Pres Jazz Bar is located up near the end of "Center Gai" street in Shibuya, not the most likely spot for a jazz bar. Named after the great sax -man Lester Young, owner Iwasaki-san opened the place about twenty years ago when there were still some jazz cafes and bars next door (unfortunately all gone now). The bar is now actually divided into two separate bars, linked by a small doorway. Pres is main room, Onyx the other room. They have separate entrances on street level, but you can sit in either space. Both Pres and Onyx are large, dark spaces with tables and chairs tidily arranged. There`s a piano in Pres, though Iwasaki-san says they rarely have live events anymore.

As expected, in Pres you will hear a lot of Lester Young cds (never a bad thing), while in Onyx the vibe is more soft-vocals. A Shirley Horn cd was playing when I went in, giving the place a real 2am-Frank Sinatra in a New York bar- kind of vibe. For a bar right in the middle of screaming teenage Tokyo, this is a valuable asset indeed.The table charge is steep, at ￥840, but beers cost ￥630 and the cocktails are reasonable.