The Whales of August

Bring your favorite film to life in cocktail form at the film-named bar, The Whales of August.

What’s The Whales of August?

The interior of this underground bar feels like something straight out of the 1920s and 30s. Decorated with vintage film posters and stylishly snug, it offers a laid-back setting where you can enjoy one form of art — mixology — through the lens of another: film.

Available in both Japanese and English, the menu includes preset film cocktails including names like Pulp Fiction, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro. The menu indicates what base alcohol the drink uses with a letter, apart from that you are given no clues to what the cocktails will look like. Interestingly, the gorier the film, the stronger the alcohol.

When asking for the prettiest cocktail, the bartender said that “guests should pick a film that speaks to them, that’s part of the experience”. Luckily, there is the option to ask for a personalize cocktail of your favorite film. Though keep in mind, they may not be able to fulfil your request.

Prices range from ¥650 to ¥1,000 for the movie-themed cocktails already on the menu. Custom and special seasonal cocktails, like our Wicked one above, tend to cost over ¥1,000. You will find the recommended and new cocktails on a board behind the bar.

What to know before you visit The Whales of August

Do you need reservations for The Whales of August?

No, you can just walk down the stairs into this speakeasy-style bar. Note that there is a ¥500 table charge (per person) and the bar fills up on weekend evenings. Smoking is also allowed in the bar.

by Setsuko Yasuda