I used to work near Alice and I'd go in every day and get denied every day until finally there was a chill staff member. Once he let me in, he defended my case when the other staff denied me. That was the only way I ever got into these places. That member card opened the door to Coco for me. I told him to phone the dude at Alice. I can speak some basic conversational Japanese.
But returning after covid, I cannot get into either. They won't even look at the member card. They all say Ikebukuro is the only one accepting gaijins. And the selection is very low. Usually nothing. I had a N1 gaijin friend who has Japanese citizenship go into Shinjuku, and he had to push really really hard but was reluctantly accepted. I miss Satomi.