Guests at The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon have a sophisticated new drinking den to look forward to.
The black marble fireplace inside Gold Bar at Edition. (All photos: The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon)
Japan hasn’t yet announced a reopening date for foreign visitors, but when it does, cocktail connoisseurs planning a much-awaited return to the country’s capital will want to swing by The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon. The reason? The addition of Gold Bar at Edition, an 87-seat venue on the hotel’s first floor that will launch on April 29. Inspired by the golden age of classic cocktails in pre-Prohibition America, which saw the invention of staples like the martini, daiquiri, and Manhattan, the soon-to-open night spot will showcase creative drinks alongside an extensive range of whiskies and Japanese gins.
The Tokyo Edition’s bar director Hideyuki Saito — an accomplished mixologist who once ran his own speakeasy in Bangkok — has come up with a menu that reimagines the classics with modern techniques, while incorporating Japanese spirits and local ingredients. Yamazaru Mugi, a smoky barley shochu from Osuzuyama distillery in Kyushu’s Miyazaki prefecture, is combined with dark rum, blood orange liqueur, and citrus in Mugi & Shoga. Meanwhile, chardonnay from Nagano will be added to a mix of pisco, grappa, pineapple, IPA beer, and nutmeg to become Nippon Pale Ale.
Gold Bar at Edition’s olive sour.
Left to right: Decor details behind the bar; a plate of wagyu beef sandos with dengaku miso sauce.
Small plates on the menu include spaghetti with karasumi (dried mullet roe).
Hungry patrons can pair these tipples with small plates from a curated menu that changes each season. The food options have been developed by Narukiyo, proprietor and head chef of his namesake izakaya in Shibuya that is beloved for its omakase approach and funky vibe. Expect mouth-watering offerings like wagyu beef tenderloin sando with dengaku miso sauce; seasonal vegetable tempura; and skewers of Tasmanian salmon marinated in white miso and topped with salmon roe and truffle shavings.
Gold Bar at Edition’s striking appearance takes its cues from the design of fine jewelry. All black with white and gold accents, the decor includes blackened wood finishes inspired by Japanese yakisugi, a traditional method of charring cedar to preserve the wood. The venue will also feature a white barrel-vaulted five-meter-high ceilings and, below an abstract work in gold leaf by Los Angeles artist Guerin Swing, a focal fireplace made of Nero Marquina marble.
When it comes to music, Gold Bar at Edition will play a mix of low-tempo classic, jazz, soul, and R&B tunes selected by New York sound company Gray V in the middle of the week, with named DJs playing on Friday and Saturday nights. The bar will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to at least midnight (it closes at 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).
More information here.
An aromatized martini on the bar counter.
The venue features a bar clad in black marble and a five-meter-high barrel-vaulted ceiling.
