Ginza Bar Calma

Ginza is one of the densest bar districts in Tokyo, and many of the venues sit a few floors up in perfectly ordinary office buildings. From the street you can rarely tell what's waiting behind the door, so every new bar is a bit of a lottery. This time, I won. The bar is one flight up in one of the neighborhood's office buildings, and what sets it apart from its neighbors is the concept: all-you-can-drink cocktails. That's unusual for a cocktail bar in Ginza, and it's perfect if you want to work your way through several drinks over the evening. The space is comfortable to sit in, and it's easy to stay longer than you meant to. The drinks are good and well made, with no frills or pretension. That's exactly what the format demands, because all you can drink is only fun if what you get in the glass is worth ordering again. If you don't know what you want, you can let the bartender guide you, and since each new drink doesn't cost extra, it's easy to dare to try something you'd otherwise have skipped. The price is in the upper-middle range, as you'd expect for the area, but if you're counting on more than one or two drinks, it becomes really good value. The only risk is forgetting that you actually have to go home. The bartender was warm and attentive, and I felt welcome from the first moment. The atmosphere is relaxed, not stiff, and that matters a lot in a bar where you want to linger for a while. Go here when you want a longer bar night in Ginza and would rather try several cocktails than settle on one favorite. Check the all-you-can-drink terms before you sit down, so you know what's included. And look up when you're searching: the bar is on the second floor.