bar DUDE

Tucked into a room inside a building in Shinjuku 3-chome, bar DUDE is a casual bar where guests can stop by for both a hearty meal and a drink. Its signature fixture is a mildly spiced waterless keema curry. Concentrating the natural umami of its ingredients, the curry can be customised with toppings such as cheddar cheese, onsen tamago (soft-poached egg), or coleslaw. Diners looking for a more substantial meal can upgrade to a large portion (1.5x), and lunchtime sets with salad and a drink are also available.

Food options go beyond curry, with taco rice loaded with lettuce and cheese, as well as light bites like pizza toast and jam toast. The drinks list is equally broad: bottled beers such as Heartland, Guinness, and Corona, draft beer, highballs, lemon sours, and gin and tonics. Cafe options including drip coffee, caffe lattes, and cream sodas are also well represented, making it just as handy for a mid-afternoon pause as for an evening drink.

Furnished with counter and table seating, the space has an unpretentious, relaxed feel that suits solo visitors and small groups alike. It opens from 12:00 in the afternoon on weekends, and on weekdays operates from evening until 5:00 the following morning (until 2:00 on Thursdays), giving it great flexibility across different hours of the day.