Bars & Nightlife · Nishi-Shinjuku

Bar Benfiddich BAR BenFiddich

Hiroyasu Kayama's candle-lit apothecary of a bar on a ninth floor in Nishi-Shinjuku. No menu: he grinds herbs and spices from his family farm with a mortar and pestle and builds a drink around you.

About

A fixture of Asia's and the World's 50 Best Bars lists and named best bar in Japan in 2025, Benfiddich is a small, dark, wood-panelled room lined with antique bottles, herbs drying from the ceiling and vintage absinthe. Kayama's 'farm-to-bar' approach uses botanicals he grows in Saitama, and drinks are made in front of you with old-fashioned techniques: muddling in a mortar, infusing, burning, smoking. There is no menu; you describe what you like and he improvises. It is serious but not stuffy, and one of the most memorable cocktail experiences in Asia.

Highlights

• No menu: bespoke cocktails built around your taste
• Herbs and botanicals from the bartender's own farm, ground by hand
• Rare vintage spirits and absinthe in an apothecary-style room
• Ranked on Asia's 50 Best Bars and named Best Bar in Japan 2025

Tips

• Book ahead online; walk-ins are possible early on weekdays only
• Budget around ¥2,500–4,000 per drink plus a cover charge
• Take the lift to 9F of the Yamatoya Building, there's no street sign
• Seating is limited; come in a pair, not a group

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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