The attractive, highly stylized food here is dainty but maintains a certain rustic aesthetic, and meals are built by assembling a series of small vegetable-oriented (but not vegetarian) side dishes with brown rice or onigiri. The decor has a matching rough-hewn elegance, and the shop is popular with female diners. Prix-fixe dinners Y2800-3200 or a la carte; lunch from Y1575. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-1-5, Lumine 1 6F. Open 11am-11pm daily.

The dining room is pleasantly decorated and the food here is very well prepared - including some excellent grilled chicken - but the dinner menu is too small and limited to get excited about. Lunch is a better bet, with a Y1600 buffet. Dinner averages around Y2500 without drinks. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-1-5, Lumine 1 7F. Open 11am-2:30, 5-10pm (LO) daily.

Fantastic charcoal-grilled, free-range chicken and choice sake in a comfortable setting. In addition to a la carte, they offer unusual kaiseki-style menus for Y4000-5000 (reserve in advance). [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-1-5, Shinjuku Lumine 1, 6F. Open 11am-3, 5-11pm daily.

Good, modern Vietnamese cooking from the "Iron Chef" who founded the Queen Alice chain. Their basket of assorted spring rolls is especially recommended. Budget around Y3000 at dinnertime. During the afternoon you can stop in for Vietnamese desserts or a late lunch. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-1-5, Shinjuku Lumine 1, 6F. Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.

Authentic Thai dishes like raw shrimp with garlic and chili; Thai sausage; and various types of okoge. Lunch from Y750, set-price dinner Y5900 for two. They advertise themselves as a "Thai government official restaurant." [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 7-7-29, Nishi-Shinjuku Bldg. B1F. Open 11am-3, 5-11pm daily.

Creative Korean cuisine, including a lot of pork dishes, plus an impressive menu of 11 different kinds of makkoli (Korean cloudy sake). Budget Y3000 or so for dinner. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 7-10-10, Nishimura Bldg B1F. Open 5pm-midnight (LO) daily.

Straight from Osaka, this popular national chain offers all-you-can-eat kushi-age - deep-fried grilled fish, meat and vegetables on skewers. Every table is furnished with its own deep-fryer, so you choose what you like from the refrigerated cabinets and then cook it up for yourself. Y2500 covers two hours of deep-fry fun; all-you-can-drink beer and cocktail deals are also available. Lunch served on weekends. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-3-1, Sunflower Bldg 5F. Open 4-10:30pm (LO) daily.

A big selection of small food items - ranging from salads to stews - ready to assemble into a meal or a snack. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-3-14. (on Ome-kaido) Open 11:30am-11:30pm daily.

Serving relatively expensive German beers and decent pub grub in a cavelike basement, this branch of the Franziskaner group is worth knowing about for their late-night hours. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-4-6, Ida Bldg B1F. Open 5pm-5am daily.

Who can resist a restaurant called "Mom's", especially when the kitchen and waitress staff is a squadron of fifty-ish, motherly types who look like they'd be disappointed in you for not finishing your vegetables. But the main draw here is the sake -- they promise a "journey through Japan by sake", and they stock close to 100 brands, from every part of the country, with most varieties running Y500-Y800 per glass. There's also a respectable menu of izakaya-style food, with grilled chicken wings, duck steak, and plenty of seasonal items. No English menu, no English spoken. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-11-11, B1F. (on the side street directly behind Yodobashi Camera honten) Open 11am-3, 4-11:20pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

Seasonal kaga-ryori specialties from Kanazawa, along with 13 different types of sake from Tengumai (a local Kanazawa brewer). The sake ranges from Y400 to Y1,800 per glass, with a Y600-per-person table charge. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-11-11, B1F. (on the side street directly behind Yodobashi Camera honten) Open 5-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

The city of Xi'an is located along the historical Silk Road trade route, and the cuisine from that region takes full advantage of the many spices that were part of the trade. The menu here includes well-spiced lamb dishes, Xi'an-style cold appetizers and toshomen noodles, and a number of unusual dimsum items. Around Y3500 at dinnertime. (Formerly known as Toshomensoh - when we went, the old sign was still on the building.) [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-12-1, Shinjuku Sanhei Bldg 4F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.

Excellent Kyushu food and local sake brands. Often they'll bring the day's fresh seafood to the table for inspection before preparing it. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-14-1, Nisshoku Bldg. Open 5-11pm (LO) daily.

Good grilled chicken, nice fresh fish and a good sake and shochu list. The interior is very pleasant (blond wood furnishings, an open kitchen and a big open bar area), with a nice view looking west. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 1-26-2, Shinjuku Nomura Bldg. 49F. Open 11:30am-3, 5-11pm daily.

A very stylish, modern izakaya with a view. The food is all over the map - Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Italian, American - and is more in the category of entertaining nibbles rather than grand cuisine. (Examples: flavorful risotto with black sesame seeds and Parmesan crusts; and a succulent Thai-style yakitori.) The large wine lists starts at around Y3000 a bottle, also with a choice of 6 wines by the glass. Prices are generally Y700-900 a dish, portions are small, and the total may come to Y2500-5000 a person depending on how long you stay. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 2-6-1, Shinjuku Sumitomo Bldg. 49F. Open 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.

Great charcoal-grilled dishes, seasonal fish and vegetable items and a nice sake selection. The attractive interior is built around an open grill area, taking advantage of the city view. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 2-6-1, Shinjuku Sumitomo Bldg. 50F. Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm (LO) daily.

Gorgeous modern stone/wood/tatami/glass dining rooms (designed by Yanagiya Manabu), floor-to-ceiling windows, and a world-class view. The Japanese menu is complemented by the very good sake list, priced at Y600-800 per flask. An excellent place to entertain and impress jaded out-of-towners who deride Tokyo as a backwater. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 2-6-1, Sumitomo Sankaku Bldg. 52F. Open 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.

The food dishes are small, inexpensive, and very eclectic in origin (pizza, spring rolls, gyoza dumplings, roast potatoes). The decor is dark and chic, with a gently sloping incline so that everyone can enjoy the view. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 2-4-1, Shinjuku NS Bldg. 29F. Open 11am-2, 4:30-11pm daily.

Unlike some skyscraper restaurants, this place has the energy and atmosphere of a down-to-earth izakaya. The food menu is impressively diverse, including soba noodles, kushiyaki (both yakitori and other meats on skewers), homemade tofu, "Kyoto-style oden," and lots of good seasonal specials. There are over a dozen different sakes to try, and you can choose any three as a "tasting set" for Y1000; other drinks include awamori cocktails, shochu, beer and wine. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 2-4-1, Shinjuku NS Bldg. 29F. Open 11:30am-2, 4:30-11pm daily.

Creative Japanese cooking - a nice balance between traditional dishes and interesting surprises. The flashy decor is a big part of the fun here, as is the nighttime view. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 2-4-1, Shinjuku NS Bldg. 29F. Open 11am-3, 5-11pm daily.

First-rate seasonal Japanese cuisine and well-selected sake in a beautiful setting high above Shinjuku. Dinner around Y20,000 per person. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 3-7-1-2, Park Hyatt Tokyo 40F. Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.

Perhaps the best deli counter in town, with a huge selection of cold cuts, pates, salads and ready-to-go gourmet picnic baskets. Lunches are priced from around Y1000, and breakfast is served on weekdays from 8 to 10:30am. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 3-7-15, Shinjuku Park Tower 1F. Open 8am-8pm (weekends from 11am) daily.

A deluxe-edition izakaya from a restaurant chain known for their home-made tofu. The decor is visually stunning, blending traditional and modern Japanese design elements. Unfortunately the overall effect is on the sterile side, and the aloof service doesn't help. The food is good but not outstanding, with a decent selection of sake to go with it. [feedback]

Nishi-Shinjuku 3-7-15, Shinjuku Park Tower B1F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-11pm daily.

Japanese steaks, shabu shabu, sukiyaki, teppanyaki - basically everything with beef is on the menu. Shabu-shabu from Y3800; beef-centered kaiseki Y8000. [feedback]

Yoyogi 2-2-1, Odakyu Southern Tower 4F. Open 11am-11pm daily.

A good-quality, inexpensive izakaya with some interesting dishes like beef-tongue gyoza and okara croquettes, plus a whole section of yuba and tofu specialties. Budget around Y3000. [feedback]

Yoyogi 2-1-1, Shinjuku Maynds Tower B1F. (across the street from Shinjuku Southern Terrace) Open 11am-2, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.

Over 100 different beers by the bottle, mostly Belgian but with a strong German section as well. The food menu is limited, but includes mussels prepared in several different ways. [feedback]

Yoyogi 2-11-20, B1F. Open 5:30pm-2am (Sundays 3-11pm). Closed 2nd Sunday.

Excellent Belgian food and a wide assortment of Belgian beers. [feedback]

Yoyogi 2-20-2. Open 5:30pm-2am (Sat. to 11pm). Closed Sundays.