Kyoto & Osaka

July, 2019

Cocktails in Kyoto & Osaka

During our trip to Japan we had a few nights in Kyoto. A beautiful city with friendly people and a lot of culture and history. Of cause we visited a few good bars that we found either through online research or from recommendations.
 

One recommendation from fellow travellers was a day trip to Osaka. The day trip ended up as a full day rounded off with both dinner as well as a fantastic bar visit.

Nokishita711

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A forest it feels like this bar. There are grass, tree branches, and moss all over the place – and while it might sound a little bit kitschy, it’s actually quite irresistible. There are only about four or maybe six seats in the bar, but we got there early in the evening and secured our seats. The menu, which is printed on reused magazine pages, is packed with the most innovative and avant-garde gin-cocktails imaginable. How about a cocktail made with salmon-gin for example, or with cheese?
But while it might sound weird for the sake of being weird, it is some of the most well composed drinks we’ve had. Also in this setting these drinks taste extra nice to enjoy, and it’s easy to stay for a long while, just trying one more drink, again and again…
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Bar Nayuta

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We did a day-trip to Osaka and could only visit one bar, so it had top be carefully selected. Being recommended by both bartenders in Kyoto, as well as some American travellers we met along the way, we decided to have our Osaka drinks at bar Nayuta. And we couldn’t have wished for more. Entering the bar through the tiniest of doors, realising there are no menus, having to think about what it is we really like about cocktails, and then having the bartender prepare the perfect cocktail based  on your preferences.

 

Wow what an experience this bar is, every single cocktail we had was stunning. The bar make several infusions and blends themselves, and discovering them in different drinks was very memorable and delicious. A bar with a very nice atmosphere and the friendliest of staff.

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Bee's Knees

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Bee’s Knees make classic cocktails with a Japanese twist. Obviously the Bee’s Knees is one of them, but also the Wa Smash is a good one, served over dry ice in the most dramatic fashion. A rather darkly lit bar it is, adding to the secretness but also the cosiness of this venue. While the menu didn’t excite us tremendously to be fair, the drinks that we ordered from it were all good and executed in the absolute best way.
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Bar Silent Third

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This bar made us almost lost for words, it’s unlike anything we’ve previously experienced. The bar desk is absolutely massive, and it is packed with the most interesting bottles. The owner asks you in a very polite way what your preferences are, and then he creates some mind blowingly good drinks. Like this Bloody Mary riff with Japanese spices and the most gorgeous of colours. Little snacks are complimentary served along the way, and all in all this is probably the best bar experience throughout our whole trip to Japan.

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