Shinanoya Roppongi Hills — Supermarket in Roppongi, Tokyo

Shinanoya Roppongi Hills is a branch of the Shinanoya supermarket chain, set in the Roppongi Hills Gate Tower in Roppongi. What you notice first is the split: the ground floor is drink and ready food, the second floor is the raw ingredients, and a sign at the entrance explains which is which before you commit to the escalator.

The whisky is the draw. The range is broad enough to browse slowly, and the wine runs to bottles you do not see everywhere, including canned wine that is easy to share. On the food side, the Mizusawa beef from Oshu City in Iwate is stocked in quantity, with fat that tastes light and sweet rather than heavy. The deli counter and prepared meals hold up for a quick dinner, and CACAOCAT brownies from Hokkaido, individually wrapped at ¥180 each in bitter, matcha and orange, make small gifts that pack easily.

The layout is easy to read: alcohol, sweets, bread, ice cream, cheese and ham, cut flowers and bento on one floor; vegetables, fish, meat, seasonings and dairy above. Staff will cut fish for you, and the trimmings are good for miso soup. The passageway connects to TSUTAYA, with an elevator beside it for shopping carts.

Expect to pay for the quality. Fresh food and deli items sit above ordinary supermarket prices, and the fresh produce is on the second floor, which takes a little finding if you came in for vegetables. A basket of everyday groceries lands around ¥1,000–3,000, and cards are accepted; Hills points accrue on purchases.

It suits a traveler staying nearby who wants a good bottle, a prepared meal and a few Japanese pantry staples without crossing the city. Come for the whisky, stay for the deli, and treat the produce floor as a second stop rather than the first.