A specialist sherry bar above Shinjuku, with one of the longest fino lists in Asia.
Bar Sherry Club opened in 2008 in a small fourth-floor room above Shinjuku and has built its reputation on a single proposition: a serious by-the-glass sherry list, served at correct temperature, by staff who can talk through every entry. The list runs about 80 bottles deep, finos, manzanillas, amontillados, palo cortados, and a back wall of long-aged oloroso and PX, which makes it one of the deepest sherry programmes in Asia.
Decanter’s 2022 Tokyo wine bar feature called the room “the closest thing Japan has to a Jerez tabanco”, and Jancis Robinson’s contributors have written about the programme since 2015. The bar serves small Spanish plates, jamón, boquerones, croquetas, but the drinks list is the reason to climb the stairs.
Entry off Yasukuni-dori, two minutes’ walk from Shinjuku-sanchome station. The lift is small and slow; most regulars take the stairs. The room itself seats around 18, split between a counter and four small tables. Reddit’s r/wine notes the bar uses Coravin on the oloroso bottles, which is how the by-the-glass list stays this deep.
Order a flight of three contrasting styles (¥3,200) and let the bartender pick, the format is the easiest way to understand what makes the bar special. The Equipo Navazos La Bota series rotates through the by-the-glass list; ask if a new release is open. The Infatuation singled out the jamón Ibérico (¥2,600) as “the best ham plate in Shinjuku”. Skip the cocktails, this room is for fortified wine.
Wine industry, restaurant staff, and a thin layer of curious locals who heard about the place from Time Out Tokyo’s repeated mentions. Google Maps reviews (n=210) note the room is quiet, voices stay low and the staff appreciate it. Best window is 8pm-10pm on a Tuesday; weekends draw a small wait at the entrance.
Bookings are taken by phone or via the bar’s public site up to two weeks ahead; the eight counter seats are the prize, and they go first. Cover charge is ¥800 and includes a small snack. Card and cash both work. r/wine commenters recommend asking for the “tasting flight off-menu”, which the bartenders will assemble around a region or producer of choice. The bar closes on Sundays and for a long break each new-year; the public site lists the closure dates. The lift in the building is unreliable; the four flights of stairs are quicker and the regulars prefer them. The bar runs a small monthly tasting on the second Tuesday of each month, ¥6,500 per head for a six-pour flight curated around a producer or sub-region; bookings open on the public site. Cards are accepted. The kitchen is small and closes at 11pm, so a food-led visit should start no later than 9pm to leave time for the back-list pours.
Bar Sherry Club’s public site (verified May 2026); Decanter (2022 feature); JancisRobinson.com; The Infatuation Tokyo; Time Out Tokyo; r/wine; Google Maps reviews (n=210).