Things to do in Tokyo when you've missed the last train

Tachigui, or tachinomi, refers to Japan’s age-old tradition of eating while standing up. This custom dates back to the Edo period (1603-1868), when hungry merchants would stand around sushi or soba stalls on the streets, having little time to sit down for a proper meal between trades. Nowadays, you’ll be able to find ‘standing restaurants’ serving all kinds of fare from ramen to French food, but there’s something irresistible about the smell of yakiniku that wafts out from Jiromaru onto the streets of Kabukicho.

The meat here is displayed in glass cases, similiar to a sushi restaurant, with the grades and cuts of wagyu listed on wooden planks behind the counter. Meat can be ordered in single slices (prices generally range between ¥80 and ¥300), which you cook on your own barbecue, so you’ll be able to sample a full array of flavours from different types of beef. 

Located on the second floor of an old wooden house in Golden Gai, Nagi comes steeped in the atmosphere of the neighbourhood, with a smell that hits you as soon as you walk in the door. And no wonder – the speciality here is pungent niboshi ramen, made by boiling vast amounts of dried sardines for 12 hours to create a distinctive, boldly flavoured soup.

We recommend the Tokusei Sugoi Niboshi Ramen, which comes generously laden with slices of chashu pork, menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), scallions, nori seaweed and a soft-boiled egg, and with a mix of curly and wide, flat noodles. As an added bonus, Nagi is open for business 24 hours a day, meaning you can start and end a heavy night out with a bowl of their noodles.

Cook your own late-night snack on the hotplates of Kotegaeshi, where you can grill different variations of okonomiyaki at your table. These savoury pancakes originate from Osaka and consist of batter mixed with the fillings of your choice, to be topped with katsuo fish flakes and sauce after turning golden brown. Available fillings include pork, soft-boiled egg, kimchi, cheese and noodles. You’re given an hourglass to indicate when you should flip your pancake, but if you’re not confident in your cooking skills, staff will be standing by ready to take over the grill for you.

Plenty of shot bars in Roppongi will serve cheap tequila until the sun rises, but it’s hard to find a decent cocktail bar that is open past midnight. Tucked away in a corner of Roppongi Hills is Tusk, a relaxed bar reminiscent of the classic watering holes of New York. The spacious venue, complete with a DJ booth and VIP section, is accented by two vibrant artworks by Masashi Ozawa. Alongside classic cocktails, wine and spirits, the menu also includes a selection of bar snacks such as rusks with a mascarpone dip and a charcuterie board. 

Late-night dessert bars are hard to come by in a city that tends to prefer hot bowls of ramen for after-dark munchies, but Yelo is a gem for those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth after a late dinner. Tiramisu, matcha and mango milk are only a few of the basic flavours on the kakigori menu, along with more unusual combinations like avocado mascarpone and hojicha kinako (roasted green tea with soybean powder).

At first, the enormous mountain of fluffy shaved ice might look big enough for two or three people to finish, but it’s so exquisite you’ll find yourself easily demolishing the whole thing. Customise your snowy mound with toppings such as oreo, shiratama (mochi dumplings) and extra milk sauce if you’re feeling extravagant. There are also boozy kakigori options, like the mint-chocolate-flavoured Grasshopper which comes served in a martini glass.

This branch of hip noodle chain Tsurutontan is busiest at lunch, dinner and 5am, when club-goers sit down for a wholesome meal to close the night before straggling home, and no wonder. The chain offers an extensive variety of dishes perfect for post-dancing calories. Menu items range from the simple kitsune (fried tofu) udon and classic curry udon with slices of beef to carbonara udon that might just pass for breakfast with its toppings of egg and bacon. You can decide on the amount of noodles you want: choose one bundle for the standard serving or up to double the noodles for no extra charge.

Late-night cafés are a trademark of Shibuya,and while Udagawa Café’s first appearance on the scene in 2001 was a quiet one, it’s now a popular haunt for the city’s night owls. The café has a retro art-deco look and serves up classic dishes including ginger pork and a series of old-school parfaits reminiscent of Japanese kissaten (traditional coffeeshops). The drinks menu is satisfyingly extensive, including flavoured lattes, decaffeinated coffee and a special Udagawa house blend, on top of a long selection of beer, wine, liquor and cocktails. 

With an entrance that dazzles passers-by with bright red lights, café and bar Flamingo’s exterior is somewhat reminiscent of Paris’s Moulin Rouge, but step inside and you’ll be met with a funkier ambience of silver disco balls and red lips painted on the wall. There are flamingos too, of course, in the form of reading lights that nod at you from the bar counter as you spin on the matching red bar stools and sip on nostalgic diner classics like cream soda.

The menu after 11pm is less extensive than what’s available during the day but is eclectic nonetheless. Keema curry and Thai gapao rice is on offer for those craving Eastern flavours, and margherita pizza for cheese lovers. There are desserts as well, including crème brûlée and banana caramel cake, and the blue milk tea, which really does come in a curious shade of pastel blue.

The atmospheric alleyways at Golden Gai in Shinjuku are crammed with countless little bars of varied themes – perfect for a night of bar-hopping

A historic alleyway, Omoide Yokocho is a foodie destination with old-world charm, serving up sushi, ramen, yakitori and more

Where to find food whatever the hour in Shinjuku, Akasaka, Shibuya and Roppongi