Shinjuku Nightlife Guide: 10 Best Late-Night Spots

The night is long and stretches even longer in Shinjuku, Tokyo’s gargantuan, all-in-one neighborhood that pulses with energy around the clock and boasts some of the capital’s most exhilarating nightlife.

Shinjuku’s reputation as the place that never sleeps is long entrenched — back in the 60s, Shinjuku Nichome, burrowed on the ward’s east side, emerged as Japan’s best-known LGBTQ+ strip, while Kabukicho evolved into a red-light mecca, paving the way for endless izakayas and dive bars. 

Sure, it may not have the thumping EDM clubs of Shibuya and Roppongi, but Shinjuku more than makes up for it with its multiplying array of late-night dining and drinking options.

So whether you're looking to bar-hop in the lantern-lit alleys of Golden Gai, impress a date with a hidden cocktail bar or grab some street food before catching the shuuden (last train), explore Shinjuku’s best nightlife spots.

First impression: there’s no shortage of thrill in Shinjuku Kakekomi Gyoza. Waitstaff and cooks clad in bright uniforms boomingly call out orders and shout, “irrashaimase!” (welcome) as you step into the 24-hour restaurant embellished with Edo-period fire brigade decor. 

Glowing white lanterns illuminate the space no matter the time of day and wooden plaques in kanji are mounted all over the walls. 

It’s all in the name of gyoza, Japan’s beloved pan-fried (or boiled, if that’s your style) dumpling. Alongside classic cabbage and meat fillings, you’ll find spicy chili gyoza, cheese-tomato dumplings and even a vegan version crafted with soy meat. 

And what’s a night out in Shinjuku without a nomihoudai all-you-can-drink menu? We recommend pairing these delicious dumplings with highballs, Japanese beer (try it with its dipping gyoza in Nagoya Cochin chicken broth) and shochu. 

One of the fresh-faced venues in Nishi-Shinjuku, colloquially known among Tokyo night owls as the “izakaya battleground,” Yakitori Ruike sets itself apart from other combatants with its nose-to-tail use of Daisen chicken from Tottori Prefecture and Date chicken from Fukushima Prefecture. 

These broiler breeds are skewered and cooked over high heat from red-hot binchotan charcoal, which helps give a gorgeous crust to the yakitori skewers. You can select from a 10-item or 8-item course, all of which ends with a choice of ramen noodles or tamago kake gohan (raw egg over rice). 

Reservations are available even at 9 pm, so head here to start your after-hours journey in Shinjuku on the right foot — or food. 

It’s tricky to spot an izakaya with the right food, drinks and hospitality in spirit-laden Shinjuku, but Marudori Ruisuke happens to check all three boxes. 

The veteran Japanese bar, which opened in 2010, stood the test of time while so many others have faltered by carving out a niche with its one signature dish: a whole deep-fried young broiler from Tottori Prefecture. 

On the farm, the breed is raised for a shorter time than the average chicken; in the kitchen, the bird is marinated for 11 hours in the restaurant’s special sauce, then deep-fried whole at 180°C. 

Get the banquet course which comes with yakitori classics like gizzard and heart. And while you're at it, order a glass (or several) of the sake and shochu from the restaurant’s many shelves to go with your meal. 

There is a hidden, retro space wrapped in nostalgic memorabilia on the outskirts of Shinjuku, where diners can enjoy the glimmer of 70s to 90s Japan. Up the narrow staircase, time slips back to the Showa era in Yoyogi Milk Hall. 

The restaurant is one of the surviving milk halls in Tokyo, an eating establishment inspired by Western culture that blossomed during the Meiji and Taisho eras. 

The menu is just as good-looking as the fit-out, featuring yakitori, grilled pork skewers and a wide array of fried dishes with plenty of drink options. Milk-based cocktails are an obvious choice, but drinks named after the “Go! Go! Loser Ranger!” and popular retro songs also make an appearance. 

It’s time to party like it’s 1960!

Tokyo might dazzle with its towering skyscrapers and sleek modern clubs, but when the modern fatigue hits, nothing compares to the old-school, laid-back charm of Shinjuku’s Golden Gai. 

This patch of six narrow alleys, connected by a narrower web of pathways, hosts about 200 tiny hole-in-the-wall bars, where suited salarymen brush elbows with each other for drinks over grilled skewers of meat and veggies. 

Some bars are at street level, while others perch up in attics reached by steep, slim stairs that are only wide enough for a single person to pass through. There’s a bit of everything for everyone, from ‘80s horror-themed bars to spots pouring nothing but highballs. 

If you’re unsure where to start, just wander — this enchanting maze of watering holes is a paradise for any bar crawler.

Read more: Where to Bar Hop in Japan

Explore hidden bars and izakaya of Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho and Golden Gai with an English-speaking guide.

What is a night in Shinjuku without hitting up at least one karaoke bar? Karaoke Kan, with multiple branches throughout the area, is our top choice when the conversation runs dry but your voice is still ready to go.

Prices are charged per person based on the hourly rate, but as a group, you’ll get your own private room equipped with couches, flatscreen TVs and multiple mics. There is even an all-you-can-drink option to keep the buzz — and your confidence — flowing. That way, you’ll be more than ready to belt out ABBA’s greatest hits on repeat.

300 domestic whiskies, including an 18-year-old Kirin Fuji Sanroku single-malt, line the shelve of Zoetrope, the seductively lit bar in Nishi-Shijnuku helmed by proprietor Horigami Atsushi. 

It probably houses one of Tokyo’s most impressive whisky collections; by a stroke of magic, Atsushi manages to secure the limited-edition Ichiro’s Malt "Cards" — a prized series released in the 2000s by Ichiro Akuto — all at prices that won’t break the bank for a dram.

Horigami is also a film buff, so he’ll often project vintage movies and animation from the back of the room. The place is small — only six counter seats — so we recommend only bringing a friend or two who knows their alcohol. 

For those less concerned with rarity, Zoetrope also serves more common options like Nikka from the Barrel or Yamazaki, along with a tight lineup of Japanese vodka and rum.

Among the myriad of petite watering holes in Golden Gai, the maximalist, three-story speakeasy Albatross, with its Belle Epoque chandeliers, mirrors holstered against ruby red walls and a faux deer head, channels a soul as eclectic as its drink lineup. 

It’s one of the three branches under the same brand dotted in Tokyo, serving a similar menu that sits at an interesting intersection between Japanese and Western spirits: original cocktails, hot sake, wine, whisky and more. 

Albatross shares and stirs cocktails with inventive ingredients like cactus, chili pepper and Earl Grey tea, while classic mixes like Negronis and Moscow Mules cater to traditional tastes. 

The space, seats around 30, making it the no-brainer spot for a group night out in Shinjuku. 

Is it hell if this tavern whips out heavenly cocktails? The red-tinged space of Deathmatch in Hell might look like a scene plucked straight from a slasher film — Child Play’s Chucky figurine, bloody knives decapitating a hand and a ghastly Yoda chained to the wall — but it might also look like an early-2000s record store with its stacks of DVDs of cult films and classic horror flicks. 

But don’t let its graphic ambiance fool you. The drink menu, though, is surprisingly straightforward: cocktails are categorized by liquor base, each priced at the devil’s number — ¥666.

Secreted on the ninth floor of Shinjuku highrise is a high-concept, apothecary-style cocktail bar that snatched a spot in The World’s Best 50 Bars. Owner Hiroasu Kayama opened Bar Benfiddich after years of working in Nishi-Azabu’s Amber to channel his fondness for herbal-infused cocktails and traditional elixirs. 

The influence is clear: jars of spices and herbs (plucked from his family farm in Saitama), sprigs of dried wormwood and vintage liquors line the shelves. Hiroasu distills his own absinthe and muddles his own Campari variations to craft his Negroni. 

Beyond the bar, Hiroasu has a green thumb, moonlighting as a farmer who grows yuzu, grapevines, watermelons, hops and 150 juniper trees.

There’s no menu here. Guests may share their favorite spirit, and from there, Kayama and his team create something based on the moment’s inspiration. Be sure to reserve early, though — seating is limited, and the bar only opens when Hiroasu is in town, as he often travels the world, collecting rare flavors to bring back.

Keep the party going with the best bars in Shinjuku’s Golden Gai, or line your stomach with the best eats in the area, including restaurants and sushi spots.

Shinjuku offers an electrifying nightlife experience with bustling main strips like Kabukicho, home to Tokyo's most popular bars and entertainment spots, as well as Shinjuku Nichome, the most popular LGBTQ+ area in Japan. 

Shinjuku does not have as many clubs as Roppongi and Shibuya, but it offers plenty of izakaya (Japanese bars), cocktail and whiskey bars, and karaoke entertainment. 

Popular places to visit in Shinjuku at night include Golden Gai for local bars, Kabukicho for nightlife energy and Omoide Yokocho for nostalgic izakayas.