Wine Bars

Very cozy, very local standing wine bar tucked in the back of a fish market across the street from Ebisu station. Cheap wines by the glass and tapas in a classic tachinomi-ya-type setting.

Bright and lively standing wine bar with another 10 or so counter seats. Nice selection of tapas-style dishes with a Japanese focus, all skillfully prepared and presented. 5-6 whites and reds by the glass and a good, global selection of wines by the bottle. Service and prices above average. Fits pairs best.

Small and cozy wine wine bar one minute from Shibuya station.

Hideaway wine bar and restaurant up on the hill behind Cerulean Tower in Shibuya. Excellent, hand-picked selection of mostly Old World wines.

Targeted toward the luxury end, but Albente is unpretentious with friendly staff, offers a relaxing place to enjoy Champagne after work. Unusual for calling themselves a Champagne Cafe not a bar, this tiny place is definitely a bar not a café, it  serves a small menu of food, nothing to rave about but would give them a 7.5 out of 10 considering their efforts from a tiny kitchen at the back.

"Wine bar" is perhaps a stretch here, even though most of the necessary pieces are in place. Visible from the street, long bar/counter, wine bottles on display: put these all together and you're got wine bar possibilities, but in this case the follow-through is missing. The list of wines by the glass is short and wholly uninspired. Redwood Creek? Sangre de Toro? If you like this plonk you'll love this place.

Small, local wine and shot bar less than a minute from Mizonokuchi station. Lots of wines by the glass, updated weekly. Mostly standing but with a few small 2-seater tables. Limited food menu but the fare is quite good.