Bar Taru no Mizu

There aren't many cocktail bars worth the name in Gotanda, so when the time comes for a properly mixed stiff one, you have no choice but to brave the smutty streets on the east side of the station, slip through the noise and make way for this basement hideout. Opened in 2006, it's spacious enough even for small groups (tables are available), serves great food, but is still best appreciated solo – with only the reserved bartender and one of his finely crafted creations as company. Taru no Mizu is especially well worth visiting if you're into '80s music, since that's the only stuff you'll ever hear here. And we can't finish this review without mentioning the whisky collection, which is far more extensive than at any other watering hole in the area.