Popeye has been voted one of the best beer bars in the world several times in recent years. The feature attraction of this popular haunt in a somewhat remote corner of eastern Tokyo is its 70 offerings of draft beer served in excellent condition. The other attraction is, perhaps, its charismatic owner, Aoki Tatsuo. He has long been known as a godfather of the craft beer scene in Japan. He is a tireless advocate of quality craft and also the organizer of the annual Tokyo Real Ale festival and more recent Japan Craft Beer Selection festival.
The core of the beer menu is Japanese craft from top-tier breweries. Popeye’s doesn’t serve a craft beer just because it’s underrepresented or regional or experimental. Aoki demands consistent high quality and doesn’t hesitate to offer stern words to brewers making sub-par beers. Beyond flagship Japanese craft beers, Popeye serves a selection of fine American craft, a few Belgian and European brews, and even some original contract brews. Aoki trains his servers well, so ask if you need recommendations. Prices are all over the board and actually kind of weird: ¥924, ¥1029 and ¥1155 are just a few example prices for pints. The average is just above ¥1000—slightly higher than the Tokyo average. In additional to pints and half-pints, higher alcohol beers like barley wines are served in snifter glasses, while multi-beer samplers and beer towers (for sharing) are popular, too. Popeye usually has some kind of special deal going on, and the website has a printout coupon of the day. Get a members card for additional discounts and advantages.
Popeye’s food reflects its typical pub origins before it exploded on the craft beer scene: pizzas, sausages, chicken… nothing extraordinary, nothing expensive, nothing to make you visit just for the food. But there are some occasional surprises, like their pizza with hops. If you just want something to munch, get their spirally potato chips—a staple there for years.
Wooden tables and booths are reserved for groups, while those drinking solo are usually sat should-to-shoulder at the curved bar. There are a few tables outside for smokers. The walls and ceilings are attractively cluttered with beer and pub paraphernalia, while TV screens run sporting events. A good buzz is always in the air. Time to get a good one going in your head as well!