Sting

In George Roy Hill’s classic heist flick The Sting (1973), Paul Newman’s protagonist fills a bottle of Gordon’s Gin with water to fool his counterpart and win a bet. It’s a scene familiar only to film buffs of a certain age – a group that includes bartender Mika Nakahiro, whose joint is named after the movie in question. Her signature drink, meanwhile, is the Water Flower, which breaks with cocktail convention in incorporating pure water but really hits you on the way down. Newman’s Henry ‘Shaw’ Gondorff would surely approve. As is tradition at most Shinjuku bars, everyone from corporate executives to students are treated equally at the unmarked Sting, found on the third floor right above Shinjuku-Sanchome Station and open from 3pm. Stop by next time you’re in the area, but be careful not to fall for the seductively smiling master.