A Martini with a Twist of Moss & Magic: Meet the Matsu No Ki at London’s Kioku Sake Bar

Photo Credit: Kioku Sake Bar

Tucked into the ground floor of Raffles London at The OWO, Kioku Sake Bar is rewriting sake’s story in modern cocktail culture. This intimate 25-seat bar takes Japan’s most iconic spirit and places it at the heart of every serve — not as a flourish, but as the very architecture of each drink.

The concept is led by Angelos Bafas, Head of Bars for Creative Restaurant Group (the team behind NIJŪ, Nipperkin, HUMO) and Bar Manager Thanos Tzanetopoulos. Their approach is rooted in precision and narrative: sake meets house-made distillates, seasonal ferments, and hyper-local ingredients in cocktails that feel both cerebral and sensual. The result is London’s only bar where all 12 cocktails on the menu spotlight sake, from bright Junmai Daiginjo to deep, umami-rich aged Koshu.

The food menu, from Michelin-starred chef Endo Kazutoshi and executive chef George Kgoregias, keeps pace with standout sandos and small plates: think white crab with pickled ginger or ox cheek teriyaki on toasted milk bread.

Behind it all, a “sake safe” curated by Saké Samurai Natsuki Kikuya holds Europe’s largest collection, more than 130 references including 10 exclusives to Kioku.

Photo Credit: Kioku Sake Bar

Photo Credit: Kioku Sake Bar
Ingredients:
30 ml Pine & Moss distillate
15 ml Roku Gin
15 ml Zaku Kaizan Junmai Daiginjo
20 ml Filtered Water
1 ml Cypress Hydrosol

Method: 

To make the Pine + Moss distillate: 

 Distil, locally sourced pine and moss in neutral alcohol

To make the drink: 

Combine all the ingredients

Chill to  -15C

Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Photo Credit: Kioku Sake Bar

Kioku Sake Bar is located at Raffles at The OWO, 2 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD