Shirube Shimokitazawa
- Getting there
- A few minutes' walk from Shimokitazawa Station, on the Odakyu and Keio Inokashira lines
Why it’s in the log
Shirube is a neighbourhood izakaya in Shimokitazawa, the Tokyo district known for its secondhand shops and small bars rather than its restaurants — an oden counter and a short menu built around the season fit right into that scene.
Winter brings shabu-shabu with fresh wakame and firefly squid, dressed in ponzu — a dish reviewers keep coming back for specifically once the weather turns. The rest of the year it runs more like a standard izakaya: seasonal small plates and drinks at a counter that only seats a handful at a time.
Go in winter if the timing works, and go hungry for oden rather than expecting a full sit-down meal — this is a bar to graze at, not a restaurant to book ahead for.
“A proper neighbourhood izakaya rather than a destination one — go for the winter shabu-shabu and you'll understand why it has regulars.”