Neighbourhood
Where to eat in Shinjuku
Shinjuku Station is a huge transport hub, and the area around it is full of places to eat: department-store restaurant floors, ramen shops, izakaya, and the narrow lanes of Omoide Yokocho by the west exit, where tiny yakitori counters sit shoulder to shoulder. Golden Gai, to the east, is a block of very small bars.
It is an easy place to eat without a reservation and a hard one to choose in. Decide what you want before you arrive; the area rewards a plan.
Where to eat in Shinjuku at night
Omoide Yokocho (思い出横丁) sits just outside the West Exit of Shinjuku Station. It grew out of an open-air market that formed after the Second World War, and today its lanes hold around 60 bars and small restaurants, many grilling yakitori chicken skewers and motsu-yaki, grilled offal, according to GO TOKYO, the city's official travel guide. Many counters seat only five or six people, so walk the lanes first and look for one with room for your group. Smoking in the lanes is not allowed, and filming needs permission.
Golden Gai (ゴールデン街) is a few minutes' walk from the East Exit, in Kabukicho. It is a tight grid of alleys with around 280 tiny bars, most of which open at about 8 p.m. Many bars welcome visitors and some are for members only. You are asked not to drink or smoke in the street, and not to take photos without permission.
Sources
- GO TOKYO: Yokocho in Tokyo, where to find the city's food and drink alleys (updated 5 November 2026)
Figures checked against the sources above on 12 November 2026.
We are still choosing the restaurants for Shinjuku. Until they are here, start with what to eat in Tokyo .
