Beware of basement dining bars with neon signs, dim lighting and moody music. All too often they deliver style with little substance and menus that titillate but fail to deliver. Thankfully, there are a few exceptions. In Nishi-Azabu, one of the best is S'accapau.

From the street, there are few clues to differentiate it from the many other well-heeled late-night spots intended for nibbling, dating and whiling away humid summer evenings. The layout inside also follows the standard pattern: plush chairs well spaced along a counter the color of gun metal that looks onto a gleaming bar, plus a few tables at the back for those who prefer to dine discreetly.

It does not instill huge confidence to find the kitchen tucked away at the far end of the bar, as if it were an afterthought. Nor will your heart rejoice when you are handed the menu and find it bears the overblown title "Impressions of July." But once the dishes start to arrive, those initial suspicions are soon allayed.