I recently realised that I don’t have many of the Delirium locations on here so I guess I should probably remedy that soon. First on the list for me to visit was the most recently opened one and I think the one with the most taps. Like many of the other branches, it’s not in a particularly exciting location for me, but I guess many people find themselves in Ginza from time to time and it almost certainly makes sense for them from a business point of view. I’ll keep things brief as you almost certainly know what to expect.
– Large taplist (40 taps) of Belgian beer ranging from the delicious to the dull and sugary. This always seems to be the case with Delirium bars all over the world though. There are enough good ones on there to keep you happy though. Not sure how fast the taps turn over though, and the dull and sugary are on constantly I think. Pricing is about normal for Belgian beers in Japan, starting around ¥800 for probably 250ml.
– Big fridges full of bottles with some very interesting stuff in there. You can definitely find some beauties. Some of the most interesting stuff in the fridge didn’t seem to be listed on the menu so I guess the stock updates quite regularly. Prices are as to be expected. Around ¥1000 and upwards.
– Long and thin building with plenty of seating. We visited quite late on a Sunday night and there were plenty of people in there, so I guess it’s popular. Quite a few tables and a long counter to sit at. Lots of light and feels like the slightly classy chain pub it is. The website strangely seems to focus first on food and then beer, so I guess they want people to go there and eat. Felt like they could have done with a few more toilets!
– There is a cover charge, but it seems to be applied at the server’s discretion. I have heard stories of foreigners not being charged (presumably it’s difficult to explain if the customer doesn’t speak Japanese and is unaware of such things). It’s listed as ¥324, which to me suggests that maybe tax might be added on to all the prices at the end. I’m sorry, my friend dealt with the bill and I forgot to check! I guess if you are spending the night drinking in a Belgian pub in Tokyo, you go there appreciating that it won’t be the cheapest of evenings.
– Significantly, it has my favourite, the always magical and appreciated daytime opening!
Belgian beer is my kind of beer, but for some reason don’t find myself going to these places so often. I think this is mainly due to the fact that a night out on Belgian beers invariably ends up costing quite a bit more than one on Japanese beers. So this kind of place is always a little bit of a luxury. Although saying that, unless you are slamming pints and looking for volume, the higher alcohol could balance things out a bit. And for a treat now and then, these places are certainly a good option. I think out of all the places in their chain, I still prefer the St. Bernardus cafe in Kanda, but they will be opening a De Dolle related place soon, so that could potentially take the title. However, for delivering what you would expect, Delirium Ginza does the job perfectly well.
Japanese breweries on tap when I visited:
None, it’s a Belgian bar
Opening Hours:
Monday, 17:00-23:30
Tuesday, 11:30-23:30
Wednesday & Thursday, 11:30-24:00
Friday, 11:30-02:00
Saturday, 12:00-23:30
Sunday & Holidays, 12:00-23:00
Location/map:
銀座 5-9-5, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Telephone:
03-6228-5617