Ieyasu Hon-jin

Amiable host Taisho bangs the drum behind the bar to greet each new customer to this cosy, top-class yakitori bar named after the first of the Tokugawa shoguns. There are only a dozen seats, so everyonecrowds around the counter, where a wide choice of food lies in glass cases, already on sticks, ready to be popped on the coals and grilled. The food is excellent, as is the beer and sake, which Taisho dispenses with natural flair, pouring into small cups from a great height. Not cheap (expect around ¥4,000-¥7,000 for a couple of hours’ eating and drinking), but still good value. Avoid the 6-8pm after-work rush and don’t go in a group of more than three.