The beloved Old Imperial Bar is classic Tokyo: a genteel atmosphere, all decked out like a gentlemen’s club in dark wood and leather, presided over by a staff of immaculately dressed bartenders. It is the only place within the iconic Imperial Hotel which still retains art deco traces of its former 1923 building designed by the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
While the quality at most bars can be directly linked to the skills of an individual bartender, at Old Imperial Bar every mixologist is equally adept at creating an impeccable cocktail. For a drink that’s almost as storied as the bar, order the signature Mount Fuji, which has been on the menu since the early ’20s. It’s a perfectly balanced mix of gin, pineapple, lemon and egg white – and to match the bar’s old-world vibe – garnished with a glacé cherry.