It focuses on a late-night diner in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, its mysterious chef known only as "Master," and the lives of his customers.

While he has a very limited menu (consisting only of tonjiru, sake, beer and shōchū), he always offers to produce any dish that a customer may want, as long as he has the ingredients on hand.

The plot introduces the characters of the episode, often using well-known archetypes and tropes, before detailing their personal challenges.

[3] The plot generally offers a philosophical life lesson as part of the story, be it simple or complicated.

The dish also relates in some way to the story, whether as a comfort, a nostalgic memory, or a metaphor for the subject character(s) life or situation.

The fourth season (released as Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories) was produced in 2016 by Netflix Japan.

In recommending the show The New Yorker compared Midnight Diner to Cheers and High Maintenance in the way it "finds whimsy in the mundane", adding that its "slow, meditative rhythms" discouraged binge-watching.

The Korean version, Late Night Restaurant, was mildly successful, and one season was made.

[13] The Chinese television version, also called Midnight Diner, deviated significantly from the original and was poorly received.