LOST — Restaurant in Tokyo

I very rarely write a serious review, and if you were to check out my profile you'd be forgiven for thinking that this is another of my playful reviews, but this bar absolutely deserves top marks in every category.

The first thing that was apparent was the level of hospitality provided by all of the staff in LOST. From the moment my partner and I walked in bar manager Jason was instantly on the ball making sure we were well looked after and had everything we needed, he made many recommendations regarding drinks and snacks, and frequently ensured to check up on us, even going so far as to slightly change up a drink based on the feedback we gave him. However, all the credit can't just go to Jason, as Mark was equally helpful, friendly and incredibly congenial. Again, he ensured to check up on us regularly, was fantastic to chat with, and had his input with recommendations. (Mark, I hope you see your cats soon, and I hope you get your Black Forest cocktail on the menu!) Next up, while not officially on shift, Ian was fantastic to speak to, and I sincerely apologise for taking up so much of your time. And finally, the rest of the staff were extremely professional and provided excellent service, unfortunately I didn't catch their names or have much conversation with them, but they were busy looking after all the customers in the bar. They made sure our water was topped up, and served all drinks with a smile. I can honestly say this is a brilliant team of people, and hopefully once the bar finds its' footing, they can lean into the great hospitality and keep it up!

Now, regarding the menu, the reason that most people should be going to a cocktail bar. The prices are much what you would expect from a cocktail bar, very similar to UK prices, around £9/10 per drink, however they are of exceptional quality, and only the best ingredients are sourced. Or so I was told. Vodka is far rom my favourite spirit (bad experience) but the vodka LOST uses, Psycho Love vodka, is so mild and so inoffensive that it mixed into the cocktails so well. Similarly, the gin used was also of a high quality and was one I've never heard of before, Ki No Bi, but again it mixed nicely into the cocktails and wasn't too overpowering when mixed with the other ingredients. Elsewhere on the menu are the bar snacks, of which my partner and I tried the spicy rice cracker chips, which were a very nice pairing with the cocktails, especially with the surprising amount of spice they had. We also sampled the cheese and crackers, which were amazing. The cheddar cheese was of such an incredibly high quality, of course it was sourced from England so somebody at LOST is very enthusiastic about cheese! And the crackers that were to pair with the cheese were a lot tastier than I thought they were going to be. Keep the cheese on the menu, trust me!

As is probably evident from the above, the biggest positive I can give in this review is that the hospitality from the staff was just second to none. Hopefully the bar takes off, and more people can experience the wonderful service and smiling faces of those who are putting in their absolute best efforts to make this bar such a welcoming and pleasant place to be.

It's a shame that the owners weren't around while we were there as my partner is a huge fan and tells me she has been a fan for 8(?)years, and it would have been nice to personally give this feedback. We will be back at least once before the end of our trip, so maybe next time!

P.S. Top marks from me for the music choice. Every single song was a toe...

I’d like to preface this review firstly by saying that this isn’t a overall review of the entire bar. But one aspect of the business.

To give some context I was visiting Japan for the very first time and was in Tokyo between Monday - Wednesday (14.10.24 to 16.10.24). I’d had planned to visit the Lost Bar during my time in Tokyo. The bar was closed on Monday and Tuesday. This I have no issue with whatsoever. As I can fully appreciate that any business needs to have breaks throughout a given week. But I looked forward to visiting the bar on the Wednesday when it would be open.

However the unfortunate news arrived that the bar would be closed on Wednesday due to Covid illness. Again I have no issue with this whatsoever, as I appreciate that this situation couldn’t be helped. So I was in the end disappointed that I couldn’t visit the bar that I’d had been looking forward to going to. However this isn’t the basis for my low star review.

I was in the Shibuya area on the Tuesday and decided to go see the premises and have a go of the gacha machine. To my surprise and luck I won a cool prize from the machine which indicated that I would need to go into the bar to claim it. At the time this was fine, as I’d be coming back again on the Wednesday. But as was later indicated on the day a few hours prior to their opening hours, the bar would remain closed.

I contacted the bar via their Instagram page and replying to their story of the Covid illnesses. To seek their advice or guidance on what I should do as I would soon be leaving Tokyo and Japan to return home. I likewise looked at their FAQ’s which didn’t offer any information that would assist me. Likewise there was no other method of contact except via their Instagram.

Despite now being home for the last few days, I’ve still not heard anything from the bar or their instagram. It’s been complete radio silence and no indication has been give if I’ll ever hear from them or to even receive an acknowledgment of my message.

So the take away for me and perhaps some constructive feedback to the bar would be the following;-

1. To have a social media dedicated staff member monitor the Instagram messages to see if customers are trying to contact them.

2. To give an rough indication of how long it takes for messages to be answered and or acknowledged. For example “we will reach out to you within the next five business days”.

3. Expand upon the FAQ’s to give better guidance on what to do if the bar is closed and about claiming prizes if you can’t enter the bar.

I fully appreciate that this review is also very niche in nature. But as a customer, patron or fan of the Abroad in Japan channel it doesn’t really demonstrate an open and transparent business to address problems if you can’t reach them via any contact point. As I couldn’t enter the bar (being closed), I can’t reach them via telephone or email (as these aren’t offered) and can’t reach them via their social media page (no response via Instagram).

I’m not particularly hopeful that this review will get any attention either. At this point I’ve taken the loss and will accept that. But would like to highlight to others that contacting them directly hasn’t been particularly fruitful.

Lastly I’d don’t want this review to be seen as a gripe or whine about the business, but just highlighting some areas of concern. Perhaps being rectified in the future. But I’m hopeful to return to Japan next year and hope that I can finally visit the bar when it’s open.

Kind...

My husband and I have been longtime subscribers to 'Abroad in Japan', the popular YouTube channel focused on life and travel in Japan hosted by a sarcastic British expat named Chris Broad. He's drawn over three million followers with his lacerating wit and cast of put-upon cronies, so it's not that far-fetched an idea for him to open a swanky bar in the busiest part of Tokyo. In fact, it's a clever execution that complements his brand quite nicely.

Even though we're arguably out of his youthful target demographic, my husband and I made a point of dropping by after petting Hachiko by the scramble and browsing Shibuya Hands nearby. The name and signage made me think of the late TV series, but the aspiration appears to be a speakeasy with a deceptive, sliding wall of gashapon capsule toy machines hiding the entrance. Once inside, we felt the chill vibe immediately, and we were impressed with the lack of a cover charge.

The 'get' space was the loveseat facing the window in a narrow space almost hidden by a dividing wall, and there's a private VIP room for parties of eight. However, we were perfectly fine with the high-top table for two as I was backlit in the most flattering way. We noticed the rack of graphically designed travel postcards highlighting the bright spots of each prefecture as identified by Chris and his enterprising fiancée Sharla.

We were reminded it was in large part their arresting video of Takayama and Shirakawa-go that motivated us to pay a visit there earlier in our trip. It was challenging to decide which signature cocktail to try as the names recalled the most memorable snippets from their videos. My husband ordered the ¥1500 Peach Better Have My Money, a delightful all-peach libation, an ideal response to the muggy weather we had just experienced outside.

Discounted as the June Signature Special, it was made with Psycho Love organic vodka, peach nectar, peach cordial, peach liqueur, and fresh lemon and mint. I was torn between two of Natsuki's pet phrases. I simply didn't have the conviction to say "Go F@#k Yourself" to the cherubic server with panache, so I went with his favorite drink, the ¥1,600 Too Much Volcano named after the chart-topping rap song about Natsuki's native landmark, Mt. Aso on Kyushu.

It was indeed a strawberry milkshake but with a discernible kick with Psycho Love organic vodka, heavy cream, pineapple juice, and strawberry syrup topped with bits of dried strawberries. It was a refreshing treat like Andy Hardy meeting a tempestuous tiki goddess. Foregoing Chris' native cheese plate, we went for an overflowing bowl of the ¥400 Wasabi Beef Potato Chips for a spicy-crunchy flavor contrast. Loved the wall of memorable quotes and photos from their videos channel.

COCKTAILS / BAR BITES - 5 stars...signature cocktails have been refined into top grade libations matched with our preference for the fruity AMBIANCE - 5 stars..really nice renovation job with an open feeling blended with stylish touches and a true connection with the channel SERVICE - 5 stars...genuinely cordial with a welcome sense of humor TOTAL - 5 stars...when a successful YouTuber makes the right...