The Global Drinker — World Bar Guide
Bar Nica
Tokyo, Japan
Bar Nica is a listening bar hidden just off Shinjuku-sanchome. Loud conversation is discouraged, but the vintage sound system is so superb that you'll be happy to simply relish the sound. Photos are also not permitted, adding to the sense that you've stumbled upon a genuine neighbourhood secret. While the bar specialises in whisky and craft gin, bartender Ichi-san is equally adept at the classics. He'll first cut the ice by hand and place it in a thin glass, followed by slices of lemon and sugar cubes doused in bitters. To sip an old fashioned by Ichi-san is to be transported back to the age of bebop. There are only seven stools here, so if it's full, check out Bar Nica's sister establishments Bar Martha in Ebisu and Bar Track in Shibuya.
2 F Matsumoto Bldg, 3-9-2 Shinjuku, Tokyo · $$