| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 per drink ¥1000 sit down charge |
| Opening Hours | 15:00 - 21:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-231-0101 |
| Notes | High end cocktail bar, sit down charge, seating 30 |
| Location | Sapporo, Susukino. The bar is just a 2 minute walk from Susukino subway station. Take exit 1 and head east along Tsukisamu-dori (route 36) 2 blocks. The bar is on the left. 〒064-0804 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 4 Jonishi, 2 Chome-14-2 Central S4 Building 1st floor |
If you are in the mood for some Irish flavor, there are 2 Brian Brew pubs in Sapporo. One in the north of Sapporo, the other, in central Sapporo. Both are set up as a western style bar, with a nice selection of beers, and pub food!
Welcome!
Brian Brew, located in central Sapporo, is an Irish style pub that serves up good beer, and excellent bar food. Naturally, Guinness is on tap, as is Kilkenny ale. Carlsburg is also available, in pints or half pints. Irish whiskeys, cognacs are among the spirits and they also have some very good Italian, and Argentinian wines. Brian Brew’s food menu has some good hearty pub meals. Fish and chips, grilled steak, a selection of cheeses are all found here. It is also one of the few places in Sapporo that serves up meat pies, including sheperd’s pie, which is a welcome addition to the menu!
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Delicious meat pie
The staff are friendly, and able to communicate in English. Brian Brew has seating for around 36 people, the upstairs area is more suitable for larger groups. In summer there is outside seating. For those who enjoy the rugby, then this is the place to be. There are 2 large TV’s in the bottom section, that have all the latest rugby games on. Local games and international games can be seen here. Every Friday is lady’s day with cheap cocktails, and on the last Thursday of every month from 20:00 – 22:00 is the Irish Music Session. So, grab an ale, or a whiskey, and enjoy the hospitality of Brian Brew!
| Dates | September 9th - October 1st |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 22:30 |
| Contact | 011-281-6400 |
| Location / Getting There | Odori park. Odori-nishi 1-chome to 11-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 1 minute from Odori subway station |
Food & wine
The Sapporo Autumn Fest is one of the newer festivals in Hokkaido, being held for the first time in 2008. It is the last of the big Sapporo festivals for the year. The 4 big festivals in Sapporo come with each season, the winter has the Snow Festival, spring has the Lilac Festival, summer brings the Sapporo Beer Garden , and the changing of the leaves sees the arrival of the Autumn Festival. Autumn is the harvest season, and this festival showcases the best food from around Hokkaido! The Sapporo Autumn Fest runs the length of Odori park and each block has its own unique theme. Discover each, and enjoy the sights and smells of delicious food and drink from all corners of Hokkaido!
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1 Chome venue
At east 1, under the TV tower, is the Oktoberfest venue. Reproducing the ambiance of Sapporo’s sister city, Munich, you can enjoy craft beers, from not only Germany but also from around Hokkaido. Native German cuisine, is also served, with German sausages, snacks made with ingredients from Hokkaido, and other beer food. There is also live traditional German music to get into the authentic Munich atmosphere. This is a great venue for beer lovers!
4 Chome venue
The east 4 block serves as the Sapporo Autumn Fest’s entrance venue, and has a number of stalls that offer cuisines that abundantly use Hokkaido’s seasonal ingredients. Seating surrounding the large fountain at the centre makes for a nice setting to enjoy the various foods on offer here. Meats, and wines as well as seafood are available here.
5 Chome venue
This section is focused on Hokkaido’s delicious ramen noodles, with a large collection of ramen shops. There are also stores selling food from around Hokkaido, using local ingredients. Along with the ramen noodles, steaks and oysters are very popular! This is a nice area to sit at the edge of the fountain pool area and dine on your favorite foods.
6 Chome venue
This block is defined by the huge trees that create a nice canopy in which to wine and dine under. The 6 chome site is made up of stores from popular restaurants throughout Sapporo. This is the perfect opportunity to look around and see the latest dishes in Sapporo, whether it be seafood, meats or gourmet pizzas. There are also a couple of wine shops selling their tasty wares. Sit beneath the changing leaves and raise your glasses!
7 Chome venue
Smack in the middle of this festival is the very popular 7 chome site. Recognizable by the myriad of black tents circling the middle of the block, this site is where the wine flows! Hokkaido’s wineries are set up here so you can sample not only local wines, but also overseas wines which are very popular. In addition to the wine stalls, shochu and whiskey stores are also here. This block also gives you the opportunity to partake of some delicious cheeses, or grilled oysters. A perfect compliment to the wine…or whiskey!
8 Chome venue
Each town in Hokkaido is famous for something, and each municipality has its specific delicacy. People often visit these towns throughout Hokkaido so they can try these special foods. The beauty of the 8 chome site is that all these towns have all set up their food stalls in one block! Take a walk around Hokkaido and try the different foods from these places. There are a total of more than 100 municipalities, treating you to specialties from all over Hokkaido. Each store has a map pinpointing where the town is. This a very popular block showcasing an abundant amount of local cuisine!
10 Chome venue
For the meat eaters in town, the 10 chome site is well worth a look! Here, you can enjoy a huge selection of meats, including venison steaks, as well as crackling pork, chicken and beef. Famous wild game shops have set up their stalls which are enough to satiate any meat lover! Desserts and salads are available to compliment these dishes. There is also a beer stall set up in the middle.
11 Chome venue
Last, but not least at on the 11th block at the end of the Autumn Fest is the world cuisine block! You can walk around and see various chefs from around the world working their magic to bring you an array of delicious cuisines. Foreign wines and beer are also included into the mix. Try some “world travel” through the authentic tastes and talents of every country’s chefs. The smells and sights are a fantastic part of the Autumn Festival. See you there!
| Dates | Mid July to Mid August (1 month) |
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-281-6400 |
| Location / Getting There | Odori park. Odori-nishi 5-chome to 11-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 1 minute from Odori subway station |
The winters are long in Sapporo, so when summer finally arrives, people love getting out to the summer festivals and events. And the beer garden is no exception! The Odori Beer Garden is the biggest event in summer, and the biggest beer garden in Japan! Since its beginning in 1959 the beer garden runs for a month. Located in the heart of Sapporo, the beer garden takes up 6 blocks, runs over half a kilometer and seats up to 13,000 people!
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Each venue is run by each of Japans leading brewers, so you can enjoy your favorite beer! Each venue offers seating with tables, standing-only spaces, as well as tables under a roof cover, it gets busy so be sure to get there early! Reserved seats are possible. Food is also available to buy. To buy a beer, you need to purchase a ticket then give the ticket to one of the friendly staff. Enjoy! The Odori Sapporo Beer Garden is broken up into the following venues:
5 Chome Venue: Suntory Beer “The Premium Malt’s Garden”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-222-8188 011-222-5122 (reservations) |
Located on the 5th block west, Suntory has nice seating around the fountain. Non smoking seats are available. There are 160, all weather seats, and stand-up drinking space. Plus the Suntory beer, you can enjoy a 10-liter refrigerated pitcher and Suntory’s Kaku highballs.
6 Chome Venue: Asahi Beer “Asahi Super Dry Beer Park”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-210-6990 |
6th block west, at Asahi you can enjoy sitting under the overhanging trees and enjoy your beer. Asahi has an English menu and as with Suntory, it has plenty of seating. Asahi also has Super Dry chilled to below zero degree at the popular Extra Cold bar.
7 Chome Venue: Kirin Beer “Kirin Yoroko Beer Garden”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-518-8010 |
7th block west is the Kirin beer garden, with plenty of undercover seating. Kirin has 3 litre beer tubs, or the mighty 6 litre towers that are a popular choice. You can also enjoy the Kirin Ichiban Shibori frozen draft beer. Reservations are possible, stand-up drinking space available.
8 Chome Venue: Sapporo Beer “The Sapporo Beer Garden”
| Opening Hours | 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 011-233-3305 |
On the 8th block west and underneath the largest tent out of the whole event, lies the Sapporo beer venue. You can can enjoy draft beer direct from the factory, as well as the “Classic Furano Citrus” exclusive to the venue.
10 Chome Venue: “World Beer Plaza”
| Opening Hours | Weekdays: 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) Weekends: 16:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
| Contact | 080-1972-6336 |
10th block west on Odori park will see you at the world beer plaza. Here you will find a variety of overseas draft beers such as Guinness, Lowenbrau, and Carlsberg, just to name a few. The perfect opportunity to try out some new ales!
11 Chome Venue: “Sapporo German Village”
| Opening Hours | Weekdays: 12:00 - 21:00 (last order is at 20:30) |
Last but not least on the 11th block west is the Sapporo German village. Enjoy authentic draft beer brought in directly from Germany. You can also savor German cuisine and happy hours from noon until 4 o’clock in the evening on weekdays. Reservations are available.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 1000 - 2000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | 11:30 - 22:30 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011 211 8554 |
| Notes | English menu available |
| Location | 4-17-1 Minami 3 jo Nishi. Chuo-ku Tanuki Koji Arcade 4 |
A succulent lunch
Love meat? For those of you who do, Beef Impact offers a vast array of beef cuts at reasonable prices. Beef Impact is located in the centre of Sapporo and is in the Tanuki Koji arcade so its easy to find! As the name suggests, Beef Impact specializes in one main ingredient, beef, and lots of it! Beef Impact offers 4 kinds of beef. The Australian ‘Beef Impact’ sirloin cuts which range from 250 grams to a whopping 900 grams. There is the American Angus Beef Steak, which is slightly cheaper at 5 yen a gram.
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Welcome!
Also on the menu is the thick and juicy Australian fillet steak which will cure any meat cravings. Finally, and if you have the cash, there is the famous Japanese Wagyu steak. The Wagyu beef (Wagyu meaning Japanese beef), is a delicious marbled cut and is a must try for steak lovers. All these cuts range generally from 200 grams to 600 grams, and are priced accordingly, on the type of steak you order. And what better to accompany your meal then a nice bottle of wine. Red or white are both on the menu.
Local red & white wines
Still, if you don’t have a big budget you can still enjoy a thick steak that’s on the lunch menu. For 1,000 yen you can get a pretty delicious thick steak which is not common in Japan. Comes with a serving of corn, onions, rice, and miso soup. Garlic slices on top are optional. Choose your degree of succulence from rare to well done and let the chef seer your cut to perfection. And for only an extra 300 yen, the curry bowl side order is highly recommended, with real steak chunks in a delicious curry sauce over a small rice.
Comes with rice & miso
Curries are also an option with 3 or 4 different selections of beef chunks in a curry sauce. Last, and definitely not least is the special menu of two types of Japanese steaks. The first being the marbled Tokachi Saibi Beef Rib Steak. Tokachi is a province in central Hokkaido and the cattle are raised on high vitamin C enriched feed which makes this a prize steak. And, saving the best till last, there is the Japanese Black Beef Fillet. As the name suggests, this comes from the Black Breed which is found in the region of Kobe. Kobe beef is THE prized beef in Japan and is rarely seen in restaurants in other countries. At 7000 yen for 200 grams this is the ultimate in prime steak fillets.
Irashaimase!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 2000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | Open 7 days a week: Monday – Thursday: 5:30pm – 1am (Food and Drink last order: 12:30am) Friday, Saturday, Days preceding a holiday: 5:30pm – 2am (Food and Drink last order: 2am) Sunday: 5:30 – midnight (Food and Drink L.O. 11:30pm) 定休日 月-木、祝日: 17:30-翌1:00 （料理L.O. 翌0:30 ドリンクL.O. 翌0:30） 金、土、祝前日: 17:30-翌2:30 （料理L.O. 翌2:00 ドリンクL.O. 翌2:00） 日: 17:30-翌0:00 （料理L.O. 23:30 ドリンクL.O. 23:30） 17:30～翌1:00迄 |
| Closed | December 31 – January 3 |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | ￥300 charge for otooshi (お通し), a small dish of food / seating charge Capacity: 50 |
| Location / Getting There | Sapporo, Chuo-ku, South 6 Jyo, West 3 Choume Daiichi Susukino Building 3rd floor. 北海道札幌市中央区南６条西３第1すすきのビル3F |
Japan is an expensive country. But like all expensive countries, there are opportunities to enjoy the local fare on the cheap. One such chance to fill your belly is by having a meal at HANAYAGI, a small izakaya (traditional Japanese restaurant) located in the southeastern corner of Susukino.
Proudly serving Yebisu beer!
HANAYAGI has everything you’d expect a bare bones izakaya to have: something from the pickle jar, the deep fryer, the grill, the fish cooler and the fry pan. And a really, really cheap all-you-can-drink menu (nomihoudai/ 飲み放題). Enter through a corner door and you’ll be greeted by the chef busy doing what he does best. Shed your shoes and choose from one of the low tables situated on the hardwood floors. HANAYAGI only employs one other staff, so get your order in quickly. By 8pm the restaurant fills for a frenetic few hours with hungry 20 somethings. The drink menu is pretty standard: Yebisu beer on tap, bottled Heartland and a handful of premixed cocktails. As for food, consider your eating needs covered. With a wide variety of items listed on both the menu and on the walls, you’re guaranteed to find something to satisfy your hunger…providing you can read Japanese!
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Besides the chef, HANAYAGI only employs one other staff, so get your order in quickly. By 8pm the restaurant fills for a frenetic few hours with hungry 20 somethings. The drink menu is pretty standard: Yebisu beer on tap, bottled Heartland and a handful of premixed cocktails. As for food, consider your eating needs covered. With a wide variety of items listed on both the menu and on the walls, you’re guaranteed to find something to satisfy your hunger…providing you can read Japanese!
Just ask, and the staff will do their best to accommodate your illiteracy.
HANAYAGI is perfect for a busy night. You can be in and out in an hour, satisfied with a belly full of great local cooking. Or if you’re agenda is on the boozy end of the spectrum, consider this your best deal to prime the motor cheaply (think 2 hours of all the beer you can drink for under $10…). For the price, this place has it all: good food, good vibes and good value all in one place. Just remember to give your compliments to the chef directly – he’s a salt of the earth Sapporite, happy to serve the people.
Local youngsters readying for a big night out.
Grilled chicken breast with sinus-melting wasabi.
Fried oysters and mayonaise – heart attacks never tasted so good!
Grab a seat at the counter if the tables are taken.
は – HA, な – NA, や – YA, ぎ – GI = HANAYAGI in Japanese:
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 1000 - 2000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | 12:00 ~ 21:00, Open Sundays. |
| Closed | Open year round. Provisional closings are possible. |
| Contact | 011 211 8554 |
| Notes | No reservations necessary. No smoking/ No private rooms available. Most major credit cards accepted. |
| Location | Sapporo, Central Ward, South 1 Jyo, West 12 Choume, 322-1 AMS Building 1F 札幌中央区南１条西１２丁目３２２−１、AMSビル |
Start your night with a flight
BEER CELLAR SAPPORO is a great example of how the craft beer resurgence in America is influencing beer drinking abroad.In Japan, it’s confirming that beer lovers want more variety, complexity and depth in what could almost be called a national past time.As domestic brewing giants scramble to introduce craft-like products to market, the demand for real craft beer has been growing steadily. And while Japan is in the midst of it’s own brewing renaissance, many bars are focusing on opening American taps for their customers.
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Side plate of venison jerky
Specializing primarily in Oregon-brewed beers, BEER CELLAR SAPPORO has the same authentic taproom vibe that you would find stateside. Solid wooden and metal furniture, concrete floors and a big black chalkboard bring it all together.With eight beers on tap any given night of the week, visitors are certain to find something to quaff their thirst. Not sure what to go with first? Why not start with a beer flight tasting set of four 120ml glasses for ￥1,000 plus tax. Low ABV beers like the India Session Ale from Columbia River Brewing are great for those looking to pace themselves.
One of the many choices on offer
On the opposite end of the spectrum are double digit bruisers like the 10% ABV Grand Cru from Mazama Brewing in Corvallis. If nothing on tap catches your fancy, BEER CELLAR SAPPORO has five fridges full of bottles and cans for those craving a particular flavor. Prices on Oregon favorites like Rogue, Breakside, Columbia River, Coalition and Gilgamesh range from ￥500 cans to ￥3,000 specialty magnum bottles. Growlers are available but the price may be off putting for those on a budget.
Cheese platter
While a nomihodai (all-you-can-drink course) of Sapporo beer at an izakaya or Korean bbq joint is all well and good, you’ll never find a good IPA or stout on such a menu. BEER CELLAR SAPPORO’s food menu may be slim, but its selection of liquids more than makes up for it. They do have a cheese platter and a couple of small rustic side dishes. Planning your evening is as straightforward as can be: eat somewhere else first, and then come here for dessert. Maps, pictures and reviews are available here and here.
