Alcatraz ER
A truly bizarre novelty restaurant, “Alcatraz ER” is labeled the “Shibuya Medical Prison.” The owners must have been indecisive when picking the concept- I can’t tell if it’s meant to be a prison, a hospital, or a medieval dungeon. But who cares? This just adds to the eccentric appeal, as far as I’m concerned.
Upon arrival, you have to state your blood-type to enter (I don’t know mine, which made things confusing.) You are then handcuffed by girls in nurse-outfits (mmm, kinky!) who lead you to your “cell”- a dingy room which resembles a medieval dungeon.
Cocktails with names like “Influenza” and Acute Mental Stabilizer” are served in test tubes, or you can even drink from a hospital drip. Meals are delivered in those metal dishes surgeons use during operations. The food isn’t so tasty but presumably it’s better than actual prison food.
Dinner is occasionally interrupted to an escaped lunatic in a Jason mask, who runs around the place, terrorizing customers, (but stops short of bum-raping men in the toilets.)
While I was there, an unsuspecting birthday girl on another table was thrown the over the knee of a maniacal doctor, who prodded her arse with a giant syringe while she squealed.
I’m sure you can tell it’s a very classy establishment!
The food and drinks in this place ain’t cheap, but it’s worth a trip just for the novelty value.
Info:
Tel: (03) 37707100
Alcatraz ER Website
March 23, 2007 at 6:13 am
There’s a similar restaurant called The Lockup (locations in Fukuoka and Osaka at least, there may be more around the country). It’s a mix of prison, horror and pirate atmospheres. You make your way in through a maze, descending weird stairs. When you go to this place, they ‘arrest’ you (slap on handcuffs) and throw you into a ‘cell’. You drink out of beakers (and mix your own drink by ‘injecting’ it from a giant plastic syringe). The food consists of normal stuff, and they also have things like Russian Roulette sushi - one piece per person, and one of them is full of wasabi.
Every once in a while, the lights go totally out except for some emergency lights, and this guy wearing a Jason mask scares the patrons. No spanking, though.
Highly recommended for a randomly good time
March 23, 2007 at 9:45 am
Haha! I like the Russian Roulette Sushi idea. Actually I’ve been to the Lock Up in Yokohama. I think there’s one in Shibuya, too. I always get a kick out of these novelty places.
March 24, 2007 at 8:47 am
Dear Roaf!
Greetings from Shizuoka!
This Robert-Gilles from shizuokagourmet.wordpress.com (and others)
Found your blog through another crazy Frenchman, simaldeff.
Your blog is great fun !
Ok, I’m working today.
Will be back this afternoon!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles
March 24, 2007 at 9:57 am
Thanks, Robert-Gilles. I like your gourmet sites! If I go to Shizuoka, I’ll know which bars and restaurants to go to.
March 24, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Cheers, Roaf!
Actually I’ve been quite a few times to Fukuoka and like your town! I will send you soon some of my own information about your city!
Until then, cheers!
Robert-Gilles
March 25, 2007 at 12:27 am
Actually I’m in Yokohama now!
March 25, 2007 at 9:55 am
No problemo, mate!
I have even more information about the city, including cricket!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles
March 26, 2007 at 1:13 am
Sounds good!
April 3, 2007 at 1:45 pm
[...] whaaaaattt??? Explore posts in the same categories: [...]
October 4, 2007 at 2:06 am
[...] At this truly macabre prison-hospital-themed eaterie in Shibuya, the waitresses wear nurses’ uniforms, the drinks are served in test-tubes, and your drinking is occasionally interrupted by a deranged escaped convict in an ice hockey mask. A classy joint. Read about it here. [...]
October 4, 2007 at 11:09 pm
[...] At this truly macabre prison-hospital-themed eaterie in Shibuya, the waitresses wear nurses’ uniforms, the drinks are served in test-tubes, and your drinking is occasionally interrupted by a deranged escaped convict in an ice hockey mask. A classy joint. Read about it here. [...]
October 26, 2007 at 1:44 am
[...] such as the Vampire Cafe, a shrine to bloodsuckers, with crucifixes and coffins for decorations, or Alkatraz ER, a bizarre, prison-hospital-themed izakaya, where you can drink from test tubes, and your [...]
December 30, 2007 at 1:41 am
[...] dinner, we went to Alcatraz+ER, a theme restaurant in Shibuya. The whole place is decorated in the style of a prison-hospital, [...]
February 10, 2008 at 8:36 am
Can you go to this place by yourself? I’m going to be travelling to Tokyo solo and would love to pop in this place for a meal and a drink but it looks like it caters to groups rather than individuals…is there a sit down bar or do they have smaller cells for like 2 people?
THANKS!!!
February 10, 2008 at 9:07 am
You could go on your own, but might feel a bit weird!
They’ve got plenty of tables for two. No sit down bar, if I remember rightly, though.
February 16, 2008 at 4:20 am
Is a normal work week in Tokyo Monday-Friday? The reason I ask is it seems like a lot of places are closed on Monday (or is that only places like museums and stuff?).
In North America, the nights to go out are usually Thurs, Fri, Sat nights and are back at work Monday morning. What days do people usually go out in Tokyo?
February 16, 2008 at 10:23 am
Yeah, most people have sat/sun off and everyone goes out on fri/sat nights.
But, because of the huge population, there are still loads of bars and restaurants open every night and they get fairly lively, even on weekdays.
Most museums are closed on mondays, as are some small restaurants. But I actually prefer going sightseeing/eating out on weekdays when everywhere is less insanely crowded.
February 18, 2008 at 7:11 am
[...] may have just given someone an idea for a doctor-cum-dance-club. For the U.S., that [...]
March 25, 2008 at 7:16 am
I don’t know if anyone will see this but we are doing a shoot for a Canadian TV show at Alcatraz ER on April 1/08… it would be great to have an English speaking patron or two there for our crew to interview! If you do go, introduce yourselves to the camera man.
March 25, 2008 at 8:14 am
April 1st? Not a prank, I hope!