Roppongi is known for its wild nightlife, its streets lined with a circus of bars and clubs to exhaust even the most energetic of party animals. The Pink Cow is the calm at the center of the storm, a place to enjoy a relaxed Californian atmosphere, a range of tasty cuisine and a diverse array of bohemian goings-on.
It styles itself a 'Restaurant and Art Bar', and every month they showcase the work of different local artists, hanging the walls with paintings, digital art and other works. These you can admire from a seat at the long bar counter, the comfy couch at the back, or one of the tables near the stage area where the performers do their thing… and what an eclectic line-up of performers there is!
Most weekends and a lot of weekdays see an event of some sort taking place, encompassing everything from stand-up comedy to belly-dancing, live bands to burlesque, flamenco guitar to on-stage body-painting; sometimes it all happens together, as at the regular Art Blender event, a buzzing mélange of art, music and dance which is held once or twice a month.
There's often more than one thing going on at the same time; one Tuesday each month sees entrepreneurs at a business meetup rubbing shoulders with Tokyo's cardsharps as they twist and bluff at the poker table. All this attracts a chilled and sociable crowd, and it's easy to network, make friends, and find out about other musical and artistic happenings in Tokyo.
'The Cow', as it's known to regulars, is known nearly as much for its food as for its events. The burritos in particular are legendary, big enough to satisfy the hungriest gaijin and good and tasty too, either the chicken for the carnivores or the vegetarian bean and cheese option. There are plenty of salads and other vegetarian dishes available, including a delicious creamy mushroom stroganoff, and one of the regular food events is a vegan buffet night.
It's always worth checking the daily specials menu to see what exotic dishes the chef can provide other than what`s on the menu, and I can also personally attest to how good the chocolate brownies are, though the dinners can be so satisfying that I often need a rest before I'm ready for dessert. And it being a bar, there's an extensive menu of cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks, so even when there's no event going on, it's a great place to hang out for dinner, drinks and a chat with the friendly staff.
