. It's not some immersive experience that takes you to the world of monster hunter.

All in all, I think once is enough. I don't think I'll come back. My time could've been spent somewhere else.

I hope the bar management can see this as a constructive criticism and hope that the experience can be improved for...

No Live streaming but recording is allowed in the restaurant, by the way.

Wait: about 10-15 minutes The wait time wasn't too terrible as I don't remember waiting too long.

The Ambience: SO AWESOME!! Very great job bringing the Monster Hunter gear to life! Loved this aspect so much!

The Food: Mediocre but Fun! Was honestly not the best tasting(not horrible either) and wasn't super hot when it arrived but it definitely was Monster Hunter themed 🤣 and that's what I came for. With that being said, I'll be rating it generously 😂 at a 3/5.

The Service: Good I believe we were attended by the floor Manager. He spoke very good English and helped with everything we needed. He was very busy but took the time to help with a side mission that involved playing Monster Hunter Now on mobile for a real-life Food Voucher!

Merch: Cool free merch but lacking in paid merch. You're given some Monster Hunter(MH) themed coasters for free; 1 per attendee when seated. The issue I was faced with was that there wasn't enough paid merchandise like clothing or even figures. The clothing that was supposed to be available was sold out.

Basically after you've finished eating, you'll be taking home some MH cards or plastic MH Stands that you can attain by using points you've accumulated from the food that you purchased throughout your meal.

Be sure to go to the counter and ask for this before leaving.

Conclusion: All in All, it was fun. I think it was a very fun experience to eat Monster Hunter themed foods while surrounded by the game-world's items and gear but it may be a one time deal for me.

I have been playing Monster Hunter since the first game way back and the idea of this place has been living in my mind rent free for a very long time now. Especially knowing that Japan has Cafes for almost everything 😂.

I would recommend every Hunter to eat here at least once.

Thank you Capcom for making this...