Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro offers apartments with 2 rooms AND 2 bathrooms (Ikebukuro is also on the JR Yamanote city loop line so is super convenient for getting around Tokyo quickly.)
It’s so lovely to have the space to have one kid chilling on the bed (or asleep) and another colouring at the table or in the bath – while I still have space to sit with a cup of tea and plan for the next day. Mimaru’s are so much more than “just a place to sleep.”
There is space for kids to play, for adults to take a bath with actually privacy, use a Japanese style toilet, and also cook a light meal.
This blog post contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you book a hotel or make a purchase using one of my links – at no additional charge to you.
See here for things to do as a family in the Ikebukuro area. Ikebukuro is on the Yamanote line so it is very easy to get around Tokyo from here.
See here for my Tokyo accommodation recommendations for families of 5 or more.
I speak more about the benefits of staying at an apartment style hotel like Mimaru here.
Mimaru Ikebukuro have a front desk with English speaking staff. They are also happy to help you send and receive luggage AND can store your luggage for you (500 yen per day for days that are not over your staying period.)
Having a kitchenette is such a game changer for families. Particularly for families with children who really thrive with a routine, are picky eaters and also for neurodiverse households travelling in Japan.
There is an in-house coin laundry at Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro – so helpful for families. And an English speaking front desk. This hotel are happy to help you will sending and receiving forwarded luggage.
On top of the normal luggage forwarding takyubin service – Mimaru offers a separate luggage forwarding service (only for to or from Mimaru properties). It’s a clever business move by the company – 1) because many international visitors think that same-day service is important 2) because it is only available to or from Mimaru properties (so it keeps guests stay at Mimaru.)
It’s a nice option – for me, the more affordable standard takyubin option is more than adequate and is very reliable.
Book Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro here.
Which convenience stores are near Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro?
There are two Family Marts less than 2 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro.
If you’re looking at other Mimaru properties – you may also like my big write up here on Mimaru Hatchobori (near Ginza, Tokyo Station and also easy access to Odaiba and Tokyo Disney.)
Drugstores near Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro
Drug Seims Ikebukuro is 6 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro
It is open 24 hours a day (although the pharmacy section is open 10am-9pm or 10am-6pm on weekends.) This drugstore stocks some nappies and baby food. They accept most major credit cards.
Welcia Ikebukuro is 9 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro.
This drugstore is also on ubereats so you can have products delivered to the hotel directly (see here for info on nappy/diaper sizes if you’re having nappies delivered.) It is open 8am-11pm daily (pharmacy section open from 9am-9pm.). They accept most major credit cards.
Where to buy nappies/diapers near Mimaru Ikebukuro?
The closest place is Welcia Drug Store just 6 mins walk away (see above.)
For a bigger range or nappies and baby food is Toys R Us and Babies R Us at shopping complex, Sunshine City. This is 7 mins (approx 1200 yen) by taxi from Mimaru Ikebukuro. See here for my guide for which diapers/nappies I recommend in Japan.
If you don’t feel like having toast or making breakfast at the hotel (making use of the kitchenette) I recommend these breakfast spots near Mimaru Ikebukuro
BREAKFAST IN IKEBUKURO
If you don’t feel like having toast or making breakfast at the hotel (making use of the kitchenette) I recommend these breakfast spots near Mimaru Ikebukuro
Komeda’s Coffee has the most reasonably priced western style breakfast in the area, in my opinion. It’s a lovely blend of western style breakfast and a Japanese version of western-style breakfast.
Breakfast is served from 7am-11am. It is a simple breakfast plate with bread and jam (or just butter) a hard boiled egg and a small salad and around 600 yen. See pictures of the Komeda’s Coffee breakfast menu here.
They are also a fabulous kid-friendly option for lunch and dinner.
They accept most major credit cards. They are a walk-in only spot. See pictures of the Komeda’s Coffee kids plate here. All meals (adults and kids) are under 1000 yen.
My kids also love the desserts here.
The food menu here is mostly fried chicken, pasta, frankfurter sausages, burgers and pasta.
KOMEDA COFFEE, NISHI-GUCHI (WEST EXIT) STORE
1-24-1 NISHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
7AM-11PM
There is another Komeda Coffee in Higashi (East) Ikebukuro too. This one is 16 mins walk form Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro. They have a change table in their toilets.
OR
If you’re looking to start the day with a western-style breakfast, I recommend heading to Denny’s. Denny’s Ikebukuro Honcho is 9 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro. Open 7am-Midnight. This branch is entirely non-smoking.
Denny’s Japan (note, not the same as Denny’s in the US.)
They have a low (common) allergens menu. There is a change table in the toilets here. No bookings. Walk-in only. They accept most major credit cards. For those with allergies and special dietary requirements in Japan, I recommend using a tool called tabemasen in order to make our a printable allergen card to carry with you.
See the full Denny’s Japan menu here. Please note, if you are vegan, that Denny’s in Japan do have a zero meat hamburger steak (like a vegan rissole – for the fellow aussies.)
*There are another 2 Denny’s branches just 12 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro.
This is us ordering on the Denny’s ipad at our table. See here for more (and less random) suggestions when craving vegetables in Japan.
If you are looking for a McDonald’s breakfast in Ikebukuro, I recommend walking for 6 mins to McDonald’s Ikebukuro Nishiguchi West Gate (open 24 hours a day – and breakfast menu begins at 5am) or 12 mins walk to the McDonald’s Ikebukuro Higashi Guchi East Gate store (also open 24 hours a day- and breakfast menu begins at 5am) or 11 mins walk to McDonald’s Ikebukuro Labi Mae Store (also open 24 hours a day- and breakfast menu begins at 5am). See the McDonald’s Japan breakfast menu here.
If you suddenly realize that you haven’t packed for the correct season or need to top up on your own wardrobe there are is a Uniqlo store that I’ve found is open from 8:30am – on weekdays and weekends.
The first it the Uniqlo the Ikebukuro Station (Central Exit) Uniqlo which is open from 8:30am. This store only sell adult-sized clothing. This store is 9 mins walk from Ikebukuro Station. *My friends from America tell me that Uniqlo in Japan is pretty much 50% cheaper than the US.
UNIQLO IKEBUKURO STATION CENTRAL GATE STORE
豊島区南池袋1-28-2 JR池袋駅構内 JR池袋駅地下1階
BASEMENT FLOOR OF JR IKEBUKURO STATION, 1-28-2 MINAMI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA
OPEN EVERYDAY 8:30AM-10PM
Morning/indoor suggestion for families near Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro
Go to the 6th floor of the Labi Department Store. The whole floor is a toy shop and the whole middle of the store is laid out with toys for kids to try. They will LOVE it here!!!! Open 10am-10pm
It is 1 min walk from Ikebukuro Station. 10 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro.
There are also lots of kid-friendly restaurants on the 7th floor (warning – busy on weekends!)
Sunshine City is a massive Shopping Complex above and around Ikebukuro Station. There is a big Toys R Us here (lots of unique to Japan toys as well as nappies and baby food.)
If your kids are into the Japanese comic “One Piece” then they might want to check out the “One Piece Mugiwara Store” which is on the 2nd floor of Sunshine City Shopping Complex. Open 10am-8pm.
Sunshine City also contains a Ghibli gift shop.
Sunshine City has a giant Pokemon section, store and the Pikachu Sweets by Pokemon cafe (bookings required but the food is that not good anyway and little kids will like just the shop and models all over the area instead anyway.)
They also have the largest Gachapon Centre in Japan.
There is also a Sanrio Cafe inside Sunshine City.
The Sunshine City Aquarium is in the same building.
Lunch & Dinner restaurant recommendations for families near Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro
This is a very very casual spot but I also know many people who love it – especially if you are gluten free. It is a chain restaurant called Ikinari Steak (which translates to “and suddenly there was …steak!”)
Like I said – it’s very casual but also kid-friendly. This branch of Ikinari Steak is just 3 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro.
There is another Ikinari Steak in Ikebukuro – closer to the station. They accept most major credit cards here and are also on ubereats. They have high chairs here. You can see pictures of the full Ikinaru Steak menu for this branch here. I recommend budgeting 1500-2000 yen per person (adult) to eat a meal here. Many gluten free diners like this restaurant as it’s quite easy to ask for steak and rice without any sauces.
IKINARI STEAK, IKEBUKURO NISHIGUCHI
豊島区池袋2-40-13 池袋デュープレックスビズ
IKEBUKURO DUPLEZ BIZ BUILDING, 2-40-13 IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM (THERE IS A LUNCH SET MENU ON WEEKDAYS ONLY FROM 11AM-3PM)
Just 1 min walk from the Seibu South Exit of Ikebukuro Station or 11 mins walk from Mimaru Ikebukuro is a department store called Lumine (there is another in Shinjuku that you may have already seen.) They sell clothing and accessories but also have a restaurant floor. On that floor you’ll find many family-friendly restaurants.
I, in particular, like Kobe Motomachi Doria. As you can guess from the name, it’s brand from Kobe – specializes in Yoshoku (which is retro Japanified “western” dining options. These include hamburger steaks on hot plates, omurice and doria. Doria, if you’re not familiar, kind of looks like a shallow lasagna but is a bit more like a rice casserole. The bottom layer is rice and then another layer of protein such as meat or shrimp etc and veg and then the top layer is bechamel sauce and cheese. It’s really really yummy. Comfort food, for sure. Although Japanese people don’t call this “Japanese food” – I sure do. It often appears on the weekly dinner menu in the homes of Japanese people too.
This restaurant is on the 8th floor of Lumine. It is a walk-in only restaurant (no reservations.). The restaurant sits 60 people though so I would just wait if the restaurant is full. I would budget approx 2000 yen for an adult meal here. You can see pictures of the full Kobe Motomachi Doria Ikebukuro menu here.
They accept most major credit cards. Children are most welcome here. There is a kids menu – see pictures of the options here. They are so cute. Kids meals are for children 10 years old and younger. Each meal comes with either orange or apple juice.
They are also on Uber Eats. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
The menu is also displayed as wax models outside the shop so it’s super easy to see what you’ll be getting (and point at them to order.)
The full allergen menu list for Kobe Motomatchi Doria is here.
KOBE MOTOMACHI DORIA, IKEBUKURO
豊島市西池袋1-11-1 ルミネ池袋店8F
8TH FLOOR, LUMINE IKEBUKURO, 1-11-1 NISHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-10PM
Soups, curries and casserole style soups
Soup Stock is a casual soup chain store. In the same Lumine Complex is a Soup Stock. Take the south exit of Ikebukuro Station and it’s a few hundred metres to the right. There are 4 gluten free options of soups here too ( look for a yellow GF symbol on the menu.) This is a great option if everyone in the family is craving vegetables. They have a kids bread, soup and drink meal for 750 yen and a free soup bowl of baby food for babies. They accept most major credit cards.
See pictures of the Soup Stock menu here.Open 11am-11pm.
This is the storefront of the Ebisu store but they are all a similar vibe.
Kura Sushi is located at the eastern gate of Ikebukuro Station, known as the Ikebukuro West Branch ( Open 11am-11pm daily) They accept most major credit cards, offer takeout, kids welcome, completely non-smoking restaurants. This restaurant is 8 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro. You can make a reservation online.
The Kura Sushi Ikebukuro Menu can be found here. I’d expect to pay approximately 1500 yen per adult in total for a decent lunch or dinner. Sushi train chain Kurasushi have a list of all of their food with common allergens here.
(Kurasushi is great when dining with kids and there are lots of cooked non-raw sushi options but if you really love sushi you may be a little disappointed with the raw-fish quality / some have found that the fish meat is a bit frozen in the middle. See here for my tips on what to do in Japan if your kids like to eat westernized versions of sushi or california rolls etc.)
For sushi train options in Japan – Kura Sushi definitely has the most gluten free options (you can even put a filter on the ipad menu to see what is an option for you.)
If you are looking for vegan Kura Sushi options, go or the mango, pineapple or cucumber maki options.
KURA SUSHI, IKEBUKURO EKI NISHIGUCHI STORE
豊島区西池袋1-10-10
1-10-10 NISHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN 11AM-11PM
*There are a few more Kurasushi branches in the Ikebukuro area- this one is the closest to Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro.
11 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro is a yakitori spot called Kaku Ryu. They welcome children and they aso have space for strollers. This restaurant is mostly non-smoking but there is an allocated smoking section. Please note that the restaurant will feel smoky when you first walk in – but that is from the yakitori grills. Many table options here are in little private booths (perfect for kids who aren’t great at sitting still – less pressure.)
I recommend budgeting for 4000 yen per adult at dinner time and more like 1500 yen at lunchtime. This is a great restaurant for adults to try some Japanese sake (hot or cold) while eating out as a family. This is an affordable way to try wagyu beef (on skewers.) I recommend ordering the Kushiyaki Moriawase (assorted skewers – a mixture of chicken, pork and veg skewers), the chicken and avocado & soy sauce salad, the karaage (fried chicken) and the agedashi tofu.
This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. This restaurant is 300 metres from Ikebukuro Station.
KAKU RYU, IKEBUKURO
豊島区東池袋1-4-6 高和ビル 4F
4F TAKAWA BUILDING, 1-4-6 HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN WEEKDAYS 4PM-4AM
OPEN WEEKENDS MIDDAY-4AM (CLOSES BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON NATIONAL HOLIDAYS)
If you’re after American style burgers for lunch or dinner, TGI Fridays is 13 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro or 4 mins walk from Ikebukuro Station. TGI Fridays accept most major credit cards and they also accept reservations. Booth seating is available -which is always handy when dining with little children. For an adult meal I would budget 2000 yen for lunch and around 3000 yen for dinner. The kids burger plate is 495 yen and comes with fries and a small fruit plate.
TGI FRIDAYS IKEBUKURO
東池袋1-21-13 aune池袋2F
2ND FLOOR, AUNE IKEBUKURO BUILDING, 1-21-13 HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO
OPEN 11:30AM-11PM
And just next door to TGI Fridays is Can Do Ikebukuro, 100 yen store.
CAN DO, IKEBUKURO
OPEN 10AM-10PM
豊島区東池袋１-21-13 AUNE BUILDING, B1
B1 FLOOR, AUNE BUILDING, 1-21-13, HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
“Australian” Steak and Seafood
Hate to break the hearts of Americans that love the Outback Steakhouse – but it isn’t even a little bit “Australian” to me. I am partial to a “bloomin’ onion” from here though. I really like it here – especially when dining with kids. The portions are generous and it’s very kid friendly. They even have high chairs. It is a 1 min walk from Ikebukuro Station – take the East Exit.It is 9 mins walk from Mimaru Ikebukuro. They welcome children- they have a kids menu and space to store strollers while you dine. Please note that a 10% service charge is added to your bill when you dine here. They do accept most major credit cards. I recommend budgeting 2000 yen for an adult lunch meal and more like 4000 yen at dinner time. This restaurant is completely non-smoking. See the full Outback Steakhouse menu here. You can make a reservation on the Outback Steakhouse website.
The bread rolls here are good – and also good to put in a ziplock bag to heat up in the morning for breakfast too (yes I’m THAT lady.)
If it’s your birthday, these guys can do a dessert with a candle, sing you happy birthday and do a commemorative photo. See all the Outback Steakhouse birthday details here. They also have two birthday cakes available for purchase.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
豊島区東池袋1-41-4 池袋とうきゅう７F
7TH FLOOR, IKEBUKURO TOKYU 1-41-4 HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN WEEKDAYS 5PM-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9PM)* OPEN UNTIL 10:30PM ON FRIDAYS
OPEN WEEKENDS MIDDAY-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9PM)
Yakiniku Champion, Ikebukuro welcomes children and babies at lunch or dinnertime. They are in a building connected to Ikebukuro Station so are very easy to get to when travelling around but are also only 7 mins walk from Mimaru Ikebukuro.
Yakiniku is Korean barbecue where you cook your own thinly sliced meat and vegetables on the grill at your table.
For lunch I would budget for 2000 yen per person while at dinner I would expect to pay more like 6000 yen. This restaurant accepts most major credit cards.
They have an English menu and another menu that points out common allergens in certain dishes and sauces.
This restaurant has high chairs and a place to store strollers.
YAKINIKU CHAMPION, IKEBUKURO
豊島区西池袋-1-25 東武百貨店池袋店レストラン街スパイス 14F
14F TOBU DEPARTMENT STORE’S RESTAURANT FLOOR IN THE SPICE SECTION, 1-1-25 NISHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN 11AM-10PM
HAMBURGER STEAK FOR LUNCH OR DINNER (Gluten free option too)
6 mins from Ikebukuro Station, East Exit or 14 mins walk or 8 mins in a cab from Mimaru Ikebukuro is a hamburger/steak grill restaurant called “Bikkuri Donkey”. The name always makes me laugh as it literally translates to “Surprise Donkey” but the interior is quirky ( kind of like dining inside “Western River Railroad” at Disneyland.). It’s a casual restaurant and lots of families dine here.
The cuisine is “hamburger steaks served on mini hot plates.”
They have a cute kids menu .
It’s a great place for grease and fries if that’s what you’re craving.
The restaurant allows smoking in certain parts of the restaurant at certain times of day. They have a kids menu and they have high chairs.
There is one gluten free hamburger steak option at this restaurant too. I would budget around 1500 yen per adult to dine here.
In the morning, they also offer a breakfast plate with eggs and toast and bacon for approximately 1000 yen.
This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. They also take reservations and walk-ins.
Some Bikkuri Donkey branches have also introduced a vegan soy hamburger steak (served with rice.) It’s usually on the menu down near the kids menu section.
BIKKURI DONKEY IKEBUKURO
豊島区東池袋1-21-11 オーク池袋ビル B1F
B1F OAK IKEBUKURO BUILDING, 1-21-11 HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN 8AM-11PM
and just 2 mins walk from Bikkuri Donkey is family-friendly, casual italian restaurant, Palermo. Palermo is 5 mins walk from the East Exit of Ikebukuro Station. Palermo accepts most major credit cards and is a non-smoking restaurant. Children are welcome here. When budgeting to dine here, I would set aside 3000 yen per adult at dinner time and 2000 yen per adult at lunch time.
There are two kinds of pizza here – Margherita & Pizza Alla BisMarck.
PALERMO, IKEBUKURO
豊島区東池袋1-10-1 住友池袋駅前ビル １Ｆ
GROUND FLOOR, SUMITOMO IKEBUKURO EKI MAE BUILDING, HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN 11AM-10:30AM (LAST ORDERS 10AM)
If you’re looking for delicious vegan food, I highly recommend T’s Tan Tan inside of Ikebukuro Station. This restaurant is 8 mins walk from Mimaru Ikebukuro. Vegan ramen, gyoza etc.
T’S TAN TAN, IKEBUKURO BRANCH
INSIDE OF THE STATION TICKETING GATES ON THE CHUO (CENTRAL) CONCOURSE
OPEN 11AM-9PM
T’S TAN TAN WEBSITE
Dominos Pizza is just 2 mins away from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro.
It’s random but this can be a good old reliable option for those who are strictly gluten free. Dominos Pizza does not have gluten free pizzas BUT they do have a wheat free pizza rice bowl. There is a Dominos Pizza in Kawaramachi Marutamachi. See the rice bowl on the Dominos Japan menu here. Other gluten free options from Dominos Japan include the Dominos Shake Real Strawberry and the Freshly Baked Fondant Chocolat. You can always order these on ubereats too.
This Dominos is open until 3am. It is a takeout restaurant only (you can order it or you can go and collect it yourself.)
Although it is far from a fancy restaurant, there is a casual ramen chain Matsuchan just 1 minute walk away from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro and they welcome children (although please be careful with toddlers around hot broth.) This is a counter type restaurant – an eat and go type thing. Best to sit at one of the tables if dining with children (will also keep you out of the way of solo business diners who are in a rush.) They have ramen and gyoza. This is a cash only restaurant. This whole ramen spot is non-smoking. I recommend ordering the Shio Ramen, Yakiniku Ramen or the Miso Ramen. They also have yakisoba, edamame and gyoza. Please note that this is not the type of place to go if you have dietary requirements.
MATSUCHAN RAMEN
豊島区池袋2-73-3
2-7-3 IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN 11AM-4PM & 5:30PM-4AM
CLOSED SUNDAYS
If you are craving Indian takeaway (or dine in) while staying at Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro, Darbar Indian Restaurant is just 4 minutes walk away. They accept most major credit cards. Lunch sets are approx 1000 yen each (at lunch time, customers can have one refill of rice or naan). At dinner, I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen at dinner time. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. This restaurant has a vegetarian menu. They accept most major credit cards. If you want to dine in as a family and one of your children don’t care for Indian food -they also have edamame and fries here.
I recommend ordering the cheese naan and the Paneer Saag.
DARBAR INDIAN RESTAURANT
豊島区池袋2-73-4 第二コーポ白雪102
102 SHIRAYUKI DAINI CO-OP, 2-73-4 IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM
There is a big gatchapon and arcade just 12 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro called Me Tokyo.
ME TOKYO, IKEBUKURO
豊島区東池袋1-9-3 TRN東池袋
TRN HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO BUILDING, 1-9-3 HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN 10AM-MIDNIGHT
There is a big department store in Ikebukuro called Parco. It’s just 1 min walk from Ikebukuro Station or 9 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro. There are many restaurants that welcome children within this building. One of my favourites is an izakaya called Washoku En. Like most izakaya in Japan, the idea is that you order lots of little dishes and try lots of little things and then order more as you go, if you wanted to. This is a wonderful place for adults to try Japanese sake (hot and cold) or lemon sours etc while still dining as a family. I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen per adult here at lunch time and more like 3500 yen at dinner time.
The entire restaurant is non-smoking and they do accept most major credit cards. They have space to store a stroller while you dine.
You can ask you hotel to make a reservation for you or you could try for a walk-in (I only recommend attempting this before 7pm.) If you do need to wait – write your name and number of people in your party on the list out front.
When dining here for lunch, everyone who orders a lunch set can have unlimited refills of rice and miso soup. z
WASHOKU EN, IKEBUKURO EAST EXIT, PARCO
豊島区南池袋1-28-2池袋パルコ本館 8F
8TH FLOOR, IKEBUKURO PARCO MAIN BUILDING, 1-28-2 MINAMI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM (CLOSES AT 10PM ON SUNDAYS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS) *Lunch menu available 11am-4pm
A family-friendly pizza and salad spot in East Ikebukuro
“A Pizza” is 7 mins walk the east exit of Ikebukuro Station or 7 mins in a cab from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro. You can ask your hotel to make a reservation by phone on your behalf (please note that they only take reservations for dinner time.) I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen per adult at lunchtime and more like 3000 yen for dinner. They accept most major credit cards. The restaurant is non-smoking. There is a special booth for smokers near the entrance. See the “A Pizza” lunch menu here. See the “A Pizza” dinner menu here.
A PIZZA
豊島区南池袋3-18-30
3-18-3- MINAMI-IKEBUKURO, TOSHIMA-KU
OPEN 11:30AM-10PM
This blog post contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you book a hotel or make a purchase using one of my links – at no additional charge to you.
Fluffy Japanese Pancakes
This restaurant is 14 mins walk from Mimaru Tokyo Ikebukuro (or 7 mins in a cab.)
Make reservations 2 weeks ahead if you want to eat those fluffy, jiggly viral Japanese pancakes by visiting A Happy Pancake Ikebukuro (see here for my full list of things to book in advance when visiting Japan with kids.) It is possible to just turn up but wait times can be up to 45 mins long AND some places only take walk-ins until they are sold out. Reservations for famous restaurant called “A Happy Pancake” (also referred to as Shiawase no Pancake in Japanese -and is sometimes spelled this way on google maps) open exactly 2 weeks ahead of your preferred dining date. Reservations open two weeks in advance at midnight Japan time! They have restaurants in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
Click here to make A Happy Pancake reservation for you and your family. You will need to make an account and log in to do so (so this before midnight to ensure your reservation is as quick as possible.)
The Happy Pancake Ikebukuro store is just 3 mins walk from the East Exit of Ikebukuro Station (use Exit 35.) Budget 2000 yen per person to dine here. They accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
A HAPPY PANCAKE, IKEBUKURO
東池袋1-12-13 池袋東口セイコービル3階
3RD FLOOR, IKEBUKURO HIGASHIGUCHI SEIKO BUILDING, 1-12-13 HIGASHI-IKEBUKURO
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-8PM (LAST ORDERS 7:15PM)
*Please note! Pancakes are only sold until 2:30pm!
OPEN WEEKENDS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 10AM-8:30PM (LAST ORDERS 7:40PM)
*Please note! Pancakes are only sold until 2:30pm!
