Bistro 87

With the entrance mere feet from that of one of local super discount izakaya (beer 80 yen!!!) if would be hard to position oneself in anything approaching upscale terms, and so it's not surprising hat the folks at Bistro 87 chose not to.

Descending two flights of stairs you emerge not into a scruffy basement dive, but rather a well-appointed, white tablecloth-adorned oasis where jazz and blues lilt enticingly. The space is incongruous, what with the linen on the tables surrounded by walls adorned with hand-scrawled blackboards listing the days offerings. Strip all the blackboards away and the place would be positively upscale. Rip the tablecloths off and drop the ceiling 10 feet and what would you have? The perfect budget wine bar.

So Bistro 87 splits the difference. The food is well-prepared and shockingly cheap. Glasses of wine start from 300 yen (!!!) as do items on the otsumami menu. Start with a Spumante? 400 yen. Chilean Sauvignon Blanc? 400 yen. Are these premium wines? Of course not. But you'll easily pay half again or even twice as much for what's on offer here.bottle prices go from 1400 yen to 5000.

The food as well is super cheap, if somewhat limited. Starters can be had for a song (500 to 1000 yen) with a short list of "main dishes" between 1000 and 2000 yen. The portions are flexible as well, meaning the intrepid ohitorisama can enjoy a variety of dishes as half-portion sizes.

Better though to come with a few friends and enjoy a bottle or three. The wine list Is Old World-centric, but you'll find a handful of entries from the Americas as well, all priced at around 200% retail. If you're out in Shibuya and looking for something good and cheap where you can site and take your time, Bistro 87 is worth a look.