But for reals all you can drink sake!! Pretty much sums up this review! Awesome place can be a little tricky to find but that's part of the adventure! Make sure to bring plenty of food so you can enjoy the sake.
4 - 8 of 61 reviews
have a nice drink,nice service.
have a good environment and feel with my friends
thank for kurand sake market-ikebukuro
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review about your experience at KURAND. We look forward to welcoming you and your friends again very soon.
Kurand Sake Market Ikebukuro was by far the most fun we've had in Tokyo. Never before have we felt so welcome as foreigners, and part of a true authentic local experience. It is well worth the cover fee, so don't even think twice! You can bring in all your own food & soft drinks and they provide cutlery, bowls, glassware, condiments, and anything else you might need, free of charge. They speak some english and have an english menu for the drinks, so if you are complete novices like we were, you'll still get by.
As a young English couple traveling around Japan, we came to Tokyo thinking it would be downright insane - lights, robots, gadgets etc. and although it is, we were pleasantly surprised to find there is a huge following for the Japanese traditions of brewing, drinking, but most importantly, appreciating Sake. This place perfectly combines ancient traditions with modern urban living - everything from the graphic design to the lighting to the sake bottles themselves are satisfying. There were so many local people eager to help us out in trying the best Sake in the land & making friends was easy, because at the end of the day, everyone in there is pleasantly stewing in microbrewed Japanese alcohol.
Some tips:
- The sake market is on the 4th floor, elevator access, look for the logo on a small signpost.
- The Japanese pair their foods with Sake, and will drink accordingly, so if you want a true authentic experience, try and get hold of the right snacks in advance (although there's a 7eleven around the corner for last minute snacks).
- BOOK A TABLE! This place is insanely popular, and space is limited to 40pax. Book in advance and get there super early to avoid disappointment (and to make the most of the all-you-can-drink!)
- Although you may be the only foreigners there, this may well be the best drinking experience you can have, remember to keep sipping on water & join in with the toasts!
- You can come and go as you please, but don't take too long! More than 30 mins absence would be considered a little rude to the owners, plus you wont feel as much of a part of it all.
- Write some tasting notes! We brought a pen and paper, which is a great way (as with any alcoholic confederation) to understand which types of drink you enjoy. Just write some basic notes on each Sake you try, be it Crisp, Dry, Fresh, Fruity, etc. This really helped us decide which to try next and makes it a lot more fun! (Plus you can see how many cups you've actually had).
- There will be a raffle which you will probably win being a foreigner. The chap asked me how to pronounce my name before 'pulling a name from a hat' then announcing we were the winners, which made us feel even more welcome and we got to keep our sake cups!
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review about your experience at KURAND. We are so pleased that we could make you feel so welcome. I am sure this will make a very handy guide for future customers and help them get the most out of their visit. These kinds of reviews really are invaluable. Congratulations on winning the raffle. We assure you it was nothing but extremely good fortune. We were really impressed to see you taking notes throughout the evening. Your feedback about the icon guide we employ is much appreciated and we hope to improve it as we go along. Hopefully you found something that you liked. Please do come again. We will do our upmost to make the second time even better.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the delayed response, we normally endeavour to reply to all reviews within a week.
If there’s going to be a bright future for Japanese Sake, places like Kurand Sake Market are going to be the ones who help make it happen. Kurand offers all you can drink sake from a selection of over 100 labels. mostly from smaller, less well known breweries. Other notes: 1. this is a standing bar, there are no seats 2. bring food, lots of food.
Thank you for the kind words Jack Random, your feedback is extremely valuable to us. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed your time at KURAND. We look forward to welcoming you again in the near future.
Best Regards
Chris (International PR)
Located on the 4th floor in a nondescript building a few minutes walk from Ikebukuro west exit, Kurand is a bar for sake fans. I made the reservation online a few weeks in advance which was a good idea because the place was packed. You bring your own food, pay about 3000 yen at the door and drink as much as you want. Cups, plates, utensils are provided and almost 100 different sake which you pour yourself. Guests stand around small tables and counters. Its noisy but a lot of fun and thankfully, non smoking. Every hour, one of the staff gets everyone to take a break and drink some water. I don't know if the staff speaks English but there is an English version of the website and my reservation confirmation was in English. The place is bit hard to find but definitely worth the effort.
Thank you ever so much for taking the time to post a lovely review Geminimonkey. I am so happy yo hear that you enjoyed your visit to KURAND. The feedback you provided is invaluable to us. A few of our staff can converse in very basic level English, the bar's literature is in English, but there is also a native speaker (British sake expert) on hand should anyone require a little help in English (advance booking required, subject to availability). Please do not hesitate to drop by again soon.
Best Regards
Chris (International PR)
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