Hobgoblin Roppongi
Hobgoblin Roppongi is a British pub on Roppongi-dori that has served the area's expat community for years. The interior follows the standard British pub template: dark wood furniture, pint glasses hanging above the bar, TV screens showing Premier League and rugby, and a menu of fish and chips, bangers and mash, and shepherd's pie. The beer selection includes Wychwood ales alongside other British and international options on tap. Pints run 800-1,200 JPY depending on the brew. The pub opens in the early afternoon, making it one of the few Roppongi spots where you can drink before sundown. The crowd is a reliable mix of British and Australian expats, American servicemen from the nearby Roppongi area, and Japanese regulars who've developed a taste for pub culture. Weekend evenings get loud and busy, especially when football is on. The staff speak English fluently and the atmosphere is about as far from a Japanese izakaya as you can get while still being in Tokyo.
Where to stay near Hobgoblin Roppongi
Hotels and rentals within walking distance.
What to Expect
A British pub transplanted to Tokyo. Cold pints, English menus, sports on TV, and a crowd that speaks English as a first language. Comfort food done reliably.
Warm, loud on match nights, and reliably social. A home away from home for the expat crowd.
British and American rock from the jukebox when sports aren't on
Casual. Rugby jerseys and work clothes are the norm.
Expats, sports fans, anyone craving a familiar pub atmosphere
Cash and credit cards accepted
Price Range
Pint 800-1,200 JPY, fish and chips 1,400 JPY, burger 1,300 JPY
Pint ~$5-8/~4.50-7 EUR, fish and chips ~$9/~8 EUR
Hours
12:00-01:00 daily, Fri-Sat until 03:00
Insider Tip
Happy hour runs 12:00-18:00 on weekdays with discounted pints. Grab a table before 8 PM on match days or you'll be standing. The fish and chips are the best thing on the menu.
Full Review
Hobgoblin has been on Roppongi-dori long enough to qualify as an institution. It's the kind of place where everyone at the bar seems to know each other, and newcomers get folded into conversation within a pint or two.
The space occupies a single floor with a long bar, several booth tables, and enough standing room for overflow on busy nights. The decor is authentic pub rather than themed imitation: real dartboards, a pool table in the back, and the kind of well-worn furniture that comes from years of actual use.
I visited on a Saturday afternoon when the Premier League was on. The place was already half full at 4 PM, mostly British and Australian men in their thirties and forties who clearly made this a weekly ritual. By 6 PM every seat was taken. The atmosphere during a contested match is genuinely electric, with cheering and groaning that you can hear from the street.
The food is solid pub fare. Fish and chips arrived hot and properly battered, not the soggy version you sometimes get overseas. The shepherd's pie was dense and filling. At 1,300-1,400 JPY per dish, it's not cheap by Tokyo standards, but the portions are generous.
The beer selection is the real draw. Six or seven taps pour a range of British ales alongside Guinness and a few Japanese options. The bartenders pour a proper pint and know the difference between a half and a sleeve. Three pints and a plate of fish and chips came to about 4,500 JPY.
The Neighborhood
Hobgoblin sits on Roppongi-dori, the main east-west road, about a 3-minute walk east from Roppongi Crossing. Several other bars and restaurants line the same stretch.
Getting There
Roppongi Station Exit 3, turn right onto Roppongi-dori and walk east for about 3 minutes. The pub is on the right side of the road.
Address
3-16-33 Roppongi, Minato-ku
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