J-beer House Kurakura

A beer bar in Kanda.
Many English speakers in Japan complain about Japan’s general lack of tasty beers on tap at restaurants. That is because English speakers often come from places where an average restaurant in their city served a pretty good selection of craft beers on tap. For example, in the U.S., you can go to mainstream places like Cheesecake Factory or Chili’s and still get decent beer on tap.
Well, if you are in Kanda District, head to J-​Beer KURA KURA to get some quality Japanese beers on tap. Kanda is in walking distance from Otemachi or Nihonbashi, so it is basically in the central Tokyo.
Beer on Tap: On the day I went, they had 11 beers on tap (ran out of Swan Lake beer). All were Japanese microbreweries except for Hoegaarden White (distributed by Asahi). They had some of my favorite beers in Japan, including ISE KODAYA Beer from Mie Prefecture. Minoo Beer from Osaka is very good, too. Their beer menu offers English.
I know, I know, you will ask «Tomo, if you are in Kanda, shouldn’t I just head to Devil Craft, which is just across the street from Kurakura?» True. Devil Craft has not only Japanese microbreweries, but also American beers on tap. You could also enjoy Chicago Style deep dish pizza. I highly recommend it.
Three reasons you might head to J-​Beer House Kura Kura instead of Devil Craft.
1. Change of pace. Deep dish everyday; you might start to sound like late Harry Caray.
2. Devil Craft is packed. KuraKura is small, so this place fills up quickly, too, but probably less than Devil Craft.
3. So cool to know this place. Why? I did not see a single «gaijin» here. Devil Craft — packed with foreigners. You will look like a true Unilocaler if you tell your friend, «hey, since Devil Craft has a line, lets just head to KuraKura. It is on the third floor of an old office building. Only the people who love craft beers know about this place.
ATMOSPHERE: Not my favorite. This place feels more like a small crowded restaurant, rather than a pub. Once you get your assigned seat, you cannot move around. I tend to like the Irish pub feel, where some people drink while standing. This place is too small for that.
SMOKING: The entire place is completely non-​smoking!
NAME: Note that J-​Beer is pronounced «Gi Beer», not «Jay Beer». It means microbrewery (sort of).