How Much It Costs to Visit the Alice In Wonderland Restaurant With Five People. (A Lot!!!)

Recently the United States Association for Fancy Tea Parties had its first official meeting at a restaurant called Alice In Wonderland Restaurant. These restaurants are a franchise throughout Tokyo known for having a distinct theme depending on the location you visit. For example the one located in Akihabara is called Alice in the Labyrinth, the one in Shibuya is known as Alice in the Mirror, and the one we visited in Shinjuku is called Alice in a Book.  While they are all technically the same, the way you enter each one is supposedly different, and accordingly we entered through a door fashioned after a book cover.  What we discovered about this place is that it is not only gorgeous, but also terrifyingly expensive. However, let us discuss things in the correct order and analyze the spacing available.

If I were to describe this restaurant in one word it would be cozy. It is compact and the first thing you notice as you walk through the hallway is that there are at least 3 large tables designed to accommodate groups such as ours. The rest of them are booths and smaller tables designed to fit 3 to 4 people per group. The limited space is also the reason why you have to make reservations before arriving.  But, once you actually make reservations and arrive at this place it is easy to indulge in the beautiful environment located in this fabulous location.  I repeat do not visit this place unannounced making reservations can be difficult, but with copious amounts of Google Translate anyone can get through to them. I know I did and I wear bunny ears on top of a hat:

You see when they said taking the theme of Alice in Wonderland seriously, the Japanese meant exactly what it said. From wearing bunny ear hoods to seeing card guards watching the entrance this place screams of Disney and Alice in Wonderland (the original book of course). Why Disney you might ask? Because the entire time we were there the background was playing songs which we all grew up with from Under the Sea to Hakuna Matata. The tables were all lovingly decorated and walls had murals with the characters of the series. Alice in Wonderland Restaurant is a gorgeous display of art in the form of a café.  Even the food is themed accordingly and in fact let us take a look at some of the dish that were ordered that day.

From the Caterpillar Sushi Roll to the Cheshire Cat alcoholic beverage this place was brimming with its namesake. The menu was nearly entirely designed around the characters of the book and it shows how much care went into designing such things. The Association partook in a three course meal, which is not something I advice anyone to do when visiting this place.  You see this restaurant is not only pleasing to the eye; it's also a wallet murderer.

While it is true that I'm exaggerating a bit for the sake of comedy, it's not a joke when I say that we spent over 250 USD in this place between 5 adults and one child. It is ridiculously priced for the small portions you are served and our large American stomachs. We did eat a lot, but was it worth it? Probably not, I never advocate spending too much in Restaurants unless you're celebrating for a special occasion. In this case we were, but if you need a little bit more convincing allow me to show you some of the pictures we took of the menu:

Now you see what I mean! This place killed my wallet, and our friends also felt the pain. This place is an amazing spot if you're every going on a date don't get me wrong on that detail. But, keep it at that. Special Celebrations because if you go for the full course meal then you will spend over a hundred dollars between two people. It is a nice experience to have while you are in Japan, but don't visit this place if you are strapped for cash. It's not worth it.

So how much does it cost to visit this place? A lot! It's as simple as that, the place is wonderful if you're going on a quiet date, but otherwise if you're just looking for a meal this is not the place to go. I mean my wallet literally cried the entire way home that night and the only thing that made it better was the look from girls I received. If it wasn't for that (and my good friends) the day would have been considered overly expensive. But, disregarding all of that because this place is amazing is still a valid option.

Visit Alice in Wonderland Restaurant for the beauty and aesthetic that only these restaurants can offer. Otherwise, avoid the trip.