Star Club

Mario bar in Shinjuku

For a Mario-themed bar, I was expecting Star Club to be a lot more crowded than it was on a Saturday evening. After coming out of a movie, Star Club was on the same block so a friend and I went in to make the most of the evening. She had told me about the bar before, as had another friend, so I was expecting it to be crowded due to the spread through word of mouth. However, there were only 2 other patrons in there at the time. The cover charge to get in is 500 yen, but you do get a snack (popcorn) for your troubles. I guess you could also count it as a fee for playing their video games. They have a Wii set up with a bunch of different games... We decided to play Smash and the bartenders and customers were watching for a bit. They have regular drinks as well as specialty cocktails. I got the Koopa (gin, lychee, among other things) and my friend got the Cute Peach (peach liqueur and orange juice). They were both really good, but we couldn't taste the alcohol... Which can be a very good thing or a very dangerous thing, depending on who you ask. The interior is decked out in Mario memorabilia. It's not a large place, with one table that can seat 5 at most, and a bar with about 5 seats. But every inch of the interior is covered with gaming details. There are pillows, posters, light decorations... Even the coasters are Mario themed! So, if you're a fan, I definitely recommend stopping by for a chill (but a bit pricey) evening.