バール・デ・じゃんがら at Harajuku, Tokyo

A signboard-free hidden bar above Omotesando, pouring rare whisky and seasonal small plates since 1990.

On a backstreet of Omotesando, with no signboard and only a large brown door to mark its presence, Bar de Jangara has been one of Tokyo's pioneer hidden bars since opening in 1990. Operated by the Kyushu Jangara ramen group, it was conceived as a cultural exchange club - a loft-like space where people from all walks gather, drink and converse into the small hours. Climb the staircase to the second floor and you find a warm, dimly lit room with a solid wood counter, designer lighting and an unmistakable sense of having discovered something special. The drinks selection is broad and serious: single malt Yamazaki whisky anchors a line-up that spans scotch, bourbon, wine, shochu, sake, beer and cocktails. The food menu runs to around fifty items, built around seasonal snacks that change throughout the year - from seven-flavour konnyaku and kinpira of spring carrot to cream cheese dressed in yangnyom sauce and dried persimmon with butter. The bar opens evenings from 18:00 until late, closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and suits those who appreciate an unhurried, intimate drinking experience. Bar de Jangara rewards the curious and the patient - the kind of place where one drink easily becomes three, and where the art of the hidden Tokyo bar feels most alive. Seek out that brown door, climb the stairs, and settle into a quintessential Omotesando secret.