In association with Red Bull Music Festival Tokyo
Taking place from October 22 to November 17, Red Bull’s month-long music festival hits Shibuya with a jam-packed programme of gigs, parties and open-air events. These will include live shows at Tower Records, a ‘club crawl’ and collaborative shows run by Montreal-based electronic music festival Mutek. To help you through the month while making the most of the festival, we've rounded up 20 of our favourite cafés, restaurants and bars in Shibuya – all of which have Red Bull on the menu.
Few Tokyo barbecue joints can match the authenticity of this Texan-style smokehouse, where huge slabs of meat are smoked for more than ten hours in a wood-fired, custom-made pit. The method makes even chewy briskets (beef shoulder ribs) melt-in-your-mouth soft, while pork ribs get a juicy finish...
A funky bar nestled away in bustling Maruyamacho, El Calvador is run by the jovial Mr Watanabe, who honed his skills over many years at the Keio Plaza Hotel and has also competed successfully in cocktail and flair bartending tournaments. He works his magic with medicinal herbs, fruit and some even more exotic ingredients...
Missed your last train? Found on Shibuya's Centre Gai, this café is ideal for chilling until the morning, since it conveniently stays open till 5am. There's quite a variety to choose from on the menu, from pizza and pasta to cheesecakes and chocolate gateaux, while the drink selection ranges from espresso, ginger ale and beer...
The Kitsuné brand has fingers in several pies – fashion, music, coffee and more. Their own restaurant has also been operating for more than 13 years now, so a little shake-up seems to have been in order: Shibuya's Dining & Bar Kitsune re-opened after renovations in 2014, offering French-Japanese fusion sushi...
Tokyo-born DJ and producer Sarasa decided to open a Mexican restaurant in Shibuya and name it after herself. The interior is composed of furniture and paraphernalia she picked up in Mexico, and exudes a strong at-home feel. Food-wise, the menu goes from street-style, gluten-free corn tortilla tacos and elote...
The chandelier decorating the ceiling of the bar gives it away: this darts joint in Ebisu isn’t afraid to go overboard in the decor department. With a spacious game floor and a wide variety of private rooms – from basic to luxurious – available for booking, Decibel makes for a fun party spot...
A dating ‘lounge’ where you’re encouraged to meet fellow singles in luxurious surrounds, Eve has a ¥500 cover charge, a lengthy drink list and a French-Italian food menu. Women drink for free while men pay by the time spent sipping – charges tick up every ten minutes, with the prices varying by day...
The Hub pub chain has become increasingly ubiquitous over the past five years and now boasts over 30 locations in Japan. It offers much what you'd expect of this sort of franchise: a reasonably accurate approximation of a British pub – nothing more, nothing less – and the usual staples including fish and chips...
Lurking in an alley near Tokyu Hands, this Turkish-inspired café comes complete with terrace seating. Most patrons order the blend coffee and some shisha, while alcohol is available in the evening...
Planning a party? Book this casual, ‘antique-style’ French eatery, equipped with large screens, projectors and private rooms. Their FOYT (‘finish on your table’) desserts, which see your entire table decorated with sweet treats, are particularly popular...
We won’t lie, it does feel a bit odd patting a goat’s head in the middle of Shibuya. It’s the kind of thing you’d imagine doing out on a farm somewhere, as opposed to in between sips of a café latte while cars whizz by. But Sakura and Chocolat, the resident goats at Sakuragaoka café – aka ‘Shibuyagi’ (‘Shibuya’s goats’) – seem happy enough with their lot...
Instantly recognisable by its blue exterior, this bare-bones spot sits underneath the Yamanote line tracks right by the Shibuya crossing that gave it its name. The food isn't anything special, but the long opening hours (until 5am on Fridays and Saturdays) and relatively comfy atmosphere at night...
Part of a nationwide chain of game complexes, Dogenzaka’s Bagus lets you try your hand at darts, miniature golf, billiards, table tennis and more. With reasonably priced drinks and single games offered, it’s also a nice spot for stopping by after work, while the private rooms can be rented out for parties...
As the name gives away, this café right by Laforet Harajuku is packed with elements drawn from all things kawaii. With interiors done by Harajuku heavy-hitter Sebastian Masuda, it's a fantastic merry-go-round of super-cute elements, and offers four types of appropriately OTT seating in areas...
A standing bar located in the heart of Shibuya, Tasuichi offers an array of food and drinks at budget-friendly prices, with draft beer a mere ¥300. This is a good place to watch live sports events in a lively atmosphere, as they have several TVs set up around the room...
Eclectic doesn’t even begin to describe this Dogenzaka izakaya, on the menu of which Okinawan bar snacks rub shoulders with Mexican eats. Don’t miss out on the shrimp mayonnaise or ‘jerk reggae chicken’. Ideal as a cheap pre-funking spot, Maruhachi offers a plentiful selection of shochu and awamori...
A ‘party bar’ where you can play darts, card games and board games, Bee is the ideal spot for after-parties with larger groups, but also works if you’re just going with a couple of friends. Apart from the regular tables and stools, they have sofa booths for up to 13 people as well as karaoke rooms. The cover charge-free happy hour runs until 9pm...
Opened last year in the space vacated by Air, Daikanyama club Sankeys got a nice boost in business later in spring 2016, when this New York-born Cuban eatery set up shop in the same building. Pre-funking partiers can chow down on extra-messy but oh-so-delicious Mexican-style grilled corn cobs and hearty Cuban sandwiches...
Tired after a bout of bowling? Drop into this comfy café next to Shibuya Bowling in the EST building for bar snacks, desserts and cheap drinks. A particularly popular option is the Fluffy Snow Ice (¥400), which sees mango pulp and thick mango sauce poured over fluffy, milky shaved ice...
Conveniently located in the heart of Shibuya, this sports bar and restaurant is a great place to watch football, as well as everything from darts to golf (both of which can also be tried on the spot). With several big screens and TVs in practically every corner, you won't be missing any of the action here...
Discover Time Out original video
