Genius Jazz Bar

Tucked away down a backstreet not far from Nakano Shimbashi underground station this hard to find bar is a mellow retreat from the madness of Tokyo. It is situated just by a small bridge alongside the Kanda river. The proprietor, who is simply called 'master', plays old vinyl LPs from his massive collection that adorns the wall behind him while he serves food and drink with the help of his charming wife. People who come here are mostly jazz connoisseurs who spend hours studying jazz journals and add to the wonderful ambience. Although the drinks are pricey (and they would be, this is Tokyo after all) you can eat a very reasionably priced meal here. I would recommend a dish called 'Pilaf' which consists of mountain vegetables with rice and comes with a carrot and onion boullion. You will always get excellent service here and there is something refreshingly different about this place. You get the feeling that the couple that run this place generally do so not just to make money but because they really do want people to be entirely comfortable here.