DONA

Stepping onto the 2th floor of a building by Shinjuku Station's East Exit, Italian Dining DONA offers an escape from the busy streets with casual, pasta-centric Italian fare. The menu is loaded with options, headlined by the Neapolitan-style pescatore packed with seafood flavor, alongside rich favorites like the Gokuma Meat Sauce. With alternatives ranging from Hime-tai sea bream and asparagus peperoncino to shrimp and avocado genovese or fragrant vongole bianco, there is a pasta sauce to suit whatever you are craving.

Beyond pasta, the kitchen bakes thick-crust pizzas such as a margherita made with Hokkaido mozzarella and a quattro formaggi served with honey. For those settling in with a drink, grazing on an appetizer sampler or clams and mussels steamed in white wine alongside a glass of wine or beer makes for a relaxing break.

To finish, the house-made tiramisu is worth saving room for. Its melting cream texture and bittersweet coffee notes combine cleanly, rounding out the meal nicely with a cup of hot coffee. Open continuously from 11:00, the restaurant is a handy option for shopping-break lunches, post-cinema dinners, solo meals, or casual takeaway.