Once, several years ago, I tried to go to this Spain Bar called Pero in far-west Ginza, really more Yurakucho. This was before Spain bars got all mysteriously popular (which to me remains a mysterious phenomenon). I was puzzled to see when I got there that it was full, and while putting my name on the list learned that it would be 40 minutes. A bit of walking around cured that, but I didn’t find the place special enough to merit the fullness or the wait. The same feeling has persisted as I’ve gone twice to Pero’s sister restaurant in Marunouchi Tokia (Muy).
This is a long way of saying that I tried to go to Pero again, it was full again, I went to a wine bar nearby for one drink (eek2, forget that one also), and ended up at Antwerp Six. This is part of the imaginatively-named “Belgian Beer Cafe” group along with Antwerp Central in Tokia, which I wasn’t overly impressed with.
Antwerp Six has the atmosphere going on, if you’re looking for a big, artificially-aged drinking hall. I liked it, actually. Almost like being in Europe, if I had any idea what it was like to be in Europe. Dark wood tables and chairs, semi-upholstered benches on the sides, nice beery touches like serving trays for the waitstaff…
Hmmm, the waitstaff. Things were a bit busy (Sunday of a holiday weekend, so a second Saturday night but some places were closed while others, like the dreaded Pero, were already full). Howeer they still seemed weird – forgetting our orders incessantly. One great incident was when they brought my new beer, still sealed in the bottle and with its accompanying glass, and left it on the serving tray 2 meters from me. And left it. The waiter brought it and left it, the waitress came, looked at it, got puzzled, and wandered off. Eventually I opened it and poured it myself. This led to more puzzlement, but no apologies because they each seemed to decide that the other had done it. Ah well. Good theater, and close enough for jazz!
The food is what you expect in a place like that. The beer menu is pretty good, possibly less esoteric than the other Belgian places (how much eccentricity does one really need in a beer though?). Here’s one other complaint – when you get frites (and you DO get frites. What are you doing there otherwise?) you have to pick your own condiments – and PAY FOR THEM. Ketchup or mayonnaise are Y100. So is black pepper. Other things are more. I just got ketchup (I like Belgian beer, but I’m not THAT European). It was so tiny that I was compelled, as if by divine command, to bitch at them by saying “THIS is Y100 of ketchup?” which provoked the supply of a dish that was both larger and more full.
You think I’m unneccessarily grumpy, but go and try it for yourself. Better yet, when in Ginza just go to Houblon!
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