2015-10-27に投稿

A quick overview of Aux Baccanales Takanawa.

Access:

Exit Keikyu/JR Shinagawa Station from the Takanawa Exit, and go up Zakuro-Zaka. Keep on walking until you see a Royal Host sign in the distance, and you'll find the venue on your left. If you want to sit outside, take a seat on the terrace; otherwise, go up the stairs, go inside and find a seat at the bar on the left.

Smoking Areas:

Smoking is permitted at the terrace seats all days of the week. Inside, smoking is restricted to the bar area (the counter, and the small tables behind it). Smoking is permitted in the bar area from opening to close on weekdays, but only past 6 pm on weekends and holidays. The venue is large, so you should have no problems with air circulation. Also, I haven't seen many children around, so you don't have to worry about the smoke bothering anyone.

Smoking Environment:

They have some basic cigar ashtrays, but no cutters or lighters as far as I know. If you own a siesta, it will be best if you bring one along. They also seem to have some cigars in stock, but I am skeptical on their condition. Remember, this is not a cigar bar, just a cafe/restaurant which allows cigar smoking.

Food:

Steak frites, Onion gratin soup, Confit du Canard and all that standard french food. Nothing fancy. Considering the price of the food, I prefer to get something more simple like a salad, sandwich or a quiche, then have a smoke with coffee after. My recommendation for food is the Ham & Cheese Salad.

Drinks:

Coffee, sparkling water, juice, champagne, cocktails, spirits, wine, beer and hard cider. Take a look at the bar if you are looking for brandy, whisky or cocktails; otherwise just order from the menu. I prefer to drink hard cider with the meal, then have Cafe Creme with the cigar.

Service:

Service is the only problem I have with Aux Baccanales Takanawa. Despite being a big place with almost 200 seats, there seems to be far too few waiters around. The worst time for me was at the terrace seats; the whole place was packed, and I couldn't get someone to take an order for what seemed an eternity because none of the waiters were checking outside.

Conclusion:

There are very few places around Tokyo where you can sit back and enjoy a cigar outside in the middle of the day, and Aux Baccanales Takanawa is one of them. If you're picky about customer service then I recommend that you don't go, but personally, the price and convenience pays up for it. 5 out of 5 stars if they get a few more waiters on the payroll, but until then, 4 out of 5.