In Shinjuku, there are restaurants serving Japanese cuisine such as ramen, yakiniku, sushi, shabu-shabu, and izakaya, as well as restaurants where you can enjoy gourmet food from various countries. With so many choices available, many people just can't decide what to eat for lunch or dinner. In recent years, the number of spots with the concept of Japanese festivals, Showa retro spaces, indoor parks, etc. has increased, and you can enjoy not only the food but also the design and atmosphere of the store.
In this article, we will introduce places where various eateries and restaurants gather, the characteristics and atmosphere of the area, and the genre of food by exit from Shinjuku Station.
Two tips to avoid getting lost in Shinjuku! Let's know the features of the exits of Shinjuku station.
If you plan to eat in Shinjuku, we recommend researching in advance which exit of Shinjuku Station the restaurant you want to visit is close to. This is because Shinjuku Station has many train lines, so the station premises are complicated and it is easy to get lost. If you take the wrong exit, it will take you a long way to reach your destination, so be sure to check the exits of Shinjuku Station first. There are two tricks to avoid getting lost in Shinjuku.
List of exits and ticket gates
- Toward east exit: East Gate (B1F), Central East Gate (B1F)
- Toward south exit: South Gate (2F), Southeast Gate (2F), New South Gate (2F), Koshu Kaido Gate (2F), Miraina Tower Gate (2F)
- Toward west exit: West Gate (B1F), Central West Gate (B1F)
💡One trick is to remember which of the 9 ticket gates are for which directions of exit: the east exit, the south exit, or the west exit. That way, you're less likely to take the wrong direction.
💡And the other trick is to know which floor of Shinjuku station the target ticket gate is. As you can see from the list, the Shinjuku station premises have a three-layer structure of B1F, 1F, and 2F. If you remember the exit floor, you don't have to walk around a lot and you can just look at the floor plan or station map.
Below, we will introduce restaurants based on the main exits.
Shinjuku Station - East exit (Central East Gate) gourmet information
There is the Central East Gate on the south side of the Shinjuku Station East Gate, and is about a 3-minute walk from the east exit. There are many shopping malls, department stores, and restaurants in the area, so there are many options when eating. There are fashionable restaurants in shopping malls and department stores, and there are many Japanese-style izakayas in shopping streets and dining areas. We will introduce recommended restaurant areas and facilities near the east exit of Shinjuku Station.
① LUMINE EST Shinjuku
A commercial facility that mainly handles fashion for young women. Because it is a part of the station building, you can visit without leaving the station. Among them, "The PARK SHINJUKU" on the 8th floor, which was renewed in 2019 with the concept of "a changing park", has a vividness that is sure to look good on social media. You can enjoy a wide variety of dishes such as Japanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, ethnic cuisine, sweets, etc. in a free and open space like spending time with friends in a park.
👣Access: About 1 minute walk from the east exit / Immediately from the Central East Gate 🍽Number of restaurants: Approximately 28 stores (7F, 8F)
② Shinjuku East Exit Shopping Street
One of Japan's leading shopping districts where retail stores such as gourmet, fashion, and entertainment gather. Because it is an area visited by a wide range of age groups, you can choose from a wide range of genres, from casual to high-class restaurants, such as ramen, Chinese cuisine, ethnic, Kyoto kaiseki, tempura, and sushi.
👣Access: About 1 minute on foot from the Central East Gate 🍽Number of restaurants: About 104
③ Ryunomiyako Dining Street – Shinjuku East Exit Yokocho
An entertainment restaurant inspired by the city with Ryugu Castle. It is a restaurant district that utilizes the restaurant building near the station, with colorful neon lights, paper lanterns, disco balls, and more, creating a fantastical world. Inside the hotel, you can enjoy local gourmet food from all over Japan, sushi, teppanyaki, Chinese food, Italian food, and more.
👣Access: 1 minute walk from Central East Gate 🍽Number of restaurants: 17
④ Tokyu Kabukicho Tower
Various restaurants are lined up on the 1st to 5th floors of the 225-meter-tall complex, which has 48 floors above ground and 5 floors below ground. On the 2nd floor, "Shinjuku Kabuki Hall - Kabuki Yokocho" has a visual concept of a "Japanese festival" and has 10 stall-style restaurants on a floor of about 1,000 square meters decorated with colorful neon lights. The food genres include local foods from all over Japan, rice bowls, yakitori, gyoza, and more. It is a spot where you can eat in a festive mood.
👣Access: About 7 minutes on foot from the east exit 🍽Number of restaurants: About 10 (2F)
⑤ Kabukicho Red Noren Street
A total of 7 restaurants are located in Noren-gai, which was created by completely renovating 3 traditional Japanese row houses. It is a bar district with red lanterns and a nostalgic Showa era atmosphere combined with a fantastic atmosphere. There are restaurants that offer dishes that match the atmosphere of old folk houses, such as yakitori, beef tongue, and kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), bars that serve colorful sake cocktails, and snacks that give off a unique energy that will entertain you.
👣Access: About 5 minutes on foot from the east exit 🍽Number of restaurants: 7
⑥ Shinjuku Golden Gai
A deep drinking area with a retro atmosphere that originated in the post-war black market. It is also characterized by many small shops with only counter seats. Therefore, in order not to monopolize the narrow store, there are unspoken rules such as not going with a large group and not staying long and should be visiting multiple shops. Many restaurants offer dishes that go well with alcohol, such as yakitori, a la carte dishes, and deep-fried skewers.
👣Access: About 5 minutes on foot from the east exit 🍽Number of restaurants: Over 280
⑦ Isetan Shinjuku store
Directly connected to Shinjuku Sanchome Station, this department store sells products for a wide range of generations, from those in their 20s to middle-aged and seniors. From casual restaurants where you can casually enjoy a meal to long-established restaurants, various generations can enjoy together.
👣Access: About 5 minutes on foot from the east exit 🍽Number of restaurants: 37
⑧ Shinjuku Marui Honkan
A department store that sells fashionable and reasonably priced fashion items mainly for young women. There are casual restaurants where you can casually enjoy delicious food and cafés where you can eat fashionable sweets that look good on social media.
👣Access: About 5 minutes on foot from the east exit 🍽Number of restaurants: About 4
Shinjuku Station - South exit (New South Gate) gourmet information
Exit the South Gate, cross the pedestrian crossing on the Koshu Highway, pass by the Pasta Shinjuku building, and proceed to the Southern Terrace to find the New South Gate. It takes about 3 minutes to walk between these two gates. It is an area dotted with commercial facilities such as shopping malls and department stores, each of which has a variety of restaurant areas. For this area, we will divide our guide into the south exit and the New South Gate.
① LUMINE Shinjuku LUMINE 1 & ② LUMINE Shinjuku LUMINE 2
A commercial facility with popular brands for working women in their 20s and 30s. Because it is part of the station building, you don't need an umbrella even when it rains. There are many cafes, and you can enjoy various cafe menus such as sweets and French toast. In addition, there are well-balanced restaurants such as Chinese, Japanese, Western, and Asian, so it is a facility that you can rely on when you are not sure which restaurant to choose.
👣Access: About 1 minute on foot from south exit 🍽Number of restaurants: (LUMINE1) about 22 stores, (LUMINE2) about 5 stores
③ Shinjuku Mylord
A commercial facility directly connected to Shinjuku Station that mainly deals with fashion for women in their 20s. The restaurant is located on the 7th to 9th floors, and each floor is designed with a different concept.
The 7th floor is full of casual restaurants where friends can gather, and the 8th floor is a floor with a wide variety of shops. The 9th floor is a floor where you can enjoy a slightly more mature atmosphere, such as a restaurant where you can see the night view.
* Operations will be closed by April 2025 for redevelopment
👣Access: Immediately from the south exit 🍽Number of restaurants: About 22 (7F-9F)
④ NEWoMan Shinjuku
A commercial facility directly connected to Shinjuku Station that proposes a lifestyle for women in their 30s and 40s who seek quality products. The restaurant lineup also offers a variety of carefully selected dishes, such as a restaurant where you can enjoy European-style dishes using natural yeast bread and local vegetables that are popular with women, and an oyster bar where you can enjoy carefully selected oysters from all over Japan.
👣Access: Immediately from the New South Gate 🍽Number of restaurants: About 20
④ Shinjuku Takashimaya
A long-established department store directly connected to Shinjuku Station that stocks high-quality products, including first-class domestic brands. Just like the products they handle, there are many high-class restaurants and restaurants. There is a well-balanced selection of restaurants serving a variety of cuisines, including kaiseki cuisine, sushi, sukiyaki, tempura, and other Japanese cuisine, as well as Indian and Chinese cuisine.
👣Access: Approximately 2 minutes on foot from the New South Gate 🍽Number of restaurants: Approximately 33 (12F to 14F)
Shinjuku Station - West exit (Central West Gate) gourmet information
The Central West Gate is located south of the West Gate, and it takes about 3 minutes on foot from the Central West Gate to the West exit. It is an area where an office district with high-rise buildings and a bustling downtown area adjoin each other. In this area, we will introduce the commercial facilities and restaurants around the west exit.
① Omoide Yokocho (Shinjuku West Gate)
A deep bar district with a Showa era retro atmosphere right near the west exit of Shinjuku Station. It is a side street that started from the black market right after the end of the war. Under the control that was put in place to deal with the shortage of goods after the war, beef and pork offal were not subject to the control. Therefore, many shops in this area have started motsuyaki shops. As a remnant of that, even now, more than half of the restaurants are yakitori restaurants or motsuyaki restaurants.
👣Access: about 3 minutes on foot from the west exit 🍽Number of restaurants: about 60
② Shinjuku West Exit Halc (Odakyu Department Store Shinjuku)
The main building of Odakyu Department Store Shinjuku has been reopened in October 2022 after the sales floor has been moved to Shinjuku West Exit Halc. There are high-end Chinese restaurants, high-end yakiniku restaurants, and kaiseki cuisine restaurants on the 8th floor of Shinjuku West Exit Halc, and there are restaurants such as skewers and okonomiyaki on the 3rd basement floor, where you can enjoy a meal in a casual atmosphere.
👣Access: About 5 minutes on foot from the west exit 🍽Number of restaurants: (B3F & MB3F) 10 stores, (8F) 5 stores
③ Keio Department Store Shinjuku
A commercial facility that sells clothing and gourmet foods for a variety of generations, centered on middle-aged to seniors. In the restaurant area on the 8th floor, you can enjoy the taste of famous restaurants such as Kyoto kaiseki, sushi, tempura, pork cutlet, French cuisine, and Chinese cuisine in a calm atmosphere.
👣Access: 1 minute walk from Central West Gate 🍽Number of restaurants: 17
Comments