Welcome: The Devil in the Grape

A message from The Devil in the Grape founders:

Our first Tokyo wine bar Parabola opened in Nishi Azabu in July. Our “elitist bar for everyone”, was inspired by the wine bar revolution sweeping major cities such as London, New York, San Francisco and Sydney – places that combine excellent drinks lists with music, art and design in smart but casual environments.

We like to think we know a thing or two about wine. One of us is a lecturer at Academie du Vin, the other worked for years with London’s oldest wine merchant. We’re using our knowledge and contacts to source the great underrated gems of the wine world . . . like the mineral-laden whites from cool-climate Australia, or the incredible value found in France’s Languedoc Roussillon and Rhone Valley. We stock the big names too. We are one of the few bars in the world to offer the legendary sweet wine Chateau d’Yquem by the glass. And there are other fine wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy, but the focus is on finding the ones that offer the best value.

Parabola buys as directly as possible and offers a large selection by the glass. Premium bottles can be purchased by the decanter. The bar has a range of craft beers by the bottle, an eclectic range of single malt whiskies, and Gin Lane, where guests can choose from more than a dozen craft gins, or indulge in what’s surely the rarest gin in Japan: a bottle from the late 1870s, unearthed from the cellar of British Prime Minister William Gladstone (price tag: ¥749,000.)

The food menu brings the UK gastro pub to Tokyo. We have sourced some of the best ingredients available in Japan to offer classics such as bangers and mash and coq au vin designed to complement our wines. There is an extensive cheese board featuring cheeses from around the world including a selection from craft producers in Hokkaido. For late night cravings there are bacon sandwiches made with serious slices of bacon. Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy our range of traditional puddings: who could resist our delicious sticky toffee pudding served with a salt and caramel sauce?

We want to make wine-drinking a fun, accessible and enlightening experience and have been working with some of Tokyo’s top sushi, ramen and oyster providers to organize regular pairing events. And look out for live jazz Saturday there will be live jazz, with no cover charge, from some of the city’s top performers.

Parabola is located on the upper two floors of the Art Silo building, designed by British Architect Nigel Coates. It has a refined yet cosy atmosphere with high ceilings and a light-filled interior. The space was originally designed as an art gallery and in this spirit will features regularly changing art exhibitions.

Visit the The Devil in the Grape website: http://www.thedevilinthegrape.com/

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