01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Set beneath the elevated Sobu Line tracks, Obanzai CALBAR offers a relaxed setting where home-style Japanese small dishes meet a serious bar selection. A signature draw is the Kanazawa-style oden assortment, featuring simmered ingredients steeped in dashi and served alongside zesty yuzu kosho and savory Manganji miso chili pepper, with pleasing textures such as crunchy wood ear mushroom. Guests can also look over the blackboard to assemble a spread of daily obanzai small plates, complemented by Western-style nibbles like house-smoked cheese and pate de campagne tailored to whatever is in their glass.
The drink choices are equally extensive. Around 20 varieties of whisky are stocked, including Ichiro's Malt and Suntory Yamazaki, joined by wines by the glass and regional sakes from across Japan. With subdued lighting across the counter and table seating, and the faint rumble of passing trains overhead, it is a comfortable place to sip quietly alone or unwind with colleagues for a relaxed drink after work.
