"Hiroyasu Kayama’s atmospheric, candle-lit ninth-floor hideaway is one of Tokyo’s most compelling bars, with shelves crammed with rare spirits and jars of obscure aromatics, and drinks just as likely to involve a mortar and pestle as a cocktail shaker. Sink into one of the half-dozen armchairs at the ancient-wood counter and give Kayama carte blanche to work his mixologist magic. Best to get there early, though: Bar Benfiddich’s fame extends far beyond the Shinjuku back streets." - Yukari Sakamoto, Robbie Swinnerton