The price is right, the people are great, and you’ll come away with an authentic Japanese experience.Īnd if you’re trying to get the host to sing, I’d suggest playing some Oasis. Ukiyo Bar is located right in the centre of Dublin 2 on Exchequer Street. If you’re ever in the Pontocho-dori part of the neighborhood I highly recommend the Samurai Café & Bar.
We liked it so much, we ended up going back a second night! We also had a great time chatting up the bartenders and the owner who probably don’t get too many foreign customers. Had we opted for the karaoke room we would have ended up paying twice as much, without the drinks. We ended up getting two rounds of drinks and staying for a whopping 3 hours. Somehow, despite our horrible singing the owner managed to fall asleep.įortunately, he was a good sport about all the photographs we took at his expense. The bartenders knew a surprising number of English songs, and even requested a few themselves. Less than a drink later, we had scared away all the other customers and had the bar completely to ourselves! Selfish bartered with the owner, and we were allowed to stand in the back for the drink charge of $5.50 a person. The Samurai Café & Bar is tiny and quite cute, with room for only about 6 guests. The bar is close to the southern side of Pontocho-dori, on the left side of the street, on the 3rd floor of a building stocked with bars.
Selfish’s quick eye spotted free karaoke at the Samurai Café & Bar! Unfortunately, the “Karaoke Room,” was not only the biggest game in town, but the most expensive – charging upwards of $15 per hour per person!įeeling slightly dejected, we eventually wandered over to Pontocho-dori where Mrs. My cousins, sister, and their friends visited us while we were in Kyoto and wanted to have a quintessential Japanese karaoke experience. Selfish and I had the pleasure of stumbling upon the Samurai Café & Bar in Pontocho-dori, while looking for a karaoke room. While the music and lyrics sound like something Frank would sing, the pronunciation is entirely Japanese! Singing at the Samurai Café & Bar The music at Hello Dolly is no exception – they play good ol’ American classic jazz music: Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sinatra – you get the picture.īest of all, however, is actually hearing the band perform it live. You’ll hear it in pretty much any restaurant, and in many department stores. The Japanese are really into jazz music, for whatever reason. The atmosphere was excellent as well, especially when the band showed up. Selfish and I aren’t very big whiskey drinkers, their cocktails were pretty tasty. Once the music starts there’s an additional fee of $10 per person, so if you just came for the whiskey, you should probably leave before 8pm. Their specialty is whiskey-based drinks, with most drinks clocking in around $10. Selfish and I visited the jazz bar, Hello Dolly, which plays live music most weekends. Good thing, too, since it Pontocho-dori is gorgeous at night.įor our first weekend in Kyoto, Mrs. Selfish and I ended up eating one meal here just for atmosphere, but after getting hit with an unexpected sitting fee (and really, where else are you eating?), we decided to save it as more of a late night destination. The street is narrow and windy, and while it gives off an old-world Japan feel, the restaurants are surprisingly modern and often international. It probably has, in all honesty, but the fact that it still looks that way is an sign of how expensive it can be. Auto-Mod has been enabled to help fight spam comments and posts.Īccounts that are newer than seven days old are now not allowed to summit new postsĪccounts that are newer than 24 hours old are now not allowed to comment on postsĪccounts with too low combined karma (comment karma + post karma) are now not allowed to comment on posts.Pontocho-dori is a street in the historic Gion district of Kyoto that looks like it’s been there since the city was founded. Update: Auto-Mod has been enabled to help fight spam comments and posts. If you report a post/comment please message the moderators with the reason you reported it. If your post or comment doesn't appear please message the mods. HitTheRoad.ie for getting around Dublin using public transport You have the option to hang out in the lounge area by the bar or reserve a private room and have an unforgettable private. Visit Dublin Official Tourist Information Site from Bord Fáilte Pandora Karaoke & Bar was created in 2010 to provide endless karaoke entertainment for everyone A guaranteed fun way to spend an evening filled with singing, drinking, and dancing with friends, family, coworkers, and more. Use the search function to look there first for information and ideas.
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