Plus appréciés Vie nocturne à Tokyo

Founded and headed by New York-based mixologist Gen Yamamoto, this eponymous bar is a cutting-edge cocktail bar located in Azabu-Juban. His unique cocktails reflect the use of Japanese seasonal fruits and vegetables, bringing forth an explosion of flavors in a single glass. The eight-seater format of this bar requires one to reserve a seat here beforehand, if you want to taste cocktails oozing with ingenuity.

Where else but in Tokyo could you find two Beatles-themed bars just down the road from one-another? Featuring Japanese look-a-like Beatles cover bands, the embers of original Beatlemania still burn bright almost nightly at Abbey Road. With a cover and two-drink minimum, this is not a cheap night out, but then again, when will you ever get another chance to catch the Fab Four? Never. So, while it may seem like a kitsch thing to do, these musicians, as well as the venue staff and owner, are serious about keeping the mop-tops' tunes alive and kicking. Eat, drink, scream, shake, rattle, and roll to all your favorites and all the classics!

The Japanese concept of wa embodies harmony, gentleness and peace. Forget about it at Koreatown's Wa Bar! Wa Bar is the farthest thing from any of those concepts. The din of Korean pop music grows as you descend step by step into its cozy cavern of controlled chaos. Sporting a quasi-western motif with rifles on the walls, horseshoe ashtrays and wanted posters, the attractive staff are fun and friendly. As Korean pop music videos dance across the walls, everyone it seems is drinking up and having a good time. Drinks start at JPY600, and there is a light menu of traditional, street food to order from. So, if you are up for some cacophony Korean-style, literally drop into Wa Bar. -Stephen Lebovits

Tucked into Shinjuku's Golden Gai bar district is the famous La Jetee. The bar is tiny, with movie posters covering the walls, and is a popular hangout for journalists, photographers, and filmmakers. Francis Ford Coppola, Juliet Binoche, Wim Wenders, and Chris Marke, director of La Jettee, the 1962 film after which the bar was named, have all frequented this unique gem, which pays homage to French cinema. There is a reasonably priced food and drink menu, which when combined with the interesting company you will meet should equal a memorable night.

The city of Tokyo is home to countless themed cafes and bars. Each one more imaginative than the other, but there is one cafe and bar that is based on an unusual concept. The Detective Bar Progress with real-life detectives, which means, the bartenders crafting your cocktails are legitimate private detectives by the day and by night they’ll make you a drink and tell you more about their jobs, maybe even offer their services in case you need help. Visitors can indulge in various detective activities like perform first hand detective tasks, discovering wiretaps, take finger prints, or even have an American-style mug shot taken. In addition, visitors can pretend being at a real crime scene looking for clues. After having some fun visitors can hit the bar and enjoy a variety of original cocktails with unique names, try their popular Menteur(French word for liar or cheater).

Unit is a great place to spend the night. You can start in the lounge area, grabbing a bite or a drink, then catch a live show, either local or with solid international talent. Afterwards, you can groove to some of Tokyo's and the world's best DJs. Made up of various spaces of varying sizes, Unit really is a good bet on most nights. While not the biggest club in Tokyo by a long shot, what Unit lacks in size it more than makes up for in high quality. Unit knows what it's doing across the board, from indie, to reggae and beyond-and frankly, you could do a lot worse than just popping in to 'have a look-see'.