Showtime – Bar Centifolia
Our son had heard about an interesting “show” at Bar Centifolia (バー センティフォリア) 🗾 in Tokyo. Reservations are required, and we tried. Online was not an option. Once we arrived in Japan, we tried calling, but no one answered. After dinner at Maguro Mart (マグロマート), we decided to visit the establishment to see if we could secure a reservation in person. This was fairly easy as it required returning on the Toei Ōedo Line (都営地下鉄大江戸線) to Azabu-Juban Station (麻布十番駅) (E-22), which we could then later continue to Shiodome Station (汐留駅) (E-19) for our hotel.
The bar is located in a nondescript, narrow building on the 4th floor. The only indication is a small sign recessed in an entrance. When we found it, there was a note saying that they were fully booked that evening and had no openings until 1 AM! We decided to go inside to make a reservation in person.
Leaving the elevator, we were met by a lady who asked if we had a reservation. We told her that we tried, and failed, but came to make one. She told us she could seat us “right now,” and we said yes. We were informed of a one-drink minimum per customer and a ¥ 4,000 “table charge.” She opened a door, and we were seated at a table in a small bar. The bar itself is approximately 15 feet long, and there are about four tables. One seat, at the center of the bar, is always kept open.
We were given a menu with about eight drinks, although I believe you could also place custom orders. Most drinks were priced between ¥4,000 and ¥5,000 ($28-$35), making them relatively expensive. However, you come here for the show, and the drinks are secondary. The “table charge” was added to your drinks!
Once your drink is about to be prepared by the owner and bartender Yuzo Komai (駒井優三), you are invited to the open center seat to watch the show. The show itself takes on various forms, depending on the drink you select. You are given ample opportunity to take pictures or video. I believe they relish this, as the result will invariably be published on social media for free advertising. When you are ready to leave and have paid the bill, you are invited to take a picture with Yuzo (we observed this happening with everyone, so we assume it is a standard practice). We were also shown a three-of-a-kind item: a fancy Russian vodka packaged inside a diamond-studded globe that opened to reveal the bottle and glasses. A costly item, of which only three exist, all owned by Yuzo. Overall, this was a fun and expensive experience (approximately ¥17,000 for the three of us). Something to be done once, but unlikely to be done again!