FUGLEN TOKYO: Coffee by day, cocktails by night.
Three key points for creating a café and bar that is loved by all nationalities and ages.
- Part I

FUGLEN TOKYO, where you can enjoy coffee by day and cocktails by night. What is the reason for its popularity as a café and cocktail bar? We will ask them about the key points in creating a restaurant and menu that is loved by all nationalities and ages!

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi　写真：Midori Yamashita

Mr. Ogiwara is in his fifth year as a bar manager.

Okushibu-Tomigaya area is considered one of the hottest areas in Tokyo.

A landmark in this area is FUGLEN TOKYO, which has its head office in Oslo, Norway.

A café serving specialty coffee by day and a bar serving original cocktails by night, it is popular among Japanese and non-Japanese alike.

While it is not unusual nowadays to have both coffee and cocktails, this style of bar was not very popular when it arrived in 2012.

Doripura also covered cocktail recipes in 2014.(Click here to read the bartender interview!)

The most typical Norwegian spirit is this one!FUGLEN TOKYO mainly uses these two types of aquavit.

Reason #1: Because they set up a "bar entrance" that is open to all generations.

Since its opening, FUGLEN TOKYO has been committed to "lowering the bar hurdle.

There is no charge and no dress code.While it has the appearance of a casual café, it offers a full-fledged cocktail menu.

It shares the same will to provide quality drinks and service to everyone with the main store in Oslo.

At the time, cocktail bars were somewhat expensive for the younger generation in their 20s, and FUGLEN TOKYO opened its doors to bar beginners.

It was FUGLEN TOKYO that opened the door for bar beginners.

More than 10 years after its opening, FUGLEN TOKYO has not only attracted the younger generation, but has also attracted bar enthusiasts in their 40s and 50s.

In creating our initial menu, we had a selection of easy-to-drink cocktails for people who were not familiar with cocktails.

Now that we have more inbound customers, we try to offer both cocktails with a strong alcohol taste and cocktails that are easy to drink," says Seiji Ogihara, head bartender in charge of the current bar menu at

.Seiji Ogihara, the head bartender in charge of the current bar menu.

Reason #2: Because of the unique mixture of Norwegianness and Japan.

The basic menu follows that of the main restaurant, but the recipes and balance of flavors are arranged for Japanese specifications.

The basic menu still follows the same points that have been in place since the restaurant opened: homemade syrups and juices are used, bitters and tonic water are sometimes made in-house, and fresh spices and herbs are used to give the drinks a unique accent.

The recipes for homemade syrups and other ingredients have been passed down since then.

The homemade ingredients may be what gives the cocktails their unique FUGLEN TOKYO flavor.

Let's take a look at the cocktail menu.

The most popular cocktail is the ESPRESSO MARTINI, which is often ordered before or after dinner by Japanese and non-Japanese alike.

A wide variety of aquavit-based cocktails are also available, as a "Norwegian touch.

AQUAVIT SOUR" and "MEMORY LANE" are served sour style.SCANDINAVIAN NEGRONI," popular among a wide range of customers, is also tailored on an aquavit base.

FUGLEN TOKYO's signature cocktail, the MEMORY LANE.Accented with fresh mint, berries and pink pepper.￥1330

In addition to the standard menu, the seasonal menu, which is developed four times a year, features different ingredients and recipes from the main restaurant to convey the unique style of "FUGLEN TOKYO.

We have a relationship of trust with Oslo, and we share a common understanding of what FUGLEN is all about, so we are free to develop our menu as we wish.

The menu is introduced as a signature of FUGLEN TOKYO.The signature of FUGLEN TOKYO is "MEMORY LANE.This cocktail was created by Mr. Ogiwara with the image of the Shibuya area in mind.

Based on aquavit, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, vanilla syrup, fresh mint and berries, egg whites, etc. are added and shaken.Finish with pink pepper and a light searing to bring out the aroma.

With its solid body, refreshing lemon juice, sweet vanilla syrup, berries and mint, this cocktail expresses the youthful energy and freshness that fills the streets of Shibuya.

In the restaurant, which is scattered with vintage Norwegian design, you can relax in your own style with a glass of cocktail in your hand.

Reason #3: Because it's a seamless transition from café to bar.

FUGLEN TOKYO is a café and bar, but it is also characterized by its seamless transition between café and bar, with no idle hours.

At 6:00 p.m. during bar time, the lights go down and the small lamps on the counter and tables are lit.

The wall menu also changes to that of cocktails, but until the espresso machine is finished at 9:30 p.m., the coffee menu can also be ordered.

Some people come for the after-dinner coffee, others for the cocktails.There is a good mix of people with cocktail glasses in their hands and people tasting coffee.

Although the bar serves high quality cocktails, it is also a place where people can enjoy conversation, just as they would in a café.

This highly flexible space that can be used for different purposes depending on the user's mood is now well established, but it may be something that did not exist in the conventional bar scene.


To be continued in Part 2.