8 Izakaya
Near Kamata Station
Where You Can
Smoke CigarettesPicked by a local who drinks out around 300 nights a year

What I like first about Banya is having a private room where I can settle in. I enjoy Kamata’s noisy, no-frills bars, but some nights I want to sit and talk properly with the people I’m with. Banya works well for that. Cigarettes and heated tobacco are both allowed, which also makes it a comfortable choice for me.

My honest verdict on the food overall? Decent. The sashimi, though, was particularly good. The platter looks inviting, and I like picking at different fish over a drink. I don’t choose this place just for the private room; the sashimi gives me another reason to come back.

I wouldn’t tell you that every dish is a revelation. I go for the combination: a room to ourselves, sashimi I enjoy, and somewhere I can relax over drinks. It’s a useful option when I want a quieter evening in Kamata.

Nikurikiya is one of my choices when I want horumon—Japanese-style grilled offal—with a drink. The big sign and unpretentious atmosphere suit a casual night in Kamata. The dish I especially like is the tan-sashi, the tongue dish served with a salted scallion topping.

The tongue itself is good, but that topping is what really wins me over. I eat the two together and immediately want another bite and another sip. For me, it’s much more than a garnish: it’s what makes the dish so enjoyable.

This is the kind of place where I’d rather pick at my favorite offal dishes over drinks than make a formal occasion of a meat dinner. Being able to smoke is useful, but it’s the thought of that tongue dish that brings me back.

Uokichi Sakaba is close to Kamata Station’s east exit, with an entrance right off the street. That makes a difference. Some unfamiliar places feel harder to enter when you can’t see what you’re walking into; here, the inviting street-level frontage makes it easy. I use places like this quite a lot.

The sashimi is another reason I choose it. The fish is said to come from Toyosu market, and I enjoy having a mixed platter to work through with my drink. What matters to me is that it tastes good. When I want fish with my drinks, this place delivers.

Cigarettes and heated tobacco are both allowed in the smoking area, and the restaurant has separate smoking and non-smoking areas. Ask for a smoking seat when you arrive. Close to the station, easy to enter, and good sashimi: those everyday advantages mean more to me than a flashy sales pitch.

I first wandered into Matsusakaji without knowing much about it. Looking at the menu, I remember thinking, ‘Hang on—isn’t this a little expensive?’ Then I learned that even the offal was from Matsusaka cattle. That changed my view: for Matsusaka beef, the prices actually seemed pretty reasonable.

Knowing what you’re eating changes how you feel about the bill. Matsusaka beef can sound like a grand occasion, but here I can simply grill it and have a beer. My particular favorite is the Matsusaka beef tail. It’s delicious with beer—the simple pleasure of good meat and a drink, done well.

On smoking, I can tell you what happened on my own recent visit: I was able to smoke cigarettes at my seat. That’s my experience of eating, drinking, and spending time here. Relatively affordable Matsusaka beef, and a visit where I could smoke over drinks—that’s why I included it.

Kushian is a place I choose for kushiage—deep-fried skewers—with drinks. What I like is how light they feel. Some fried food starts to weigh on me after a few pieces; here, I keep thinking I have room for another skewer. That easy-to-eat quality is the appeal.

I like taking my time with skewers, eating one between sips rather than finishing a whole plate at once. Choosing different fillings is part of the fun, and it’s easy to order around how hungry I am. These work just as well for me as a meal or as something to nibble on while drinking.

There is one timing detail to remember if you smoke cigarettes: they’re allowed at the seats from 10pm onward. Before 10pm, only heated tobacco is permitted. For a later drink in Kamata with some skewers on the side, it’s a handy place to know.

I wouldn’t describe Kaneko as amazingly cheap or claim that every dish is outstanding. To me, the value is about average. But it’s a decent place, and the gyoza are pretty good. Not every bar I use needs to be the best in town.

If you asked me what to order here, I’d point you toward the gyoza. A plate of dumplings and a drink suits the place. Seeing those browned dumplings lined up on the plate gets me in the mood for a beer; it’s food I can simply enjoy without overthinking it.

Being able to smoke is another reason it’s easy to use for a casual drink. Rather than give every restaurant a glowing review, I’d put it like this: Kaneko is a straightforward place to drink, and the gyoza are my pick. It stays on my list for nights when that’s what I feel like eating.

Hachimaru is somewhere I’ve been many times over the years. There are both regular tables and zashiki seating, where you sit on the floor, so it works for different groups and moods. I especially like the zashiki: I can settle in, pick at yakitori, and take my time over drinks.

The charcoal-grilled yakitori is my main reason to recommend it. It has a proper smoky aroma, and I think it’s excellent. You can find chicken skewers all over Tokyo, but that charcoal fragrance makes a difference from the first bite. A glazed skewer and a drink are enough to make me feel I’ve chosen well.

Cigarettes and heated tobacco are both allowed. Beyond that, what matters to me is good yakitori and a familiar place where I can relax. When I want to spend an unhurried evening eating chicken skewers in Kamata, I still think of Hachimaru.

At Banpaiya, I like the motsu nikomi—the simmered offal stew. I don’t need a table covered in elaborate dishes. A bowl of that stew and a lemon sour, a Japanese lemon-flavored alcoholic drink, are enough to make me happy. It’s a combination I enjoy for an easy drink in Kamata.

A bite of stew, then a sip of lemon sour: the refreshing drink goes well with the savory simmered dish. As the photo shows, I’m happy with just those two in front of me. Ordering a whole spread can be fun, but so can choosing one favorite snack and enjoying it with a drink.

The west-exit branch is upstairs on the second floor. I can smoke here and have a relaxed drink without making a big occasion of it. It’s a place I choose when I want something simple before heading home. Of these eight, it’s my pick for stew and a lemon sour.