It wouldn't be wrong to call Hinomoto a pub. After all it's a craft beer specialist, with 10 taps all devoted to Japanese beers and a counter where you can sit and drink to your heart's content. But that doesn't tell the whole story by a long way.

Hinomoto also has a strong emphasis on sake, plus an excellent menu of Japanese food to go with it — just right for an after-work evening of sipping and nibbling. But that doesn't make it an izakaya tavern, either.

In fact, with its simple furnishings and laid-back atmosphere, Hinomoto is hewing a path all of its own. And that's no doubt why the master of the house, Daisuke Tamura, decided to call it a "beer parlor." It tells you where the main focus of his menu lies and that you'll be made to feel at home.