Old Imperial Bar — Restaurant in Tokyo

There aren't many places in Japan where you can drink in a nearly hundred year old interior. This is apparently the only remnant of the original Frank Lloyd Wright design for the hotel. Surprisingly though, for what should be such an important landmark venue in Tokyo, this bar seems relatively unknown, doesn't seem to attract many tourists. More so when you consider this is effectively Tokyo's answer to the American Bar at the Savoy in London, in terms of age and the role it played in introducing cocktails to Japan.

I tried two of their signature cocktails - the Mount Fuji and the Imperial 70. The Mount Fuji is a sort of gin sour with egg white. It was really well balanced.

It's very reasonably priced - there was no cover charge (at least when I went) and most cocktails were around the 1500 Yen mark.

One of the highlights was that all their glassware has their logo on, which is very tastefully done. See the pictures for...

The Old Imperial Bar is like stepping into a swanky time capsule. Tucked in Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, with the Frank Lloyd Wright vibe. The bartenders are absolute pros, and my Lugend and Mount Fuji cocktails were out of this world—smooth, perfectly balanced, and just wow (I love egg white). Our server made it extra special by bringing over old books about Frank Lloyd Wright’s history with the hotel, which was such a cool touch. The attention to detail, from the top-notch service to the bar’s stunning design, blew us all away. We only had a couple rounds, but easily spent 3 hours on a chill Sunday evening there. It’s a bit pricey, but so worth it for cocktail fans or history buffs. Can’t...

The whole Imperial Hotel is great, but this bar is really unique. It preserves the features of the second version of the hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and it is dark, quiet and beautiful. I strongly recommend sitting at the bar if you come here. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. They will show you exactly what they are doing and leave the bottles with you for photos. They will explain everything, often with reference to a book about the Frank Lloyd Wright design of the hotel which they always have on hand and will leave for you to browse. It’s expensive, but the service, atmosphere and quality makes it more than worth it. Our favourite bar...