There are two types of tequila bars – the kind where you slam back shots of unaged spirit between licks of salt and lime wedges, and the kind that offer more premium stuff meant to be sipped, not chugged. There are appropriate occasions for each of these places, but the latter is admittedly rarer in Tokyo. This is all the more reason to treasure Faramarz Lounge & Gallery, a hidden gem found next to Udatsu Sushi in the backstreets of Nakameguro.
Headed by bartender Faramarz Khademhosseini (Ferri, for short), Faramarz has copper-backed shelves lined with everything from Cazadores Añejo Cristalino made with 100-percent blue agave to vintage bottles by Jose Cuervo Reserva. The house special, however, is of course the Clase Azul collection, distinguished by its hand-painted ceramic decanters and rich notes of vanilla and caramel. And while the venue prides itself on offering a discerning list of top-shelf labels, its intimate lounge setting, with walls lined with art, makes you feel as though you’re having drinks in the living room of a close friend.
Faramarz is also the place to go if you’re looking to learn more about the ins and outs of tequila production. The bar offers a tasting menu where guests can sample a series of single-origin tequila and mezcal with a dinner course as they learn everything about the process, from the soil agave is grown in to the bottling stage.
Dishing up the courses of the tasting menu is chef Ivalu Acurio, whose cooking is based on a foundation of her Peruvian heritage paired with formal training at Le Cordon Bleu Tokyo. Dishes range from piquant clam ceviche with leche de tigre to golden-brown corn empanadas that ooze with buttery goodness.
The tasting menus are ¥20,000 per head and you can book them for 10 people at a time. You can even add grilled wagyu steak for an extra ¥5,000. Thankfully, you don’t always have to book an entire tasting menu to sample what is easily the best bar food in Nakameguro. Chef Ivalu’s empanadas and BBQ pork sliders are also available on the bar food menu to enjoy as you sip on a fresh margarita or bloody maria.