With its bustling streets and atmospheric back alleys, Kagurazaka is one of the best places in the city to simply stroll and explore. And when your legs start to tire or the rain starts to fall, there are numerous neighborhood eateries where you can drop in for light refreshment or spend a leisurely few hours.

That is how we first found Rouge. From the outside, this small place (just 22 seats) looks chic and modern, well lit and welcoming — much like many another wine bars in this Francophile part of town, except that the specialty is yakitori. Matching grilled skewers of chicken with wine is by no means unique, but here it's done particularly well, and with some novel flourishes as well.