"Sanataro" is a new bar that opened on December 29th in Ueno. It is part of the "Hoteichan" chain, which has several locations in Ueno, and is the second branch after the one in Seijo. The bar is located just a 2-minute walk from Ueno Station Asakusa Exit, along Showa Street, near the "Hoteichan Ueno Asakusa Exit" store. The interior features a standing bar counter and table seats, with BGM playing Showa-era anime songs like "Doraemon". The standing bar counter has 7 seats inside and 2 seats outside. Similar to "Hoteichan", customers at the standing bar counter receive a 10% discount on their bill. The menu is mainly Western-style, offering dishes like cut steak, fresh pasta, Western-style stews, fried foods, and various other small dishes. The "Chuck Eye Roll Steak Single (100g)" is priced at 550 yen, featuring American beef steak that is lean and well-roasted. It may not be as high-quality as Japanese beef, but it's a nice snack for the price. Other menu items include the "Iron Plate Garlic Butter Stir-Fry" for 110 yen and the "Lamb Green Curry" for 539 yen, which is a flavorful green curry with lamb and plenty of garlic. The bar offers a variety of drinks, including beer, wine, hoppy, and sour. Overall, the food and service at "Sanataro" are good, and the standing bar area is welcoming to solo customers, with even a few female solo diners during my visit.

I got off at Ueno Station Asakusa exit and turned left along the street after seeing Matsuya and Fuji Soba on my left hand side. I found the restaurant right away. Since it was mentioned that drinks are a bit cheaper when standing at the outside counter, I decided to drink there. I ordered a large highball, which was 2.5 times the regular size for double the price, and also ordered salted kombu green peppers and 3 pieces of chicken karaage. The salted kombu green peppers had a nice balance of salt, which went well with the drinks. I could only drink about one-third of the highball. The chicken karaage arrived next, and I found shichimi pepper salt on the table, so I sprinkled it on and enjoyed it. It was similar to the karaage at Osho, which I love. Still feeling hungry, I ordered a gratin with bitter gourd, tomato, and bacon, plus a salted tomato sour. I finished the salted tomato sour before the gratin arrived, so I added a soy milk highball. The gratin was very salty due to the bacon, but the soy milk highball washed it away nicely. I noticed that the Tabasco sauce seemed diluted (apologies if it's just my imagination). It's a place where you can enjoy dining alone.

Ueno's Yasu izakaya, "Santaro," is a great place for a quick drink. Three drinks and edamame for 1400 yen. The best cost performance. It seems like a good place to use for Ueno's first meeting. Payment is cash only, which is unique to this type of place. The atmosphere is like a traditional red lantern izakaya, very nice.

I'm happy that I can enjoy light drinking with meat and fish at the standing bar space. It's a great deal to drink there and it's convenient for solo drinking. Sometimes I bump into friends by chance, but the menu is extensive and there are multiple sauces for the chicken steak. The service is also quick. I will continue to visit this place.

Each dish is very affordable and the portion size is just right for two people, so we were able to order multiple dishes. It's great because if one dish has a huge portion size, we can't order as many dishes. We each had about 3 servings and ordered around 5 dishes, and the total bill came to about 3500 yen. Highly recommended.

It looks like a standing bar, but there are also seats available! This is the sister store of Hoten-chan. At first glance, they look almost the same. The menu at Hoten-chan has a Japanese style, while Santaro-san has an Italian, cafe-like feel. The menu is quite different. Four of us visited, two men and two women. Since it has an Italian vibe, for the first toast, the women's team chose red wine! I went with Lambrusco, but it tasted the same as my female friends' red wine... the difference in carbonation? Sweet and juicy! Haha, it wasn't delicious, so a regular sour is the way to go! The Iberico pork slices were just delicious! They seem like the kind of appetizer you would get at a bar or bistro. Also, the steak. This was incredibly delicious! Highly recommended! Despite being around ¥980, which is cheap for a bar or izakaya, when you think about it rationally, it's actually quite affordable. I will definitely order it again if I have the chance to go back! I was surprised to see they had Napolitan on the menu! It came with thinly sliced green peppers with shio-kombu, and I was like, what is this? But it was tasty. Haha. The 5% discount for standing drinking doesn't feel like much of a deal, compared to Hoten-chan's 10%. However, they accept customers until the last order at 11 p.m., which is great!

Located just a 2-minute walk from the front entrance of JR Ueno Station, along Showa Street, right near the Ueno Station intersection, is a branch of the izakaya chain called Hottei-chan that operates in the Ueno area. The interior of the restaurant has a standing counter seat facing the road and table seats towards the back. The menu is characterized by many Western-style dishes, differentiating itself from the original Hottei-chan. - Beef Stew (as of August 15, 2023): The beef, simmered slowly, is incredibly tender and packed with flavor in the rich demi-glace sauce. It's best enjoyed by pouring the sauce over rice. - Shrimp and Avocado Tartare (as of August 15, 2023): Large chunks of avocado topped with shrimp, creating a harmonious blend with the creamy mayonnaise-rich tartare. It's also delicious when placed on the accompanying crackers. - Classic Margherita Pizza (as of August 15, 2023): A simple pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil. The unique rectangular shape is divided into 6 slices. The hot and tasty crust, along with the gooey cheese, is delightful. - Red Eye (as of August 15, 2023): A cocktail based on beer, with tomato juice added. It has a balanced taste of beer bitterness and alcohol, with a fruity tomato flavor, making it very easy to drink. The restaurant offers a blend of Western cuisine, wine, and a casual izakaya atmosphere that attracts many female customers. Bon appétit!

On August 7th, I came back to Santaro, which I had visited before and liked. After finishing work, I toasted with a black Hoppy. The appetizers were delicious, including sizzling asparagus bacon on a hot plate. I also ordered Italian-style deep-fried dumplings, which were tasty even though I'm not sure what made them Italian. I couldn't resist ordering the chili con carne again. Some ladies at the next table ordered sparkling wine and lamb prosciutto as appetizers. We had a great time opening bottle after bottle of wine. I'll definitely come back again. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I went to a restaurant with two mysterious beautiful women and ordered a Ramune Sour, which turned out to be Ramune mixed with sour mix and more Ramune. The setting was irresistible. For those who don't like sweet drinks, I recommend skipping this one, haha. The quail cheese I tried for the first time had a slightly smoky flavor that paired well with the cheese. The crispy fried oysters were delicious, and I bet this place has amazing tartar sauce. Lastly, I had avocado and shrimp mixed with mayo on crackers. The crispy texture combined with the mayo and avocado was fantastic. We drank and ate for three hours, opened two bottles of wine, and although it wasn't a cheap night out, spending 4-5000 yen per person was totally worth it.

In the morning of July 25th, I visited Metoroan for breakfast, and in the evening, I found a quiet spot in Ueno, so I decided to check out Machikado Sakaba Santaro Ueno branch. It was payday, so I thought it might be crowded, but it was surprisingly empty. I started with a black Hoppy and some deep-fried minced chicken and burdock balls. They were lightly seasoned, but tasted great when dipped in tartar sauce. I was expecting octopus balls to come out next, but instead, I got chili con carne, which I love. I added Tabasco sauce generously and enjoyed it. Then I had a delicious meat gratin with a soft-boiled egg on top. I added more Tabasco sauce to this as well. I wish I had Tabasco sauce for the corn tempura I had this morning. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. I will definitely come back again.

Visited a Western-style izakaya from the Hottei-chan series for the first time. It was a Saturday afternoon and the place was constantly busy with customers coming in. They had a standing bar booth where you could get a 10% discount on your bill. My friend and I sat at a table, ordered a variety of dishes, and each had about 5 drinks, but the total bill was just a little over 2000 yen per person. The menu was full of delicious and satisfying options. We then went on to find a second place for our bar-hopping adventure.

After leaving Kaburaya and pondering where to go next, N-chan felt hungry and wanted to eat pasta, so we decided to try Santaro. Luckily, a table in the back was available and we quickly got seated. We started with sparkling wine (2980 yen) for a toast! It was refreshing and delicious. They even provided a wine cooler. We ordered: - Teppan Wiener (260 yen) - always tasty. - Lamb prosciutto (390 yen) - should have been delicious. - Eringi steak (270 yen) - tasty. - Cheese fondue - it came with bread and vegetables and was quite satisfying. After finishing the sparkling wine, I ordered red wine but forgot to take a picture. We also had: - Red shrimp and asparagus Genovese pizza (500 yen) - delicious with basil flavor. - Tofu carbonara (550 yen) - looks delicious in the photo. - French fries (270 yen) - I don't remember ordering this at all. In the end, we left the restaurant in a slightly tipsy state but managed to make it home safely.

This is the perfect place to stop by. The cost performance is great, and the menu items are bite-sized, making it easy for one person to enjoy. The mackerel fry (chicken nugget size) comes in just the right portion of 3 pieces. Even the gratin is the perfect size for one person. Fantastic. The four dishes in the photo, along with beer and lemon sour, came to just over 2000 yen. I will definitely go again!

I often use a shop that minimizes waste to the ultimate level and offers great value for money. The food is not that different from what you would find at other places (they have unique Western-style dishes and a wine menu, but also classic dishes like thick fried tofu and sashimi, as well as standing bar options like Akahoshi). The BGM at this shop is anime songs, so it might appeal to middle-aged anime fans (with songs from series like Q-taro and The Perrine Story, as well as Dragon Ball and Cardcaptor Sakura).

I stopped by for a bit on my way back from Tokyo Dome. Because my throat was so dry from cheering! - Boiled peanuts 270 yen - Italian-style fried dumplings 260 yen - Mackerel fry 270 yen - Chicken steak 480 yen - Large lemon sour cocktail 780 yen - Large draft beer 980 yen - Hoppy set 390 yen - Medium-large beer 320 yen Total 4,120 yen On this day, just had a light drink and that was it.

Visited alone for the first time around 8 pm. The standing area was available, but I chose a table seat (shared). In front of a large TV. Started with the conversation of the shared table guests and the TV. Enjoyed all the dishes. 3 drinks and 6 dishes for 4,150 yen (cash only). I was full. Added to the list of restaurants I want to visit again.

I heard a rumor about Hotei-chan, my favorite izakaya, expanding into a Western-style concept. They are keeping popular dishes like fried catfish while also offering a variety of Italian-inspired appetizers like pasta. The fresh pasta had a chewy texture similar to Italian restaurants and was very delicious. The sauces were excellent too. The drink selection included a fantastic glass of wine from Yamanashi. It had a light and fresh taste similar to Beaujolais, making it easy to drink. Even though there was another Hotei-chan nearby, it seems like it would be fun to visit both locations.

I stopped by on my way back from Kappabashi Kitchen Town. The location is right next to Ueno Station. I was a bit skeptical about the convenient location, but it turned out to be a very convenient place for a drinker like me. Since I was alone, I chose to sit at the counter and received a 10% discount as a counter special. The dry sour and hoppy were just the right strength. The extra serving of hoppy was quite strong, haha. The tuna was fresh, and the amount of crab miso was sufficient. The oysters in the oyster gratin were fried. Thank you for the meal.

"Santaro," the clothing version of the popular and safe public bar "Hoten-chan," offers a Western-style experience. Let's start with sparkling wine. You can add options like fruit vinegar or downtown extract for flavor variation. I tried it with plum extract, but to be honest, it's better without it. They have a wide variety of cocktail items as well. For food, they offer both Hoten-chan's classics and Western-style dishes. I ordered steak and pasta. The pasta was made with fresh pasta, with a topping of something like an infinite amount of bell peppers on top of the Napolitan-style pasta. It was quite an interesting restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

I visited Santaro, an izakaya near Ueno Station where standing and sitting drinking areas are mixed. Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for a standing bar near a terminal station, but there were many tempting dishes like lamb prosciutto and shungiku tempura. I had looked up online that standing drinking gets a 10% discount, but when I asked the staff about it, they didn't give a clear answer. In the end, I opted for standing drinking and upon paying, I did get the 10% discount, which wasn't clearly stated by the restaurant. The interior was clean, but the mix of standing and sitting areas created a strange sense of pressure and elongation. The food was good, but it didn't have the lively atmosphere of a fun drinking spot. It's convenient for a quick visit before catching a shinkansen at the station.

Hotai-chan group's sister restaurant, Santaro Ueno branch. This place offers unique menu items such as steak and pasta that are not available at Hotai-chan. I visited around 5pm and decided to stand at the counter, where there is a 10% discount. I like that I can choose to sit inside or outside depending on my mood. I ordered a large highball drink while deciding on my food. Today, I ordered chicken steak, Italian fried dumplings, and rolled cabbage. Despite the recent price increases, I appreciate that there are still many menu items in the 300-500 yen range. Some dishes are even in the 200 yen range, so it's easy to order within your budget. I enjoy the good value and taste of the food here. The standing bar atmosphere creates a sense of community, and it's fun to make friends with strangers. Thank you for the delicious food and drinks as always. I will definitely visit again.