NQ JPN occupies the Berwick Street site previously home to NQ64 Soho, which recently moved to larger premises in nearby Orange Yard.
It combines a cocktail bar and club with a dedicated arcade featuring machines imported from Japan.
Billed as a darker, “more grown-up” evolution of NQ64, the space features black, red and chrome interiors, saturated lighting and street art, taking its cues from a futuristic Tokyo.
The cocktail menu features 12 signature drinks using ingredients including dragon fruit, matcha and cherry blossom. Serves include a melon and cucumber daiquiri, frozen dragon fruit colada and chilli pepper margarita, alongside alcoholic bubble teas, Japanese highballs, whisky and alcohol-free options.
Open until 3am Monday to Saturday, the bar plays tech house and related electronic music, with DJs taking over on Fridays and Saturdays as the space becomes a dance floor.
Behind a translucent red butcher’s curtain is a dedicated arcade with a separate soundtrack. Its collection spans rhythm, action, driving and candy-cabinet games, including titles such as maimai, jubeat, Wacca and Dancerush.
The arcade also houses NQ Mart, a brightly coloured counter inspired by Asian convenience stores.
Customers can create more than 2,000 drink combinations by choosing a spirit, soft drink and flavoured syrup or foam. The offer also includes alcoholic bubble teas and more than 20 soft drinks sourced from countries including Japan, the US and Thailand.
“While NQ JPN comes from the same team as NQ64, we wanted to create something that feels completely different,” say co-founders Matt Robson and Andy Haygarth.
“The starting point was the games. We’ve brought over an incredible collection of arcade machines from Japan that you just don’t normally get to play here and built a whole new world around them.
“From there we’ve taken influences from Japanese drinks and gaming culture and mixed them with everything we love about late-night bars, electronic music, street art and arcade culture. The result isn’t supposed to recreate somewhere that already exists – it’s our own version of what a futuristic arcade bar can be.”
NQ64 is the UK’s largest arcade bar group with a total of 13 sites across the UK in locations including Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh.