What the Dickens! Ebisu: Tokyo's Live-Music Gastropub Pouring Guinness Since 1995

What the Dickens! has served pints and pub food on the fourth floor of the Roob 6 Building, 1-13-3 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, since 1995, and it is about two minutes on foot from Ebisu Station. A steak pie with chips and vegetables is ¥1,400 on the grand menu, a pint of Guinness is ¥1,200, and on most nights a band plays on the small stage at the end of the room, and some of those shows are free to enter.

The pub describes itself as bringing British culture, hospitality and live music to Ebisu since 1995, which makes it one of the longer-running foreign-style pubs in this part of Tokyo. It sits above street level rather than on the pavement, so look for the Roob 6 Building on the west side of the station, take the lift to 4F, and the stage and bar are straight ahead.

The crowd is what the pub calls locals and expats alike, and on gig nights that crowd grows with the band's own followers. Retty notes it is all non-smoking, with counter seats and no private rooms, and that solo drinkers are welcome. There is also a happy hour, though the pub does not publish its exact times online.

The kitchen is honest pub grub rather than chef-driven cooking, and every main on the grand menu is the same price. Fish and chips with tartare sauce, steak pie with chips and vegetables, chicken pie with chips and vegetables, and an English pork sausage with egg, chips and beans are all ¥1,400. A roast beef sandwich with chips and salad is ¥1,000, and margherita or pepperoni pizza is ¥800.

For something to share at the start of a gig, six spicy chicken wings cost ¥600. Desserts are apple pie with ice cream or chocolate brownies with ice cream, each ¥600. The menu notes that photos are for illustration, and the prices are listed without saying whether tax is included, so treat them as the menu price. Order the steak pie if you only eat one thing; it is the most British dish on the list.

Guinness comes in three sizes: a pint for ¥1,200, a medium for ¥800 and a half for ¥600. Fuller's London Pride is also ¥1,200 a pint, while Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA and Aspall English cider are ¥1,100 each. Local beers are cheaper: Sumidagawa Pale Ale and Yebisu Premium Lager are ¥1,000 a pint, and Asahi Super Dry is ¥900.

House wine is ¥800 a glass or ¥3,000 a bottle. If you are new to the pub, the half-pint Guinness at ¥600 is the low-risk opener before the band starts, and the Yebisu is a neat nod to the neighbourhood, since the brewery that gave Ebisu its name stood a short walk away. Do not expect a cocktail programme here; this is a beer and cider room.

Live music is the point. The pub runs shows on the Dickens stage almost every night, covering jazz to rock, and many are streamed on its YouTube channel. The October 2026 schedule lists The Fringe on Saturday 17 October at 10pm with free entry, Mamonaku on Sunday 18 October and the Sean Tait Trio on Tuesday 20 October. Retty adds that some shows do charge entry, so read the event page first.

The honest downside is volume. When a band is on, conversation becomes shouting, and this is not the place for a quiet dinner for two. If you want to talk, arrive at 5pm on a weekday when the doors open and eat before the first set, or come on Sunday afternoon, when the pub opens at 3pm and the room is calmer before the evening crowd arrives.

Retty reports that credit cards are not accepted and PayPay is, so bring yen. There is no online booking system; the pub asks you to use its contact form or Facebook Messenger, and the phone number is 03-3780-2099. For a Friday or Saturday gig, arrive before the band to claim a table, because the counter seats go first once a band is on.

Hours are Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to 11:59pm, Friday and Saturday 5pm to 1am, and Sunday 3pm to 11pm. The pub is closed on Mondays. If every table is taken and the band is loud, plan B is to step back down to street level: Ebisu Yokocho, the retro food alley, is a few minutes away and keeps going late.

Ebisu Yokocho at 1-7-4 Ebisu is a covered alley of around 20 tiny stalls, open mostly from 5pm until late, according to Time Out Tokyo. It is the obvious place for a second round of yakitori or a highball after the pub, and it is on the other side of the station, so the walk takes you under the tracks and through the busy east exit area.

For a late bowl of noodles, AFURI Ebisu, on the ground floor of the 117 Building at 1-1-7 Ebisu, serves the chain's signature yuzu-shio ramen. Tokyo Cheapo puts What the Dickens! 167 metres from Ebisu Station and 434 metres from Daikanyama Station, so if you are coming from Daikanyama's shops, the walk is short too.

Address: 4F Roob 6 Building, 1-13-3 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Station: Ebisu, on the JR Yamanote Line and the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, about two minutes on foot. Phone 03-3780-2099. Hours: closed Monday; Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to 11:59pm; Friday and Saturday 5pm to 1am; Sunday 3pm to 11pm. Payment: cash or PayPay, according to Retty. Non-smoking throughout.

Who it suits: expats missing a pint of London Pride, live-music fans, and solo drinkers who want a friendly counter. Who it does not suit: anyone after refined gastropub cooking or a quiet table on a gig night. Ask the Karpo APP which band is on at What the Dickens! this week, or for other British pubs around Shibuya if you would rather skip the music.