Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku : The Bottom Line
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku doesn’t offer up anything different to the rest of the chain – and that’s a shame. With identical decor, beer, and food, Yona Yona Beer Works has become the McDonald’s of the craft beer world. It would have been nice to have seen something different – perhaps a different theme but I guess people want familiarity with the chain. Like the others, there is no table charge, tax included in the prices, with some English on the menu. There is no happy hour but at least they do have a (limited) beer flight on too.
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku : Background
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku opened in March 2017 as the fifth branch of the growing Yona Yona Beer Works chain. Despite the name, the restaurants are not directly owned or operated by Yo-Ho Brewing. Instead, the concept was developed with restaurant company Wondertable, which operates the venues and provides a dedicated restaurant setting for Yo-Ho Brewing’s beers.
The story began in 2013, when Wondertable opened the first Yona Yona Beer Kitchen in Akasaka. The concept was subsequently renamed Yona Yona Beer Works as the chain expanded, with each branch combining a large selection of Yo-Ho Brewing beers with a food-focused restaurant format. By the time the Shinjuku branch opened, the concept had already established itself as a way of bringing craft beer into a more mainstream dining environment.
Shinjuku was a logical location for the fifth branch. The area is one of Tokyo’s busiest entertainment and dining districts, but its craft beer scene was still relatively small compared with areas such as Shibuya, Shinjuku’s neighbour to the west. The opening of Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku came as more independent beer bars and breweries began appearing around the station, gradually making it possible to put together something approaching a Shinjuku craft beer crawl.
The restaurant is located around five minutes from JR Shinjuku Station, on the east side of the station, in the basement of the Humax Pavilion. Its location makes it easy to reach from Kabukicho and the surrounding shopping and entertainment districts, while still being tucked away enough to miss if you don’t know where you’re going.
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku : Atmosphere & Interior
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku is a fairly large underground restaurant, with around 135 seats spread across the basement space. The interior follows the chain’s “craft” theme, with a warm, handmade feel rather than looking like a traditional pub. There are counter seats, sofa seating and tables, so it works for everything from solo drinking to groups and dates.
It’s not particularly intimate, though. Being in the middle of Shinjuku, the place can get pretty lively, especially in the evening, although the spacious layout means it doesn’t feel overly cramped. There is also a lounge area towards the back, with a more relaxed feel and seating for larger groups.
The whole restaurant is non-smoking and, importantly for beer bar crawlers, there is no table charge or service charge. There can be a two-and-a-half-hour limit for seated customers depending on the booking or day, so it’s worth keeping that in mind if you’re planning a serious session.
Overall, it’s more polished beer restaurant than dive bar, but that’s pretty much the point. Come here for a decent selection of Yo-Ho beers, proper food and somewhere comfortable to sit rather than expecting a tiny craft beer den hidden under Shinjuku.
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku : Beer & Tap Information
The beer list is the main reason to visit, with Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku built around Yo-Ho Brewing’s beers and a rotating selection of seasonal and limited releases. The standard lineup includes familiar names such as Yona Yona Ale, India no Aooni, Suiyoubi no Neko, Boku Beer Kimi Beer, Yama no Ue Newi and Uradōri no Dondabada. There are also WORKS Ales, beers brewed exclusively for the Yona Yona Beer Works restaurants and released roughly three or four times a year.
The beers are available in three sizes: small (250ml), regular (400ml) and pint (550ml), which is handy if you want to work through several beers rather than committing to a pint of everything, because apparently moderation occasionally has a use. Prices vary depending on the beer, but recent 2026 releases at the Shinjuku East Exit branch have generally been ¥900 – ¥1,000 for a small (250ml), ¥1,200 – ¥1,400 for a regular (400 ml) and ¥1,500 – ¥1,750 for a pint (568 ml). For example, the 2026 Baku no Hatsuyume was ¥900 / ¥1,200 / ¥1,500, while the limited FAC Hazy IPA 2026 #1 was ¥1,000 / ¥1,400 / ¥1,750.
If you want to try a few beers without committing to full-sized pours, there are two tasting options. The three-beer flight costs ¥1,800 and comes with three 200ml pours, making it a good way to sample a few different beers before settling on a favourite.
For the more committed beer drinker, there’s the Yona Yona Merry-Go-Round at ¥6,500. This comes with ten beers served on a rotating wooden stand, with nine 250ml pours and one 180ml glass. It’s a fun way to work through a sizeable chunk of the lineup, although at 2.43 litres of beer, calling it a “flight” is stretching the definition somewhat. Best shared with friends unless you’ve got nowhere else to be
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku : Food & Menu Information
The food is a big part of the Yona Yona Beer Works setup, with the menu built around beer-friendly dishes rather than the usual afterthoughts found in many beer bars.
The big hitters are the roast chicken and craft sausages. The chicken is brined before being slow-roasted, with a choice of the original salt and pepper version or a spicier ten-spice version. The sausage menu has more than ten varieties, with different flavours designed to work with different beers.
There’s plenty more besides, including fries, salads, pasta, seafood dishes and mac and cheese, so it’s easy enough to make a proper meal out of it. For a beer-focused visit, though, I’d be heading straight for the chicken and sausages and working through a few different beers alongside them.
Yona Yona Beer Works Shinjuku : Bar Details
- Open : Weekday 12:00 – 23:00 (L.O Food 22:00 Drink 22:30) Weekends & Holidays 11:30 to 23:00 (L.O Food 22:00 Drink 22:30)
- Closed : –
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 03-5361-8147
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://yonayonabeerworks.com/pages/shop-shinjuku
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
