NOS Ebisu
A trio of very different drinking experiences await at this design-heavy bar

Photos Courtesy of NOS Ebisu

With all of the nightlife options in our electronic city, sometimes the best secrets manage to stay hidden. Over the past several years, Nature Off Stage (better known as NOS) has quietly built a small empire of unique drinking spaces around Tokyo. But NOS Ebisu, compared to the trendy vertical adventure of the Omotesando branch or the rustic cool of its Shibuya cousin, feels the most innovative in its use of the vast downstairs space, which is as unassuming from the outside as it is original from within.

NOS Ebisu is essentially three distinctly designed dining and drinking experiences. The first is the front-room standing bar that glows from the colored cubed panels above and below. This area offers the best option for groups wanting to congregate and mingle, especially on weekends when the lounge and the dining room are more difficult to wrest a spot at.

On our first visit, we took up residence on the red and white stools and browsed the extensive menu of cocktails, beers, wines and small bites. The prices are reasonable, with most drinks ranging between ¥500 and ¥600. We started off with an amaretto ginger (¥500) and nibbled on the crab cream croquettes (¥300) and the chorizo with sage (¥200).

We had every intention of moving into one of the other rooms, but the drinks kept coming and the hour grew late, so we decided to return another day.

On the follow-up visit, we headed straight to the small lounge, where an oversized disco ball throws its reflected sparkles across the room. Occasionally the space converts into a DJ lounge/performance space, as couples and small groups lay back in the low-slung chairs and tables listening intently while sipping away at cocktails.

Beyond the lounge, past a scaling glass partition, is the last of the three zones: a sophisticated dining room. With slightly louder music and walls covered with art and abstract video projections, this area keeps all the senses occupied.

We settled into one of the comfy four-tops and ordered a round of drinks—a mojito (¥945), a bloody Mary (¥735) and a glass of Churajima shochu (¥683)—followed by several skewers of kushiyaki. All were well-seasoned, with the swordfish with mixed herbs (¥683) and the grilled spicy chicken (¥630) standing out. Healthy and delicious alternatives to the grill are the tuna avocado salad (¥900) and the soft-shell crab roll (¥1,155). The only downside to the dining room is that the same drinks, in the same bar, are more expensive here.

Even as the night wore on and a steady barrage of regulars and scene seekers piled in, NOS never felt overrun, which is one of its real pleasures. No matter where people were sitting, they all seemed deeply absorbed in the music, the mood, the drinks, the company of friends—and in this city of tight corners, where we are so often elbow-to-elbow, the elusive luxury of private space.

B1 2-3-14 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-5773-1727. Open Mon-Thu 6pm-2am, Fri-Sat 6pm-5am, Sun & hols 5-11pm. Nearest stn: Ebisu, west exit. www.nos-ebisu.net

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