chromacannon

Hi there,

Unfortunately I'll be spending my Christmas and New Year's alone this year in Tokyo. Terribly missing the British vibe and Christmas in my home country, I'd like to visit a quiet, traditional British pub at Christmas, but I do not know the best places for this.

I'm not interested in chain pubs that are bustling with tourists like Hobgoblin. Preferably, I'd like a quiet bar tucked away from too much noise, serving Christmas dinner and had an authentic British feel. Somewhere in Tokyo would be great too.

If anyone has any ideas, please tell me.

bakedbean

Hello. Just to say Welcome to the forum

Hovite

Hi chromacannon, you can check out a list of pubs on bento.com. I do not frequent them but have been to the Aldgate in Shibuya, which is small and can be noisy. You may need to travel out of Tokyo to find a quiet one. Most are small and fill up quickly. There is an Irish themed one near me in Musashi-Kosugi named McCanns. They have recently relocated. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the food was good - �}�b�L�����Y�A�C���b�V���o�[�Fmccannsirishbar and it fits into the 'cosy' category. A little further afield is Cheers in Yokohama. I have not eaten there but they serve Old Speckled Hen on draft - �x���M�[�r�[���Ɠ��{�n�r�[���̐��X�w���l�`�A�[�Y�x. Others in the area are listed here - Craft Beer Bars -クラフトビアバー-｜YOKOHAMA BEER MAGAZINE -横浜ビアマガジン-
Another useful web site - Beer in Japan » Bars in Tokyo and Surrounding Area. I hope this is helpful.

Hovite

Hi chromacannon, you can check out a list of pubs on bento.com. I do not frequent them but have been to the Aldgate in Shibuya, which is small and can be noisy. You may need to travel out of Tokyo to find a quiet one. Most are small and fill up quickly. There is an Irish themed one near me in Musashi-Kosugi named McCanns. They have recently relocated. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the food was good - �}�b�L�����Y�A�C���b�V���o�[�Fmccannsirishbar and it fits into the 'cosy' category. A little further afield is Cheers in Yokohama. I have not eaten there but they serve Old Speckled Hen on draft - �x���M�[�r�[���Ɠ��{�n�r�[���̐��X�w���l�`�A�[�Y�x. Others in the area are listed here - Craft Beer Bars -クラフトビアバー-｜YOKOHAMA BEER MAGAZINE -横浜ビアマガジン-
Another useful web site - Beer in Japan » Bars in Tokyo and Surrounding Area. I hope this is helpful.

Hovite

Goodness! I do not know how all those question marks got there! Anyway if you Google the names or search on Bento.com or beerinjapan.com you will find their details.

BritInParis

I spent my only Christmas away from home in Tokyo. Ended up eating Christmas dinner in the Shibuya Hobgoblin and getting half-cut with some Norwegian chap in the Roppongi Hobgoblin. My home town is Oxford so with all the photos on the wall, the décor and gaijin I thought I was back home. I had some severe culture shock when I left the pub to be confronted with the Tokyo Tower!

But I digress. The Aldgate in Shibuya has already been mentioned although it's rather cramped and from memory the food is average. Good for a night out but not where I'd want to spend Christmas Day. I think your best bet would be What the Dickens! in Ebisu. They did the best British food I found in Japan and have quality live music acts as well in the evening. A 3 course Christmas dinner is being served on the 25th from 1pm-6pm for ¥2500 with music to follow.

chromacannon

Hey guys. Thanks for the recommendations. I am looking into them now. From what I can see, there is a lively essence in these bars, especially with What the Dickens! and their nightly music shows. I don't know what they'll be like during Christmas, but I'm essentially looking for a quiet place with a sofa maybe, and some tea or coffee to wind down with (along with the beer and Christmas dinner during the day). A cafe, even, might be nice. Something with the old British cafe vibe.

Perhaps getting out of Tokyo is the better bet. I shall continue to search and any more suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks again!

Hovite

Hi chromacannon, getting out of Tokyo is a good idea. I think the web pages of some pubs may seem lively but a lot are quiet, especially Cheers and McCanns. Bento.com decribes Cheers as a quiet, out of the way little bar. Yokohama - Tokyo Food Page Restaurant Listings There is also the Full Monty in Kannai, which is popular with a colleague. I went to the Tavern in Meguro once. Despite the 'lively' web site it was very quiet - index