Japanese Whiskey Bar Favorite Ichikura Reopens in Gongti Following Last Year's Forced Closure

Great news, whiskey fans! Ichikura, one of our perennial favorite Japanese cocktail bars, finally had the soft opening of its new venue last Thursday, which will be followed by its grand opening on Wednesday (June 1). The opening of a new space comes as a welcome surprise given that the old venue was abruptly shut down at the end of last year because of contract renewal issues.

However, since that time, Ichikura owner Kuroki Koji has been quietly moving his wares and after a half year’s preparation, this award-winning Japanese whiskey bar is ready to unveil its new location on the second floor of 8 Gongti Xilu, next to Coco Banana, and not far from its sister venue Kura Kura. The new space comfortably seats around 30 people and maintains its near-unmatched menu of 300 single malt whiskeys and 100-plus other whiskeys behind the bar. And so as to satisfy the capital's cocktail lovers, they'll continue to provide excellent mixology, with 30 special cocktails, and more than 120 classic cocktails available.

Back in December, Jim Boyce had this to say about the bar: "Ichikura is a one-of-a-kind bar, a place you might only go a few times a year but are always glad to know is there. It was a forerunner of today's vibrant cocktail scene and years ahead of the speakeasy trend and still has a focus on quality." Now that that the team has been given a second lease of life, we can't wait to have Ichikura back on our list of sure-to-please late night hangouts.

Ichikura 一藏
Daily 8pm-2am. 2/F, 8 Gongti Xilu, next to Coco Banana (6507 1107)
工体西路8号2楼，靠近Coco Banana

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Photos Courtesy of Ichikura