Tucked away on the 4th floor of Ebisu’s Atre building is this stylish, well-stocked kaku-uchi of Kimijimaya. Kaku-uchi are part-liquor stores, part-bars, meaning Kimijimaya has you covered whether you’re looking to buy high-quality sake and wine to take home or have a tipple in-store. The space is neat and well-organised, the staff welcoming and enthusiastic, and the sake by the glass are very reasonably priced from ¥300 to ¥1,000.
Owner Kimijimaya, who also moonlights as a rock musician (on closer inspection, you’ll notice the shop interior is adorned with black-and-white portraits of famous musicians), is passionate about creating a space where people can drink authentic, unique and good quality sake at a reasonable price. Sit at the counter by the window for some people-watching while you sip, or just hang out around the standing table in the centre of the bar area. There’s a daily changing menu of sake from breweries across Japan for you to try, as well as a small selection of snacks like miso-marinated cheese (¥300), pork and duck rillettes (¥500), etc.