Between traces of expensive cologne and the jazzy trill of a busker’s saxophone, a buzz filled the air in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials. Unlike the typical Tuesday, this wasn’t the usual touristy clatter of shuffling shopping bags and inquiries regarding the nearest fish and chips shop. No—this was a different kind of buzz. Louder. Hotter. Redder.
Across the square, a slick new jewel gleamed under neon lights: Onitsuka Tiger’s Red Concept Store. A flaming red beacon of Japanese fashion pedigree in the heart of London’s heritage-laced Covent Garden was now officially open and—pardon our British—an absolute corker.
On Tuesday, May 27, Onitsuka Tiger kicked off a celebration to mark the grand opening of their new Red Concept store, its very first in the European market. Located in the heart of the West End, the space blends gallery-grade aesthetics with street-level edge, true to the brand’s East-meets-West DNA. The floor gleamed in freshly lacquered cherry, doubling as a mirror for a stream of Onitsuka-outfitted VIPs. Cult-classic Mexico 66s lined the walls in clinical precision, sacred relics honoring decades of design and culture. But make no mistake: this new location is not just a store, but a shrine to kicks—and judging by the drip of London’s fashion set streaming in, the worship was in full swing.
After all, style juxtapositions are the city’s unofficial dress code. In a city where double-decker buses pass Brutalist galleries and punks brush shoulders with Savile Row suits, the past and the present don’t just coexist—they walk in sync. Trimmed in bright neon lights, Onitsuka Tiger, was right at home. Long fluent in the language of then and now, the cult-favorite footwear was stylishly striding ahead into its future.
Consider the ribbon cut. The store pulsed with electric energy—polished surfaces and sleek minimalism peppered with the right amount of Tokyo grit and British cheek. Sneakerheads in vintage tees examined the bestselling Kill Bill yellow classics as a scattering of curious onlookers investigated the Nippon Made collection on display. And in true London fashion, the retail buzz soon gave way to a proper pub session.
Just across the cobbled street, the neighborhood staple, Crown & Anchor pub, had been transformed for a limited time only into the Onitsuka Tiger Tavern. Say that three times fast. A classic British watering hole reimagined through a Tokyo nightlife lens, complete with heritage posters, unexpected umami, and a bustling karaoke session upstairs. The usual wood-paneled charm was given a sleek twist: crimson red “Onitsuka” signage hung prominently over the bar, and “London Calling” reverberated over the speakers in a cheeky nod to both the city and the brand’s global ambitions.
Inside the revamped Victorian interior, bartenders poured out freshly distilled Whiskey Toki Tiger cocktails from tabletop kegs, a rose-hued Suntory Whiskey Toki™ take on the traditional pint, concocted to make even the staunchest lager loyalist reconsider. Drink orders of “Ume Daisy” and “Boiler Maker Old Fashioneds” rang out over the hum of conversation. Plates of Wagyu Tartare slid down the bar, and partygoers snagged small platters of Cured Amaebi Prawn Tostadas—a fitting Japanese fusion twist to a decidedly English staple, Fish and Chips.
Upstairs, the karaoke crowd had taken full control—highballs in hand, belting out an eclectic mix of Spice Girls and ’80s J-Pop anthems, the occasional off-key note blending perfectly with laughter and clinking glasses. Red light shimmered against mahogany banquettes. A glossy retro Onitsuka ad hung crookedly above a crowded sofa. It felt like a speakeasy colliding with a Shibuya night and a British pub moments before last call; in other words, unfiltered and gloriously chaotic.
Through a window ajar, patrons noticed the light drizzle had let up just in time for a stream of late evening spring sunshine to wash over Neal Street. Clusters of pint sippers and social smokers spilled out, wrapping around street corners and mingling beneath the soft glow of street lamps. English pub culture in its truest form—only now with a distinctly Onitsuka edge.
Onitsuka Tiger didn’t just reveal their latest London coordinates, but kicked off a neon-drenched new chapter for the Japanese heritage brand. By the looks of the crowd on day one, we suggest you lace up your Mexico 66s and get in line. In case you missed it, the Onitsuka Tiger Tavern is roaring back into town in mid-June. Stay tuned to the Onitsuka Tiger Instagram for the latest.
Discover more from Onitsuka Tiger here.
