Australian Gourmet Traveller - (07)July 2019 (1)

140 GOURMET TRAVELLER

whennearlyeverycocktailhadcreamormilkinit.

YetsomeofJapan’sbarsweresoprescriptivethatthe

creativesideofcocktail-makingandbartendingwas

missing.BarTrenchstraddlesthatdifficultborder

betweentraditionandcreativity.Theinterioris dark

andmoody,withcrystallight-fittingsandglasswareand

a librarymezzaninethatevokesanold-worldParisian

bar.Anemphasisonabsintheheightensthatfeeling,

thoughcocktailsrangefromstraight-upclassicsand

moderninterpretationstouniquecreations.The

playlistis eclecticandperfectlyintunewiththemood.

Thebaris smallwithspaceforonlyabout 15 people.

If youcan’tgetin,thegroupbehindBarTrenchhas

twovenuesnearby:BarTramandBarTriad.Between

thethreeofthem,youwon’tgothirsty.

WhyCraftedcocktailsinanatmosphericsetting.

AskforSomethingwithabsinthetostart.

WhenMon-Sat7pm-2am,Sunandpublic

holidays6pm-1am.

Where1-5-8Ebisunishi,Shibuya-ku.

GRANDFATHER’S

Tokyo’svinylbarsaresmall,oftensmokyandusually

hardtofind,housinga largeselectionofvinylalbums

playedthroughoutthenightbya DJbehindthebar.The

DJsareinvariablyhi-fiobsessives– Tannoyspeakersand

McIntoshampsarecommon.Somevinylbarsarevery

seriousabouttheirmusic,andwillaskyoutoleaveif

you’retoonoisy.Grandfather’shasa muchmorerelaxed

vibe,thoughit’sstillnota placefora rowdyevening.Its

musicencompasses1950sand’60srock,1970ssouland

funk, and a smattering of ’60s and ’70s folk. Write your

Clockwise,

fromright:

vinylanddrinks

atGrandfather’s;

bartendingat

BarTrench;grilled

palmheart(left)

andseasonal

fermentsatKabi;

inside Kabi.