How to Order a Drink in Tokyo: Shinjuku Bar Guide
How to order a drink in Tokyo like a local: the phrases, the cover charges and what to order, with three Shinjuku bars rated by Tabelog.
Learning how to order a drink in Tokyo takes about four phrases and one surprise on the bill. Start with toriaezu nama (draft beer for now), expect a small cover charge, and watch the last-order time. Below are three Shinjuku bars where you can practice, from a basement izakaya to a cocktail bar with no menu and almost no light. Tabelog ratings are as of October 2026.
How to order a drink in Tokyo, step by step
Start with beer. At an izakaya (Japanese tavern), most people open with draft beer, and the phrase for it is toriaezu nama, "draft beer for now." Say it, then say kanpai (cheers) when the glasses land.
Expect a charge. Many izakaya bring a small dish you never ordered, called otoshi, which works as a table charge. Japan Kuru puts it at roughly ¥500–¥700. Bars have their own versions: Tabelog lists it under "Service charge & fee," and the three places below charge ¥550, ¥660 plus 10% service, and ¥1,000 per person.
Check last order. Kitchens and bars stop taking orders before closing. At Kanae below, the last food order is 22:30 and the last drink order is 23:00.
Don't tip, and carry your passport. Tipping bar staff isn't expected, according to Nightlife Tokyo. The legal drinking age is 20, and tourist areas tend to check ID more often.
What to order in a Tokyo bar
Draft beer (nama). The default first round. A Tabelog reviewer at Kanae paid ¥770 for a Kirin lager draft.
Highball. Whisky and soda, served in a tall glass. Reviewers at Eagle (below) ordered Yamazaki 12 Year Old with soda and a Kaku highball.
Sake (nihonshu). Order it by the tokkuri (carafe). Hot sake is atsukan and cold is hiya, as MATCHA explains. A good way to order is to name one preference (dry, fruity), then confirm the temperature and the volume and price, a method Real Japan Guide lays out. One Kanae reviewer paid ¥1,070 for a seasonal hiyagoroshi sake.
Cocktails by mood. At a serious bar, skip the menu hunt. A Caruso reviewer asked the bartender for something refreshing and got a lime cocktail.
Where to try it in Shinjuku
These three were chosen from Tabelog's Shinjuku bar and izakaya results for rating, review volume and a different ordering style each. For more of the area, see our guide to Shinjuku hideaway restaurants.
1. Kanae (鼎), the izakaya for beer then sake
Kanae is a basement izakaya in Shinjuku-sanchome with a Tabelog 100 Izakaya selection (2021). The menu leans toward seafood, and reviewers mention three-type sashimi, Yamagata pork kakuni (braised pork), scallop gratin and a matsutake steamed in a teapot. This is the place to practice how to order a drink in Tokyo the classic way: a draft first, then sake. One group of reviewers ended up with a 720 ml carafe and a lot of laughing.
Book ahead if you can, since popular slots fill. A reviewer who walked in at 16:00 without a booking noted a stay limit until 18:00. The budget band is Tabelog's; reviewers actually paid ¥5,000–¥14,999 per person. The cover charge is ¥550.
Tabelog: 3.57 (1,214 reviews) · Budget: ¥6,000–¥7,999 dinner · Pay: cash, card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners), PayPay; no e-money · Reservations: accepted · Seats: 60, non-smoking · Closed: Sundays (Mondays if Sunday is a holiday) · Getting there: 3 min walk from Shinjuku-sanchome Station
2. Eagle (イーグル), the old-school bar for a highball
Eagle says it has been open since 1967. You walk down to an underground room with a counter, pizza, fish and chips and canapés, and a Tabelog 100 Bar selection (2022). For how to order a drink in Tokyo with whisky, name the bottle and then say how you want it: two reviewers tried a run of Japanese whiskies including Hakushu and Yamazaki, asking for soda, on the rocks, and half and half.
A reviewer reported a happy hour with ¥500 drinks until 19:00, and another got it by booking for opening time. Confirm that before you plan around it. Charges are ¥660 plus 10% service, so the bill rises faster than the menu suggests. Reviewers paid anywhere from ¥2,000 to ¥19,999.
Tabelog: 3.73 (1,047 reviews) · Budget: ¥5,000–¥5,999 dinner · Pay: cash, card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners), PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY; no e-money · Reservations: accepted (seat-only bookings until 19:00) · Seats: 50, non-smoking · Closed: irregular, check ahead · Getting there: about 2 min walk from Shinjuku Station, east exit
3. Caruso (カルーソー), the dark cocktail bar with no menu
Caruso opened in 2004 and is also a Tabelog 100 Bar (2022). Reviewers describe a room so dark you can't see anything at first, with opera or Gregorian chant playing. There are 10 seats, six at the counter, and no reservations.
Tell the bartender what you like and let him choose. Reviewers mention rum drinks (rum and tonic, daiquiri), seasonal fruit cocktails and smoky Islay whisky poured in stages. One reviewer paid ¥6,000 for three drinks. Smoking is allowed, and the Tabelog page flags it as a cigar bar, so non-smokers should expect smoke. There's a ¥1,000 per person charge and no elevator.
Tabelog: 3.71 (191 reviews) · Budget: ¥5,000–¥5,999 dinner · Pay: cash, card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners); no QR or e-money · Reservations: not taken · Seats: 10 · Closed: Sundays · Getting there: about 170 m from Shinjuku-sanchome Station
Quick recap: how to order a drink in Tokyo
Say toriaezu nama first, then move to a highball, sake or a bartender's pick. Carry a card at all three bars: none accepts e-money like Suica, and Caruso takes no QR payments. Order food as well as drinks at Kanae and Eagle, since the charges add up fast. Go early to Caruso, as it takes no reservations.
Find more
Search the TabeDog map to filter Shinjuku bars by payment method and hours, or browse Tokyo izakaya and the izakaya guide. Once you know how to order a drink in Tokyo, the map shows which bars take your card.
