Jeff Bezos' Favorite Tokyo Mixologist to Open NYC Bar

Daisuke Ito, the acclaimed Tokyo mixologist favored by Jeff Bezos, is set to open his first U.S. establishment, Land Bar New York, in Tribeca this fall. The nine-seater Land Bar Artisan in Tokyo, hidden within a Shimbashi shopping complex, has earned a reputation for its intimate atmosphere and Ito's meticulous approach to cocktail creation.

Ito, a shaven-headed and dapper figure with a distinctive bow tie, was flown to New York by Bezos to craft drinks at a private party, an event that reportedly garnered widespread praise for his skills. This experience led Ito to consider establishing a presence in the U.S.

"I want to show them how grateful I am, repay my friends like that and take those opportunities," Ito said, referring to the encouragement he received to open a stateside bar. Turning 50 this year, he described his decision as "going with the flow."

Land Bar New York will be a larger, 40-seater venue situated upstairs from a Wagyu restaurant on Greenwich Street. Its arrival is part of a broader trend of Japanese cocktail bars making their mark in New York City, offering an alternative to conventional cocktail culture. Other notable Japanese-inspired bars in the city include Nomad's Stone & Soil, Kintsugi in Flatiron, and the West Village's Katana Kitten, which has another bar, Winter's Coming, planned for Chelsea.

Ito emphasizes the importance of fresh ingredients and a thoughtful process, stating, "The first taste is the most important." He typically doesn't take specific drink orders, preferring to tailor creations based on customer preferences. "I do not make requests, I only listen to them," he explained.

For the New York opening, Ito plans to spend about a month training staff and sourcing ingredients, having expressed an affinity for the Union Square Greenmarket. He suggested that Japanese-style bars can offer better value by not adhering to traditional profit-maximizing formulas common in Manhattan establishments. "In New York bars, they often use only about 10 percent of the selling price on the actual ingredients and sell it for ten times that," he noted. "If you organize everything around cost and optimization, there will be no surprise. That only happens when you go above and beyond cost for the customer."

Greg Boehm, a New York-based bar owner who partnered with Tokyo's Bar Libre to open Cocktail Omakase and Bar 7, shares a similar philosophy. "I look at margin less on this," Boehm said, describing his approach to offering a curated cocktail experience. Boehm, who has visited over 200 bars in Tokyo, cited the "calming, buttoned up" style of Japanese hospitality and attention to detail as key appeals.

He believes the timing is opportune for Japanese-style bars in New York, noting a shift in consumer preference from "bigger is better" to a desire for more refined and experiential approaches. The demand for non-alcoholic and low-ABV options has also surged, with Boehm's Cocktail Omakase seeing a significant portion of its business from these choices.

The Japanese bar influence in New York has historical roots, dating back to Angel's Share, which opened in the East Village in 1993 and is credited with inspiring Sasha Petraske's seminal Milk & Honey bar. Takuma Watanabe, a former Angel's Share bartender, now owns multiple successful New York bars, including Martiny's, L'Americana, and Midnight Blue.

Watanabe embodies the Japanese concept of "shokunin," a pursuit of mastery in one's craft. He contrasts this with New York's often production-line approach to drink-making, emphasizing a hospitable mindset: "We're trying to make you happy — like your mom is cooking something for you."

The growing interest in Japanese cocktail culture is partly fueled by increased tourism to Tokyo, with visitors seeking to replicate their experiences back home. Marielle Lee of IntoJapan has observed a significant rise in requests related to cocktail culture during client trips to Japan.

This trend is also recognized on a global scale, with the Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans featuring an omakase program and supporting Japanese liquor brands' entry into the American market. Charlotte Voisey, the event's executive director, highlighted the Japanese focus on "the perfection of the cocktail" and the "seductiveness to their service," noting even the "hard shake" technique originated in Japan.