Mixology Salon sits on the 13th floor of Ginza Six and is the tea-programme arm of Shuzo Nagumo’s group. The format is unusual: a single tea — gyokuro, hojicha, a Taiwanese oolong — anchors each cocktail, and the bartenders steep, infuse, or wash spirits with it on the spot. The result is a list of cocktails that taste like nothing else in Ginza.
The World’s 50 Best Bars Discovery list has had Mixology Salon on its Tokyo recommendations since 2019, and Class Magazine placed it on its “most influential tea-cocktail bars worldwide” shortlist in 2022. The room is small and quiet — about 14 seats — and bookings are essential on weekends.
Entry is via the Ginza Six elevator bank — find the 13F restaurant floor, then walk past the noodle counter to the unmarked door at the back. The room is white-on-pale-wood, more tea-house than cocktail den, with a counter that runs the length of the back wall. The Infatuation called the design “the most legibly Japanese cocktail room in Ginza”.
Order the Tieguanyin Sazerac (¥2,200), where the cognac is washed with oolong before the build — it is the bar’s signature and has held its menu spot since 2017. The Gyokuro Highball (¥1,800) is the second mandatory pour. Skip the wine list. Reddit’s r/cocktails warns against ordering a generic classic here — the room is built for the tea programme and a Negroni will be solid but feel like a missed opportunity.
Tourists and Tokyo regulars who came for the view, with a sprinkling of visiting bartenders. The early seating, 6pm-7:30pm, runs quieter and is the right window to actually taste what the bartenders are doing. Google Maps reviews (n=620) repeatedly flag the ¥500 cover charge as worth it for the seat itself.
Bookings are taken online through the Ginza Six 13F restaurant portal up to 30 days in advance; the early-evening 6pm slot is the easiest to land. The cover charge is ¥500 per guest and a small snack is served on arrival. Google Maps reviewers note that the lift queue in Ginza Six can run 10 minutes on weekend evenings — factor it into the arrival time. Dress is smart casual; the building security has been known to query trainers after 7pm. The bar closes briefly between courses if a private event is in progress; check the public site for closures before crossing the city to get there. The room is non-smoking throughout; the building has a designated smoking deck two floors down. The bar accepts cards and contactless payments and is one of the few high-end Tokyo cocktail counters that does not levy a service charge. Group bookings of six or more should expect a fixed-course requirement at ¥12,000 per head.
Mixology Salon’s public site (verified May 2026); World’s 50 Best Bars Discovery; Class Magazine; The Infatuation; r/cocktails; Google Maps reviews (n=620).