Today, a recently opened Nepalese restaurant in Kanda. Himalaya Table’s slogan is ‘Craft Beer and Spice’ so I guess you know exactly what to expect. Recently, there seems to be a trend of new beer places being restaurants that have good beer (Gar Eden), rather than beer places that have good food. I guess this is understandable given that the Japanese way is to eat and drink at the same time. It is a rarity to find somewhere here that only does beer, and not food. I am still more used to the British way of going out just to drink, and occasionally breaking up the flow of liquid with a packet of crisps.
Firstly, the beer. Himalaya Table has 10 taps of Japanese craft beer. On my visit the styles leaned towards IPAs, lagers and blond beers with just the one stout, but given the food on offer, perhaps this is a conscious decision. Beers come in two sizes, (US) pint and half. Pints ranged from ¥950-¥1050 and half pints from ¥650-¥750, so pretty much average. There were definitely some interesting things on tap (Hidatakayama Stout, which I haven’t seen around, and one of the new Romantic Village Grand Slam IPA series), along with some more familiar but equally good stuff. One thing that was particularly pleasing was that even though this is a restaurant, we didn’t feel that we were being encouraged to leave when we had finished eating. It seems that it is very much about both Himalayan food and good beer.
The place itself is a decent size, with 5 counter seats and table seating for maybe 20 more. Unsurprisingly, given that it is newly opened, the decor is modern and clean, with a big window looking down on the street below. It wasn’t full, but was pretty busy on the night we visited so possibly it might be a good idea to reserve if you want to go there. The lack of a cover charge means that it is a legitimate destination just for drinking (presumably at the bar area), but I would fully understand if they wanted to prioritise seats for those wanting to eat as well. Oh, and I haven’t mentioned the food. It was very nice and they were accommodating for us as vegetarians which was much appreciated.
So, a nice place with good food and good beer. Given that it will probably be popular, it’s probably not the place you would come to if you just wanted to hammer through pints of beer, but if you want some tasty food and good beers in a nice atmosphere, it’s highly recommended. We’ll definitely be back, for the food as much as the beer.
Japanese breweries on tap when I visited:
Baird
Kisoji
Outsider
Swan Lake
Baeren
Hidatakayama
Iwatekura
Kinshachi
Romantic Village
Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday, 11.00-14.30, 17.00-23.00
Saturday, 15.00-23.00
Closed Sunday
Location/map
大同ビル 2F内神田 3-5-5, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0047
Directions:
From the West Exit of Kanda JR station, turn left and follow the rail tracks. When you get to a big junction, turn right (you will go past the St. Bernardus Belgian bar, maybe pop in for one!). Take the second right and Himalaya Table is on the second floor on the right hand side. Look out for the big BEER sign.
Telephone:
03-3525-4110
Links:
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Been meaning to check this place out. THis geezer at my office was raving.
Is this geezer Tim?