Latest reviews from Sapporo

“A lovely small brewery tap outlet in central Sapporo serving Hop Kotan beers from nearby Kamifurano to the east of Sapporo. It's located on the 3rd floor of an office/retail building and seats a couple of dozen people on tables and bars of various configurations. The beers we tried were all excellent but we didn't try the food (Japanese small plates from what we could see). Service was excellent and ambience nice. Worth visiting.“

dmarsha4 16 days ago

“I really liked the beers, food and location of this small brewery outlet in the centre of Sapporo. It is housed on the tenth floor of a mixed-use office building with about a dozen stools located around the corner-facing window for a great view across the nearby streets. There are a dozen or so more bar stools in the middle of the space. They have about a dozen beers on tap and a solid menu of Japanese and western style tapas type dishes. Everything we had was excellent. Beer styles are diverse and service is good. All up a great place to visit in Sapporo.“

dmarsha4 16 days ago

“A really nice place to visit. Well build up display on the history of Sapporo. A lot of people. Sapporo beer in the caffe. Beer garden was closef“

bjakk 422 days ago

“Great little bar with plenty of beers and very friendly staff. On the third floor and a bit hard to spot from the street (a Beer 3F neon sign on the top of the building was very helpful). Got seated at the bar as walk-ins at 8:30pm on Saturday night, but only because we just wanted beer at the bar. More than ten taps, of which five or so are their own, with other Japanese craft beer and a few international beers. Pretty comfortable cozy bar feeling although a bit of restaurant feel away from bar. The staff were super friendly, especially as we spoke no Japanese.“

Pyobon 531 days ago

“Fun Vietnamese street food restaurant with a few craft beers. A very small place with street seating in the right weather. The couple running this are very fun and make some great Vietnamese dishes. Tiger is always on tap, plus some American craft imports. The beer selection won't wow you, but it's a great place to grab some thing different to eat, and you can get a good beer as well.“

KyotoLefty 1370 days ago

“Medium-sized bar on the 10th floor with a view, and a large range of North Island's beers. This new place is a couple blocks down from the old one. It is much larger and more active, and they have many more taps. Nice view, good staff, good selection. Much better than before.“

KyotoLefty 1371 days ago

“Small bar focused on beer and whisky. The feel is much more like a typical Japanese whisky bar than a beer place. The owner knows his stuff. 2-3 taps only, but lots of bottles which seem to rotate frequently. Some snacks are available.“

KyotoLefty 1371 days ago

“Small bar and bottle shop in the Daimaru Dept. store in Sapporo Station, 3rd floor. 5 taps are all Oregon imports, as are almost all the 50 or so bottles and cans. You can take out or drink in. Same price. Staff was friendly and knowledgable. Beers were good, as were the prices. The seats next to the bar are super uncomfortable, though, so if they bother you, sit in the food court next door. Good place to stop if you are in the area.“

KyotoLefty 1372 days ago

“Small place near the Tanuki shopping street with 16 taps of craft beer at great value and very nice sushi made with meat. Pints were ¥880, lots of imports as well as Japanese craft beer, all in good condition. Food was awesome. Lots of meat sushi, some of it raw, some cooked. The inarizushi with beef cartilage was amazing. Highly recommended.“

KyotoLefty 1372 days ago

“Total dive bar with very friendly owners and a well-chosen selection of beer and cider. The folks running this place are great and made us feel really at home. 10 taps offered a wide selection, some from Hokkaido, US, Europe, rest of Japan, cider... Prices reasonable. Did not eat anything. Would definitely go back.“

KyotoLefty 1372 days ago

“Slick place with a nice atmosphere and a young vibe. 33 taps but at least 10 were real duds, and only a handful were anything exciting. Prices are relatively high: ¥380 table charge got us a cup of stale popcorn (fresh, all you can eat popcorn would have been welcome). Beers were ¥840-1300 plus tax for 300ml. A bit unreasonable. They did have 3 beer tasting sets though, for the price of 1 300 ml regular I think. Pizza and other food looked good. Waiters were nice enough but were fooling around a lot and doing shots too.“

KyotoLefty 1372 days ago

“Fresh beers only available here. Good service. Unfortunately they added too many dishes om the bill, which we didn't have, and only later and too late did I notice. But I (with the help of a native speaker) contacted them the day after and they accepted the mistake. Two weeks later I got the money payed too much transferred back. Great service.“

rolickstamp293 1806 days ago

“Nice little bat underground in a quiet neighborhood (luckily just in front of my hotel). Place could be renewed, but benefits from the warm atmosphere of many bottles and cans hanging from the wall. Attendance was very limited. At the bar a Japanese guy who luckily could speak English. Prices were OK, considering beer taxation in Japan. Selection of bottles very wide, 8-9 taps.“

rumore 2084 days ago

“A nice, free beer museum detailing the brewery's history. Several places to eat - a little pricey but high quality. Two of these are in very nice venues that used to house brewery operations. Sapporo Five Star beer is (almost) only available here. It is one of only 4 beers, counting one 0% ABV beer, available. All 3 regular beers can be purchased in a tasting set. A longer, more involved tour is available that includes 2 beers and costs Y500 but is only in Japanese. A gift shop or two are also on site.“

chinchill 2211 days ago

“Phred wasn’t there and I was the only customer on a Sunday at 9pm. Amazing bottle collection, prices ranging from 500-5000 yen. Limited number of taps, but interesting variety. Crazy 900 yen cover charge, but waved as I mentioned the webpage. Draft is just 800 a pint, but given the two finger width head I’d say I was getting closer to 375mls. Worth a stop, no doubt.“

JapanTony 2557 days ago

“On the 6th floor of the JR Tower, Sapporo Station. There are 4 seats out in the mall area, and a narrow hall with tables to one side and more window seats around the back They serve Japanese Wines and Craft Beers. One tap is Sapporo Classic. 6 taps are Japanese craft, of which 5 are usually from Hokkaido: North Island, Onuma, Onidensetsu, etc. One is usually from Honshu. Prices are reasonable: S ¥480 M ¥780 L ¥980. Food looked good but not what a visitor to Sapporo would likely want. If you are in the station and want a craft beer, this is your place.“

KyotoLefty 2901 days ago

“Tap number has grown to 8. Mostly Japanese, plus some stuff from Ezo. PRices are high, plus there is a charge. Some interesting stuff in the fridge as well. Did not stay long. Seems ok to me, except too expensive.“

KyotoLefty 2903 days ago

“Really liked this place. 10 taps were all American. Many were interesting if none were really stunning. Lots of bottles and cans in the fridge though. Great to see tasting sets. Drink-in corkage charge is very fair--seems to be free if you drink on the terrace outside. Also open in the afternoon, which is perfect for a tourist drink. Would like to return.“

KyotoLefty 2903 days ago

“The operative words are FRIENDLY and SERVICE. At the end of Tanikikogi it is out of the main tourist area and is largely frequented by locals and expats. Changing selection of draft beers and ciders; every day will offer a surprise. We found Kalahana quite by accident on our first night in Sapporo and met great people that made for an enjoyable visit. Daisuke and Kana, the proprietors, have had this bar for seven years now and their warm and friendly personalities and excellent service brought us back five of our six nights in Sapporo. We enjoyed Old Brown dog, So Sexy Brown, Shakespeare Stout and Imperial Stout and Not So Red IPA. They have Sapporo Classic as well - the most boring bear on the menu. Smoking is permitted but only a few people were smoking and we were not bothered. We didn’t come to eat but we did have a snack - the pork and garlic rice was excellent. “

RobertNewport 2935 days ago

“Let focus on bottle . They have some good selection of bottle . Taps is full with Oregon Beer.“

numalee13 3009 days ago

“Tons of bottle . True Location is off the map that show i have to ask the hotel to find the true location for me . Owner is american staff is friendly and can speak English .“

numalee13 3009 days ago

“Hippy-like reggae cafe vibe with a super friendly staff. Again smoking is the main issue with these Sapporo establishments. Good beers on tap with a nice mix of Japanese craft and import craft. Interesting bottle selection that seemed to lean toward Belgian. Overall very nice and would probably rate a notch or two higher if it were non-smoking.“

willisread 3219 days ago

“4 taps which were mostly Japanese beers I hadn’t seen before anywhere else which was a plus. Nice selection of bottles. There is a cover charge and pours are expensive. Also very smokey and kind of a dirty feel to it. Won’t be back.“

willisread 3219 days ago

“The owner worked at Shiga Kogen’s Teppa Room for a while before heading back to Hokkaido from Tokyo. Food looks really solid and priced very reasonably. Wine is the main star but there were a few ciders and 6 taps of quality Japanese Craft (Shiga Kogen, Minoh, Kyoto Brewing, Ise Kadoya...) The staff is very friendly. The glasses are a bit annoying but beers are priced in 3 sizes which is nice. Smoking is the big downside for me also I didn’t see any English menus.“

willisread 3219 days ago

“Bottle shop and taproom with a connection to Oregon Beer Geeks. Lots of average Oregon beers to try at fairly cheap to reasonable prices for Japan. They also have 8 taps with a tasting flight, but the tasting flight is only reserved for their beers it seems. Japanese beers or other importers beers are included apparently. If you are in Sapporo a definite stop. The bottles are growing for sure and they also carry bottles from other importers as well as some Japanese craft as well. Something for everyone for sure. Non-smoking with English menus and taplist.“

willisread 3219 days ago

“Modern spacious taproom/bottle shop basically run by Oregon Beer Geek importer. 5 Oregon taps on + a cider and a couple japanese guests. Beer flight is very good value. Bottles are fairly priced too, and include seasonals and bombers. The only downside is that there are lots of average to mediocre names in the selection so better double-check before picking stuff up. Opened all day which is a big plus for travelers in the region.“

biirusaikou 3283 days ago

“Popular local pub with 4 japanese taps on and a bottle fridge with a mixed selection including a few Sapporo breweries. Said to serve decent food but the cover charge and heavy smoking ruined the whole experience, won’t be back.“

biirusaikou 3283 days ago

“Trendy bar, seems to be a popular hangout for local hipsters, some of them more into organic wine than craft beer. Decent tap selection of Japanese micros, staff is happy to guide you through the list. Underwhelming plastic-like glassware. Still a nice stop on a night out in Sapporo.“

biirusaikou 3283 days ago

“Nice local bar in a pedestrian area, gipsy vibe, friendly staff. Short but solid tap selection, was amazed to find Nogne on tap up in Sapporo. Highly recommended for a pub crawl in the area. Try to grab the table outside to avoid the smoking.“

biirusaikou 3283 days ago

“Cool basement bar run by a passionate and knowledgeable guy. He happens to be a certified beer judge and single-malt connoisseur, so he can guide you through his bottle selection of both local beer and interesting imports. Nice dive bar when on a pub crawl in the area.“

biirusaikou 3283 days ago

“Definitely a must-stop in Sapporo. Walls are fully covered with thousands of historical beer cans, table-soccer and 80s pop music complete the movie-like atmosphere. 6 US craft on tap, beer flight available. Fridges are full of US imports, mostly Ezo stuff, but also some more unusual ones and vintage bottles. An even greater experience if you get the chance to meet local legend/owner Phred.“

biirusaikou 3283 days ago

“Probably one of the weirdest places I visited. It is basically a used books shop hidden on the 2nd floor of a small building. They seem to have recently added a small bar counter with 2 japanese micros on tap and a bunch of Mikkeller bottles. Awkward library-like atmosphere, have a look at the tap list outside and walk in if you’re desperate for an afternoon beer.“

biirusaikou 3283 days ago

“Fun place. Smoking again though unfortunately. Many places in Sapporo seem to be. 6 taps of Japanese craft reasonably priced. Some French cider too. Really friendly staff and a good option if the nearby Kalahana is busy or to do in combination.“

shoulderbroken 3357 days ago

“Interesting place. Only four taps but a decent bottle selection of Japanese stuff and imports. Beware, there is a cover charge. Prices are not really very cheap either at least for the beer. 200ml glasses are ¥650 I think and the larger size is less than a pint but around ¥900. Selection was good though and the selection of two or three appetizers was good value and tasty. Another smoking place unfortunately which loses it a mark or so, but it did seem well ventilated so it wasn’t as noticeable as at Kalahana.“

shoulderbroken 3358 days ago

“Nice place. Bottle shop but one that has 8 taps and some seating for drinking on site. Mostly Oregon imports but there is a good selection of other countries beers in their fridges. Beer flights available, 4 x 120ml for ¥1000 which is pretty good for imports. All beers available in 120ml for ¥300 or 470ml for ¥900 so the prices are good. Bottles are a bit pricier, but the selection is great. There is a ¥300 charge to drink in for bottles up to 500ml and ¥500 for over 500ml. I think the bottle prices don’t include tax. Shame it’s not open later, but the daytime opening is great! Great place.“

shoulderbroken 3358 days ago

“Nice place. Seems like it gets busy so arrive at opening time. Decent mix of imports (US and Belgium) and Japanese stuff. It calls itself a beer and cider place but they only had the one cider. 5 taps and a few bottles (mostly Belgian). Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Big downside was the smoking. It’s quite small and if a few people light up it gets a bit stinky and you can’t taste your beer as much as you’d like, so loses a few marks from me. Seemed to be a place with plenty of regulars. Would have been my favourite place if it wasn’t for the smoking.“

shoulderbroken 3358 days ago

“A nice brick building where once the Sapporo beer was made. A nice place to visit if you ever go to Sapporo.“

ruigo 3378 days ago

“I can’t believe I never got around to adding this place, I guess as it was during my pre-RB days. Located in the Sapporo Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade is this craft beer + cider place with lots of wood and a semi-hawaiian theme. Service was friendly and I had a nice cider. The selection was maybe 3-4 taps back in 2012 so not sure how it is now. Worth checking out if in the area.“

KansaiBeerLvrs 3494 days ago

“A nice place to enjoy an incredible selection of beers. 6 on tap and countless bottles and cans in the five coolers. The "Museum of Beer Cans" on the walls is a must see. Good but simple snack and food menu. Expensive for the average beer geek.“

melush 3674 days ago

“One of my favourite beer bar in the WORLD. Loads of choice (bottles mainly) and tap changing every week. Owner is really cool (he’s American). Bartender also very helpful. They have a futbol and darts. They also make incredible burgers“

RAEM 3953 days ago

“You go here to see the old brewery and take a tour, maybe to eat "Genghis Kahn" lamb bbq. The brick buildings are very lovely. The beer, well....you can try a few major micros that you might not find elsewhere. Still, a fun place to visit if you’re in Sapporo, then drink somewhere else later.“

KyotoLefty 4171 days ago

“The museum is free & the tasting set is cheap so value-wise this place is great. The staff were friendly and you can get a bit of information from signs in English. It is full of information about the introduction of beer to Japan and also the evolution of Sapporo Beer. It was really interesting to see all the old beer labels & posters. The gift shop was a good place to get souvenirs & also try a tasting set for only 500 yen. The tasting set included Sapporo Black, Classic & Kaitakushi plus a snack. The last two are only sold in Hokkaido, but they all look the same: thin golden lagers. I was surprised to enjoy the Classic more this time but only because the Black was so bad. Kaitakushi was pretty good, a solid lager made with ingredients grown in Hokkaido. It is weird that the worst beer is the most widely available though... This museum is well worth the visit if you’re in Sapporo.“

KansaiBeerLvrs 4183 days ago

“The two bars everyone who loves beer who visits Japan should go to are Mugishutei in Sapporo for the mammoth bottle list & Popeye’s for the 70 taps. Mugishutei probably has the best selection of American Craft beer in Japan if not in Asia. Though they don’t seem to really carry Japanese craft beer except on tap. If you want local beers in Sapporo heard to the North Island Brewpub. They had Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout(but 3000 yen for 330ml!), a bunch of Dogfish Head(60, 90, 120 minute IPA, Midas Touch - which I had ^_^), pretty much every Rogue beer (they’re the distributor in Japan), Ezo beer (made by Rogue under contract), other rareties and a nice selection of beers on tap. The great thing is the atmosphere is fantastic for a beer lover, I was like a kid in a candy store plus they have a list of bottled beers on sale as well as a 2500 all you can drink for beers for a couple of shelves in the fridge. The only negative is the high cover charge (900 yen) but if you mention their website on your first visit you can avoid it! If you’re lucky enough Phred will be around and you can talk to one of the founders of the craft scene in Japan. An added bonus, I was able to place an order online with Ezo Beer for pick up at the bar thus avoiding the shipping fees, nice! “

KansaiBeerLvrs 4185 days ago

“One of the most wonderful place in Sapporo. The bottle lineup is decent American, German, Belgian, UK. Anything else I should consider? ....They they have an undrinkable beers at a trade show !“

BriSava 4785 days ago

“I was here in November 2007. At the time, they had several house beers that were not widely available, including their Alt and Weizen. These are not appearing on their web site now, but they do have bottle of three beers from Unibrau, which Sapporo also owns. The house brews were overpriced. I would like to try it again.“

KyotoLefty 5665 days ago

“Hundreds of bottles and cans in the wall coolers, several Rogues on tap. Phred Kaufman telling you stories from his 23-plus years in business and discussing just about any beer you have ever heard of. He took me out on the town afterwards too. It ’s a great place, and you will always find beers you haven’t tried. Even if Phred’s not there, you can enjoy checking out the hundreds of beer cans on the walls.“

KyotoLefty 5810 days ago

“If you ever find yourself in Sapporo (Japan’s equiv of Alaska), you simply must go to Beer Inn Mugishutei. Like most places in Japan, the prices are high, but the selection, ambiance, and company are hard to beat. I like their style. They take a by-any-means-necessary approach to getting beer. This means two things: the list kicks ass, and it costs a lot. What do you care? You’re in Sapporo for Chrissake. Phred is a great host. With any luck, he will take you out for fresh sashimi at a locals-only joint that serves fish sperm and Fugu fin tea (flavored with deadly pufferfish). I went there twice in my brief visit to Sapporo during the Snow Festival and the experiences will last a lifetime. Do yourself a favor: take a camera. His walls are a virtual beer museum. I have never seen anything like it in my life. Maybe the oddest thing of all though is that several of the draft beer taps are literally in the public seating area, not behind the bar. You would never see this in America or anywhere else in the world I’ve been for that matter. What a trip!“

hogfodder 5967 days ago

“Very cool place that is Japan’s original beer bar (circa 1980). Phred, the owner has a larger than life personality and is great to talk to. Five imports (Rogue plus whatever) on tap, plus a boat load in the massive fridge. Mostly American, but even then some rare stuff. Prices are not cheap for American stuff, so best to stick to others if you are American. 5000 beers line the wall. If in for Snow Festival, ask about Fundoshi Run! “

TimE 5973 days ago

“Check out my article for information about this craft beer bar in downtown Sapporo with a most impressive import selection: http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer-News/Article-700.htm“

MartinT 6072 days ago