Introduction
Hello, this is GOK from the Shinjuku local media site Daily Shinjuku.
This time, I visited WPU CAFE & DINER, a café and diner located in the Nishi-Shinjuku area, and would like to introduce it.
A Hotel Café & Diner Near Shinjuku West Exit
WPU CAFE & DINER is a café and diner located on the first floor of the hotel and residence WPU near Shinjuku West Exit.
The second floor is a gallery, the third through sixth floors are hotel rooms, and the seventh through tenth floors are residences.
According to the official website, the facility is described as a place that energizes everyone who visits. It also hosts events showcasing the deep appeal of Shinjuku, as well as student-led workshops themed around art, fashion, design, music, food, and more.
The café is located one street in from Kotakibashi-dori, in the direction of Okubo from Shinjuku West Exit.
This time, I visited for the first time at around 7:00 p.m. on a weekend.
Interior of WPU CAFE & DINER
The interior of WPU CAFE & DINER feels both stylish and casual, almost as if you had stepped into a café abroad.
The high ceilings create a spacious atmosphere, and the interior décor and greenery are very tasteful.
Around 70% of the customers during my visit were women. There were also many international tourists, giving the place a travel-like atmosphere.
Global Food Menu and 16 Craft Beers on Tap
Below are some items from the food menu.
Selected Food Menu Items
- Spanish omelet with spinach and potatoes – 550 yen
- Ethnic-style gizzards with coriander – 770 yen
- Assorted three cheeses – 1,320 yen
- German potatoes with house-made bacon – 780 yen
- Nachos – 880 yen
- Falafel – 680 yen
- Hummus – 880 yen
- Italian-style salted offal stew – 1,100 yen
- House-made French fries – 580 yen
- Deep-fried shrimp wrapped in kadaif with chili mayo sauce – 1,540 yen
- Pulled pork burger – 1,100 yen
As a well-located hotel café and diner, the restaurant offers a wide variety of global dishes for international travelers, ranging from ethnic food to Italian, Arab, and Mexican cuisine.
In addition, WPU CAFE & DINER serves as many as 16 craft beers on tap.
The lineup mainly features craft beer from Japanese breweries, allowing customers to enjoy beers from different parts of Japan.
Example Breweries Available
- Williams Brewery (Kuki, Saitama)
- KAIGAN Brewery (Minamiboso, Chiba)
- Black Tide Brewery (Kesennuma, Miyagi)
- Repubrew (Numazu, Shizuoka)
- VERTERE (Okutama, Tokyo)
- BEER VISTA BREWERY (Morishita / Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, Tokyo)
- DD4D Brewing (Matsuyama, Ehime)
- 808 Brewery (Oyama, Tochigi)
- ushitora brewery (Shimotsuke, Tochigi)
- Bonustrack Brewery (Tokyo)
- Far Yeast Brewing (Tokyo / Yamanashi)
- Brasserie Knot (Tsurui Village, Hokkaido)
- MANGOSTEEN BREWING (Hokuto, Yamanashi)
- Mikkeller (Denmark)
The café also offered several bottled craft beers from Asian countries such as Korea and Hong Kong.
Craft Beer, Lunch Plate, and Carrot Cake at WPU CAFE & DINER
Here are the items I ordered at WPU CAFE & DINER.
Craft Beer
From the tap list, I ordered “COMA” from 808 Brewery in Oyama, Tochigi, and “Shojo” from KAIGAN Brewery in Minamiboso, Chiba, both in half sizes.
While many female customers were enjoying sweets, it was also nice to see international tourists enjoying Japanese craft beer.
Nachos – 880 yen
For food, I ordered the nachos.
Because they were topped with a generous amount of cheese, they did not feel especially spicy.
The combination of minced meat, avocado, and cheese was reliably delicious and made them a perfect snack to go with beer.
House-Made French Fries – 580 yen
I also ordered the house-made French fries with garlic butter flavor, choosing from four available seasonings: salt & pepper, yuzu kosho butter, garlic butter, and Cajun spice.
The crescent-shaped potatoes were freshly fried, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, making them very satisfying.
Lunch Plate and Desserts
Because my first evening visit was so comfortable, I returned again during lunch hours.
At lunch, the café offers six types of 1,000-yen lunch plates as well as desserts.
Lunch Plate Options
- Pulled pork burger
- Vietnamese-style sandwich
- Jerk chicken plate
- Taco rice
- Spiced chicken curry
- Plate with 10 vegetables and falafel
Dessert Options
The café also offers many sweets, including photogenic pudding, carrot cake, cheesecake, and gateau chocolat.
Pulled Pork Burger – 1,000 yen
Set Drink – 300 yen
For lunch, I tried the pulled pork burger.
The burger uses pulled pork made by slowly cooking pork shoulder at low temperature, then shredding it and mixing it with sauce. The texture was tender and easy to eat.
The sweet and savory barbecue sauce paired with the fluffy bun very well. It was a delicious burger that felt lighter than it looked and not overly heavy.
Carrot Cake – 450 yen
Iced Café Latte – 650 yen
I also ordered the carrot cake and an iced café latte.
The carrot cake had a simple appearance, and the frosting was rich and closely layered with the sponge.
The cake itself had a dense texture and was very tasty. The spice level was mild and the amount of nuts was modest, giving it a flavor that felt easy for almost anyone to enjoy.
Summary
This time, I introduced WPU CAFE & DINER, a hotel café and diner in Nishi-Shinjuku.
In the softly lit and moody evening atmosphere, music from the DJ booth made the craft beer feel even more enjoyable.
During lunch and café hours, pop songs such as those by The Beatles were played on record, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Since you can enjoy craft beer even during the day, it seems to be a place that works well for many different occasions—whether you want to drink, enjoy a sweet dessert, or have a proper lunch.
If you are interested, please consider visiting.
Shop Information
Shop Name: WPU CAFE & DINER
Address: 7-10-5 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023
Nearest Station: About 1 minute from Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Station (83m)
Hours: 11:30–22:00
Closed: None
Power Outlets: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
Smoking: No
Notes: 50 seats, credit cards accepted, electronic money accepted, QR code payment not accepted
Tabelog Score: 3.34 (as of April 2024)
Looking for the original article in Japanese?
Click here to view the Japanese version on Daily Shinjuku.
https://daily-shinjuku.tokyo/2024/04/21/wpu-cafe-and-diner/
