Globetrotting bartender Hideyuki Saito has launched a bold new cocktail menu at Tokyo’s Gold Bar, blending art, travel and flavor. Known as the Graffiti menu, the collection draws inspiration from street art around the world, translating visual expression into taste through a lineup of 12 inventive cocktails. Each drink pays tribute to the vibrant energy of six global cities, with two cocktails representing each location.
Saito, who serves as senior director of bars at the Tokyo Edition hotels in Ginza and Toranomon, created the concept after a decade of international bartending. His journey took him from Tokyo to cities like London, New York, and across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In 2017, he reached the finals of the Bacardi Legacy global cocktail competition in Berlin. Returning to Japan in 2020, he joined Tokyo Edition and now leads both the Gold Bar at Toranomon and the Lobby Bar at Ginza.
The Gold Bar, recently ranked 76th on the extended Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, is an atmospheric venue with a dark, modern interior featuring blackened yakisugi wood, Spanish marble, and golden highlights. Designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma and hotel visionary Ian Schrager, the bar is a balance of Japanese elegance and global flair, further enhanced by live DJ sets and a lively crowd.
The Graffiti menu is elevated by original artwork from Tokyo tattoo artist Haruka Sasaki, whose bold, expressive style complements the cocktails’ themes. One standout is the Oku-Shibu 75, a reimagined French 75 featuring orange wine, gin, verjus, yuzu, and dried fruit chocolate—a nod to Tokyo’s natural wine scene. Another is the Adoninas Sour, which channels Picasso’s Barcelona through sherry, vermouth, mango, and dark rum, served with Iberian ham and apricots as a tribute to Spain’s tapas tradition.
Saito describes his concept as an exploration of how the emotional and cultural energy of a city can be translated through both visuals and taste. “I wanted to create more than a drink. I wanted to paint a city through flavor,” he explains.
The Gold Bar’s striking design, unique atmosphere, and curated cocktail experience reflect Tokyo’s evolving bar culture. With Saito’s vision at the helm, the Graffiti menu offers guests a multisensory journey around the world—one vibrant sip at a time.
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