Ishi no hana — Restaurant in Tokyo

i travel to review bars. been all over the world, went to most of the bars on the world top 50 list.

this bar is my personal favorite. there is a lot of history in the making at this bar, and is perhaps one of the few legacy masterminds of the japanese bartending scene still alive and working.

go to this bar to understand what the perfection of technique means. every gesture, from stirring and shaking, to measuring and pouring, is all calculated and practiced.

are there bars that are more creative? yeah. are there bars that are more fancy? yeah. sure. but this bar has the highest overall aggregate score i’ve ever given to a bar.

make sure to book a reservation, and try their japanese old fashioned, as well...

I’ve lived in four countries and visited dozens of cities the world over, and this place had, without a doubt, the best cocktails out of all of them (even better than NYC!).

Prices were very reasonable. Try their Kurosawa cocktail, it’s original and uses Japanese ingredients. My whole party agreed it was amazing after one of got us it, and we all ended up ordering the same thing on the second round.

The atmosphere is quiet and pretty cordial, and the servers are polite...

I was prepared for a 5 star experience considering this bar’s reputation and accolades. The cocktails were expertly made and delicious, but the bar lacked feeling. I couldn’t tell if it was too light or too dark, but felt very cold. The staff was courteous but not friendly even though we sat at the counter. We felt like an afterthought as it seemed there was “regulars” next to us, so it seemed very...