Where to drink hot sake in Tokyo

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, and the sake by the glass are reasonably priced from ¥300 to ¥1,000. 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...

Located a few minutes’ walk from Shibuya Station, Yata may be a (sake) standing bar but it’s not one of the usual run-of-the-mill, rough-around-the-edges sort. It’s an elegant, modern space: the cool, polished concrete interior is accentuated with warm timber details, soft lighting and stylish glassware, set against a soundtrack of jazz music and presided over by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Yata is a welcoming space where even lone visitors will feel at ease...

Run by the vocalist of a funky jazz band, Bar Gats is pretty much a hot sake institution. The eight-seater lends itself more to a simple night of appreciating the drink rather than a rowdy party. There’s no menu here, as the bartender will pick a selection for you, complete with perfectly paired otsumami (snacks). Note that speaking Japanese infinitely enhances the experience, as staff keep up a running commentary about the merits of hot sake in rapid-fire Japanese all night.

For a more substantial meal with your drink, head to Kanagari, a robatayaki specialist in Shinjuku that has a good lineup of hot sake. Try to nab a counter seat, from where you’ll see the grill – and the sake-loving manager – in action. The nihonshu is heated, served in traditional aluminium pitchers, and handed to you on a massive paddle. Ask for recommendations for both food and booze, but whatever you do, make sure to have the marutama, a textbook example of a perfect whole roasted sweet onion.

If you like DIY-ing your sake, the English-friendly Sakestand is for you. They have a changing selection of very well-priced nihonshu, which you can heat up in a tokkuri (flask) yourself if you so please. Small nibbles that go well with sake are on the menu as well, as are beer and wine if you really can't muster a glass of nihonshu...