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Shinjuku Hidden Izakaya Night: All-You-Can-Drink & Local Food

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Free cancellation

1/22

Duration3h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two Izakayas, Unlimited Drinks, Zero Tourist Crowds in Shinjuku

You visit two working izakayas in Shinjuku that locals actually use, with a Japanese guide who knows the owners. All food and drinks—sake, shochu, sashimi, grilled meat, whatever the kitchen makes—are included. You walk through Memory Lane, Kabukicho, and hidden streets, see the Godzilla Head, and end near Golden Gai if you want more. Groups stay under ten, and the guide books early because the taverns fill up fast.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Memory Lane restaurant alleys
Walk through Kabukicho red district
Visit first hidden Izakaya tavern
See Godzilla street and show
Walk hidden historical street
Visit second hidden Izakaya tavern
Optional visit to Golden Gai bars

The Experience

You step off the train into Shinjuku and the neon hits you all at once—but your guide is already moving past the obvious spots. Memory Lane first, that 70-year-old alley where salarymen still crowd the counters, then deeper into the backstreets where the real Shinjuku lives. The first hidden izakaya isn't marked on any map. You walk in and the owner nods like they've been expecting you. Drinks start flowing—puffer fish fin sake, snake sake, fifty types of shochu—and the kitchen sends out what they're making that night: sashimi plates, fresh wasabi sushi, tofu sashimi, deep-fried seaweed, pork steak. You're not ordering from a menu. You're eating what the chef recommends, and it keeps coming.

After the first tavern, you move through Kabukicho and past the Godzilla Head on Godzilla Street, then into another hidden izakaya where the owner actually talks to you and the other locals at the bar don't treat you like you're lost. All drinks are included here too—you're not watching the bill climb. The guide translates when it matters, steps back when it doesn't. By the time you're done, you've seen two neighborhoods most visitors never find and eaten and drunk more than you would have ordered alone. If you still have energy, Golden Gai is nearby—over 300 tiny bars crammed into a few blocks—and the guide can point you toward one more if you want.

The tour runs with groups of up to ten people, which means it stays small enough that the taverns actually have space for you. Book early though: these places are packed with locals every night, and the guide closes the tour the moment a restaurant fills up, regardless of what the calendar says online. It's not a scheduling quirk—it's how they keep the experience real. You're not squeezing into a tour-group reservation; you're fitting into a place that was already full of people who live there.

What’s included

Your night includes entry to two hidden izakayas, all drinks (sake, shochu, and more) at both stops, a welcome drink at the start, and local dishes prepared by the chefs—sashimi, sushi, tofu, seaweed, pork steak, and whatever else they're making that evening.
You also get a Japanese local guide who walks you through Memory Lane, Kabukicho, Godzilla Street, and other neighborhoods, plus the option to visit Golden Gai afterward if you want.
Hidden souvenirs and photos from the tour are included.
Groups stay under ten people.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by OMOIDE JOURNEY JAPAN

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to eat and drink in real Shinjuku izakayas without arranging restaurants, negotiating bills, or wondering if you're in a tourist trap—the guide handles the access and the all-you-can-drink format means you can order freely. Reserve early: the taverns fill with locals every night, and the tour closes when they're full.