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Hiroyasu Kayama’s intimate Shinjuku bar approaches cocktails through herbs, roots, spices and house-made preparations. Its field-to-glass perspective has made it an influential alternative to both classic cocktail formalism and technology-led mixology.
The Story
Origin
Hiroyasu Kayama opened Bar BenFiddich in Shinjuku in 2013. His exploration of botanical ingredients developed into a practice connecting the bar with cultivation and gathering in rural Saitama.
Philosophy
Cocktails are built from an understanding of raw ingredients, including the plants behind familiar spirits and liqueurs. Cultivation, extraction and preparation are integral to the bar’s identity.
Why It Matters
BenFiddich is an important reference for ingredient-led cocktail hospitality. It demonstrates how a small urban bar can establish a distinctive international identity through the founder’s knowledge of plants and production.
Differentiation
Kayama’s agricultural involvement gives the botanical approach unusual depth. Plants are not simply garnishes or flavor accents, but the starting point for developing drinks.
Guest Experience
Conversation guides the choice of drink, while grinding, mixing and botanical preparation unfold at close range. The experience is intimate and exploratory rather than driven by a conventional printed menu.
Design Philosophy
The small, wood-rich room evokes a working apothecary. Ingredients and tools make the process visible without requiring a highly staged interior.
Design & Architecture
Lighting
Low, warm lighting reinforces the enclosed atmosphere.
Furniture
Close counter seating brings guests into direct view of the preparation process.
Materials
Wood, glass and dried botanicals.
Architecture
An upper-floor bar within a Shinjuku commercial building.
Design Language
Rustic apothecary with an intimate, workshop-like character.
Interior Design
A timber counter, bottles and botanical ingredients create a dense, tactile setting focused on hands-on preparation.
Watch · Reviews & Tours
The Hidden Speakeasy Bar of Tokyo | Bar BenFiddich
Review · Tripinn · 7mo ago
5 Steps You Must Do To Actually Secure A Reservation at Bar Benfiddich (MUST WATCH BEFORE GOING)
Review · Jenny Dang · 1y ago
BENFIDDICH MANHATTAN HIGHBALL / 鹿山博康（Bar BenFiddich）
Review · BAR TIMES · 6y ago
Hiroyasu Kayama /Bar BenFiddich（cocktail：fresh UNICUM Snowball）
Review · BAR TIMES · 6y ago
