These are all within 5 minutes on foot from JR Shinjuku Station.
See here for additional things to do in Shinjuku with kids.
800 DEGREES PIZZERIA
If you’re close to the station at lunchtime I recommend 800 Degrees Pizzeria. It’s bright and light and casual and easy. It is manic on the weekend so it’s probably best to be waiting at the door when it opens at 11am for lunch.
It’s possible to choose your own toppings or one of the combinations listed on the menu.
GROUND FLOOR, NEWOMAN DEPARTMENT STORE
5 -24-55 SENDAGAYA, SHIBUYA
渋谷区千駄ヶ谷5-24-55
OPEN: 11am-11pm
800 DEGREES PIZZERIA MENU
NABEZO, SHINJUKU SANCHOME
This is a hot pot place and …oh…my god……it gets busy busy busy!!!
They do take reservations but you’ll need to make sure you’re prompt as they will cancel your booking if you’re more than 1o minutes late.
The staff are so sweet to kids and they have high chairs and everything.
You can choose from a variety of nabe (hot pots) and the most popular are sukiyaki or shabu shabu.
We chose sukiyaki. It was 2400 yen per adult for all you can eat meat and vegetables (from the self-serve buffet) for 100 minutes. My 5 year old’s same meal was 500 yen and my 3 year old was completely free.
I recommend using one of your hot plates for cooking and leaving one without a hot pot at all – and sit the kiddies up that end. Then you don’t need to worry little fingers touching hot cooking equipment or boiling hot pot contents. (You’ll need to request this as the staff will automatically set up a hot pot at each end.)
Two pots could be extra handy though if some of your family need to avoid certain foods.
The menus here are in English (and so are cooking instructions!)
If you love this spot, make sure you check out their website below as they have lots of other branches all over Tokyo.
NABEZO SHINJUKU SANCHOME
新宿 3-30-11 新宿高野第二ビル8F
8F SHINJUKU TAKANO DAINI BUILDING, 3-30-11 SHINJUKU
OPEN FOR LUNCH: 11:30AM-3PM
OPEN FOR DINNER: 5PM-11PM
OPEN ON WEEKENDS 11:30-11PM
WEBSITE
NEW WOMAN FOOD HALL
Directly around the opposite side of the same building as 800 degrees Pizzeria is the Newoman Food Hall – which I only recently discovered. There are so many beautiful eateries inside and (unlike the Food Hall in Ebisu that I found to be so disappointing) it has a range of different types of food and it’s just such a beautiful use of space. In other words – it feels special for grown ups too.
The hall is made up of lots of separate restaurants: an Oyster Bar, High-end Sushi, Butcher & Beer counter, Bakery & Restaurant and a stunning restaurant called “Tavern S” at the back.
The entire hall is open until 4am and is completely non-smoking until 11pm.
Children are welcome anytime before 11pm but the hall is full of officeworkers and hand-holding daters in the evening so lunch just feels a little more appropriate with kids -but that’s your call.
The Tavern on S next to the murals has free wifi.
NEWOMAN FOOD HALL
新宿区新宿4-1-6
4-1-6 SHINJUKU, SHINJUKU
OPEN EVERYDAY 7AM-4AM
DEPARTMENT STORE WEBSITE
KICHIRI MOLLIS
My favourite family friendly restaurant in this area is definitely Kichiri Mollis. I wrote about their Ebisu counterpart in my Ebisu with Kids post too. They are a chain of Japanese fusion izakaya restaurants in Japan and most of them are kid-friendly – especially this one in Shinjuku.
Kichiri has such yummy food and a grown up vibe but it is also good for kids. Even when with small babies,in fact, as staff will organize a seat with a large cushion backing so babies could even get in some “tummy-time” while you eat!
Kichiri is a chain of restaurants so, if you’re a fan, you can keep an eye out for them all over Japan. I would call the food ‘Japanese fusion’. The menu is in English.
The restaurant’s interior is minimal, chic and futuristic. I love it!
I recommend making a booking (especially if there are more than 2 of you.) Please note that tables are only available for 2 hour seatings – and last orders to be placed 30 mins prior to those 2 hours coming to an end.
Once you enter the restaurant, shoes go in a locker and you hang on to your key….
then you’ll be shown to your table….
After you’ve placed your order, your waiter will bring you an “otoshi” which is a tiny appetizer of the day. It’s probably best to think of this as a compulsory “table charge.” (This is standard practice in Japanese Izakaya Pubs)
The menu has so many options and their seasonal specials are also full of table theatrics.
There is also a children’s plate that usually has rice, a hamburger pattie, some vegetables and a small serving of fries.
It looks quite fancy inside but I think it’s pretty reasonable. With drinks and ordering a few dishes each , I’d probably budget for 4000 yen per person? (way less for children, of course) There are also course menu options. There are other Kichiri’s all over Tokyo. For example: Ebisu, Ikebukuro, Ginza & Shibuya.
KICHIRI MOLLIS
新宿3-26-13新宿中村屋ビル6F
6th FLOOR, SHINJUKU NAKAMURAYA BUILDING, 3-26-13 SHINJUKU
OPEN EVERYDAY (EXCEPT AROUND THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY PERIOD)
LUNCH: 11AM-3PM
AFTERNOON TEA: 3PM-5PM
DINNER: 5PM – MIDNIGHT
WEBSITE
THE DANCING CRAB
Another easy dinner option, closer to JR Shinjuku Station, is The Dancing Crab restaurant in Shinjuku. It’s a New Orleans themed seafood restaurant chain that started in Singapore and has branched out into Japan too (Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.) A friend tells me that there are two in Indonesia now as well.
The vibe is similar to “Bubba Gump” or even a bit like “Hard Rock” (and..dare I say it…”Hooters”?)
It’s a non-smoking restaurant (although… to my disappointment ) there is smoking area just outside the entrance which can mean a smokey wait if a table isn’t available straight away (you can leave the premises until your table is ready if you have a contactable phone number to leave with the wait staff.)
All diners are given crab headbands to wear in the restaurants.
Even if one of your family members aren’t completely crazy about seafood there are other options like fries, chicken and ribs.
They roll out a giant plastic table cloth and the food is served right onto the table, designed to share – bibs provided and all.
However, note that if you’re looking for a quiet family dinner this may not be your best option. Lots of pop music and the staff often perform a little dance. It’s good fun, is lovely and clean, has a pretty big menu and free wifi. Cocktails etc for the Mummies & Daddies too. Full menu on their website.
東京都新宿区新宿3-37-12 新宿NOWAビル 2F
2F SHINJUKUNOWA BUILDING, 3-37-12 SHINJUKU
OPEN EVERYDAY, LUNCH 11:30AM-3:30PM, DINNER 5PM-11:30PM (LAST ORDERS AT 10:30PM)
WEBSITE
And if you’re willing to walk for an additional 4 minutes?
For a more substantial Japanese lunch or dinner, I recommend visiting Tempura Shinjuku Tsunahachi (still inside the Takashimaya Department Store) on the 13th floor.
For adults I would expect to pay 2500 yen for lunch and 5000 yen for dinner. They are happy for small children to share with their parents.
The tempura here is prepared Edo-me (Tokyo style) and it is a darker colour than I’ve eaten before. The flavours were amazing.
The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
They also have high chairs.
They do have an English menu.
They also accept credit card.
You can choose from a set menu or you can order each vegetable or meat dish on its own , a la carte style.
This is an example of the seasonal lunch menu – available only in Japanese but you could point and go ( or just choose from a menu option, of course.)
TEMPURA TSUNAHACHI SHINJUKU
千駄ヶ谷5-24-2 タカシマヤ タイムズスクエア13F
13TH FLOOR, TAKASHIMAYA TIMES SQUARE, 5-24-2 SENDAGAYA
OPEN 11AM-11PM
TEMPURA TSUNAHACHI SHINJUKU WEBSITE
