Shirubee
Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
Shirubee is a much-loved izakaya down a Shimokitazawa backstreet, with a big counter wrapped around an open kitchen. It does izakaya classics with playful twists, like nikujaga with garlic bread and tofu cheese with honey.
Insider tip
Book ahead or arrive at the 5pm opening. The entrance is easy to miss, so look for the lantern down the alley.
What the guides say about Shirubee
Evening. One proper izakaya. In Shimokitazawa, Shirubee opens at 5pm with a counter wrapped around an open kitchen and a menu of classics with twists, and an entrance that's easy to walk past twice. Book it or be there at opening. Afterwards, Coaster Craft Beer & Kitchen for a nightcap, or one of the Shimokitazawa live venues if a listing catches your eye. The door price usually includes a drink.
The second track is the bar crawl. Shirubee is the izakaya locals bring visitors to when they want to show off. Good Heavens Pub is the neighbourhood's British local, and Coaster Craft Beer & Kitchen covers the craft list. It's all within a five minute stumble of everything else.
Choice one is Shimokitazawa, a few minutes from Shibuya on the Keio Inokashira line. The Shimokitazawa vintage streets, an afternoon coffee at Bear Pond Espresso if it hasn't sold out of beans, and dinner at Shirubee, the izakaya down an alley that fills the moment it opens at 5pm. The Shimokitazawa neighbourhood guide covers the ground.
What's on near Shirubee
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Shirubee, from the weekly Tokyo events calendar.
Shimokitazawa Curry Festival 2026
下北沢カレーフェスティバル
Time Varies by shop Station Shimokitazawa (Odakyu and Keio Inokashira Lines)
About 135 shops around Shimokitazawa join this 15th edition, including 110 curry restaurants and 21 dessert shops. Order a curry at a participating shop to collect a stamp, and filled stamp maps can be swapped for prizes at the reception desk. This year has a tie-in with Sega's Puyo Puyo and Sonic.
Shimokitazawa Curry Festival
下北沢カレーフェスティバル
Station Shimokitazawa (Odakyu Line, Keio Inokashira Line), 2 min walk
Special curries from well over 100 cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops across Shimokitazawa for about two and a half weeks each October, many in mini portions so you can crawl between several in an afternoon. A stamp rally links the participating shops.
Moon Art Night Shimokitazawa
ムーンアートナイト下北沢2027
Time 15:00 to 21:00 (2026), the Senrogai lot to 21:30
Autumn moon-themed festival across Shimokitazawa: large lit outdoor works such as a 7 m moon on the Senrogai lot, with about 100 moon and rabbit themed events in shops and on the streets. The 2027 dates aren't announced yet.
Smaller local events nearby
Shimokita Mitsuboshi Bazaar Market
31 Oct to 1 Nov · Shimokitazawa Station square
Food and goods fair of 69 stalls run by Showa Shinkin Bank with the Shimokitazawa shopping street federation, with regional foods, sweets and plants, and free flower seedlings at set times.
Free entry · 31 Oct 11:00 to 17:00, 1 Nov 10:00 to 17:00 · Map · Source: Shimokita Mitsuboshi Bazaar 2026 office (Showa Shinkin Bank) · シモキタ三ツ星バザール2026
Shimokitazawa Flea Market at OMATSURI PARK Market
5 to 6 Dec · OMATSURI PARK, the plaza beside Oozeki by Shimokitazawa Station east exit
The Shimokitazawa Flea Market moves for one weekend to the free OMATSURI PARK area of the Shimokitazawa nite festival, on the plaza beside the Oozeki supermarket near the east exit.
Free entry · 10:00 to 20:00 · Map · Source: Shimokitazawa Flea Market (POZO Inc.) · 下北沢フリーマーケット ×「下北沢にて'26」（OMATSURI PARK オオゼキ横広場）
Live music nearby
Nearby
Around Shimokitazawa
Vintage shops, live music, and the best curry in Tokyo
Step out of the south exit and the city changes register. The lanes are narrow and winding, second-hand clothing racks spill onto the street, and the live houses look untouched since the eighties. Daniel's own Tokyo neighbourhood, Sasazuka, is a short train ride away. You don't need a plan here, but the places below are the ones you'll come back for.
Shimokitazawa has 11 places on the Roam Tokyo map: 4 bars, 3 restaurants, 2 cafes and 2 shops. Read the Shimokitazawa guide.
From the blog
Good to know
- How do I get to Shirubee?
- The nearest station is Shimokitazawa (Keio Inokashira). Shirubee is in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo.
- How much does Shirubee cost?
- Shirubee is mid-range, marked ¥¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shirubee?
- Plan for 1-2 hours.
- When is the best time to visit Shirubee?
- Evening from 5pm.
Stay near Shirubee
Browse live availability and compare prices around Shimokitazawa.
Median US$201 a night across 38 listings within 1.8 km for a two-night stay a month out, sampled 20 October 2026. Cheapest quarter under US$155. See the weekly index for every neighbourhood.
See hotels near Shirubee on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 24 October. You can change the dates on Booking.com. If you book, Roam Tokyo earns a small commission from Stay22 at no extra cost to you.