For many, the mere thought of Champagne is enough to make the pulse race and the tongue tingle. Josephine de Beauharnais, the wife of Napoleon and Empress of France 1796-99, once remarked that "making love without a bottle of Champagne alongside my bed is merely silly." For those looking to indulge in a flute or two of bubbly outside the realm of the boudoir, we have three new Tokyo Champagne bars to recommend.

Harking back to the glory of the 1980s, the newly rebuilt Marunouchi Building in the center of Tokyo's financial district boosts a dozen exclusive restaurants on its 35th and 36th floors. Getting there requires some patience; located across the street from Tokyo Station the building attracts a large number of visitors, all of whom seem to be jostling for a view of the ground zero of Tokyo's post-bubble economy.

Entering Breeze of Tokyo on the 36th floor is a relief. One is greeted by black marble, low lights, soft jazz ballads in the background and 10 bottles of Champagne resting in ice atop the bar. The restaurant-bar's floor-to-ceiling view of Ginza provides a dramatic backdrop.

The bar offers 30 Champagnes and sparkling wines by the bottle and 10 by the glass, along with an encyclopedic drinks menu. In a fairly glaring omission, the list didn't indicate years for their vintage Champagnes, making this more a romance spot than a real connoisseur's destination. Still, as a stylish bar with a budding Champagne program, it shows serious promise.

Breeze of Tokyo Marunouchi Bldg., 36F, 2-4-1 Marunouchi; (03) 5220-5551

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A bright light for Champagne lovers has recently appeared in Roppongi with the addition of an oyster bar to the restaurant Hisio. Originally opened as an adjunct to a gentleman's club, Hisio has established itself as a dinner destination in its own right (see the July 7, 2002 Japan Times' Tokyo Food File for a full review).

The bar features a selection of oysters from Tasmania and Iwate Prefecture, all of which are available raw or cooked in one of 10 different styles. For the creamier Tasmanian oysters, General Manager Toshihiro Noguchi recommends a sharper, drier accompaniment such as the Bollinger Special Cuvee. For the full-bodied "crunchier" Iwate oysters, on the other hand, Noguchi prefers a slightly sweeter style such as the Pommery Brut Rose.

Hisio doesn't have a by-the-glass list, so this venue doesn't qualify as a Champagne bar per se. But with 27 Champagnes and sparkling wines on the menu, it can certainly go a long way to slake the thirst of bubbly lovers who are intent on spending an evening in Roppongi.

Hisio Fusion Bldg., B1, 7-13-8 Roppongi; (03) 5785-0573

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The real deal for Champagne lovers is without a doubt the new Republica Champagne Lounge in Minami-Aoyama. Those who relish discreet locations will be gratified, as Republica and sister restaurant Kubakan are tucked back in a quiet maze of streets behind the Blue Note.

The hunt is well worth it: Republica's Champagne list features a staggering 55 selections by the bottle, and 13 by the glass. Even Champagne neophytes will be won over by the dark and cozy, nestlike interior, making it a perfect place for a te^te-a-te^te.

Republica's food list is small, but it is also possible to order from the full Kubakan menu, an option that seems to be favored by those in the semiprivate banquet booths around the edges of the Champagne lounge. The space works on many levels, but it is in the extensive offering of glorious bubblies where Republica truly excels.

The non-vintage list covers all the big names (Krug, Bollinger, Pol Roger, Laurent Perrier, Tattinger, Veuve Cliquot, etc.), but also includes some obscure but highly regarded selections, such as Henriot and J. Lassalle. Pricing is quite keen, with all but the Krug and the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs coming in at less than 10,000 yen a bottle. The vintage list spans years from 1988 up to 1997. Selections again range from classics such as vintage Krug and Bollinger to the less-often-found Guy Charlemagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs '96 Le Mesnil.

For those whose tastes and budgets run a bit grander, Republica also offers a comprehensive Cuvee Prestige list, subtitled "The Fine and the Sublime." The impressive selection includes Bollinger RD, La Grand Dame, Cristal and Salon's Le Mesnil.

But it is the last "Selection Extravagance" page that will really cause Champagne connoisseurs to dab their brows and perhaps double-check their wallets. The list features not one or two, but nine cuvee prestige bottlings in magnums. At twice the size of a normal bottle, magnums are considered by many connoisseurs of a certain thirst to be the ultimate way to drink Champagne.

A few minutes before leaving for our most recent visit to Republica, the Wine Spectator Weekly popped into our e-mail box. Their panel has recently re-tasted the 1988 Krug and decided to revise its rating from 95 to 99 points. This very bottle is at the top of Republica's list -- and at 32,000 yen, it was only a small increment above the U.S. retail price of $190. This is a bargain for trophy hunters on expense accounts, although at these rarefied levels, "bargain" becomes a relative term.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the list, however, is the availability of many of the selections by the flute (actually Reidel's high-end Champagne glasses). Pol Roger at 1,100 yen made a very nice start to our visit, and there are a number of other well-chosen offerings below the 1,500 yen level.

But what has kept drawing us back to Republica is the availability of many of their higher-end offerings by the glass. These include the '92 Bollinger Grand Annee at 2,600 yen, the "multi-vintage" Krug at 3,200 yen, and even the ultra-rare '85 Dom Perignon Oenotheque at 4,200 yen. For those who are curious to broaden their knowledge of Champagne, this is a great chance to try some of these rare items without committing to the cost of a full bottle.

Dorthy Parker once quipped, "Three are the things I shall never attain: envy, contentment and sufficient Champagne." Ms. Parker may have met her match.

Republica Raika Annex Bldg., 6-4-6 Minami Aoyama; (03) 5467-7135

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