Atsushi Suzuki – Bellwood

My Life

I began bartending in Tokyo, Japan when I was eighteen. After six years of working in several renowned Tokyo bars, it was time for something more, so I packed my bags at the age of twenty-four and moved to New York. Soon after, I joined the staff of craft-cocktail pioneer Angel’s Share and I would go on to work in top-tier establishments in London, Toronto, and Shanghai after that.

“After a successful turn as group manager of SG Group, I opened my first own bar, The Bellwood”

Atsushi Suzuki

In 2017, I got crowned 2017 Chivas Masters World Champion, making me the first-ever competitor from China to become Global Winner. I returned to Tokyo in 2018 to help open The SG Club. After a successful turn as group manager of SG Group for six years, I opened my first own bar, The Bellwood in Shibuya, Tokyo. The Bellwood ranked 49th in the 2023 list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars and 53rd in the 2023 extended list of World’s 50 Best Bars.

The Bellwood

The Bellwood opened its doors in 2020, presenting guests with a golden ticket to escape back into the glitzy Roaring Twenties of Japan. While located in Shibuya, one of the most modern quarters in Tokyo, The Bellwood offers a hypothetical scenario of what would happen if a top-tier café from the 1920s decided to cater to the current “it” crowd. This fine establishment never forgets to add a modern twist, though: At the bar, The Bellwood serves top-notch cocktails and small bites fit for elegant parties back in the “good old days,” but The Bellwood Lab, a private room in the back dedicated to serving experimental drinks and food pairings, also creates the most curious concoctions. Currently The Bellwood Lab offers a program called Bell Sushi—an eccentric omakase-style sushi dinner inspired by flavors from all around the globe. This delicious culinary treat is only available for a limited time, so make sure to head over to Shibuya soon before you miss out on a unique experience. If you do miss it, I am sure it won’t be long until we’ll come up with something else to surprise our guests with.

Tokyo Recommendations

The Future

In my opinion, the current bar scene is entering a new era with the creation of cocktails that are locally produced for local consumption, sustainable, and healthy. As the times change, what our guests want will also change. So evolving individually, as a team, and as a bar in response to the changing environment and times will help us further develop our future selves and our bar culture. I don’t have anything special that I want to do towards that goal, but I would like to carry on with my own efforts of infusing “current” culture into the old-school Japanese bar culture that I want to continue to convey.

Profile

Special skill: I speak Japanese

Free time: Camping

Bartender since: Twenty years

Biggest fail: Broke 200 glasses at once

Most significant career step: Becoming a bartender at Angel’s Share in New York (2008)

Favorite cocktail: Martini. Because, well why not? – check out Atsushi’s cocktails Timeless Fashioned and Ne(w)groni

Favorite bar: The Bellwood. It’s my bar!!

Tokyo in three words: Fast, Greedy, and Energetic

The Bellwood Website

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Images: ©The Bellwood