Hungry for a little rock ’n’ roll? My Back Pages, named after a 1964 Bob Dylan song, may be the perfect spot. This casual subterranean eatery serves kushikatsu, a homely Osaka specialty, with a classic rock soundtrack. 

“I love Bob Dylan,” says manager Moland Nakajima. “I wish we could have a Dylan-only theme, but I doubt we’d have any customers, so we also play other music. But if Dylan ever walked in here I’d give him a big hug, shut up shop and treat him to a party!” 

The walls of this izakaya-style restaurant, opened in 1998, are lined with DVDs and videos of Dylan, The Beatles, Elvis, Ry Cooder and many more, while a Mac houses an impressive music collection. An array of amplifiers hints at regular live performances, where bands play original material plus an obligatory Dylan cover. These are usually held on Saturdays from 7 p.m., with no cover charge, but check before you head down. 

The food on the bilingual menu is also a treat. Chicken, beef, pork, chillis, quail eggs, baby tomatoes, wieners, camembert cheese -- if it can be breadcrumbed, skewered and deep-fried, it can be kushikatsu. Most cost ¥126, maxing out at ¥315, with preset assortments of five, seven or 10 skewers available at a slight discount. Whatever you order, these wooden sticks proffer a crispy coating with succulent innards, each cooked to perfection and served with tangy tonkatsu dipping sauce and crunchy leaves of sweet lettuce. 

“Kushikatsu is from Osaka, and Osaka is a real blues city, whereas Tokyo is more stylish,” says Nakajima. “Fashionable food doesn’t go well with music, and this is a house of music.”

Other dishes include white gyoza (round, crisp, moist pork dumplings) and a selection of salads, stir-fries, chips and spicy foods such as mapo dofu.

My Back Pages serves Asahi Super Dry at ¥525 a glass, or the tastier Bass Pale Ale at ¥735 for a pint. There is also a large variety of spirits and wine, with a bottle-keep system for whiskey, shochu and others. Mixed drinks start at ¥525, and soft drinks at ¥420. Happily, music requests are absolutely free.

For listing, click here.

Address: 1-36-9 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Telephone: +81 (0)3 5358 3539