European Beer House Cheers

Cheery drinkers are wanted at this Yokohama beer joint

Photos courtesy of Cheers

ANYONE who haS seen the LATE, GREAT SITCOM CHEERS will understand our astonishment to find a bar of the same name within a five minute walk of Yokohama station. If you ask us, naming your pub after a sitcom that was entirely about a bar “where everybody knows your name” is a pretty bold move. Yet once inside, the dark wood and shiny taps let us know that someone in Japan may have been a devout watcher of the show.

Since we couldn’t find the owner to confirm our suspicions, we proceeded to settle in one of a few tables in the back. The Cheers staff were a friendly and attentive bunch from the get-go, so we found it surprising when they told us customers need to get up and order at the cashier before waiting for our food and drink at the table. We found the system a little puzzling, but once at the cashier, we were impressed with Cheers’ international fanfare of beers.

The bar has a lineup of seven draft beers, including Hoegaarden White, Pedigree, Edelpils, Guinness, Belle-Vue Kriek and an eighth dispenser for the “guest beer,” which changes every few days. The bottled brews include mainly Belgium varieties, as well as those from Germany, England and the Czech Republic.

We started off with the basics—a couple of half-pint glasses of Guinness (¥500), as well as the slightly less bitter Hoegaarden White (¥1,300). The food menu at Cheers is not as expansive as the drinks, focusing on staple American and European finger foods. We ended up going with the chili beans with baguette (¥800) and the tuna, anchovy and black olives pizza (¥800).

Photos courtesy of Cheers

Although the chili beans were a bit stewy compared to the chunky variety we were used to in the States, they went along famously well with the glass of Guinness. Combined with our thin but savory slices of pizza, the portion was just right for dinner. As we munched away, we decided that the interior, which we would never mistake for an Irish pub in Boston, made a commendable effort at a homey ambience. The roomy tables surrounding the bar encourage even non-hard-drinkers to casually waltz in. The only problem is the location. Located in the basement of a building, Cheers is a little hard to locate despite being so close to the station.

Since we couldn’t find a dessert menu, we ended up opening a bottle of Lindemans Pecheresse (¥1,200) as a stand-in. The peach-flavored beer was so delectable that we ended up carrying home empty bottles for no particular purpose—after Cheers staff washed and wrapped them for us.

Though a vast collection of imported and domestic beers and smart interior are a plus, we agreed that what makes a bar seem as convivial as an episode of Cheers would probably be the people that frequent the place. In that sense, Cheers is just begging to be broken in by happy, cheery drinkers.

B1 Shin-Minato Building, 3-32-14 Tsuruya-cho, Yokohama. Tel: 045-311-7804. Open Tue-Sat 5pm-1am, Sun and hols 4-11pm. Nearest stn: Yokohama, west exit. www.yokohama-cheers.com

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