A word from our sponsor! These beers are on tap at Tadg's Bar for the first time in Kyoto. Hitachino Nest Brewery has won numerous awards at Beer festivals around the world. This Sunday from 2:00 pm we offer you the unique experience of tasting all these extraordinary beers, only at Tadg's Bar. Chill out with great Beer, great Food and live Music! Also (!) coming soon to … [Read more...]
The Legend of UrBANGUILD
Let me tell you a story, about a place called UrBANGUILD... It's a kind of fairytale, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. And it all began in another place. A place that I like to call cafe underpants. Once upon a time there was an honest carpenter named Jiro. One day, Jiro was hired by a man of property to design and build a cafe. Jiro was a very fine carpenter and … [Read more...]
Music @ Tadg’s this Weekend
Tadg says... This weekend we have a musical extravaganza at Tadgs! Friday night ~ The Jazz Cats Three of the coolest and sublime young jazz musicians play everything from Coltrane to Myles. Saturday ~ Celtic sounds with one of Japans finest pipers Ken Matsuzaka and his unique take on Irish favorites. Ken will be accompanied by Mizaru-san on bazuki and … [Read more...]
Deep Kyoto & Tadg’s
Right then! I'm off to Bali for a week and will be resolutely offline during the interval so there'll be no more posts for a wee while, but before I go a short word of explanation. The astute among you may have noticed the appearance of a black box on the upper right of this page which proudly bears the name "Tadg's". It looks like this (only smaller): I'm pleased to … [Read more...]
BAR F.S.N.
UPDATE: BAR F.S.N. has moved and is now located here. Recently I heard that an old friend Philippe Goulier, had opened up his own bar. I was curious to see it. Philippe had always talked about running his own little cafe, or tea house, or restaurant... or something, but it always seemed like it was just talk. It's awfully nice when people exceed your expectations. Philippe … [Read more...]
Tadg’s Irish Bar and Restaurant
The Home of Craft Beer in Kyoto Four years since it first opened, the Irish pub formerly known as Mc Loughlin's has been renamed as Tadg's. Not a big change really, as I think everyone was calling it that anyway. I've written previously about this pub; its friendly hospitality and the fantastic views over the river and city. And Tadg's cooking is also justifiably renowned; … [Read more...]
Alphabet Ave.
Here's a place I've been meaning to write up for the longest time. As regular readers may be aware, of a weekend my friends and I tend to gather at the wonderful music bar Joao. However, Joao tends to close relatively early (around 11 pm), so if we still have a thirst upon us (and we invariably do) the bar of choice is Alphabet Ave. on Pontocho. Alphabet Ave. is a pretty … [Read more...]
Koji’s Pasta!
Taisho being currently indisposed (long story), his pal Koji has temporarily taken over the running of our much beloved music bar Joao. And he has put his heart and soul into the job too, creating his very own pasta menu. Whether carbonara, arrabiata, or peperoncino, Koji's pasta has proved a hit with the regulars - and all dishes are priced at a mere ￥700！ Last night I … [Read more...]
Kanso
Sean Roe invited me out to this place ages ago. "￥380 a beer," he said. Very hard to resist. So I went. And here's what I found: Kanso is a bar, and an art installation combined. Its concept can be roughly summarized as drink x cans = fun The art here is nothing precious, consisting as it does of cans. Big cans that you sit at like tables and walls of cans to dazzle … [Read more...]
Yoramu
Last Thursday Nick Coldicott, was in town and invited me out to sake bar Yoramu. Nick is the editor of Time Out Shortlist Kyoto and also writes a drinks column for the Japan Times, so when he said that Yoramu was his favorite bar, I was naturally intrigued. Yoramu lived up to his promise. The master, Yoram, a quietly spoken Israeli perfectly fluent in English and Japanese, … [Read more...]
