THE SAKE PUB SHINSHU MATSUMOTO

I happened by this quaint little pub on a recent afternoon. My wife and I were touring in Matsumoto and visiting the local shops.I was immediately intrigued by a sign out front listing the hours of operation as between 2pm and 7pm. Entering this pleasingly lit establishment, I noticed a beautiful wooden bar with at least half a dozen seats behind which stood the proprietor and bartender - Noriaki Horasawa san. I was offered a seat and then a cool moist cloth to clean my hands followed by a chilled bottle of local well water and a chilled glass. Horisawa san expertly guided me through his collection of local Sake after asking a few questions regarding my preferences, recommended one that was truly enjoyable. My wife soon joined me and although she does not drink nihonshu, Horasawa san treated her as if she was an honored guest. Several customers arrived in short order and truthfully, Horasawa san seemed to treat everyone as an honored guest. Although my Japanese is limited, both Horisawa san and every customer were super polite and made every effort to communicate in English. We nibbled on homemade pickled watermelon and daikon as I tried several different Sake, all of which were very pleasing. I remember loads of laughter and fun. As a very special treat Horasawa san treated everyone to his personal watermelon which we found out later was very expensive. It was beyond delicious. The Sake Pub is a hobby to Horasawa san and he sets the hours to accommodate his personal life. We should all be so lucky. Because his shop closes early, Horasawa san has printed a brochure of various local watering holes and izakayas so his customers will have highly recommended places to continue their evenings. He actually called and made a last minute reservation for my wife and myself at one of the more popular izakayas on a Friday night no less. The highlight of our trip to Matsumoto turned out to be a serendipitous visit to the Sake Pub. Highly recommended!

Best Sake🍶 experience in Japan! He teaches you about regional varieties and even shares who produced each sake. Big points for highlighting the amazing women sake brewers. Friendliest owner with great stories and bigger heart. He even wrote my name in Japanese and helped track down my ancestry. My only regret is not spending more time at the Sake Pub! 🙏

Absolute nicest staff and most delicious sake. If you're in Matsumoto and want a great drink and amazing experience, this is a must go place.

Wonderful place for any sake lover! I really enjoyed the atmoshpere in this bar. Sake was really great and the owner has so many sake stories to tell. It was a great experience to hearing his tales about sake. Really enjoyed that! I learned a lot this evening. Thank you and I will come back again! This place is very foreigner friendly. Don't hesitate to walk in. Just enjoy sake!

This place is the best. The owner speaks good english, great for those wanting to try different Sake with minimal knowledge. Great sake and snacks.