Uokichi Sakaba — Shimbashi
Seafood and a cigarette. A good place to start an evening in Shimbashi.
When I want to start the evening with fish, Uokichi Sakaba is one of the first places I consider. There’s sashimi, fish seared over burning straw, sushi and clay-pot rice, so I can put together a whole meal without moving elsewhere. Once I’ve settled in, I don’t want to get up every time I want a cigarette. Here, I can enjoy the food and a smoke as part of the same relaxed evening.
Straw-seared bonito and a three-fish sashimi selection make a good starting point. I like having that choice of seafood. I can add negima—chicken and scallion skewers—or chicken meatballs with egg yolk, then finish with silver-salmon clay-pot rice if there’s room. Coming for fish and getting distracted by the skewers might be greedy, but I’m not going to apologize for it. With a group, ordering one plate at a time and sharing works well.
It’s close to Shimbashi Station and stays open until morning on weekdays, with long weekend hours too. That makes it convenient before the last train or for a late start. Smoking is allowed at all seats, so the food and a cigarette can stay at the same table.
- Address
- 1F, Shinka Building, 3-21-11 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Hours
- Weekdays & holidays noon–6 am; extended hours on weekends and the day before holidays
- Budget per person
- ¥3,000–3,999
- Smoking
- Smoking allowed at all seats; also stated in the restaurant listing
Shusse Sakaba Daitoryo
I can’t promise a promotion. The chicken liver is another matter.
Even the name feels right for Shimbashi: Shusse Sakaba Daitoryo roughly evokes career success and a presidency. It takes second place here. With yakitori, grilled pork skewers and a closely packed counter, it suits the nights when an old-school izakaya is exactly what I’m looking for.
Rich shiro-reba chicken liver, chicken and scallion, hearts, chicken tail and offal stew: deciding on the first order takes some thought. I like starting with the liver and stew, then adding skewers. Some people who barely speak in office meetings become remarkably decisive when ordering yakitori. In Shimbashi, that seems perfectly reasonable.
There are house rules to know: no reservations, no solo customers, and your whole group must arrive before you go in. Plan your meeting accordingly. Smoking is allowed at all seats, which suits cigarette smokers. The rules may be firm, but once I’m inside I can concentrate on the food and drinks.
- Address
- 1F, Sansei Building, 3-18-3 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 2–10:30 pm; closed Sundays
- Budget per person
- ¥3,000–3,999
- House rules
- No reservations or solo diners. Your whole group must be present before entering.
Eiyuya — Shimbashi
Liver, skewers, stew: plenty to keep an offal lover occupied.
Third is Eiyuya’s Shimbashi branch. Skewers and sashimi-style dishes made with offal delivered that morning are the focus. The menu runs through liver, heart, tongue and skirt steak. I enjoy having those different preparations to choose from instead of sticking entirely to grilled skewers.
The skewer choices include liver, tongue, heart, skirt, hanging tender, cheek and intestine. I like moving between the sashimi-style dishes, a skewer selection and a lightly salted offal stew. There’s plenty to explore, but I start with a modest order rather than fill every inch of the table.
It opens at noon and stays open until 5 am, making it useful late at night. Smoking is allowed at all seats. It’s only a few minutes on foot from Shimbashi Station’s Karasumori Exit, so it can work as a second stop—or, depending on the hour, a third.
- Address
- 1F, Le Graciel Building No. 33, 4-15-8 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Hours
- Noon–5 am daily
- Budget per person
- ¥2,000–2,999
- Smoking
- Smoking allowed at all seats; also stated in the restaurant listing
Meibutsuya — Shimbashi
From chicken wings to oysters: a menu with plenty of range.
Fourth is Meibutsuya in Shimbashi. With wings, soup dumplings, gyoza, oysters, sashimi and fried dishes, I enjoy deciding what to eat once we’re gathered around the table. The signature wings come in orders of at least five, making them a good first plate to share.
I like starting with wings, adding soup dumplings or gyoza, then turning to sashimi or oysters. Having seafood alongside the meat dishes helps when everyone wants something different. With a group in Shimbashi, choosing a flexible menu is often easier than getting everyone to agree on one dish beforehand.
On my visit, there were separate smoking arrangements and seats where cigarettes were allowed. Conditions depend on the seat, so it helps to say clearly on arrival that you want to smoke cigarettes at the table. I get that sorted, then settle in for the food and drinks.
- Address
- B1F, Unit B106, City Center, 1-5-2 Higashishimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Hours
- 12:00–24:00
- Budget per person
- ¥2,000–2,999
- Smoking
- Designated smoking seating confirmed on my visit. Ask about cigarette-smoking seats on arrival.
Ooroji
A ¥300 ham cutlet, and plenty of old-school Shimbashi character.
Fifth is Ooroji. If you like Shimbashi’s older bars, it’s hard to leave this one out. Its appeal is simple: fried ham cutlets, menchi-katsu and a drink. It still has that unhurried pleasure of a traditional izakaya evening.
The signature thick-cut ham cutlet is listed at ¥300, as is the menchi-katsu, a breaded minced-meat cutlet. The ham goes well with beer or a sour. It’s food I actively want, rather than something I order because it will do. I love this straightforward combination of fried dishes and drinks.
Ooroji opens in the late afternoon on weekdays and closes on weekends and public holidays. It doesn’t take reservations, so if it’s full you’ll need to decide whether to wait or move on. Smoking is allowed at all seats. This is one of my recommendations for a cigarette and a taste of old Shimbashi.
- Address
- 1F, Suzuki Building, 3-10-6 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 4–11 pm; closed weekends & public holidays
- Budget per person
- ¥2,000–2,999
- Smoking
- Smoking allowed at all seats; also stated in the restaurant listing
Tanya Kyosuke — Shimbashi
An evening built around beef tongue. Sort out the smoking seat first.
Sixth is Tanya Kyosuke in Shimbashi. With thick-cut rare-grilled tongue, simmered tongue and tongue yukhoe, it suits a proper meal centered on beef tongue. I like the substantial thick-cut pieces. If that’s the dish I’ve chosen the restaurant for, it delivers.
The tender simmered tongue and the thick-cut grilled version give me two very different ways to enjoy the same ingredient. That variety is a reason I choose this place. If I still have room, there’s pot-cooked rice to finish. Tongue can be filling, so I prefer adding dishes as I go. Private rooms also make it useful for a more settled evening with a group.
On my visit, smoking was separated by seating area, and I confirmed that cigarettes were allowed at certain seats. If that is essential to your visit, ask for a cigarette-smoking seat when booking or arriving. The same conditions don’t apply to every table.
- Address
- 6F, S TEC Building, 3-14-5 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Hours
- 12:00–24:00（L.O.23:30）
- Budget per person
- ¥3,000–3,999
- Smoking
- Designated smoking seating confirmed on my visit. Ask for a cigarette-smoking seat when booking.
