NQ JPN, a new Japanese-themed arcade bar from the team behind NQ64, has opened on Berwick Street in Soho, combining imported gaming machines, inventive cocktails, and electronic music in a single venue.
The bar occupies NQ64's former site at 53–54 Berwick Street, after that arcade moved to a larger home at Orange Yard. NQ JPN is a distinct concept, featuring specialist gaming machines imported from Japan, a futuristic cocktail bar, and a colourful build-your-own-drink counter.
A Futuristic Setting with a Nostalgic Core
The main bar is dominated by black, red, and chrome, with saturated lighting and street art influences, creating a futuristic aesthetic that feels closer to Neo Tokyo than traditional Soho. It is darker and more grown-up than NQ64, but retains the playful spirit of its predecessor.
The drinks menu includes 12 signature cocktails with flavours such as dragon fruit, matcha, and cherry blossom, ranging from a Melon and Cucumber Daiquiri to a Frozen Dragon Fruit Colada and Chilli Pepper Margarita. Japanese highballs, whisky, beers including Asahi, and a non-alcoholic selection are also available.
Interactive Drinks and a Hidden Arcade
The Konbini 7-Eleven bar lets guests build their own cocktails by choosing a spirit, soft drink, and flavoured syrup or foam, with more than 2,000 possible combinations. A cocktail containing boba was also tried, though the tapioca pearls repeatedly got stuck in the straw; staff said wider straws were available but temporarily out of stock.
Beyond a translucent red butcher's curtain lies the arcade, lined with gaming cabinets including Japanese imports such as Maimai, Jubeat, Wacca, Dance Rush, Groove Coaster, and Taiko Drum Master. Other highlights include Initial D 7 Twin, Guitadora, Japanese Dance Dance Revolution, Panic Park, Bishi Bashi, and reusable Astro City and Namco Noir cabinets, which house familiar games like Mortal Kombat 3, Time Crisis 2, Mario Kart Arcade GP, and OutRun 2. A PlayStation 2 runs titles such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Resident Evil 4.
Late-Night Gaming and Convenience-Store Touches
NQ JPN stays open until 3am from Monday to Saturday, with a soundtrack of bass-heavy tech house. On Fridays and Saturdays, DJs introduce a harder-edged selection, gradually turning the bar into a late-night dance floor.
NQ Mart, a brighter, hyper-coloured counter inspired by Asian convenience stores, stocks more than 20 unusual soft drinks from Japan, America, Thailand, and beyond. The venue draws inspiration from late 1990s and early 2000s gaming, manga, and anime, reinterpreted through a darker visual identity.
