SHINJUKU GYOEN NATIONAL GARDEN WITH KIDS

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Please note that you will need a reservation to attend Shinjuku Gyoen during cherry blossom season.

See here for all of my Shinjuku with kids tips and favourite spots.

Entry is 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for kids.

I recommend spending the morning or afternoon at Shinjuku Gyoen.
It’s a lovely open green space – and according to the season it is also sometimes orange and red and brown and other times – PINK!

There is no play equipment but there a lovely open park, a Japanese garden with a teahouse, a French formal garden and an English landscape garden too.  Sport equipment and alcohol not allowed.
I’ve included more details, pictures and tips in my Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden blog post here.

If you go a little later in the morning , why not go to the basement floor of Takashimaya to the food hall, fill up a basket with an obento, tempura, gyoza and salads and have a picnic in the park?  Park entrance is 500 yen (even less for seniors and children.)
Please note that you will need a reservation to attend Shinjuku Gyoen during cherry blossom season.

Also, I recommend checking out the Shinjuku Gyoen Starbucks .   It offers a beautiful view of the park and all interior design choices have been created to blend with the park beautifully.  There is indoor and outdoor seating available.  This Starbucks also offers free wifi.
There are great spots under the trees – perfect for a little break for young families.
Please watch toddlers and babies closely around the stairs and gaps between some of the transparent walls in the area- fine for the safety of adults but please hold little hands tight.

SHINJUKU GYOEN NATIONAL PARK
11 NAITOMACHI, SHINJUKU
新宿区内藤町11
OPEN: 9AM-4PM
(CLOSED MONDAYS & SOME OTHER RANDOM DAYS SO CHECK WEBSITE FIRST)

Extra Tip: If you’re looking for an amazing thick, gourmet to eat in or after the park – I recommend a sandwich shop called “&Sandwich.”
It is located just 2 mins walk from the Shinjuku Gyoen Park entrance.  They have a dining area with seats for 16 people.
They are open nice and early in the morning too – from 9am on weekdays and 8:30am on weekends.
They have a couple of vegetarian and vegan options too.  See here for the “&Sandwich” website and images of their beautiful sandwiches.
This cafe accepts most major credit cards and is a non-smoking establishment.
&SANDWICH
新宿区新宿1-5-7 スキラ御苑 1F
GROUND FLOOR, SKIRA GYOEN BUILDING, 1-5-7 SHINJUKU, SHINJUKU
OPEN WEEKDAYS 9AM-6PM (LAST ORDERS AT 5PM)
OPEN WEEKENDS 8:30AM-6PM (LAST ORDERS AT 5PM)


Another great lunch or dinner option for families near Shinjuku Goen is Cafe La Boheme. This is actually a chain for restaurants but this one is particularly beautiful as it has high ceilings and looks onto so much greenery.  The food served here is casual Italian.    For an extra 200 yen you can also change any of the pasta dishes for gluten free pasta at Cafe La Boheme in Shinjuku. 
If you are coming by train, it is 5 mins from Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station via Exit 2.  It is also 12 mins walk  from the free children’s Fire Museum and 11 mins walk from the Tokyo Toy Museum. 
It is best to make a reservation. Although it’s only a couple of options each – there are vegetarian and vegan items on their menu too ( their vegan quinoa and kale salad is so good and they also have some vegan pasta dishes.) 
At lunch time I would budget for 2000 yen per adult and 4000 yen for dinner.  You can see the entire Cafe La Boheme menu here. 
Please note that at dinner time, there is a 800 yen service charge per person.  This restaurant does accept most major credit cards – and are a cashless restaurant. 
If everyone is tired, these guys are also on ubereats.

CAFE LA BOHEME, SHINJUKU GYOENMAE
新宿区新宿1-1-7コスモ新宿ビル
COSMOS SHINJUKU BUILDING, 1-1-7 SHINJUKU, SHINJUKU
OPEN WEEKDAYS  11:30AM-11PM (LUNCH MENU IS AVAILABLE UNTIL 2PM & BETWEEN 2-5PM THERE IS A PASTA SET AVAILABLE UNTIL THE DINNER MENU KICKS IN)
OPEN WEEKENDS 11AM-11PM (LUNCH MENU IS AVAILABLE UNTIL 2PM & BETWEEN 2-5PM THERE IS A PASTA SET AVAILABLE UNTIL THE DINNER MENU KICKS IN)

See here for all of my Shinjuku with kids tips and favourite spots.

A 6 min walk from Shinjuku Gyoen
High-End Kobe Beef and Wagyu Yakiniku
Yakiniku Washino Shinjuku are the most incredible high end yakiniku restaurant. Let them know when you make the reservation if you’re gluten-free as they can accommodate accordingly.  This is a wonderful place to try wagyu and Kobe beef.  They sell meat as yakiniku or steak.  See visual examples of their menu items on the Yakiniku Washino Shinjuku’s instagram here.  This restaurant welcomes children in their private tatami rooms (no additional charge, it’s just your own space so you needn’t worry about kids sitting completely still or being really quiet. Since it’s tatami, that means that babies can even do tummy time or nap while you’re eating dinner.) They also have space to store strollers while you dine. They have an English menu. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.  Make a reservation for Yakiniku Washino Shinjuku via tablecheck here. 
They accept most major credit cards.  Please note that this is definitely a special occasion type meal so please budget for approx 17,000 yen per adult for a meal here.
This restaurant is 1 min walk from Exit C6 of Shinjuku Sanchome Station or 12 mins walk from the East Exit of Shinjuku Station.
YAKINIKU WASHINO SHINJUKU HONTEN
新宿区新宿3-11-11ダイアン新宿ビル4F
4F DIANE SHINJUKU BUILDING, 3-11-11 SHINJUKU, SHINJUKU-KU
OPEN 5PM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10PM)

A 10 min walk from Shinjuku Gyoen
Izakaya chain restaurant Doma Doma, Shinjuku Higashiguchi branch
This casual izakaya welcomes families. The menu is cheap and cheerful. There is no-smoking in the restaurant – although they do have a dedicated enclosed smoking booth. This restaurant is on the 5th floor. Budget between 2000-3000 yen per adult at dinner time here. See some of the Doma Doma menu items here. For kids who aren’t adventurous eaters – they can easily order the edamame, the caesar salad, fries, “fish’n’chips”, mini corn dogs, onion rings, chicken garlic fried rice, mini margherita pizza breads etc.
There is a small extra charge per person here – and in exchange you will be given an otoshi appetizer (if you don’t want to eat it – don’t hand it back – just leave it on the table. The service charge remains though – it’s part of dining at an izakaya.)

DOMA DOMA, SHINJUKU HIGASHIGUCHI (EAST EXIT)
新宿区新宿3-20-5 新宿ニューサンパーク 5F
OPEN WEEKDAYS: 5PM-11PM (OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAYS)
OPEN WEEKENDS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: 3PM-11:30PM
CLOSED DEC 31-JAN 3

A 10 min walk from Shinjuku Gyoen
Momo Paradise Shinjuku Meiji Dori
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 10 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, at the time, 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.

MOMO PARADISE SHINJUKU MEIJI DORI
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

WHERE TO BUY DIAPERS / NAPPIES NEAR SHINJUKU GYOEN?
Tomod’s Shinjuku 2-Chome drugstore is 3 mins walk from Shinjuku San-Chome Station or 7 mins walk from Shinjuku Station.
It is open weekdays 8:30am-10pm, Saturdays 9am-8pm & Sundays 10am-8pm.

*See here for more places in Tokyo to buy diapers / nappies.