Duck under the small arched doorway down the narrow street of Susuran-dori and you’ll find one of the best bars in Sangenjaya. Actually, you’ll find two of the best bars in Sangenjaya, as Cielo is a two-level establishment with separate spaces for gin and whiskey aficionados. On the first landing, you’ll find the warmly lit gin bar with rows upon rows of craft gin.
Labels range from the Spanish Gin Mare, infused with Mediterranean botanicals like rosemary and olives, to locally sourced bottles like Komasa and Roku. You can’t go wrong with a simple gin and tonic mixed with the bottle that first catches your eye, but it’s hard to resist the cocktail menu that has everything from sweet and strong concoctions like the Coffee Negroni (¥1,200) to light, dry tipples like the Lemongrass Old Salty Dog (¥1,400).
Upstairs is an old school whiskey and cigar bar for those who like their drinks served neat. There are roughly 100 bottles to choose from, including Scotch, Hibiki and a handful of niche labels from lesser known distilleries for a drink that will put some hair on your chest.