The Dry Dock

The Dry Dock was a joint I wanted to hit up just on the basis of the name & location alone. To me this is the ideal bar, its got a nautical theme and is in a seedy location- literally directly under the tracks of the biggest train line in Tokyo (the Yamanote Line). What this means is such: its a shady looking place where at no matter the time of day- sunlight ain't gonna reach it; AND every 4 minuets or so the entire structure shakes under the force of the trains passing overhead.
The nautical theme begins from the exterior with some key details; first the structure is submerged so that the first floor is actually 1/2 underground, a few circular nautical windows are in place (just like on a ship) so that you can peek in (or out); next is the front door- it's a beautiful stained wood which also has in-place a circular hatch window; and it's damp (no sunlight remember) adding to the effect of being port-side.

[Above picture "borrowed" from Chuwy Reviews]

The nautical theme is carried over even more so once inside; with more wood paneling and captain's wheel and instruments front & center at the bar! There is an upstairs, but it's sit-down dining only and carries a stiff cover of Y500 per head! If you ain't gonna eat (or with a date) stay below decks at the standing-only bar and save the yen for another round.

The beer selection, while decent, had some flaws that really rubbed me the wrong way. I was expecting to find a decent jibiru selection but the night I was there they had only one or two. They did have some nice American microbrews (courtesy of Nagano Trading) and also some Japanese macros. And not to sound too petty (but I am), they were served in Japanese pint glasses but were priced on par with US pints... and to add insult to injury, were served with a big wasteful head... yeah the worst, I know.

Hitachino Nest - Keels Lager '09

Sumidagawa - Porter

[The Dry Docks website is here]