Nope/.

Like the food options in Tokyo, the bar scene is full of and constantly growing with possibilities.

The concept of “Typically Japanese” in your post is, I am guessing, meant to mean “Traditional Japanese”. There are a wealth of things which are typical of various segments of society which are not necessarily traditional. Immediately springing to mind are hostess bars. These, while typically Japanese are a bit beyond the typical holiday budget and likely not exactly what you are looking for anyway.

Classy places abound. If you like a suit and tie atmosphere, or even a casual clothing but very classy atmosphere hotel bars and the above recommended Bar Radio will do nicely. If you are looking to stay with the classy scene but with the intention of trying to hook up with somebody, the Oak Door Bar at the GHT or even a bar at a restaurant like 57 will work nicely. If you are looking to watch sport and drink beer and have a barely reasonably imitated plate of Nachos or Cheesesteak, I recommend Legends or similar. If you want to have a late night drink (i.e. the sun should be up when you leave) that gets you more into Roppongi.

All of that aside, there are literally thousands and thousands of great hole in the wall places serving everything from simple beer to amazingly rare sake.

Tell me more about what you want in terms of pick-up possibilities, fellow English speakers, big screen sports, wine selections, specialist martinis, location within this rather sprawling metropolis, and time frame during the evening (roughly) during which you hope the place to be happening and I can maybe narrow things down a bit.

Mike

If I may jump into this thread, any suggestions for a late night bar in Nishi-Shinjuku, close to the Hilton? I'll be arriving around 11 PM on a Saturday and would like to find a nearby place (bar or izakaya) for a beer or two and maybe a snack, nothing fancy.

Fungo Dining, listed on Bento.com, is open plenty late, but isn't quite I'm looking for, as it's a restaurant by day. My favorite in Japan is Rockwell's in Yokohama, just 8-10 seats at the bar, a couple of small tables, your standard beers and mixed drinks, some decently prepared but not fancy food/snacks, and friendly bartenders. If I could find something like that near the Hilton I'd be happy. I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks!

If you want to try something completely off the wall, one of the tall buildings near the Hilton (I forget which one, you'll have to find it yourself or ask the concierge) has a club on a high floor that features a transvestite show.

Sadly, I've never felt the need to try this particular club, but I did see some of the "girls" rushing to get into their next costume.

Also, Frigo, mentioned in an earlier post, is about a 15 minute walk from the Hilton.

I like "The Drunkard" on Nisseki-dori in Minami-Aoyama. Sort of an Island theme. The staff went to Cuba to learn how to make an excellent mohito. They also make a good Moscow mule. Not the cheapest place as it's in an upscale area but definately worth it as they put a lot of effort into making the perfect drink. The owner speaks pretty good english and you'll meet a lot of friendly patrons.

Down Roppongi-dori in Nishi-Azabu there's "The Grail" which is a good place to eat and drink with friends. Again, not the cheapest place. You'll find on some nights it does have it's fair share of ex-pats.

Concure with previous poster about the New York Bar and Grill at the Park Hyatt in Shinkjuku. Nothing compares to sipping an overpriced cocktail on the 52nd floor while listening to some live Jazz. Cover is for the band which starts at 8. I'd suggest trying to call ahead and get reservations for a window seat. If you are just going for drinks, make sure they understand that it's for a bar side window seat otherwise you'll get restaurant side.

There are so many bars in Tokyo that if you see one that might be interesting you just have to have a drink to see if you like it.

Have anyone noticed that no one in the USA knows what a Moscow Mule is? It's disappointing, because it might be my favorite drink. I end up settling for a Ginger Ale & Vodka with Lime, although it's not the same...

Totally! I am ashamed to admit that before I moved here I never even knew about it. Oh I knew about ginger ale and vodka with lime but that is like comparing Kool-Aid to fresh squeezed fruit juice. The Drunkard even serves in in a tin cup. Then I inevitably start speaking in my best Russian accent, much to the annoyance of those around me.

After a few of those, I usually start speaking in tongues. They've called in the church officials to see if I should be sanctified while living.

:D:D:D

Trendy night clubs
 

Ok... I got the list of 'local flavor' bars. Thank all of you! This is an excellent way to get some good info.

Does anyone know of any "trendy" nightclubs for the 40ish crowd?

I'll preface with saying I'm not in that crowd yet so...

From what I can tell in my short time living here, the 40ish and older crowd tend to frequent bars rather than clubs. Karaoki Bars are are about as "clubby" as they get. Clubs in Tokyo are mainly geared toward the younger crowd (think mostly 20's). Having said that, I may be confusing your usage of the word "club". You can find many live music bars (could be clubs I guess) around Tokyo. They host local bands and I've seen 20's-50's cutting it up on the floor. They also host DJ's but that usually tends to be the younger crowd again. I have been to many of these places in Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, etc. but I cannot remember any of the names unfortunately. I've always heard about them word of mouth from a friend (in a band coincidentally).

Again, I'm basing this off of my personal experience. I don't know exactly how to define "trendy" in Tokyo, seems as if that directly equates to the price of the drink IMHO. If you want, PM me and I'll try to get you some more info.