5 best restaurants and shops at the new Dogenzaka Dori in Shibuya

Seattle-born burger joint Lil Woody’s has opened its first outpost beyond the Emerald City, bringing its famed backyard burgers, sandwiches and milkshakes to Tokyo. You’ll find the brand’s entire burger lineup here, including the signature Lil Woody that’s made with a one-quarter pound grass-fed beef patty, Tillamook cheddar, chopped onions, diced pickles, ketchup and mayo.

Aside from beef burgers, there's also a veggie burger with a housemade black bean patty, and a chicken sandwich with perfectly crisp buttermilk fried chicken. For a full meal, add on ¥500 and get a side of fries and soda.

Tokyo’s second branch of Giolitti has found a home in Shibuya. The long-standing Italian gelato shop found fame thanks to Audrey Hepburn’s 1953 film 'Roman Holiday'. Till now, it continues to churn out crowd-pleasing gelato made with the brand’s secretly guarded original recipes.

You can order gelato in a cup or cone, but we highly recommend you go for a double order, so you can try at least two flavours. Giolitti’s classic range include pistachio, hazelnut, white chocolate blueberry and dark chocolate, but there are Japanese flavours, too, such as yuzu ginger, black sesame and hojicha (roasted green tea).

Ebisu’s Sarutahiko Coffee has expanded yet again with this cosy café. There’s ample table seating here as well as a dedicated tatami mat area for you to stretch your legs and relax on the floor. Coffee wise, the café offers a special Shibuya Blend which is exclusive to this Dogenzaka Dori store. 

Aside from the usual coffee drinks, you’ll also find unique creations such as the green apple and herb coffee jelly soda. This cooler mixes light-roast cold-brew coffee with green apple and muscat syrup as well as chewy jelly flavoured with herbs like lemon verbena, lemongrass and mint.

No trip to Japan is complete without stopping by mega discount store Don Quijote. Now, you’ll be able to shop for even more amazing deals at Domise, a new Donki offshoot offering more than 3,200 items. Like most Donki stores, Domise stocks an overwhelming selection of goods including beauty and skincare, clothing, home appliances, electronics, snacks and souvenirs. 

Domise has a few things that set it apart from Donki. For instance, it has a sales section called ‘Do Kotae’, where you can shop for products that have been improved via customer feedback. The shop also offers bulk purchase so you can purchase things like snacks by weight.

Hotel Indigo’s fourth location in Japan takes up the upper floors of Dogenzaka Dori. It overlooks the bustling streets of Shibuya and is just five minutes’ walk from Shibuya Station. Plus, the stylish boutique hotel features a curated selection of art, design and music that reflects its neighbourhood. 

There’s a total of 272 guest rooms from the 13th to 28th floors offering panoramic views of the city. On clear days, you might spot Mt Fuji and Tokyo Skytree in the distance.  

Taking advantage of its sky-high location, the hotel’s Gallery 11 restaurant opens out to a breezy open-air terrace. Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya also has a casual grab-and-go café called Shibrewya, which offers speciality coffee and light bites like waffles. Come evening, the hotel's Bar Lounge is also worth visiting for cocktails.