Bar Orso

Bar Orso sits down a narrow alley in Sendagi, on the edge of the Yanaka district that survived as one of central Tokyo's most intact old neighbourhoods. Magical Trip lists it among the area's best small bars, and the listing on Tabelog files it the same way: a tiny, owner-run spot with around five seats and a loyal local following since it opened in 2012.

This is a neighbourhood bar, not a destination cocktail temple. If you want a polished hotel lounge, head to Ginza. If you want a fruit cocktail made one drink at a time in a room the size of a kitchen, this is the kind of place Yanaka does better than anywhere.

Look for the illustration painted on the exterior wall, which Magical Trip notes is a likeness of the owner himself. Inside there is room for only a handful of guests at the counter, which keeps the mood quiet and conversational. The scale is the charm, and it is also the catch, so a free seat is never guaranteed.

The specialty is fresh-fruit cocktails, built around whatever is good, with oranges and strawberries called out repeatedly in coverage of the bar. The owner can also make them non-alcoholic, which is why Magical Trip recommends it even to non-drinkers. Tell him what fruit you like and let him build the drink rather than reaching for a fixed menu.

Because everything is made by hand for a tiny room, this is a place to slow down. Order one carefully made cocktail and talk, rather than treating it as a quick stop on a longer crawl.

Mostly locals and the occasional curious traveller who has walked the Yanaka backstreets. The room is small enough that it feels like a regulars' bar, and the welcome is warmer for it.

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