SAKE’n’ROLL is a great name for this cheerful, cozy new bar near Kannai station that offers a splendid range of sake, wine, and other alcoholic beverages along with tasty small dishes for pairing. The owner, Satoshi Kimijima, is a rock and roll guitarist who regularly plays live in Yokohama, but also an established alcohol retailer and distributor known throughout Japan–hence the name of the place. His family-owned company, Yokohama Kimijimaya, was established in 1892. Beyond an older liquor store in Yokohama, there are two Tokyo retail locations in Ebisu and Ginza that offer bottles and tastings. This new Kannai location is a welcome edition to the group!
The bar boasts dozens of varieties of alcohol, including a robust selection of wine, though we came to taste through a range of sake poured by the glass. On our visit, a blackboard on the wall listed sixteen varieties of sake from across Japan for quite reasonable prices. Several start from just ¥660 for generous pours, but for aficionados, there are rarer varieties generally between ¥1000 and ¥2000. Appetizers include typical sake bar snacks like nuts, renkon (lotus root) chips, and veggies, though the cheese miso-tsuke (miso-marinaded) is fantastic with just about any sake you try—a true blast of umami. Small plates start from just ¥440.
As you would expect from a company this old and respected, the staff were extremely well trained and knowledgeable about what they were serving. You could visit as much for the education as the fine selection of drinks. The space itself is quite intimate, featuring a small square bar, a couple of small tables, and a few more tables outside. It seems most suitable for drinking alone or in pairs, though the bar could accommodate four or five lucky patrons–you should try to be one of them.