Experience a Japanese Standing Bar Complete With a Cocktail Omakase — in Texas

Widely revered among the Austin cocktail cognoscenti, WaterTrade is a watering hole of global significance. The intimate, Japanese-inspired tachinomi (standing bar, from the Japanese words for "stand" and "drink") is adjacent to Otoko — one of the city’s premiere omakase destinations with the same ownership. Like its neighbor, it offers up a transcendent tasting menu. Only here, of course, it’s all presented in liquid form. 

The cozy confines are kept dimly lit so that the only radiance in the space emanates directly from the bar itself. The walls wear framed posters of Japanese cowboy movies. There are cubbies lined with vintage vinyl alongside an active turntable. And behind the stick is an exhaustive compendium of Japanese whiskies. You’re welcome to enjoy any number of them neat or in highball form. There is no shame in simplicity, especially when it comes to Japanese-style bartending, wherein precision is paramount. 

That being said, the bar staff here is especially adept at sophistication. They are at their best when creating wholly unique arrangements, some of which only appear over a few short shifts. To celebrate the birthday of Godzilla, for example, they prepared a trio of tipples referencing the world’s most famous radioactive lizard: a bacanora and mezcal-based concoction, which arrived at the table emitting a smoky green, thanks to chartreuse and smoldering hickory; an awamori drink served in a hollowed out orange underneath Campari pearls; and a creamy collision of gin, coconut, yuzu, and shiso, peppered with dried Japanese yam called Mothra’s Dust. 

Arrive on any given night to see what surprises are in store on a rotating four-course omakase. You won't be disappointed. However, if you prefer to know what you’re getting yourself into, stick with some of the bar’s indispensable mainstays. 

The Kanpachi Dirty is a must for any Dirty Martini fan. Here it is prepared using a sweet potato shochu and a fish brine collected from the remnants of the Otoko kitchen next door. The Mushroom Manhattan is another obligatory order — Japanese whisky and awamori adulterated with a shiitake infusion. So much umami, so little time: This drinks destination is only open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., which is far too short a window to fully absorb it all in just one visit. Anticipate a desire to return.

And a final pro tip: Don’t sleep on the limited izakaya-style bar bites prepared by the talented team over at Otoko. They are often equal parts delectable and irreverent, as is the case in a caviar-tofu créme frâiche tandem, served alongside sansho-dusted Funyuns.

Global Tastemakers is a celebration of the best culinary destinations in the U.S. and abroad. We asked more than 180 food and travel journalists to vote on their favorites, including restaurants and bars, cities, hotels, airports, airlines, and cruises. We then entrusted those results to an expert panel of judges to determine each category’s winners. In many categories, we’ve included a judge’s pick, hand-selected by our expert panel, to shout out more culinary destinations we don’t want our readers to miss. See all the winners at foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers.