Let me start this post with an apology. Sorry this post isn’t very good. Firstly, the photo isn’t a good one but that’s not entirely my fault. There was some construction going on when I visited. Best look out for those distinctive doors to find this place. Secondly, I probably should have made some better notes or written things up a bit quicker as between visiting and writing this, there has been a certain amount of slippage regarding the details. I’ll do my best to communicate what I can remember, but if you visit and find something I’ve said very wrong or if I’ve missed something important, please let me know and I’ll update. Enough with the apologetic preamble. The intriguingly named Slop Shop is a new bottle shop and bar halfway between Toritsudaigaku and Jiyugaoka stations on the Toyoko Line. There’s plenty of bottles and cans to drink on site or take away. Here’s what (I can remember and think) you need to know.
– Pretty new place (you could still smell the recent paint job when I visited), with plenty of concrete. One side is filled with fridges and on the other there’s a small counter where you can stand and drink your beer. Behind the main counter there are some taps too.
– They have (I think), four fridges full of bottles and cans, dominated by imports, mainly US but with some European stuff and a healthy Belgian selection. There are five taps of beer, which seemed to be served in one size (I’d say something round about 350ml, in that Belgian tulip/bulb style glass). Three of the taps were Japanese and two imports. Prices ranged from ¥800-¥900. The bottle and can prices seemed pretty regular. To take away you pay the price on the label. To drink in, there is a corkage charge. I only briefly glimpsed the sign on the way out but I think it said that it’s ¥200 corkage below 500ml and ¥400 over 500ml. Please correct me if I’m wrong on this.
Other than what I’ve mentioned there’s no so much else to say. There’s no cover charge, I think it’s non-smoking (I’d be really surprised if it wasn’t) and they have a lot of daytime opening. It does close pretty early though, so it’s not really somewhere you’re going to be settling in for a long session. The lack of seating would also probably contribute to this. The selection of beers included plenty of interesting stuff and the staff seemed to be interested and willing to help. It’s not so far from the station and must be a real boon if you live nearby. They seem to sometimes post their taplist and new arrivals on facebook so check there if you’re interested. I haven’t been to many of the more established bottle shops recently so can’t really comment on whether their selection is vastly diffierent or superior to these other places but there were plenty of things that I fancied drinking, which always works for me! And it’s nice to see a new place in a relatively beer-free area that is trying something a little different from the many very similar places that have appeared recently.
Japanese breweries seen on tap:
Hop Kotan
Be Easy
Far Yeast
Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday, 15:00-21:00
Saturday, Sunday & holidays, 11:00-21:00
Location/Map:
中根2-5-10, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Telephone:
03-6421-3116