IBREW Akihabara

Three minutes east of JR Akihabara's Showa-dori exit (two from the Hibiya Line), this is the IBREW branch with the most seats: 110, spread between a ground floor with a 14-seat counter and standing room, an upstairs room and a basement. There are 48 taps of Japanese and imported craft beer, and the day's list is published online, linked from the chain's website.

Pricing is tiered. Basic beers are ¥429 for a 270ml half pint and ¥759 for a 470ml pint, but only a few taps sit there; Limited, Extreme, Ultimate, Special and the top tiers climb to over ¥2,000 a half, so read the tier before you order. Check the list on your phone via the QR code, then tell the staff the beer's number and size. Flights are 90ml glasses priced by tier and written on the sheet on the table; three Basic or Limited beers cost ¥1,089. Food comes off a charcoal grill (beef hanging tender, chicken neck, meat plates from ¥1,098), plus fish and chips, mac and cheese and ¥550 tapas.

It opens at 1pm daily and the whole room is non-smoking. Two things to know: there's a one-drink-per-person rule, and payment is cash only. Booked tables are for two hours, and Friday evenings can fill up, so book ahead for groups.