NICKY×TOKYO

MATT SAYS

My favourite cafe in the world, run by a close friend of mine (Yuki). Absolute must see and tell her I sent you 😊 ℹ️ Hours are short now: roughly 9:00–15:00, closed Sun/Mon — make it a morning stop.

MATT SAYS

Absolute must visit, it's an all you can drink sake bar where you pay for the time. Cheapest package is 1500yen for 30 mins. Includes free ice cream! ℹ️ Rebranded from KURAND — now just 'SAKE MARKET Shinjuku' (Shinjuku 3-9-9, 6F), same glorious concept.

MATT SAYS

A relatively cheap ryokan (traditional japanese hotel) with a nice bathtub. Great if you are travelling with someone else

MATT SAYS

Curry chain that's everywhere and super accessible. I eat the vegetable curry there all the time.

MATT SAYS

⚠️ Heads up: the old Shin-Okubo branch is CLOSED — Gotanda is the only location now. If Hitomi is there, tell her I said hi! It's spicy af, so if you are faint-hearted, perhaps miss this 😂

MATT SAYS

My favourite Shoyu ramen, with homemade noodles. Very cool staff and very cheap!

MATT SAYS

Incredible Nepalese food with unlimited naan refills. Sooooo goooood

MATT SAYS

A really aesthetic modern cafe with very cool vibes. It also has a kotatsu, which is a japanese table with a heated blanket

MATT SAYS

An iconic izakaya chain, great for groups because they they have large capacities and tablet-based ordering

MATT SAYS

Two venues: Borderless (Azabudai Hills) and Planets (Toyosu). Planets is slated to close at the end of 2027, so it's now or never.

MATT SAYS

THE FamilyMart on Shibuya Center-gai where every foreigner in Tokyo ends up at 2am. Great for meeting people on a night out — grab a chu-hai and join the street drinking.

MATT SAYS

The restaurant from Kill Bill. Great for insta pics and if you don't buy drinks, it's not too expensive

MATT SAYS

The best place to get affordable sushi in Tokyo. It's standing only though and usually busy. ℹ️ Head to the Uogashi Nihon-ichi Dogenzaka branch — the Center-gai one closed.

MATT SAYS

A very cool cafe with locals only. Cozy af with cool staff.

MATT SAYS

ℹ️ Relocated in 2023 — now near Edogawabashi/Kagurazaka (Suido-cho 2-3, Shinjuku-ku), not the old spot. Make sure Maps takes you to the new one.

MATT SAYS

ℹ️ Ignore any 'permanently closed' listings online — that's a different Flora. This one (Kuramae, near Asakusa) is alive and well. Use the map link on this card.

MATT SAYS

Excellent and photogenic — and open late too, which is convenient.

MATT SAYS

24/7 gaming cafe, a haven for when you life has you down. Current location is Shin-Okubo (Hyakunincho 2-10-1) — check esportscafe.co.jp.

MATT SAYS

Great, thick Tsukemen with very generous sizes. A cool kitchen area too.

MATT SAYS

A chain of music practice rooms, with hourly rental rates. Basically the musicians equivalent of karaoke, except it's much better value. Drums, piano, guitar, bass and DJing available

MATT SAYS

If you're into bands rather than DJs. Shimo is a hipster district with a strong live music scene — and Japan generally loves shoegaze.

MATT SAYS

The Asakusa branch has vegan ramen which I eat very, very often. Pro move: order rice as well and dump it in the broth at the end. So good.

MATT SAYS

They'll let you jam with the band! Can be dead depending on the night though — only really recommend if you actually wanna jam. It's in Meguro.

MATT SAYS

Nightly jam sessions in Takadanobaba — and Baba is great for bar hopping in general, make a night of it.

MATT SAYS

My default place to stay. Two buildings right across the road from each other: Nomadshare (the better one, geared to longer stays) and Nomad Hostel Classic (shorter stays, still good). Booking directly is cheaper — sometimes I use Airbnb for convenience. Great community, near Asakusa.

MATT SAYS

Hostel & bar lounge in Kuramae — the gorgeous ground-floor bar is open to everyone, so it's worth a visit even if you're not staying.

MATT SAYS

A foreigner bar that's great for meeting strangers. Not my favourite but my friends love it 😅

MATT SAYS

The best techno club in Tokyo with high profile acts. Can get expensive tho

MATT SAYS

A good option for a night out in Shinjuku. Very standard EDM sets, but good production quality

MATT SAYS

The most reliable and generic club in Shibuya. When in doubt, go to Atom

MATT SAYS

A cheaper version of Atom, with re-entry and cheap (occasionally free) drinks. Crowd is often younger, as it's the go-to for students

MATT SAYS

A cool club in Shibuya with a nice rooftop area, less commercial but can be pricey

MATT SAYS

Relatively sophisticated rooftop bar, with frequent events. Nice for photo-ops

MATT SAYS

Beautiful interior, high-profile acts... but a normie crowd and fairly shit vibe in my experience. In Shinjuku (Kabukicho Tower). See for yourself.

MATT SAYS

The best hostel to stay in if you wanna get annihilated with gaijin.