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The 38 Essential Tokyo Restaurants

A pizza omakase with stunning views, fine dining from a World’s 50 Best winner out of Lima, ham katsu sandwiches at a beloved decades-old bakery, and more of Tokyo’s best meals

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Restaurants in Tokyo are known for shokunin, the people who focus on a single skill to the point of obsession. These chefs dedicate their lives to the smallest details of a cuisine: the optimal temperature for the oil when frying tempura, the perfect texture for sushi rice, the ideal sear on grilled unagi. This long-term commitment separates Tokyo from the other great dining cities in the world, and it has fostered a lot of continuity in the restaurant scene; some of the earliest restaurants in Tokyo also served sushi, tempura, and unagi, along with oyakodon chicken and eggs over rice, soba, sukiyaki, tonkatsu, and other specialties still represented in restaurants today. Though Tokyo is infamous for a few highly regarded spots that are impossible to get into without an introduction by a regular, visitors will find more than enough to love across the massive dining metropolis.

Updated, July 2023:

Following Japan’s decision to reopen its borders to visitors in 2022, tourists are back in record numbers. They’re here — just as they were before the onset of the pandemic — for the food. Alongside Tokyo’s renowned decades-old culinary institutions, contemporary chefs from around the world are making an impression, especially Daniele Cason at the Pizza Bar on 38th, Santiago Fernandez of Maz Tokyo, and Daniel Calvert at Sézanne. Meanwhile, locals are queuing up with out-of-towners for comfort food dishes like ramen, udon noodles, onigiri (rice balls), and sandwiches made on tender white bread.

The biggest struggle for visitors remains with reservations at smaller restaurants. Outstanding hotel concierges are helpful for making these bookings, as are booking apps such as Pocket Concierge and Table All . At the same time, a weak yen also makes dining out and hotels more affordable; cheaper food and a cheaper bed for a post-feast nap are all the reasons you need to squeeze in yet another meal.

Yukari Sakamoto is the author of Food Sake Tokyo and offers guided tours to markets in Tokyo. She is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, a sommelier, and a shochu advisor.

Yakumo Saryō

For a rejuvenating start to the day indulge with a Japanese breakfast at Yakumo Saryo. Designed by architect Shinichiro Ogata, the teahouse is a tranquil space offering a morning of peace and mindfulness. The asacha (morning tea) set breakfast includes a variety of teas, porridge, fish, pickles, miso soup, and wagashi (confections) to finish. Reservations are required.

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Kozue has some of the best views in the metropolis from the 40th floor of the iconic Park Hyatt Tokyo, a view made famous in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation . Chef Nobuhiro Yoshida sources seafood directly from fishermen, who send him photos or videos of their catch while they’re still out at sea so that selections arrive the same day to the restaurant. Seasonal sashimi is presented over a bowl of crushed ice and wagyu beef hot pot arrives on exquisite tableware. Elevate the meal with a flight of sake from the impressive list.

Bar Benfiddich

Hiroyasu Kayama’s atmospheric, candle-lit ninth-floor hideaway is one of Tokyo’s most compelling bars, with shelves crammed with rare spirits and jars of obscure aromatics, and drinks just as likely to involve a mortar and pestle as a cocktail shaker. Sink into one of the half-dozen armchairs at the ancient-wood counter and give Kayama carte blanche to work his mixologist magic. Best to get there early, though: Bar Benfiddich’s fame extends far beyond the Shinjuku back streets.

There’s no shortage of soba specialists in Tokyo, but few manage to create noodles quite as flavorful and satisfying as those at Tamawarai. Each batch is made from scratch — the dough mixed, rolled, and cut by hand — and much of it with buckwheat the restaurant helps to grow. The side dishes, such as soba miso and the wonderfully creamy yuba (tofu skin), are prepared with equal care. Tamawarai does not accept reservations, so despite the less-than-convenient location in a residential neighborhood between Shibuya and Harajuku, you will invariably find yourself standing in line for up to an hour to get in.

Isetan Shinjuku

No visit to Tokyo is complete without exploring a depachiku — the food halls found on the basement levels of most department stores. Isetan in Shinjuku can’t be beat for gourmet glamor, with local wagashi (Japanese confections) arranged alongside the patisseries of Sadaharu Aoki, Jean-Paul Hévin, and Pierre Hermé. Have a light meal at the in-house open kitchen or take a bento up to the roof garden.

Onigiri Manma

Manma, an onigiri (rice ball) shop, sits in the shadow of the Shinjuku Isetan department store. Onigiri are a classic comfort food, but Manma’s draw is its unique fillings: Popular options include a “mother and child” of grilled salmon with sujiko salmon roe, seasoned ground meat with cured egg yolk, and bacon with cream cheese. The only side dishes — all that’s really needed — are miso soup and tsukemono, pickles. The casual seating is at the counter, so everyone has front-row seats to watch the staff assemble giant rice balls. Expect a queue for a seat, but you can also take to-go orders (usually faster) to the nearby Shinjuku Gyoen park for an impromptu picnic.

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Pizza Marumo

Chef Yuki Motokura left a traditional Japanese kitchen to open Pizza Marumo. Motokura defines his pies as neither Neapolitan nor Roman, but as Tokyo-style. The charred pizza dough has the texture of freshly grilled mochi rice cakes, a comfort food for many Japanese diners. The extensive menu includes wagyu carpaccio, oven-roasted vegetables, and a long list of pizzas. The restaurant covers classic pizzas, as well as unique Japanese-style renditions incorporating umami-rich ingredients like katsuobushi (smoked skipjack tuna flakes), kombu (kelp), shiitake mushrooms, or almost cheesy, soy-marinated tofu.

Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa’s decision to move Den from its iconic Jimbocho address has paid off in spades. The restaurant claims two Michelin stars and the top spot in Asia on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The cooking remains innovative and satisfying, incorporating audacious, humorous ideas into Japan’s highly formalized kaiseki tradition. Expect foie gras in your appetizer and ants in your salad, along with his signature Dentucky Fried Chicken.

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Yakitori Imai

Grillmaster Takashi Imai’s namesake yakitoriya is large, sleek, and contemporary. All the seats look in on his spacious open kitchen, so you can watch him in action over the main charcoal pit. Besides his excellent chicken skewers, Imai usually offers a list of premium meats, such as French pigeon. There’s also a serious selection of grilled vegetables from his second grill, plus a substantial list of natural wine.

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L'Effervescence 

It’s no secret Tokyo has some of the best French cuisine outside of France, partly because local chefs study with the world's best, as Shinobu Namae at L’Effervescence did with Michel Bras and Heston Blumenthal. The restaurant has built a strong following with its use of premium produce, innate seasonal sensibility, and clear pride in good service, not to mention its tranquil location. Pro tip: Lunch is an especially good value.

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Nowhere in Tokyo serves tonkatsu (breaded deep-fried pork) with the quality and sophistication of Butagumi, set in a 60-year-old, two-story, freestanding traditional house. Here, you dine on premium cutlets — made from your choice of a couple dozen regional heirloom breeds — cooked a beautiful golden brown and served with a pyramid of finely slivered cabbage and thick, house-made Worcestershire-style sauce.

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Yoshihiro Narisawa worked under Paul Bocuse, Frédy Girardet, and Joël Robuchon. But at his namesake restaurant, he fuses French haute cuisine with a profound understanding of Japanese ingredients that has resulted in a style uniquely his own. Serving brilliant left-field dishes such as soil soup (yes, really) and Okinawan sea snake broth, alongside superb langoustine and wagyu beef, he more than merits his two Michelin stars and spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Sake aficionados flock to Marie Chiba’s Eureka sake bar. The impressive sake list includes labels like Senkin, Aramasa, and Raifuku. Pair a glass with sake-friendly small plates like a smoked jammy egg covered in squid ink mayonnaise, blue cheese ham katsu, and crab cream croquettes. As a sake sommelier, Chiba can expertly recommend pairings, and will warm up some sake to draw out different expressions. There are only a dozen counter seats so be sure to book in advance, or walk in and hope to get a tachinomi (spot for standing and drinking).

Second-generation chef Daisuke Shimazaki serves traditional Edomae sushi at Sushi Yuu, located in a quiet residential area not far from the busy Roppongi district. While some high-end sushiya can feel stiflingly formal, more like a library or a church than a convivial restaurant, chef Shimazaki puts all of his customers at ease (in English, Russian, or Italian, as well as Japanese). The meal starts off with small seasonal bites such as grilled Pacific mackerel and simmered yellowtail before the parade of nigirizushi. Sushi Yuu is particularly famous for tuna, which Shimazaki sources from one of Toyosu Market’s top tuna vendors.

Chef Daisuke Nomura serves modern shojin ryori — vegetarian Buddhist cuisine —  strategically locating his restaurant Sougo in the Roppongi district to appeal to the younger, international crowd who live and work in the neighborhood. The signature dish is sesame tofu, fried or grilled to bring out a silky texture. The menu also includes a myriad of vegetables from land and sea, along with traditional shojin ingredients like fu (wheat gluten) and yuba (soy milk skin). Tip: Diners wanting to learn more about Japanese food can take classes at Tokyo Cook, a cooking school located within the restaurant.

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Kagurazaka akomeya.

Akomeya is  the  place in central Tokyo if you’re looking to buy premium rice, foodstuffs from around Japan, kitchen essentials (including earthenware donabe pots), and designer tableware. But the best reason to visit is the casual in-store canteen, Akomeya Shokudo, which serves simple set meals of rice, miso soup, pickles, and main dishes like deep-fried fish and scallops. There’s also kakigori shaved ice, which can be topped with chocolate and rum raisins, as well as a variety of teas including a yuzu green tea and lemongrass hojicha roasted green tea.

Kikunoi Akasaka

Kaiseki, Japan’s ineffable, hyper-seasonal traditional cuisine, always tastes best in its hometown, Kyoto. This can be attributed to the water, which is softer than in Tokyo. Chef Yoshihiro Murata gets around this by shipping water from the ancient capital to the Akasaka branch of his renowned Kikunoi to ensure his dashi soup stock is always perfect. In this tranquil, secluded setting, it’s almost possible to imagine you have left the metropolis far behind. At lunchtime, Kikunoi also offers more accessible and affordable bento lunches.

Bar Gen Yamamoto

An L-shaped counter made from a 500-year-old Mongolian oak tree sets the stage for an omakase flight of craft cocktails at Bar Gen Yamamoto. The eponymous proprietor returned from New York specifically to work with the Japanese palette of ingredients. The drinks, made with spirits and sake, are all low in alcohol to highlight the flavors of seasonal produce, both fruits and vegetables, including items like fava beans or sweetcorn. They’re presented in a variety of eye-catching glassware on trays decorated with flowers or greenery. With only eight seats, this ultra-quiet bar is a place to study the art of imbibing.

Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara

Owner Kentaro Nakahara sources the finest wagyu and knows all the best cuts to grill over the charcoal burners set into your tabletop at Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara. Besides his seven-item yakiniku (grilled meat) tasting menu, don’t miss the beef “prosciutto,” the tartare, or his self-styled legendary grilled tongue (which must be reserved in advance). Yakiniku is always fun, but it’s rarely as chic, clean, and smoke-free — both from cigarettes and the grills — as it is here.

The team behind Central in Lima, Peru — named the No. 1 restaurant in the world in 2023 by the World’s 50 Best group — opened Maz in 2022 in the Akasaka district. Chef Santiago Fernandez oversees the menu; like Central, Maz explores the vast biodiversity of locally sourced ingredients, with about 80 percent of the ingredients sourced from Japan. Fernandez has defined his cuisine as “based on the respect for nature.” In Japan that means unique ingredients like junsai (watershield, a type of water plant), sea vegetables including hijiki and umibudo (sea grapes), and a colorful variety of seafood including uni, octopus, and shellfish. Dessert is an exploration of different expressions of cacao.

The former geisha district of Kagurazaka is worth exploring at any time, but especially as evening falls on the atmospheric narrow alleys. Even more so if you’ve booked yourself into Ishikawa for an extended, multicourse kaiseki dinner. Hideki Ishikawa’s impeccable cuisine, superb quality ingredients, and gracious welcome have won him three well-deserved Michelin stars and a host of admirers around the world.

At Tenko, vegetables and seasonal seafood from Tokyo Bay are battered and fried into tempura, a specialty of Tokyo. The restaurant is on the quiet backstreets of Kagurazaka in a former geisha teahouse. Second-generation chef Hitoshi Arai is a master at creating delicate and lacy tempura, serving each one as it comes out of the oil, and it’s worth trying some of the tempura with salt instead of dipping sauce to preserve the crispy covering. Part of the experience is listening to the tempura as it bubbles in the hot oil.

Tofuya Ukai

Built around a beautiful traditional garden, Tofuya Ukai’s low-rise complex of private rooms offers a glimpse of how Tokyo used to look and dine before the modern high-rise city developed. Multicourse meals include elaborate appetizers — like the specialty artisan bean curd served in hot pots in winter or chilled in summer — and culminate in servings of fish or meat grilled at the table.

Oden is Japan’s favorite wintertime comfort food, an aromatic hotpot of slow-simmered seafood, meat, and vegetables, usually washed down with plenty of sake or beer. Otako has been serving it this way for almost a century and attracts an eclectic clientele, from humble salarymen to Ginza hostesses dolled up in kimonos. Slide open the door, wait for a seat, then take your place at the long counter, watching the chefs at work over the steaming oden pans. At any time of year, Otako is a Tokyo classic.

Kagari Ramen

Tori paitan (creamy chicken broth for ramen) is rich and comforting, like grandma’s chicken soup. The broth clings to the thin straight noodles as one slurps. At Kagari, seasonal and colorful vegetables such as watermelon radish, snap peas, and kabocha squash top the dish and rotate throughout the year. Use the side dish of grated ginger and fried garlic, along with a bottle of vinegar from the counter, to brighten up and adjust the umami-rich soup to your liking. The main Ginza shop is on a quiet pedestrian back street, but the sister shop at the Roppongi Hills complex (Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-4-1) is not as crowded as the main shop in Ginza.

Wagashi Kunpu

Sachiko Tsukuda creates her unique wagashi (confections) to be paired with sake. Located in the hipster Yanesen district, the salon has earned a cult following among both wagashi and sake aficionados. Tsukuda’s signature is a modern take on dorayaki; she augments the traditional pancakes, typically stuffed with sweet azuki bean paste, by utilizing seasonal jams such as rhubarb or kumquat. She also incorporates vegetables into some of her sweets, such as jelly cakes made with burdock root or red turnips.

Ekibenya Matsuri

Part of the ritual of riding a shinkansen (bullet train) is enjoying a bento and green tea (or sake if you like), while taking in the view. Located inside of Tokyo Station, Ekibenya Matsuri offers about 170 regional ekiben (“eki” for station and “ben” short for bento box) brought in from throughout Japan, an excellent chance to enjoy a range of regional Japanese flavors. The colorful selection includes rice topped with sashimi, wagyu beef, or yakitori grilled chicken skewers, and there is even a gyutan beef tongue bento that contains a warming device activated by a pull-string, allowing you to enjoy a hot meal on your journey. The shop opens at 5:30 a.m. for anyone catching an early train.

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British chef Daniel Calvert’s resume includes time at Epicure in Paris and Per Se in New York, and most recently the position of head chef at Belon in Hong Kong. His elegant, modern French cuisine skillfully incorporates Japanese ingredients such as sake lees, Hokkaido scallops, and hotaru ika (firefly squid). The tempting dishes include osetra caviar with avocado and sudachi citrus, as well as kinki (thornyhead fish) with crispy skin and saffron bouillabaisse. The restaurant, located at the Four Seasons Marunouchi just next to Tokyo Station, has exquisite service and an extensive wine list.

Higashiya Ginza

No one has done as much to give Japan’s green tea culture a boost as interior designer Shinichi Ogata and his Higashiya wagashi (confectionery) shops. At his flagship store, a tranquil, capacious oasis above the madding crowds of central Ginza, the traditional wabi-sabi tea ceremony aesthetic has been given a contemporary makeover. Settle in for contemplation over premium teas, seasonal desserts (including kakigori ice in summer), and even light multicourse meals. You will emerge fully recharged.

Kanda Matsuya

Soba is the traditional noodle in Tokyo, and nowhere is that heritage preserved better than at Kanda Matsuya. Founded 130 years ago and housed in superb wooden premises, it’s a living legend. There’s a small menu of side dishes to go with sake, but here it’s all about the noodles, which are rolled and cut by hand in-house by the master’s son.

Godaime Hanayama Udon Ginza

Hanayama is famous for its oni himokawa udon noodles, which are thin and flat, and served in a tanuki raccoon-shaped bowl. The fifth-generation shop is from Gunma, a region famous for flour, but better known for silky, thin udon than himokawa. Hanayama also excels at tempura, so be sure to get some meaty maitake or shrimp. Hanayama also has a new restaurant at Haneda Airport, where the line is much shorter than at the Ginza location.

Tsukiji Outer Market

Tsukiji’s famous wholesale market finally made its long-delayed move to the new location in Toyosu. But the Outer Market — the compact warren of narrow, crowded streets known as Jogai — hasn’t gone anywhere. Alongside the sushi counters and ramen shops you’ll find retail stores selling everything from fresh seafood and katsuobushi (bonito flakes) to traditional knives and ceramics.

The Pizza Bar on 38th

Since 2014, Roman chef and pizzaiolo Daniele Cason has been serving Roman-style pizza made from a blend of five organic Italian flours and 80 percent Italian water. The dough is fermented for 48 hours, resulting in a delicate and airy crust. The pizza has been voted the best in Asia on the 50 Top Pizza list , and Cason was named the 2022 pizza-maker of the year by the Italian awards body. The restaurant is on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the quiet Nihonbashi district. It has only eight seats at the marble countertop overlooking the open kitchen and pizza oven. Dinner is omakase-style with two seatings, and diners try eight different pizzas. The set meal begins with a pizzino of mascarpone, fior di latte cheese, olives tapenade, and truffles, but if you go at lunch be sure to order it as an appetizer. Toppings change throughout the seasons, drawing from Japan’s diverse offerings such as sansai (mountain vegetables), Nagano prosciutto, and Sado Island fresh figs.

Tsukishima Monja Street

You’ll find dozens of shops lining this street in the Tsukishima neighborhood all serving monjayaki, a local dish similar to Osaka’s okonomiyaki. The setup at every shop is essentially the same: Diners select fillings such as mentaiko (spicy pollack roe), mochi, and cheese, and cook the monja themselves on a large iron plate set into each table with the help of a tiny spatula. The trick is to spread the mixture out thin and wait for it to crisp up (the staff will gladly show first timers the proper technique ). Paired with an icy mug of beer, it’s a fun meal. The street is blocked off at night for pedestrians, giving it a lively atmosphere that attracts local Japanese as well as tourists. It’s best to peruse the shops and pop into the first one that seems warm and welcoming.

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Ningyocho Imahan

Housed in a classic low-rise building in a traditional neighborhood, Imahan is one of Tokyo’s oldest and best loved purveyors of beef cuisine. Shabushabu, sukiyaki, teppanyaki, and steak are all prepared and served with old-school refinement and expertise. Book yourself into one of the private rooms for an extended omakase feast. Just choose what provenance and grade of wagyu you want, then relax and let the kimono-clad waitstaff pamper you.

Pelican Café

Pelican Bakery has been baking white bread since 1942. The bread is so popular that all orders must be placed in advance for the privilege of purchasing a loaf. Pelican Café, which recently opened down the street from the bakery, is a chance for more people to try the sought-after bread. The menu focuses on toast and sandwiches, including a thick-cut ham katsu and another composed of fresh fruit with whipped cream. There are also toasts topped with cheese, sweet adzuki beans and butter, or simply butter and jam. The cafe is often busy, mostly with young people. Pelican is near the famous Asakusa district, home of the Asakusa Shrine, making it an easy stop for sightseers.

Nowhere serves unagi (freshwater eel) like Obana. The recipe for its kabayaki — fillets of eel that are steamed, charcoal grilled, and basted with a thick, rich, sweet-savory glaze — dates back to the times of the shoguns. Expect hour-long lines (especially on weekends) for the pleasure of sitting on a hard floor (thin cushions provided) at low communal tables, with a further wait while they dispatch the eel and slowly cook it to order. The anticipation is worth it, though. Obana’s unagi is widely agreed to be the best in the city.

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Koffee Mameya Kakeru

This spacious warehouse is a sister shop to the original Koffee Mameya Kakeru, a popular boutique in Omotesando. The cafe specializes in flights of coffee, which might include a pour over, an espresso, a latte, and one or more mocktails, all showcasing different expressions of the same bean. You can also order drinks a la carte, including spiked coffee cocktails in the evening. The interior is sleek, with contrasting wooden chairs and a U-shaped limestone counter, and the knowledgeable staff wear white lab coats and bowties — though they’re perfectly friendly. Reservations are required.

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39 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

By Melinda Joe

Pulsating with energy and dripping with Michelin stars, Tokyo is the place to be for food lovers. From humble yakitori joints serving skewered grilled chicken, to multi-course traditional kaiseki feasts, dishes are prepared with care and a respect for seasonal ingredients. But this city’s culinary greatness isn’t limited to Japanese cuisine; there’s phenomenal Italian, refined Chinese, and genre-defying French that deserves a category of its own. “It’s getting hard to eat anywhere else, because Tokyo has it all and does everything better,” is how one world-weary Brazilian gastronaut recently put it—and we agree completely. Read on for our picks for some of the best restaurants in Tokyo, from hard-to-book (but worth the trouble) sushi counters and Chinese spots to stand-out pizza and burger concepts.

Read our complete Tokyo travel guide here .

Every restaurant on this list has been selected independently by Condé Nast Traveler editors and reviewed by a local contributor who has visited that restaurant. Our editors consider both high-end and affordable eateries, and weigh stand-out dishes, location, and service—as well as inclusivity and sustainability credentials. We update this list as new restaurants open and existing ones evolve.

Gucci Osteria Tokyo Arrow

There's a whiff of Alice in Wonderland at the Tokyo outpost of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura. The elevator opens onto a light-filled space, with a trellised, open-air terrace preceding the main dining area. Tall banquettes upholstered in peacock-colored velvet complement the hand-painted flooring and floral-patterned Girnori teacups. The atmosphere conjures a high-Renaissance Florentine fantasy, replete with marble tabletops and boiserie carved wood paneling embellished with lines of poetry penned by Lorenzo de Medici. A protege of three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura, chef Antonio Iacoviello takes diners on an edible journey centered on his native Italy. He filters elements of Italian and Japanese food culture through the culinary kaleidoscope of his mind, resulting in boundary-pushing fusions like a tangle of thinly sliced bonito and cucumber "spaghetti" atop a sauce of olives, capers, and parsley, concealed beneath a cloud of bagna cauda foam; or tender bites of abalone dotted with arugula sauce and sudachi citrus jelly, served with smoked cheese and caviar on crispy piadina flatbreads.

Sézanne Arrow

Located on the 7th floor of the Four Seasons Tokyo Marunouchi , Sezanne is a cool-toned sanctuary dedicated to modern elegance, with Zen-inspired motifs and contemporary artwork by Annie Morris. The champagne trolly showcases with rare vintage bubbly like 1964 Dom Perignon and 1978 La Grande Dame. The wine list features inspired choices like red from Jura, and digestifs include ratafia de champagne. This may be least pretentious high-brow restaurant in Tokyo, thanks to the warm but professional service led by maire d’hotel Simone Macri.

Tinc Gana Arrow

A striking, two-toned counter–mint-green on the inside, pale grey on the outside–anchors the interior of Tinc Gana, the elevated sibling of contemporary Spanish gastrobar Gracia. Owner-chef Jerome Quilbeuf oversees operations in the open kitchen, stopping to joke with the guests as he tops up their glasses of wine. There’s a small terrace with jaunty blue-and-white wicker chairs for aperitifs outside, and a subterranean watering hole outfitted with a fireplace for after-dinner drinks in Quilbeuf’s Abajo bar next door. This place is popular with hospitality-industry types and foodies in the know–it’s not uncommon to spot local restauranteurs having a meal on their days off, or celebrity chefs visiting Tokyo. The menu varies with the seasons but will likely start with pan con tomate, draped with 36-month-aged Joselito jamon. Quilbeuf, who spent years as the head chef at Spain’s three-Michelin-starred Sant Pau and its two-starred Tokyo outpost, shows his creativity in dishes such as charcoal-grilled tuna with pine-nut sauce, olives, and tomato confit and saffron-scented paella shaped into onigiri rice balls and served with a sauce of shrimp bisque.

Il Ristorante - Luca Fantin Arrow

Chef Luca Fantin’s artful interpretations of Italian classics are made exclusively with produce from Japan, but "the flavors are completely Italian," he says. "I don’t put shoyu (soy sauce) on my pasta or use yuzu (Japanese citrus) on anything. I’m not interested in making fusion." His cooking is focused and precise. A single raviolo filled with smoked burrata broth and topped with caviar from Miyazaki Prefecture is a silky, luxurious mouthful. There is showmanship in the deconstructed minestrone soup, a clear broth adorned with gem-toned root vegetable marbles, while simplicity is the key to the fresh pasta and sea urchin, finished with lemon and colatura di alici.

Shannon McMahon

CNT Editors

Hannah Towey

Kanda Arrow

Kanda has held on to its three Michelin stars since 2008, when the Red Guide first landed in Tokyo. Born into a family of traditional Japanese chefs, Hiroyuki Kanda complements his classical training with ideas he picked up while working in France in his 20s. Sweet peaches nestle against silky tofu under a spoonful of caviar; bursts of acidity offer a high-toned counterpoint to the umami depth in a dish of abalone over somen noodles in a chilled broth. We’d happily devour Kanda’s pressed sushi with horse mackerel or the clay-pot-cooked rice, served with miso soup and pickles, every day. All is served on lacquerware from the Edo era. Scoring a reservation here–one of Tokyo’s most difficult-to-book tables–is reason enough to celebrate. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, well worth the eye-watering price tag.

Tempura Motoyoshi Arrow

Chef Motoyoshi's deep-fried delicacies are fantastically light, sheathed in a crisp coating of golden batter that owes its crunch to a mixture of canola and sesame oil. He has a knack for vegetables, which he ferries from Tsukiji market on the back of his motorbike every day. Among his signatures are succulent Takagime peppers from Kyoto, pudding-like croquettes of sweet Japanese corn, and myoga wild Japanese ginger buds.

Shirosaka Arrow

Shirosaka has all the trappings of a classic kaiseki restaurant: an immaculate wooden interior, a window that looks out onto a placid miniature garden, and a serious-faced chef working quietly behind the counter. Despite appearances, there's no buttoned-up formality here—Chef Hideki Ii just wants you to have fun. Tokyo-born Ii, who trained in Sydney and spent three years in New York cooking for the Japanese ambassador, combines traditional and modern techniques into a highly personal style of kappo-ryori (kaiseki’s less formal cousin). The tasting menu sparkles with dishes that are almost too pretty to eat, and the short and sweet drink menu is all about approachable sake and wine.

Yakiniku Jumbo Shirokane Arrow

A5 wagyu beef, that most decadent of meats, is king here. Order dishes for sharing a la carte, or put your trust in the personable and helpful servers; an omakase tasting menu is available for ¥20,000 per person. We love the beef tongue, heart, and other innards, but the seared wagyu sushi, layered on rice boiled in genmai-cha (roasted rice tea), and the thinly sliced sirloin dipped in raw egg are all-around crowd pleasers. You’ll need a beer to wash down the garlicky kimchee, but whisky highballs work just as well.

With a single marble table and speakeasy-style unmarked entrance, Ete may be Tokyo’s most exclusive eatery. Named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef in 2020, Shoji rose to fame on the back of her stunning, couture-inspired cakes—edible artworks based on patterns by Chanel and Louis Vuitton, painstakingly rendered in fresh fruit. But her savory creations deserve equal praise: Signature dishes include delicate tilefish with crispy scales in clam broth and tender slices of abalone layered over deep-fried bamboo shoot.

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There’s no menu at this chilled-out izakaya , so state your preferences and let patron-chef Kotaro Hayashi choose something for you. The food respects tradition but is not bound by it, and Hayashi’s hipster-like affinity for the handcrafted comes through in every dish. The meal ends with hand-cut udon noodles made fresh every day—sometimes topped with daikon, crispy tempura crumbs, and a squeeze of lemon, or, alternately, served with raw egg, butter, and soy sauce.

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Like all kaiseki restaurants, Ishikawa is all about details. It's held on to its three Michelin stars since the red book made its Tokyo debut in 2008, and the super-refined cuisine is all about top-quality Japanese ingredients. The 10-course tasting menu is a paean to the seasons: baby sweetfish the size of your pinky in summer, deep-fried croquettes made with sea turtle and lotus root in winter. Ishikawa has a winning way with grilled fish, which pairs with the impressive selection of sake and wine. On a recent visit, horsehead snapper was buttery with perfectly crisped skin. But the clay-pot rice dish with scallops, presented tableside by the chef, stole the show.

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Old-school and proud, Tonki still serves tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) the way it did when the restaurant first opened in 1939. The brightly lit space, with its blonde-wood interior and rows of half-dome pendulum lights, was refurbished in the 70s, but not much else has changed. The restaurant features a wide-open kitchen surrounded by wooden counters on three sides, where a brigade of assiduous chefs with white caps work in assembly-line fashion.

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This cubby-sized bistro emanates home-away-from-home hearth energy, with rustic wooden fixtures and shelves lined with woven baskets. Farm-fresh vegetables sit beside the flower arrangements on the counter, while chef Katy Cole mans the stove and greets each guest like an old friend. The short but well-curated selection of natural wines showcases regions such as Loire In France and Collio in Italy, presented alongside craft beers sourced mainly from small Japanese producers.

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Follow the line (it’s a long one) down a rickety set of stairs to the weathered basement digs of Tachigui Sushi Akira, the casual little sister of renowned Sushi Shoryu. Beyond the blue noren curtain, a young sushi chef stands behind a wooden counter in a closet-sized space that can fit six to seven customers at a time. As the name—translated literally as, “eat while standing”—suggests, sitting is not an option. But this quintessentially Tokyo scene is the stuff that movies are made of. The restaurant uses the same pristine seafood as its progenitor, but a meal with drinks will cost less than half of what you’d pay at Shoryu. The daily menu lists around 20 kinds of fish, from golden eye snapper and top-grade bluefin tuna to nodoguro (blackthroat perch) and delicate shiro-ebi prawns from the deep waters off the coast of Toyama Prefecture.

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Just past the massive Edo-Tokyo Museum in the eastern neighborhood of Ryogoku, home to the capital’s sumo stadium, Hosokawa is easily identifiable by the line of devoted soba fans standing outside at lunchtime. Here, Chef Tadashi Hosokawa uses 100-percent freshly milled buckwheat flour to make his legendary noodles. The texture is delightful, featuring a heft and pleasant chewiness that wheat-flour noodles lack. Dipped in a smoky soy-based sauce that complements the nutty flavor of the buckwheat, Hosokawa’s soba tastes best with a side of delicate anago eel tempura or juicy, flash-fried kamonasu eggplant. If you're here at the height of summer, go for the soba with pureed okra in a chilled dashi broth.

While some miss the quiet intimacy of Den’s original location (a two-story house in the off-the-beaten-track neighborhood of Jimbocho), no one can resist the convivial charm of its new digs in central Tokyo. “I wanted to create a more family-like atmosphere, where everyone can be together,” says chef-patron Zaiyu Hasegawa of the new location. The open-plan kitchen remains the same, but instead of an eight-seat counter, there’s a long, wooden table that can seat 12—maybe more—as well as a couple of small tables.

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Walk under a triptych of noren banners to arrive in Udon Maruka, a noodle heaven with a small kitchen bordered by a bar that seats about 12 diners. But the restaurant is a well-oiled machine, and deep umami aromas leave little doubt as to why fans are willing to wait in 45-minute queues just to get their hands on a bowl. If you're visiting Japan and only have one day for a casual lunch, come here—and come hungry. This is the platonic ideal of the thick noodle, with an awe-inspiring kakejiru , or dashi broth. Assemble with chopped scallions and the house speciality: chikuwa-ten , a lightly fried fish sausage.

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With a wait between 30 minutes and two hours, you earn your noodles at Tokyo's foremost ramen shop, Fu-unji. Here, a creamy chicken soup is blended with fish powder to make a gravy-like dipping sauce for your noodles. It's a flavor that barely exists outside of Japan.

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You won’t find white tablecloths or jacketed waitstaff at this intimate, casual fine-dining neobistro hidden on the backstreets of bustling Harajuku. The spare space is half windows, with the signatures of some of the world’s most talented chefs scrawled across the concrete walls. Kiki attracts a younger clientele, thanks in part to chef Yuki Noda’s imaginative and reasonably priced tasting menus (¥13,500 and ¥15,000 at lunch and dinner, respectively), with vegetarian options. Noda, an iconoclast with bleached hair and a skater look, studied at Taillevent in Paris and brings his classical training to bear in genre-bending creations starring seasonal fruits and vegetables: the spring menus feature temari sushi of straw-scented hiramasa (amberjack) wrapped around hibiscus roselle rice with strawberries and Shonan Gold citrus and melon cotton candy dusted with green tea leaves and chincho (Peruvian black mint).

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Stealing the number 1 slot on the 50 Top Pizza list for the Asia-Pacific region in 2023 , Pizza Bar tends to attract serious pizza fans in search of something different. Daniele Cason created the place, inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Nihonbashi, with the idea of serving his elevated pies in the intimate, personal style of sushi or kaiseki. The distinctive bases are made with a ratio of 80 percent water to 20 percent flour and fermented for two days, resulting in an exceedingly crisp and airy baked crust. The discs provide fittingly versatile canvases for seasonal produce. A summer specialty is layered with zucchini puree, housemade sausage, and zucchini blossoms; fragrant sliced porcini mushrooms adorn Cason’s autumn signature. At dinnertime, the restaurant offers omakase menus that come with 10 dishes including appetizers cooked in the pizza oven, desserts, and a variety of pizzas.

With a worn wooden counter and handful of small tables, this charming, old-school watering hole invites a crowd as eclectic as the music, which swings from '90s hip-hop to J-pop and, on occasion, heavy metal. Diners gravitate here for chef Masato Takano's satisfying seafood dishes and extensive, ever-changing list of sake. Come here to drink a little too much and laugh a little too loud.

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The first thing you notice when you slide open the door to this yakitori specialist, plonked beneath a highway overpass in Shirokane, is the hiss and pop of succulent chicken pieces slow-roasting over binchotan charcoal embers. The open-kitchen interior is fairly basic, with two charcoal grills and several black stools around the counter. The menu, however, is not. On any given day, there are up to 40 chicken parts for diners to choose from.

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A connection to land is the cornerstone of Chef Shinobu Namae’s genre-blurring haute cuisine, which he describes as "post-colonial cooking." In simplest terms, he applies modern French techniques to Japanese ingredients, and his signature dish couldn't exemplify that more: a tender, whole Japanese turnip that, after a four-hour sous-vide preparation, is sauteed in butter and sprinkled with brioche crumbs.

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Chef Junichi Onuki is the opposite of the strict sushi-chef stereotype portrayed in movies like Jiro Dreams of Sushi. “I am not a scary sushi chef,” he says with a chuckle. He certainly won't shush or rush you: “I want people to feel relaxed when they come to my restaurant.” Cheerful, laid-back, and fluent in English, Onuki opened Isana Sushi Bar in 2012 after spending nearly a decade in London as the sushi chef at Zuma. On the ground floor of the Hotel S in Roppongi, the space is warm and glowing with seven counter seats and two tables.

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Ryugin’s name means “dragon’s voice,” and chef Seiji Yamamoto’s revolutionary approach to traditional kaiseki—he once used a CT scanner to examine the skeleton of a pike eel—has made him a living legend. In recent years, he's adopted a more subdued aesthetic, but his highly refined dishes prove that he’s still at the top of his game. Seafood is his wheelhouse, and his product-driven and cleverly technical dishes are meant for serious foodies.

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The unassuming location of Fukamachi belies its illustrious reputation as one of Tokyo’s best tempura restaurants. The space is tight, with 12 seats at an L-shaped counter and a couple of narrow tables. You'll need a reservation and once seated, do as the locals do and order a bottle of Kirin and sip your beer as you watch the chefs masterfully prepare your meal.

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Its name translates literally to “sushi shop,” but Sushi-ya is far from ordinary. Hidden down a narrow alley in the Ginza district (and next-door to a dubious-looking “fetish bar”), the eight-seat restaurant has become the darling of food bloggers and Instagramming gastronauts, thanks to chef Mamoru Hashimoto, who trained at Sushi Kanesaka . Like all serious sushi shops, the décor is both minimalist and elegant (all the better to focus your attention on the fish) with blonde wood and beige walls, plus a tasteful ikebana flower arrangement in the corner.

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The first thing you see when you step through the entrance of Onogi, a contemporary small plates spot in Hiroo, is an uprooted tree suspended by fishing wire like a giant piece of ikebana. Those beguiling naked branches encapsulate chef Shigeki Onogi’s product-driven style of cooking, which strikes the perfect balance between creative and comforting. The intimate, open-kitchen space makes you feel right at home.

Heichan Arrow

Oden—a homey meal of seafood, meat and vegetables simmered in dashi-broth—is the ultimate Japanese comfort food. But chef Ippei Matsumoto has made it the star of a kaiseki-style menu at this casual fine-dining newcomer. Matsumoto’s parents ran an oden joint in his native Wakayama, and Heichan is a love letter to his heritage. Clever variations on the recipe come in many guises: as a colorful salad enlivened with a hit of hot mustard, or tucked into a spring roll stuffed with dangerously hot, tender chunks of daikon and pork belly. The main dish is a largely unadorned yet dignified trio of konjac jelly nestled against a chicken meatball and a fish dumpling. The key is the umami-tastic dashi, which is based on the chef’s family recipe.

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On the second floor of what looks like a repurposed residential building near Nishiazabu Crossing, sake guru Marie Chiba has opened one of the city’s trendiest sake bars. A pink-and-blue neon sign, bearing the enigmatic words “strawberry meeting” (a pun on a Japanese aphorism about once-in-a-lifetime encounters), casts a cotton-candy glow over the curved wooden counter. There are only 12 seats, but Chiba has set aside a standing-only space in front of the sake refrigerators for a few walk-ins (though it’s better to call ahead even for these coveted spots). Sake is the name of the game here, and Eureka! specializes in rare brews, many of which Chiba, a consultant as well as sommelier, has helped to blend. Food pairings are innovative, and Chiba offers suggestions for each dish. You can simply leave the menu in her hands, or choose your own dishes, listed on a chalkboard above the window. Signatures include the onyx-colored oeuf mayo, a soft-boiled egg enveloped in squid-ink mayonnaise, and the deep-fried ham katsu stuffed with blue cheese. 

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When self-taught butcher Kentaro Nakahara became a chef more than 15 years ago, no one was using premium wagyu beef for yakiniku , the Japanese version of Korean barbecue that's closely associated with beer-soaked grill pubs and cheap cuts of meat. Today, he’s on a mission to elevate the genre to the level of fine dining. On any given day, you can find him at Tokyo’s Shibaura meat market investigating the provenance, age, and ancestry of the Tajima cows he buys whole; at night, he'll be behind the counter in his chef’s whites, hair tied up in a blue-and-white do-rag, gleaming knife in hand.

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Chef Takaaki Sugita started working in the sushi world when he was in high school, and after more than 20 years as a chef, he's one of the best in the business. His style is traditional but subtly innovative, as evidenced by his experimenations with fish maturation times to bring out the buttery richness of bonito and the silky texture of thinly sliced sardine. His signature is the luxuriously creamy ankimo (monkfish liver) pate, steeped in sweetened soy sauce and dabbed with wasabi—the perfect accompaniment to sake. A must-try piece, however, is the shime-saba and shiso nori roll.

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Ryohei Hayashi spent 13 years cooking at the highest level at three-starred kaiseki restaurant Kikunoi in Kyoto. At Tenoshima, his approach to Japanese cuisine balances elegance with accessibility and warm hospitality in a minimalist setting with earthen walls. The food is both creative and comforting, made with sustainable seafood and ingredients from the Seto Inland Sea. One of Hayashi’s specialties is seasonal pressed sushi, topped with marinated mackerel or anago sea eel brushed with sweetened soy.

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Two-Michelin-starred Narisawa was the first entry from Japan to make it into the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2009. Now, the restaurant—which underwent a major revamp in 2023—is as popular as ever, and chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is in fine form. A pioneer of the farm-to-table movement in Japan, chef Narisawa emphasizes sustainable ingredients in innovative dishes that draw inspiration from Japanese, Chinese, and French cuisine. The effortlessly bilingual staff—still a rarity in Tokyo—explains each course in detail but stops short of delivering a tableside lecture.

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More than your average burger joint, this newcomer functions as a trattoria and a natural wine bar that also serves perfectly grilled wagyu beef burgers in a smart setting with seating at the shiny metal counter. Starters like the asparagus omelet smothered in bottarga cream and the herring carpaccio are made for sharing. But you’ll want the signature shio (salt) burger all for yourself. It’s a premium patty of bovine succulence, dressed simply with salt and butter. If you ask for mustard or mayo, you may get served shade: Burger Police doesn’t do condiments. The meat is perfect as is.

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Sowado, the younger sib of popular izakaya Sakai Shokai, hits the sweet spot between a casual pub and a sophisticated Japanese restaurant. To the left of the sliding-metal-door entrance, there’s tiny bar stocked with sake, wine and spirits where you can have a drink while you wait to get in (it’s always busy) or after dinner. Seasonal seafood and vegetables feature prominently in dishes such as grilled baby corn brushed with soy sauce and butter or baby sweetfish and burdock root tempura in the summer. The thick and succulent panko-crusted ham katsu (cutlet), served with tangy Worcestershire-based sauce, is a must-try, as is Sakai’s signature assortment of sashimi from Kyushu and trio of obanzai starters like fresh persimmon in creamy tofu sauce laced with miso.

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A latticed wooden sliding door behind a simple white noren curtain. From the outside, there's little to suggest that this humble ramen joint is a Michelin-starred restaurant–apart from the line, which often snakes around the corner. Inside, the clean-lined, understated space looks more like a sushi bar than a noodle shop, with six white chairs in front of the wooden counter. Ramen is chef Yasushi Matsumura's second career. After 36 years working in French cuisine, his fascination with the noodle dish took him all over the country to learn the secrets of each region's broth. At Hachigo, Matsumura combines the breadth of his ramen knowledge with techniques gleaned from the French kitchen. His broth is a luxurious consomme crafted from Nagoya chochin chicken, duck, shellfish, shiitake mushrooms, and kelp, with an extra hit of umami from cured ham.

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The moody interior of this contemporary Chinese restaurant from Ryoji Hayashi, owner of three-Michelin-starred Sazenka, has a maze-like feel, with several private dining rooms hidden behind dark wood panels and gray stone walls. The menu offers a dizzying array of Chinese classics prepared with Japanese precision and panache—the silkiest steamed chicken with scallion sauce, the most luxurious braised trotter, a perfect cube of daikon radish cake fried to a golden crisp. Can’t choose between the Peking duck—rolled into thin crepes with slivers of cucumber and hoisin sauce—and the slow burn of Mapo tofu, or steamed dim sum dumplings? Order the Peking duck chef's menu and get it all.

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Maz, the younger sibling of Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez’s flagship restaurant Central in Lima, only opened in July 2022 but has already become a destination for globe-trotting gastronomes and Japanese diners with adventurous palates. The seasonal menu explores Peru’s biodiversity through nine courses based on the country’s various altitudes. In late spring, the Peruvian coastline is represented by an elaborate dish of cuttlefish and baby eel, bathed in a sauce made from cuttlefish tentacles and covered with a crispy net made from seaweed and squid ink. The composition is crowned with grilled firefly squid and a cactus leaf. Coated with fine strands of turmeric-infused cacao butter, a frozen mousse stuffed with bittersweet hyuganatsu citrus and perfumed with lemongrass stands in for the high-altitude region between the Andes and the Amazonian jungle. Come here for a special night, or to impress a date with your knowledge of Peruvian food culture.

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The best restaurants in Tokyo

By Melinda Joe and Tokyo Halfie

Pulsating with energy and dripping with Michelin stars, Tokyo is the place to be for food lovers. From humble yakitori joints serving skewered grilled chicken to multi-course traditional kaiseki feasts, dishes are prepared with care and respect for seasonal ingredients. But this city’s culinary greatness isn’t limited to Japanese cuisine; there’s phenomenal Italian, refined Chinese, and genre-defying French that deserves a category of its own. “It’s getting hard to eat anywhere else because Tokyo has it all and does everything better,” is how one world-weary Brazilian gastronaut recently put it – and we agree completely. Read on for our picks for some of the best restaurants in Tokyo , from hard-to-book (but worth the trouble) sushi counters and Chinese spots to stand-out pizza and burger concepts.

Gucci Osteria Tokyo

There's a whiff of Alice in Wonderland at the Tokyo outpost of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura. The elevator opens onto a light-filled space, with a trellised, open-air terrace preceding the main dining area. Tall banquettes upholstered in peacock-coloured velvet complement the hand-painted flooring and floral-patterned Girnori teacups. The atmosphere conjures a high-Renaissance Florentine fantasy, replete with marble tabletops and boiserie-carved wood panelling embellished with lines of poetry penned by Lorenzo de Medici. A protege of three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura, chef Antonio Iacoviello takes diners on an edible journey centred on his native Italy . He filters elements of Italian and Japanese food culture through the culinary kaleidoscope of his mind, resulting in boundary-pushing fusions like a tangle of thinly sliced bonito and cucumber "spaghetti" atop a sauce of olives, capers, and parsley, concealed beneath a cloud of bagna cauda foam; or tender bites of abalone dotted with arugula sauce and sudachi citrus jelly, served with smoked cheese and caviar on crispy piadina flatbreads.

Address: 6 Chome-6-12 Ginza, 中央区 Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061 Website: gucciosteria.com

Located on the 7th floor of the Four Seasons Tokyo Marunouchi , Sezanne is a cool-toned sanctuary dedicated to modern elegance, with Zen-inspired motifs and contemporary artwork by Annie Morris. The Champagne trolly showcases rare vintage bubbly like 1964 Dom Perignon and 1978 La Grande Dame. The wine list features inspired choices like red from Jura, and digestifs include ratafia de champagne. This may be the least pretentious high-brow restaurant in Tokyo, thanks to the warm but professional service led by Maire Hotel Simone Macri.

Address: 1 Chome-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-6277 Website: sezanne.tokyo

A striking, two-toned counter – mint-green on the inside, pale grey on the outside – anchors the interior of Tinc Gana, the elevated sibling of contemporary Spanish gastro bar Gracia. Owner-chef Jerome Quilbeuf oversees operations in the open kitchen, stopping to joke with the guests as he tops up their glasses of wine. There’s a small terrace with jaunty blue-and-white wicker chairs for aperitifs outside, and a subterranean watering hole outfitted with a fireplace for after-dinner drinks in Quilbeuf’s Abajo bar next door. This place is popular with hospitality-industry types and foodies in the know – it’s not uncommon to spot local restauranteurs having a meal on their days off, or celebrity chefs visiting Tokyo. The menu varies with the seasons but will likely start with pan con tomate, draped with 36-month-aged Joselito jamon. Quilbeuf, who spent years as the head chef at Spain ’s three-Michelin-starred Sant Pau and its two-starred Tokyo outpost, shows his creativity in dishes such as charcoal-grilled tuna with pine-nut sauce, olives, and tomato confit and saffron-scented paella shaped into onigiri rice balls and served with a sauce of shrimp bisque.

Address: 〒102-0085 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Rokubancho, 4−3, Gems Ichigaya, 1階 Website: tablecheck.com

Il Ristorante - Luca Fantin

Chef Luca Fantin’s artful interpretations of Italian classics are made exclusively with produce from Japan , but "the flavours are completely Italian," he says. "I don’t put shoyu (soy sauce) on my pasta or use yuzu (Japanese citrus) on anything. I’m not interested in making fusion." His cooking is focused and precise. A single raviolo filled with smoked burrata broth and topped with caviar from Miyazaki Prefecture is a silky, luxurious mouthful. There is showmanship in the deconstructed minestrone soup, a clear broth adorned with gem-toned root vegetable marbles, while simplicity is the key to the fresh pasta and sea urchin, finished with lemon and colatura di alici.

Address: 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 2 Chome−7−12 第一三共銀座ビル Website: bulgarihotels.com

Kanda has held on to its Michelin stars since 2008, when the Red Guide first landed in Tokyo. Born into a family of traditional Japanese chefs, Hiroyuki Kanda complements his classical training with ideas he picked up while working in France in his 20s. Sweet peaches nestle against silky tofu under a spoonful of caviar; bursts of acidity offer a high-toned counterpoint to the umami depth in a dish of abalone over somen noodles in a chilled broth. We’d happily devour Kanda’s pressed sushi with horse mackerel or the clay-pot-cooked rice, served with miso soup and pickles, every day. All is served on lacquerware from the Edo era. Scoring a reservation here – one of Tokyo’s most difficult-to-book tables – is reason enough to celebrate. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, well worth the eye-watering price tag.

Address: Toranomon Hills Residential Tower 1F, Atago 1-1-1, Harbour Ward, Tokyo Website: omakase.in

Tempura Motoyoshi

Chef Motoyoshi's deep-fried delicacies are fantastically light, sheathed in a crisp coating of golden batter that owes its crunch to a mixture of canola and sesame oil. He has a knack for vegetables, which he ferries from Tsukiji market on the back of his motorbike every day. Among his signatures are succulent Takagime peppers from Kyoto , pudding-like croquettes of sweet Japanese corn, and myoga wild Japanese ginger buds.

Address: 〒150-0021 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Ebisunishi, 2 Chome−8−11, Granbell Ebisu IV, 3階 Website: motoyoshi-1120.com

Shirosaka has all the trappings of a classic kaiseki restaurant: an immaculate wooden interior, a window that looks out onto a placid miniature garden, and a serious-faced chef working quietly behind the counter. Despite appearances, there's no buttoned-up formality here – chef Hideki Ii just wants you to have fun. Tokyo-born Ii, who trained in Sydney and spent three years in New York cooking for the Japanese ambassador, combines traditional and modern techniques into a highly personal style of kappo-ryori (kaiseki’s less formal cousin). The tasting menu sparkles with dishes that are almost too pretty to eat, and the short and sweet drink menu is all about approachable sake and wine.

Address: 6 Chome-3-9 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052 Website: shirosaka.jp

Yakiniku Jumbo Shirokane

A5 wagyu beef, the most decadent of meats, is king here. Order dishes for sharing a la carte, or put your trust in the personable and helpful servers; an omakase tasting menu is available for ¥20,000 per person. We love the beef tongue, heart, and other innards, but the seared wagyu sushi, layered on rice boiled in genmai-cha (roasted rice tea), and the thinly sliced sirloin dipped in raw egg are all-around crowd pleasers. You’ll need a beer to wash down the garlicky kimchee, but whisky highballs work just as well.

Address: 〒108-0072 Tokyo, Minato City, Shirokane, 3 Chome−1−1 第一麻布ビル 1F Website: valuet.co.jp

With a single marble table and speakeasy-style unmarked entrance, Ete may be Tokyo’s most exclusive eatery. Named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef in 2020, Shoji rose to fame on the back of her stunning, couture-inspired cakes – edible artworks based on patterns by Chanel and Louis Vuitton, painstakingly rendered in fresh fruit. But her savoury creations deserve equal praise: Signature dishes include delicate tilefish with crispy scales in clam broth, and tender slices of abalone layered over deep-fried bamboo shoots.

Address: 1 Chome-2-6 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Tokyo 151-0063 Website: ete.rest

There’s no menu at this chilled-out izakaya , so state your preferences and let patron-chef Kotaro Hayashi choose something for you. The food respects tradition but is not bound by it, and Hayashi’s hipster-like affinity for the handcrafted comes through in every dish. The meal ends with hand-cut udon noodles made fresh every day – sometimes topped with daikon, crispy tempura crumbs, and a squeeze of lemon, or, alternately, served with raw egg, butter, and soy sauce.

Address: 28-2 Sakuragaoka-cho Mikasa Bldg 1F, Shibuya 150-0031 Tokyo Prefecture Website: facebook.com

Like all kaiseki restaurants, Ishikawa is all about details. It's held on to its three Michelin stars since the red book made its Tokyo debut in 2008, and the super-refined cuisine is all about top-quality Japanese ingredients. The 10-course tasting menu is a paean to the seasons: baby sweetfish the size of your pinky in summer and deep-fried croquettes made with sea turtle and lotus root in winter. Ishikawa has a winning way with grilled fish, which pairs with the impressive selection of sake and wine. On a recent visit, horsehead snapper was buttery with perfectly crisped skin. But the clay-pot rice dish with scallops, presented tableside by the chef, stole the show.

Address: 〒162-0825 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Kagurazaka, 5 Chome−37 高村ビル 1f Website: kagurazaka-ishikawa.co.jp

Old-school and proud, Tonki still serves tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) the way it did when the restaurant first opened in 1939. The brightly lit space, with its blonde-wood interior and rows of half-dome pendulum lights, was refurbished in the 70s, but not much else has changed. The restaurant features a wide-open kitchen surrounded by wooden counters on three sides, where a brigade of assiduous chefs with white caps work in assembly-line fashion.

Address: 1 Chome-1-2 Shimomeguro, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0064 Website: instagram.com

This cubby-sized bistro emanates home-away-from-home hearth energy, with rustic wooden fixtures and shelves lined with woven baskets. Farm-fresh vegetables sit beside the flower arrangements on the counter, while chef Katy Cole mans the stove and greets each guest like an old friend. The short but well-curated selection of natural wines showcases regions such as the Loire Valley In France and Collio in Italy, presented alongside craft beers sourced mainly from small Japanese producers.

Address: 1 Chome-17-22 Meguro, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0063 Website: locale.tokyo

Tachigui Sushi Akira

Follow the line (it’s a long one) down a rickety set of stairs to the weathered basement digs of Tachigui Sushi Akira, the casual little sister of renowned Sushi Shoryu and one of the best restaurants in Tokyo. Beyond the blue noren curtain, a young sushi chef stands behind a wooden counter in a closet-sized space that can fit six to seven customers at a time. As the name – translated literally as, “eat while standing” – suggests, sitting is not an option. But this quintessentially Tokyo scene is the stuff that movies are made of. The restaurant uses the same pristine seafood as its progenitor, but a meal with drinks will cost less than half of what you’d pay at Shoryu. The daily menu lists around 20 kinds of fish, from golden eye snapper and top-grade bluefin tuna to nodoguro (black throat perch) and delicate shiro-ebi prawns from the deep waters off the coast of Toyama Prefecture.

Address: 〒105-0004 Tokyo, Minato City, Shinbashi, 3 Chome−8−5, Le Gratteciel, 号 B1 Website: instagram.com

Just past the massive Edo-Tokyo Museum in the eastern neighbourhood of Ryogoku, home to the capital’s sumo stadium, Hosokawa is easily identifiable by the line of devoted soba fans standing outside at lunchtime. Here, chef Tadashi Hosokawa uses 100 per cent freshly milled buckwheat flour to make his legendary noodles. The texture is delightful, featuring a heft and pleasant chewiness that wheat flour noodles lack. Dipped in a smoky soy-based sauce that complements the nutty flavour of the buckwheat, Hosokawa’s soba tastes best with a side of delicate anago eel tempura or juicy, flash-fried kamonasu eggplant. If you're here at the height of summer , go for the soba with pureed okra in a chilled dashi broth.

Address: 1 Chome-6-5 Kamezawa, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0014 Website: edosoba-hosokawa.jp

While some miss the quiet intimacy of Den’s original location (a two-story house in the off-the-beaten-track neighbourhood of Jimbocho), no one can resist the convivial charm of its new digs in central Tokyo. “I wanted to create a more family-like atmosphere, where everyone can be together,” says chef-patron Zaiyu Hasegawa of the new location. The open-plan kitchen remains the same, but instead of an eight-seat counter, there’s a long, wooden table that can seat 12 – maybe more – as well as a couple of small tables.

Address: Architect house hall JIA, 2-3-18 Jingumae, Shibuya Ku, Tokyo Website: jimbochoden.com

Udon Maruka

Walk under a triptych of noren banners to arrive in Udon Maruka, a noodle heaven with a small kitchen bordered by a bar that seats about 12 diners. But the restaurant is a well-oiled machine, and deep umami aromas leave little doubt as to why fans are willing to wait in 45-minute queues just to get their hands on a bowl. If you're visiting Japan and only have one day for a casual lunch, come here – and come hungry. This is the platonic ideal of the thick noodle, with an awe-inspiring kakejiru, or dashi broth. Assemble with chopped scallions and the house speciality: chikuwa-ten , a lightly fried fish sausage.

Address: 1F New Surugadai bldg., 3-16-1 Kanda-ogawa-machi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0052 Website: No website or reservations

With a wait between 30 minutes and two hours, you earn your noodles at Tokyo's foremost ramen shop, Fu-unji. Here, a creamy chicken soup is blended with fish powder to make a gravy-like dipping sauce for your noodles. It's a flavour that barely exists outside of Japan.

Address: 2 Chome−14−3 Yoyogi, Shibuya City, Tokyo Website: fu-unji.com

Pizza Bar on 38th

Stealing the number one slot on the 50 Top Pizza list for the Asia-Pacific region in 2023 , Pizza Bar tends to attract serious pizza fans in search of something different. Daniele Cason created the place inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Nihonbashi with the idea of serving his elevated pies in the intimate, personal style of sushi or kaiseki. The distinctive bases are made with a ratio of 80 per cent water to 20 per cent flour and fermented for two days, resulting in an exceedingly crisp and airy baked crust. The discs provide fittingly versatile canvases for seasonal produce. A summer speciality is layered with zucchini puree, housemade sausage, and zucchini blossoms; fragrant sliced porcini mushrooms adorn Cason’s autumn signature. At dinnertime, the restaurant offers omakase menus that come with 10 dishes including appetisers cooked in the pizza oven, desserts, and a variety of pizzas.

Address: 2 Chome-1-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-8328 Website: mandarinoriental.com

With a worn wooden counter and a handful of small tables, this charming, old-school watering hole invites a crowd as eclectic as the music, which swings from '90s hip-hop to J-pop and, on occasion, heavy metal. Diners gravitate here for chef Masato Takano's satisfying seafood dishes and extensive, ever-changing list of sake. Come here to drink a little too much and laugh a little too loud.

Address: 106-0031, 2-13-15, Minato- ku, Tokyo西麻布, Pearl Heights B1 Website: ippo-nishiazabu.jimdofree.com

The first thing you notice when you slide open the door to this yakitori specialist, plonked beneath a highway overpass in Shirokane, is the hiss and pop of succulent chicken pieces slow-roasting over binchotan charcoal embers. The open kitchen interior is fairly basic, with two charcoal grills and several black stools around the counter. The menu, however, is not. On any given day, there are up to 40 chicken parts for diners to choose from.

Address: 6 Chome-22-19 Shirokane, Minato City, Tokyo Website: yakitori-restaurant-2974

L'Effervescence

A connection to land is the cornerstone of chef Shinobu Namae’s genre-blurring haute cuisine, which he describes as "post-colonial cooking." In simplest terms, he applies modern French techniques to Japanese ingredients, and his signature dish couldn't exemplify that more: a tender, whole Japanese turnip that, after a four-hour sous-vide preparation, is sauteed in butter and sprinkled with brioche crumbs.

Address: 2 Chome-26-4 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031 Website: leffervescence.jp

Chef Junichi Onuki is the opposite of the strict sushi-chef stereotype portrayed in movies like Jiro Dreams of Sushi. “I am not a scary sushi chef,” he says with a chuckle. He certainly won't shush or rush you: “I want people to feel relaxed when they come to my restaurant.” Cheerful, laid-back, and fluent in English, Onuki opened Isana Sushi Bar in 2012 after spending nearly a decade creating sushi in London at Zuma. On the ground floor of Hotel S in Roppongi, the space is warm and glowing, with seven counter-seats and two tables.

Address: 1 Chome-11-6 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031 Website: pocket-concierge.jp

Nihonryori Ryugin

Ryugin’s name means “dragon’s voice,” and chef Seiji Yamamoto’s revolutionary approach to traditional kaiseki – he once used a CT scanner to examine the skeleton of a pike eel – has made him a living legend. In recent years, he's adopted a more subdued aesthetic, but his highly refined dishes prove that he’s still at the top of his game. Seafood is his wheelhouse, and his product-driven and cleverly technical dishes are meant for serious foodies.

Address: 〒100-0006 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Yurakucho, 1 Chome−1−2 東京ミッドタウン日比谷 7階 Website: nihonryori-ryugin.com

Tempura Fukamachi

The unassuming location of Fukamachi belies its illustrious reputation as one of Tokyo’s best tempura restaurants. The space is tight, with 12 seats at an L-shaped counter and a couple of narrow tables. You'll need a reservation and once seated, do as the locals do and order a bottle of Kirin and sip your beer as you watch the chefs masterfully prepare your meal.

Address: Rbm Kyobashi Bldg., 101 2-5-2AM Kyobashi, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0031 Website: autoreserve.com

Its name translates literally to “sushi shop,” but Sushi-ya is far from ordinary. Hidden down a narrow alley in the Ginza district (and next door to a dubious-looking “fetish bar”), the eight-seat restaurant has become the darling of food bloggers and Instagramming gastronauts, thanks to chef Mamoru Hashimoto, who trained at Sushi Kanesaka. Like all serious sushi shops, the décor is both minimalist and elegant (all the better to focus your attention on the fish) with blonde wood and beige walls, plus a tasteful ikebana flower arrangement in the corner.

Address: 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 6 Chome−4−16, Hanatsubaki Bldg, 2階 Website: pocket-concierge.jp

Hiroo Onogi

The first thing you see when you step through the entrance of Onogi, a contemporary small plate spot in Hiroo, is an uprooted tree suspended by fishing wire like a giant piece of ikebana. Those beguiling naked branches encapsulate chef Shigeki Onogi’s product-driven style of cooking, which strikes the perfect balance between creative and comforting. The intimate, open kitchen space makes you feel right at home.

Address: 〒150-0012 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Hiroo, 5 Chome−8−11 バルビゾン２２番館 2Ｆ Website: discovery-t.com

Oden – a homey meal of seafood, meat and vegetables simmered in dashi-broth – is the ultimate Japanese comfort food. But chef Ippei Matsumoto has made it the star of a kaiseki-style menu at this casual fine-dining newcomer. Matsumoto’s parents ran an oden joint in his native Wakayama, and Heichan is a love letter to his heritage. Clever variations on the recipe come in many guises: as a colourful salad enlivened with a hit of hot mustard or tucked into a spring roll stuffed with dangerously hot, tender chunks of daikon and pork belly. The main dish is a largely unadorned yet dignified trio of konjac jelly nestled against a chicken meatball and a fish dumpling. The key is the umami-tastic dashi, which is based on the chef’s family recipe.

Address: Heichan, 〒103-0022 Tokyo, Chuo City, Nihonbashimuromachi, 1 Chome−12−10 B1F Website: heichan.jp

On the second floor of what looks like a repurposed residential building near Nishiazabu Crossing, sake guru Marie Chiba has opened one of the city’s trendiest sake bars. A pink-and-blue neon sign bearing the enigmatic words “strawberry meeting” (a pun on a Japanese aphorism about once-in-a-lifetime encounters) casts a cotton candy glow over the curved wooden counter. There are only 12 seats, but Chiba has set aside a standing-only space in front of the sake refrigerators for a few walk-ins (though it’s better to call ahead even for these coveted spots). Sake is the name of the game here, and Eureka! specialises in rare brews, many of which Chiba, a consultant as well as sommelier, has helped to blend. Food pairings are innovative, and Chiba offers suggestions for each dish. You can simply leave the menu in her hands, or choose your own dishes, listed on a chalkboard above the window. Signatures include the onyx-coloured mayo, a soft-boiled egg enveloped in squid-ink mayonnaise, and the deep-fried ham katsu stuffed with blue cheese.

Address: 4-11-28 2F Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Website: instagram.com

Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara

When self-taught butcher Kentaro Nakahara became a chef more than 15 years ago, no one was using premium wagyu beef for yakiniku, the Japanese version of Korean barbecue that's closely associated with beer-soaked grill pubs and cheap cuts of meat. Today, he’s on a mission to elevate the genre to the level of fine dining. On any given day, you can find him at Tokyo’s Shibaura meat market investigating the provenance, age, and ancestry of the Tajima cows he buys whole; at night, he'll be behind the counter in his chef’s whites, hair tied up in a blue-and-white do-rag, gleaming knife in hand.

Address: 〒102-0085 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Rokubancho, 4-3 ＧＥＭＳ市ヶ谷 ９F Website: sumibiyakinikunakahara.com

Chef Takaaki Sugita started working in the sushi world when he was in high school, and after more than 20 years as a chef, he's one of the best in the business. His style is traditional but subtly innovative, as evidenced by his experimentations with fish maturation times to bring out the buttery richness of bonito and the silky texture of thinly sliced sardine. His signature is the luxuriously creamy ankimo (monkfish liver) pate, steeped in sweetened soy sauce and dabbed with wasabi – the perfect accompaniment to sake. A must-try piece, however, is the shime-saba and shiso nori roll.

Address: 〒103-0014 Tokyo, Chuo City, Nihonbashikakigaracho, 1 Chome−33−6 ビューハイツ日本橋 地下１階 Website: omakase.in

Ryohei Hayashi spent 13 years cooking at the highest level at the three-starred kaiseki restaurant Kikunoi in Kyoto. At Tenoshima, his approach to Japanese cuisine balances elegance with accessibility and warm hospitality in a minimalist setting with earthen walls. The food is both creative and comforting, made with sustainable seafood and ingredients from the Seto Inland Sea. One of Hayashi’s specialities is seasonal pressed sushi, topped with marinated mackerel or anago sea eel brushed with sweetened soy.

Address: 〒107-0062 Tokyo, Minato City, Minamiaoyama, 1 Chome−3−21 南青山 1-55ビル 2階 Website: tenoshima.com

Two- Michelin-starred Narisawa was the first entry from Japan to make it into the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2009. Now, the restaurant – which underwent a major revamp in 2023 – is as popular as ever, and chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is in fine form. A pioneer of the farm-to-table movement in Japan, chef Narisawa emphasises sustainable ingredients in innovative dishes that draw inspiration from Japanese, Chinese, and French cuisine. The effortlessly bilingual staff – still a rarity in Tokyo – explains each course in detail but stops short of delivering a tableside lecture.

Address: 〒107-0062 Tokyo, Minato City, Minamiaoyama, 2 Chome−6−15 南青山ガーデンコート Website: narisawa-yoshihiro-en.com

Burger Police

More than your average burger joint, this newcomer functions as a trattoria and a natural wine bar that also serves perfectly grilled wagyu beef burgers in a smart setting with seating at the shiny metal counter. Starters like the asparagus omelette smothered in bottarga cream and the herring carpaccio are made for sharing. But you’ll want the signature Shio (salt) burger all for yourself. It’s a premium patty of bovine succulence, dressed simply with salt and butter. If you ask for mustard or mayo, you may get served shade: Burger Police doesn’t do condiments. The meat is perfect as is.

Address: 〒152-0003 Tokyo, Meguro City, Himonya, 4 Chome−24−16 モナーク碑文谷 １０４ Website: tabelog.com

Sowado, the younger sib of popular izakaya Sakai Shokai, hits the sweet spot between a casual pub and a sophisticated Japanese restaurant. To the left of the sliding-metal-door entrance, there’s a tiny bar stocked with sake, wine and spirits where you can have a drink while you wait to get in (it’s always busy) or after dinner. Seasonal seafood and vegetables feature prominently in dishes such as grilled baby corn brushed with soy sauce and butter or baby sweetfish and burdock root tempura in the summer. The thick and succulent panko-crusted ham katsu (cutlet), served with tangy Worcestershire-based sauce, is a must-try, as is Sakai’s signature assortment of sashimi from Kyushu and a trio of obanzai starters like fresh persimmon in creamy tofu sauce laced with miso.

Address: 1 Chome-12-15 Hiroo, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0012 Website: sakai-shokai.jp

Ginza Hachigo

A latticed wooden sliding door behind a simple white noren curtain. From the outside, there's little to suggest that this humble ramen joint is a Michelin-starred restaurant – apart from the line, which often snakes around the corner. Inside, the clean-lined, understated space looks more like a sushi bar than a noodle shop, with six white chairs in front of the wooden counter. Ramen is chef Yasushi Matsumura's second career. After 36 years working in French cuisine, his fascination with the noodle dish took him all over the country to learn the secrets of each region's broth. At Hachigo, Matsumura combines the breadth of his ramen knowledge with techniques gleaned from the French kitchen. His broth is a luxurious consomme crafted from Nagoya chochin chicken, duck, shellfish, shiitake mushrooms, and kelp, with an extra hit of umami from cured ham.

Address: 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 3 Chome−14−2 第一はなぶさビル 1階 Website: katsumoto-japan.com

The moody interior of this contemporary Chinese restaurant from Ryoji Hayashi, owner of three-Michelin-starred Sazenka, has a maze-like feel, with several private dining rooms hidden behind dark wood panels and grey stone walls. The menu offers a dizzying array of Chinese classics prepared with Japanese precision and panache – the silkiest steamed chicken with scallion sauce, the most luxurious braised trotter, and a perfect cube of daikon radish cake fried to a golden crisp. Can’t choose between the Peking duck – rolled into thin crepes with slivers of cucumber and hoisin sauce – and the slow burn of Mapo tofu, or steamed dim sum dumplings? Order the Peking Duck chef's menu and get it all.

Address: 〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 4 Chome−8−7 六本木嶋田ビル B1F Website: tousenkaku-tokyo.com

Maz, the younger sibling of Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez’s flagship restaurant Central in Lima, only opened in July 2022 but has already become a destination for globe-trotting gastronomes and Japanese diners with adventurous palates. The seasonal menu explores Peru’s biodiversity through nine courses based on the country’s various altitudes. In late spring, the Peruvian coastline is represented by an elaborate dish of cuttlefish and baby eel, bathed in a sauce made from cuttlefish tentacles and covered with a crispy net made from seaweed and squid ink. The composition is crowned with grilled firefly squid and a cactus leaf. Coated with fine strands of turmeric-infused cacao butter, a frozen mousse stuffed with bittersweet hyuganatsu citrus and perfumed with lemongrass stands in for the high-altitude region between the Andes and the Amazonian jungle. Come here for a special night, or to impress a date with your knowledge of Peruvian food culture.

Address: 〒102-0094 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Kioicho, 1-3 東京ガーデンテラス 3F Website: maztokyo.jp

Omino Kamiyacho

Yakitori, literally translating to grilled bird, refers to chicken skewers. In the West, chicken meat is generally confined to wings, breasts or thighs – however, in Japan, dozens of parts can be enjoyed (sometimes even raw!), including its neck, heart, and even ovaries. Omino Kamiyacho serves an omakase-style course, alternating between various parts of datedori chicken from Fukushima and seasonal vegetables. A very welcoming Yakitori Master Masayoshi Omino carefully grills each skewer with kishu-binchotan – known to be the pinnacle of white coal – from Wakayama prefecture, accurately controlling the temperature with a large shibu-uchiwa fan made of bamboo and washi paper. Next, he brushes each ingredient with his prized sauce that has been passed down for nearly four decades – this infuses the umami from each dish into the sauce itself while enhancing its flavours. Whenever he creates a new batch of sauce with soy sauce, mirin (sugary rice wine) and granulated sugar, he adds a portion from a previous batch through a process called tsugitashi. Simple at first glance, yakitori can most certainly only be served at this standard in Japan.

Address:  Tokyu Reit Toranomon Building 104, Toranomon 3-171, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 Website: None; book online via  Omakase

The modern French restaurant is another global favourite, serving beautifully presented dishes in the extended counter integrated with the open kitchen. Its name derives from the French word for “anthology”, and Head Chef Hiroyasu Kawate intricately curates an omakase course with a collection of poetic creations. No two visits will ever be the same, with an ever-evolving innovative menu and conscientiously chosen seasonal ingredients. Since relocating to the brand new Azabudai Hills, their focus on "sustainability" is more prominent than ever, with an increased emphasis on plant-based components.

Address:  Garden Plaza D 2F, Azabudai Hills, Toranomon 5-10-7, Minato-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 Website:   aoyama-florilege.jp ; book online via  TableCheck

If you enjoy tasting different flavours throughout the meal, Series is one for you – serving 26 small plates, their unique omakase features modernised Chinese dishes with innovative retouches. Some of their renowned house specials include their yodare wagyu – an original variation of the yodaredori (Japanese remake of the Sichuan dish which translates to “salivating chicken”), but instead served with Yamagata Beef sirloin. The remaining mouth-watering morish sauce is used to dip fried dumplings, followed by  Hong Kong -style noodles with raw egg and tongue-tingling sansho peppers. Other signatures include their chicken wings stuffed with foie gras and their A5 rank Sendai Wagyu Chateaubriand cutlet sandwich, which requires a reservation in advance.

Address:  Azabudai 3-4-11, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0041 Website:   series-restaurant.com ; book online via  TableCheck

Aldebaran is a local favourite spot for high-quality Wagyu burgers. ‘The Burger Master’ Makoto Kaya carefully grills each Hitachi Beef patty on the same teppan iron plate that has been used since the store first opened in 2018 – this enhances the umami flavours of the wagyu. There are several variations on the menu, served with teriyaki sauce, BBQ sauce, southern sauce and more; guests are asked to pre-order their burger of choice when making their reservation. Note that you will need to communicate in advance if you want your burger to be cut in half, as they are prepared differently from whole burgers for consistency in flavours. As Kaya prepares each dish before the seating, arriving on time is essential to ensure the burger is enjoyed at its best. When your burger is ready, grab a paper bag to prevent the delicious juice from dripping, and prepare to enjoy what may be the best burger of your life.

Address:  Sanki Building 3F, Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045 Website: instagram.com ; book via DM on Instagram

Udatsu Sushi

Best Tokyo restaurant for: a contemporary sushi experience

With the Japanese capital offering thousands of sushi restaurants, narrowing down which one to visit can be intimidating. “Udatsu Sushi” is an excellent option, where you can enjoy immaculately prepared sushi with a modern touch. The gallery-inspired interiors showcase decorative contemporary artworks juxtaposing a traditional hinoki wood counter, which mirrors his creative style. Udatsu carefully selects his ingredients from the renowned Toyosu fish market every morning, which he carefully fillets. For his nigiri (raw fish on rice) dishes, he prepares two types of shari by blending a combination of vinegar with freshly cooked rice (specially designed and harvested at his hometown in Kunitachi); each batch is chosen in accordance with the flavours of each neta (sushi toppings). Their signature is the iwashi-maki, a stunning roll consisting of raw sardines, fresh herbs from Kajiya Farm in Hiroshima, thinly sliced cucumber and pickled ginger, served on an exquisite handmade Murano Glass plate with multicoloured millefiori. The course is filled with entertainment elements, too – you can expect a smokey performance as he braises marbled toro (fatty tuna) with scorching hot charcoal. For those unable to eat seafood, he also offers a unique vegetarian omakase – make sure to book at least two days in advance.

Address: Kamimeguro 2-48-10, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0051 Website:   udatsu-sushi.jp

Best Tokyo restaurant for: assiette dessert

Specialising in assiette dessert (dessert course), owner-chef Koichi Katsumata is guaranteed to blow your mind with one-of-a-kind dishes. Having relocated to a brand new venue in Shirokane in  November  2022, the restaurant has upgraded to an even more luxurious vibe, showcasing its stunning collection of antique glassware. Every two months, the menu is updated to feature seasonal fruits and ingredients that are carefully selected – Katsumata can source the best through his meaningful relationships with farmers. The course is elegantly constructed with delicate flavours and thoughtfully calculated tea pairings – the attention to detail here is on a whole new dimension. Although seats are minimal, you may get lucky if you request a table far enough in advance.

Address:  Shirokane 6-16-41, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0072 Website:   yama-dessert.com ; bookings via  Tableall

Located in Jimbocho, Alter Ego specialises in innovative Italian cuisine, featuring seasonal Japanese ingredients in their open counter kitchen. They initially offered omakase-style dinners, but they have adapted by offering casual a la carte dishes and wine since the pandemic. Make sure to order their signature tajarin (also known as tagliolini), a traditional thin pasta from the Italian region  Piedmont , where chef Hidehito Hirayama previously trained. The homemade pasta is prepared by rolling a batter of finely ground Italian flour and egg yolk into a single long sheet, hand-cut into thin slices by a knife, and then dried overnight. Before serving, it is lightly boiled for half a minute before cooking with rosemary-infused fermented butter and olive oil, and finally topped with either truffles or aged cured ham and parmesan cheese.

Address:  Jimbocho 2-2-32, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051 Website: alterego.tokyo ; online via  TableCheck

Yoroniku Ebisu

Yakiniku translates to “grilled meat” and refers to Japanese-style BBQ; traditionally, it was a very casual cuisine with customers grilling their meat at their seats. However, the DJ-turned-owner and chef Hideyuki “Vanne” Kuwahara (more widely known as “Vanne-san”) pioneered a higher-end remix of the genre – an omakase-style course with dedicated staff attentively cooking each piece of carefully selected quality wagyu, on a grill built into the table in front of guests. Their signature zabuton-no-sukiyaki is one of their most famous original dishes, consisting of thinly sliced premium shimofuri (marbled beef) chuck flap that is lightly braised and served with a slightly sweet special sauce and raw egg yolk. Another favourite is their katsu sando – a chateaubriand cutlet sandwich – served in their Omakase Special Course.

Address:  GEMS Ebisu 8F, Ebisu 1-11-5, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0013 Website:   yoroniku-ebisu.com ; book online via  Omakase

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Kagari changed the ramen game in the mid-2010s with its tori paitan soup, a chicken broth so thick and rich with collagen as to be almost opaque. Added to…

Truly vegan restaurants are few and far between in Tokyo and ones that make so much effort over their food as Ain Soph are even rarer. Thank heavens then…

Tucked down an alley off Yanaka Ginza is this design-savvy deli and cafe that subscribes to the farm-to-table ethos by telling customers all about its…

Kanae is a perfect example of one of Shinjuku-sanchōme's excellent and all but undiscoverable izakaya: delicious sashimi, seasonal dishes, simple staples …

Housed in a beautifully wooden building from 1909, Hantei is a local landmark. It serves courses of kushiage (meat, fish and vegetables deep-fried in oil…

Mensho Tokyo

Mensho is the new agitator in the Tokyo ramen scene, now with a couple of shops around town, each with a different speciality. At this one, it's a twist…

Trattoria Tsukiji Paradiso!

Paradise for food lovers, indeed. This charming, aqua-painted trattoria serves seafood pasta dishes that will make you want to lick the plate clean. Its…

Kagawa Ippuku

Proof you don't need to shell out a small fortune to eat well in Tokyo is this humble restaurant specialising in Sanuki-udon, wheat noodles from Kagawa in…

Ginza Sato Yosuke

A speciality of Akita Prefecture, inaniwa wheat noodles have been made by seven generations of the Sato family. As you'll be able to tell from the glossy,…

Tempura Kondō

Nobody in Tokyo does tempura vegetables like chef Kondō Fumio. The carrots are julienned to a fine floss; the corn is pert and juicy; and the sweet potato…

Iki Espresso

A blast of Antipodean sunshine in the midst of Tokyo, Iki is a relaxed all-day Aussie cafe complete with avo on toast, ricotta hotcakes and long blacks…

Ueno-Sakuragi Nanohana

The family who run this charming little restaurant source many of their organic ingredients, including the rice, pickles and vegetables for side dishes,…

Dhaba India

Indian meals in Tokyo don't come much better than those served at this long-established restaurant with deep-indigo plaster walls. The food is very…

Out serves only one dish – tagliolini al tartufo (egg noodles with truffles) – take it or leave it (we'll take it). The noodles are made from scratch in…

Steak House Satou

This is a classic Japanese-style steak house, where the meat is cooked at the counter on a teppan (iron hotplate), diced, then paired with rice, miso soup…

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• Restaurant Guide

The Best Restaurants in Tokyo

A city studded with Michelin stars, Tokyo's abundant cuisines and fresh ingredients make for unforgettable experiences.

By Elite Traveler

Boasting more Michelin stars than any other city on the planet, Tokyo is home to some of the best restaurants in the world. As any serious foodie will know, a trip to Japan’s vibrant capital is a must.

With its array of delicate, seasonal ingredients and talented chefs who know exactly what to do with them, it’s the perfect destination to embark on a culinary adventure. And while sushi and ramen might be the first dishes that spring to mind when you think of Tokyo , for those eager to explore there is so much more to discover. The city’s incredible fine dining scene has not gone unnoticed, with the discerning Michelin Guide inspectors awarding stars to 203 restaurants in 2022.

However, this abundance of choice can make deciding where to dine feel a little overwhelming. To help, Elite Traveler has rounded up 20 of the best restaurants in Tokyo.

[See also: Discover Real Japan on the Three Star Road – Part 1 ]

Behind the discreet entrance is a little L-shaped counter at which the chefs prepare light, delicate tempura using high-quality ingredients. The prawn tempura combines excellent fresh seafood with the airiest coating to produce delicious tempura, and vegetables receive the same care and attention as the costlier ingredients.

2 Chōme-5-2 Kyōbashi District, Chūō Ward, Tokyo 104-0031, Japan

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Contact +81 3 5250 8777 for more information.

Hideki Ishikawa has perfected the art of kaiseki cuisine at his eponymous restaurant in Shinjuku. Kaiseki, or kaiseki-ryori, is a traditional form of Japanese cuisine in which a multitude of dishes are presented to guests in order to demonstrate the wide and varied skillset of the chef. Your meal will progress through many stages of ultra-seasonal ingredients, with superb dishes such as chargrilled eel with beautiful sweet onion, or rice cooked with prized matsutake mushrooms. This restaurant thoroughly deserves its three Michelin stars.

Takamura Building, 5 Chōme-3-7, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0825, Japan

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[See also: How the Prestigious Michelin Star System Really Works ]

Joel Robuchon

The flagship outpost of iconic French chef Joel Robuchon is located in a custom-built French chateau in the heart of Tokyo. The elaborate three-star Michelin cooking relies on French technique and top Japanese ingredients, such as ravioli of lobster with Japanese radish. The trademark Robuchon dessert trolley is an indulgent way to conclude your meal.

Yebisu Garden Place, 1 Chōme-13-1, Mita District, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0062, Japan

joel-robuchon.com

Toshiya Kadowaki serves two Michelin star kaiseki cooking, but allowing some French influences into this ultimately Japanese dining style. He uses only top ingredients, and you may be served snapper with spicy pepper, or white asparagus with sesame sauce and mountain vegetables. The cooking is balanced and highly skilled.

Rose House Azabu Jūban 1st floor, 2 Chōme−7−2, Azabu-jūban District, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0045, Japan

azabukadowaki.com

Ginza Kojyu

Offering seasonal kaiseki cooking at its finest, the chef’s speciality in the summertime is a dish of chargrilled, wild unagi (or freshwater eel) that is not to be missed. Located in the Ginza, an upscale shopping destination filled with independent boutiques and luxury brands, Ginza Kojyu is the perfect place to enjoy a memorable two-hour kaiseki course in the heart of the city.

Carioca Building 4th floor, 5 Chōme-4-8 Ginza District, Chūō City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Three-Michelin-starred Kanda serves kaiseki cuisine in a residential Roppongi apartment block. You can watch the chefs demonstrating their considerable knife skills as they prepare your meal, which might include a dish such as baby sea trout or a ball of rice wrapped with eel skin and seasoned with lime.

Calm Motoabazu, 3 Chōme-6-34, Moto-Abazu District, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0046, Japan

nihonryori-kanda

Fumio Kondo cooks superbly light tempura for his guests in this two Michelin star 9th floor Ginza restaurant. From ultra-fresh prawns to finely julienned carrots, the ingredients are of top quality, and the great skill of the chef self-evident. This is one of Tokyo’s top tempura restaurants.

5 Chōme-5-13, Ginza District, Chūō City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Contact +81 3 5568 0923 for more information.

Nanachōme Kyōboshi

If you have ever wondered just how good tempura cooking can really be, Nanachōme Kyōboshi will show you. The ingredients used are of an exceptionally high standard, the skills of the chef shown in the ultra-light batter and the simplicity of the cooking: no dipping sauces are to be found here in this three-Michelin-star tempura restaurant.

Ozio Ginza Building 6th floor, 5 Chōme-9-9 Ginza District, Chūō City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Contact +81 3 3572 3568 for more information.

Quintessence

This smart restaurant serves classical French cuisine using the finest Japanese ingredients. An example of this is sweet sea scallop with a buckwheat crust, served with buckwheat risotto seasoned with Gironde salt. The chef, who trained at Astrance in Paris, now has three Michelin stars of his own.

Garden City Shinagawa Gotenyama 1st floor, 6 Chōme-7-29, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa City, Tokyo 140-0001, Japa n

quintessence.jp

Seiji Yamamoto’s modern cooking takes kaiseki dining and reinvents it for the modern era. There is still a focus on ultra-seasonal, high quality ingredients, but modern kitchen techniques are brought to bear too. RyuGin thoroughly deserves its three Michelin stars, and can be regarded as exemplifying the finest in modern Japanese cooking.

Midtown Hibiya 7th floor, 1 Chōme-1-2, Yurakucho District, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan

nihonryori-ryugin.com

Sushi Saitō

Sushi Saitō is widely acknowledged as the top sushi restaurant in Tokyo, despite the removal of its three Michelin stars in 2019 after it stopped accepting reservations from the general public. The standard of the fish used here, such as its tuna and squid, is exemplary, and its chef/owner is incredibly charming.

Ark Hills South Tower 1st floor, 1 Chome-4-5, Roppongi District, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Contact +81 50 5263 6863 for more information.

Sushi Sawada

This tiny six-seat sushi restaurant serves some of the finest sushi in Tokyo and boasts two Michelin stars. Ex-truck driver and chef/owner Koji Sawada carefully prepares the long grain rice with white vinegar, and serves an elaborate menu of highest quality seafood, such as very tender abalone and needle fish.

MC Building 3rd floor, 5 Chōme-9-19, Ginza District, Chūō City, Tokyo 104-0061 , Japan

Contact +81 3-3571-4711 for more information.

[See more: The Chefs with the Most Michelin Starred Restaurants]

Sushi Yoshitake

Masahiro Yoshitake is one of Tokyo’s most respected sushi chefs, preparing his rice with red vinegar in the “Edomae” way, a style dating back to the Edo period. The fish is of an exemplary standard, the chef sourcing most of it directly rather than using the main market. This is true three Michelin star sushi that ranks Sushi Yoshitake within the best restaurants in Tokyo.

Brown Place 9th floor, 7 Chōme−8−13, Ginza District, Chūō City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

sushi-yoshitake.com

Ten Ichi Ginza

The original restaurant of a group that now has several branches, it is hard to argue with the freshness of the ingredients at Ten Ichi Ginza. Prawns are alive moments before being coated with batter and plunged into hot oil, the result delicious. The batter is particularly light, letting the excellent ingredients take the main stage. Currently undergoing renovations, the restaurant is set to reopen in 2022.

6 Chōme-6-5, Ginza District, Chūō City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

tenichi.co.jp

The chef/owner Jun Yukimura is a charismatic man, sharing jokes with his customers as he prepares their meal in front of them at the counter and demonstrating his impressive knife skills. The kaiseki cooking here uses ultra-seasonal ingredients, such as delicate sweet fish and superbly flavored yam and has been awarded three Michelin stars.

1 Chōme-5-5-3, Azabu-jūban District, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0045, Japan

Contact +81 3 5772 1610 for more information.

One of Tokyo’s many two Michelin star restaurants, Seizan focuses on the Japanese tradition of using only the best seasonal ingredients meaning the menu is forever changing. On top of a varied menu of traditional Japanese dishes, Seizan also offers guests the chance to try some of the finest desserts available in the capital, including the restaurant’s well-known matcha mousse.

2 Chōme-17-29, Mita District, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan

Contact +81 3 3451 8320 for more information.

Ginza Kyubey

Set inside a beautiful four storey restaurant, Ginza Kyubey is widely regarded as one of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo, and despite its owner, Imada, being well into his 70s, the restaurant is still one of the best places to visit on a trip to the Japanese capital, with celebrities such as Steven Spielberg apparently being big fans.

8 Chōme-7-6, Ginza District, Chūō City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

L’Effervescence

The food at L’Effervescence shows a playful side to haute cuisine, with one of the restaurants most well-known dishes being a fun take on McDonald’s apple pie made from wild boar or sage and matsutake mushrooms. On top of this, it has an excellent French wine list and a delicious dessert menu to boot making it easily one of the best restaurants in Tokyo.

L’Effervescence, 2 Chōme-26-4, Nishi-Azabu District, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan

leffervescence.jp

[See also: Hot Stone Review: Authentic Japanese Omakase in London ]

Hidden away down an alley in the bustling Kagurazaka district of Tokyo, this stylish eatery scooped its third Michelin star in 2016. Here, talented head chef Koji Koizumi gives classic Japanese kaiseki a modern twist by incorporating Western ingredients. Highlights from the eclectic menu include caviar paired with chilled corn agar jelly and deep-fried ayu drizzled with a decadent truffle sauce. As you would expect, there’s also an impeccable wine list with an impressive selection of sake.

3-4 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0825, Japan

kagurazaka-kohaku.jp

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Ultimate Tokyo Food Guide in Japan – Where And What To Eat

Last Updated March 25, 2024 William Tang

You are here: Home » Travel Guides » Ultimate Tokyo Food Guide in Japan – Where And What To Eat

As Japan’s…wait no…the world’s largest and most populated metropolis, Tokyo has a lot to offer but hands the main attractions are the restaurants and the main activity is eating.

It’s no surprise that the city is renowned as an eating capital especially with the 230 restaurants that have one Michelin star or greater (contrast that to New York City’s 71).  Then when you factor in the 160,000 restaurants that are registered in Tokyo, you then have a staggering number of places to eat that would take you years to go through.

Now if you only have a few days to work like we did on a recent trip to Tokyo, trying to figure out how to best use your time and figuring out what’s “best” is a daunting task.  The city is massive, the transportation is a criss-crossing maze, there are so many types of food to try, and what feels like everywhere is good, what do you do?

The below Tokyo food guide is meant to be an all-in-one guide to help you plan your trip if you only have a week or less.  I’m not even going to bother to tell you where to go sightseeing because that’s covered thoroughly in so many other places.

Updated in 2024

Yes, this guide has been updated to include Toyosu Fish Market ‘s that opened in 2019 so keep on reading because it’s all relevant!

Read more about Japan

• 9 day Far East Hokkaido itinerary
• Kichijoji day trip guide for the best street food
• Kamakura day trip itinerary
• Must-download apps for travel in Japan
• Learn Japanese before you go with Rosetta Stone

How to get the best deals in travel

• Hottest deals  – Bookmark the  travel deals page .
• Car rentals  – stop getting ripped off and  learn about car rental coupon codes .
• Hotels  – Use  corporate codes  or get  Genius 2 tier  with Booking.
• Flights  – Have you ever heard of the  “Everywhere” feature ?
• Insurance  – Make sure you’re covered and learn more about  where to buy the best travel insurance .

What you’ll find in this food and travel guide for Tokyo:

• Planning a trip to Tokyo
• Get the downloadable food guide before you go

Arriving and departing Tokyo

• Where to stay in Tokyo
• Getting around in Tokyo

Food in Tokyo

• 9 best Japanese restaurants you have to try
• Top 5 dessert spots in Tokyo
• Places that we missed

Alright let’s do this!

Curious where we stayed?  More on that below but we highly recommend  Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku which we’ve seen under $100 at certain times of the year.

Read the Full Where to Stay in Tokyo Guide

Planning A Trip to Tokyo 

I’ll be straight with you.  Planning a trip Japan always gives me a bit of an anxiety attack.  I don’t know if it’s just me but this is coming from someone that’s been before too.  Not to worry though, there are definitely ways to make that trip planning easier.  Let me share with a few of my secrets.

What’s so tricky about Tokyo?

Essentially it boils down to the fact that there’s a mix of not having enough information and having too much information.  How does that work you ask?

Well on the not enough front, there are is a lot of local content that is in Japanese-only which makes it challenge.  Typically I try to seek out local content because you know it’s updated and fresh but you soon learn you’re out of luck.

There’s also too much information because everybody’s got their own take of where to go and it’s all so fragmented that you have to assemble it yourself.  If we’re just talking about food, it’s probably worse because places we’re so used to relying on such as TripAdvisor and Yelp become pretty useless if you’re wanting non-touristy recommendations.

Language just plays a big part of why I feel like I have to work that much harder to figure out my trip plans.  It could be as simple as trying to get from the subway to a connected building.  From experience, I know it’s not as simple as you think because English signage will often be lacking or misleading.

Don’t even get me started on all the subway companies.  Lines, I’d be totally okay with but when you have 48 operators in the world’s most extensive urban rail network, most of which don’t work with each other unless you have a special chip card, it’s bound to make your head spin.

I’ve gotten into so many brain cramping moments in Tokyo where I thought we could drop underground at a station only to realize that it’s a different company’s station.

Being prepared for Japan

Hopefully that doesn’t scare anyone off.  Our second time around wasn’t without it’s own adventures and mishaps but knowing what to expect this time around and equipping myself with the right tech definitely saved us a number of times.  Here are our top 5 tips .

• Get data – Life saver to be able to search things on the fly and use Google Maps to figure out which direction to walk once you pop out of the underground and to find all the restaurants we had marked.  For those interested in pocket wifis, NinjaWifi is your best bet especially with the AWESOME15 code for 15% off. For a more global solution, we’ve also used Pokefi or Solis in the past., but these days eSIMs are just undeniably convenient. Airalo’s Japan eSIM is very reliable and we’ve also tested Ubigi which offers a 5G eSIM.  Use code WILLIA9500 to get a $3 USD credit with Airalo or AWESOME10 to save 10% off your first order with Ubigi. Best part about Tokyo is that you don’t lose any signal in the subway.
• Plan on a Google sheet – I talk about this in the Art of Planning A Trip but I always have my entire itinerary ready for offline-use in case I ever need to refer back to it.  This is where you’ll want to put in all your research especially directions and screenshots of things.  If you need a little inspiration, make sure to read our full 12 day Japan itinerary .
• Tokyo subway map app – We ended up using Tokyo Metro Subway by Mapway Limited , when we didn’t have my paper map handy and needed a quick reference.
• Mark your places on the map ahead of time – Google Map’s custom maps is extremely handy ( find out how you can get it too ) where you can essentially mark every single restaurant and attraction you’re interested in.  With data, you can access this map through the Google Map app, allowing you to navigate to them via GPS at any time. Alternatively, you can also just save points of interest on Google Maps and into a specific list. This is easier to access as you don’t have to go through the extra step of opening a custom map.
• Wear comfortable shoes – Have a step counter? You’re going to absolutely crush your targets.  It goes without saying that there’s a TON of walking in Tokyo so make sure you bring comfy shoes. I like these boots and these shoes for the warmer weather.

Want to make money while doing all the insane walking you’re going to do?  Download Sweatcoin where steps turn into goodies.

Table of Contents

Japan Trip Planning Essentials and Discounts

If you’re in the middle of booking your trip to Japan, here are the most important places you need to go to book:

• JR Pass – The two most reliable places we always check are JRailPass and JRPass . If you are taking long distance Shinkansen across multiple region, get the full JR Pass . If you’re focusing on one specific area, you only need a JR regional pass .
• Shinkansen – The JR Pass prices have gone up and for many of you, it’ll make more sense to book tickets individually. The secret is that when you buy your Shinkansen tickets through Klook offers special vouchers for Don Quijote and BIC when booking. Their tickets are super easy to redeem as well. Right now, use code SKS10OFF to save $10 USD off.
• Hotels/Ryokans – In Japan, the best website for accommodations, hands down is Agoda . When we’ve compared them against Booking , Agoda consistently came out cheaper.
• Tours – While Viator and GetYourGuide are our go-to’s, Klook and KKDay are much popular in Asia so it’s always worth comparing across all of them to make sure you get the best price.
• Pocket Wifi – While we do love eSIMs, having a pocket wifi is great for sharing data with a large group. The most popular is NinjaWifi which is easy to pick up at the airport. Use code AWESOME15 to save 15% (automatically applied). Alternatives are offered by JRPass and JRailPass but they aren’t as cheap. For a more global solution, consider Solis and PokeFi .
• eSIM – The best one is Airalo . Save money by getting the Japan region eSIM and use referral code WILLIA9500 to get $3 USD credit on your first purchase. From now to Feb 29, the 10GB package is half price as well! Ubigi is another one that we’ve had success with where they uniquely offer 5G coverage. Use code AWESOME10 to save 10% on your first order.
• Car Rental – Big companies like Budget , Avis , and Enterprise operate in Japan but they’re usually the most expensive. The best companies are the local Japanese ones such as Toyota Rentacar, Nippon Rentacar, Orix Rentacar, Nissan Rentacar, and Times Car Rental. To make things easier, use Rentalcars and Klook to compare prices all in one place. Don’t forget, you need an IDP to drive in Japan so get one before you leave your home country.
• Learn Japanese – It helps to know even a bit of the language before you go. Start your learning with Rosetta Stone Japanese .
• Cash or credit – Cash is still very important to have in Japan but when you use credit cards, make sure you’re not getting charged those extra exchange rate fees. The best card right now is the Wise Multi-Currency Card which is actually a debit card where you can convert at favorable rates beforehand. This cuts out any sneaky transaction fees.
• Travel Insurance – Make sure you’re covered in case something happens. Get quotes from Insured Nomads and if you’re from Canada, get quotes from RATESDOTCA .
• Shopping – Discovering Don Quijote is a quintessential part of the Japan experience. The secret for tax-free shopping is that they have a coupon that can help you save 10% off + additional 5% off if you spend ¥10,000 or more.

There are two main airports that service the city – Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport .  Both cater to international arrivals and honestly if you had the choice, I would recommend flying into Haneda over Narita because it’s closer to the city and it has cheaper transit options compared to the alternative.

When you come out to the arrivals hall, you’re going to be overwhelmed with all the people waiting there and all the various stalls lining the wall.  Your research ahead of time should help you figure out where you need to go as it really depends on where you’re going to in the city.

For some, the stalls right at the arrival hall floor will be what you’re looking for.  Otherwise, you’re going to need to take the escalator down and that’s where you’ll find the huge JR storefront.  This is also where you’ll find Keisei line.

We weren’t sure where to go at first so we asked the staff and they were very helpful in directing where we should go

For us, since we needed to be at Mizue Station, we caught a Keisei Main Line (Limited Express) train where we would eventually get off at Yawata.  This cost 1,720 JPY.

Alternative options:

• Narita Express a.k.a. N’EX – 4,000 JPY but free with JR Pass
• Keisei’s Skyliner to Nippori and Ueno – 2,470 JPY
• Tokyo Shuttle bus to Tokyo Station – 1,000 JPY
• Taxi – Just don’t do it

Like I said, Haneda is a convenient airport to fly into because it’s that much closer to the city and even closer if you’re staying in Yokohama.

The easiest way to get in and out of the airport is through either the Monorail  for 490 JPY  or the Keikyu Line  580 JPY to Tokyo Station.

Did you know?   Both airports have free wifi which is handy.

 Keep in mind –  Officially, there are accessibility options in the underground but they aren’t the friendliest in convenience.  We brought only carry-on luggage with us but there were a ton of times we had to carry them up steps.

Where to stay in Tokyo?

Talk about some serious contrast.  Between our two trips to Tokyo, one was an ultra luxurious stay on points and the most recent one, an Airbnb at the fringes of the city.

There is a lot of choice of accommodations in Tokyo but to help you make your decision, the few things that you want to think about are:

• What is your budget?
• What neighbourhood do you want to be in?
• Do you want to do a pod hotel?
• How close do you want to be to a subway station (the answer is “very close”)

Where did we stay?

Like I said, truly a tale of two properties.  The below are two of the places we’ve personally stayed at.  Let me go into why you should one of those would be a good choice for you and if those don’t float your boat, I have a solid recommendation you can think about.

Remember, for additional savings, my Booking.com offer to get $25 CAD back is still on.

CONRAD TOKYO

This property is well deserved of Hilton’s top brand.  Located near Shimbashi and Shiodome, this is located in a financial area which means there isn’t too much around directly in its vicinity but Shimbashi certainly makes up for it.  We stayed here on points back in 2012 and were very impressed with the room, executive lounge, the lobby, and impeccable service.

TripAdvisor

Booking.com

AIRBNB IN EDOGAWA-KU

Since we booked our most recent trip to Tokyo very last minute and during the Cherry Blossom season, we elected to stay somewhere a little further away from the city to save money. Browsing through Airbnb’s supply, we encountered this particular room at $22 CAD a night.  While cheap, this was definitely a no-frills kind of place (we even had to bring our own pillows).  Bathrooms were communal as well in this 5 room house so in a lot of ways it was like a hostel.  The walk to the Mizue station on the Toei line was roughly 13 minutes and another 30 minutes into the city.  Can’t beat the price though.

If I were to do it again, I’d probably recommend a place like this.

CONSIDER THIS

HOTEL SUNROUTE HIGASHI SHINJUKU

Located near Shinjuku, this hotel is conveniently located 10 minutes walk from the Isetan department store and more importantly right by the train station.  The rooms are spacious, clean, and comfortable and up to standards as a mid-level hotel.

Neighbourhoods you want to be near

So as you can see, two drastically different accommodation experiences in Tokyo.

Having done both, I can confidently say that, staying in the city is much better.  I say that because of convenience.  When staying in the suburbs of Tokyo, we wasted a good 2 hours each day just commuting back and forth.  Another thing you want to take into consideration when picking a neighbourhood is whether you want to go to the Toyosu Fish Market.  It’s in an awkward part of the city and to make the 5:30AM meeting, you will either have to take a cab or stay right by Toyosu.  I have a full new guide on the Toyosu Fish Market tuna auction experience .

Here are a few neighbourhoods that you want to consider being close to especially with their high concentration of things to do and restaurants.

• Shibuya – Famous for the crossing but also awesome for shopping, restaurants, and bars
• Shinjuku – A place that is super lively at night.  This is where you’ll find Piss Alley but also the amazing Shin Udon.
• Akihabara – Nerd central here and a must-do for anyone that loves anime and electronics.  Conveniently located and with tons shopping and restaurants nearby.
• Tokyo Station/Ginza – One of the more expensive areas to stay but if you can swing it, you’re right in the heart of some of the best food, shopping, and attractions like the Imperial Palace.
• Harajuku/Omotesando – One of my favourite areas as it’s a clash of the fancy shops along the main strip of Omotesando and then you have the quirky and grungy Harajuku.  Meiji Shrine is also right there.
• Asakusa – Asakusa is one of the most popular destinations among tourists coming to Tokyo for the famous Kaminarimon gate and Sensoji temple. However, if you want to learn something about Asakusa or Japanese culture and explore less “touristy” places, it’ll be better if you have a local guide. This Asakusa Cultural & Street-food Walking Tour is offered by Magical Trip and you’ll have a informative and friendly guide who will give you a lot of new knowledge. For lunch you’ll cook Okonomiyaki or Monjayaki for yourself with an instruction from your guide and taste it!
• Ikebekuro – We didn’t get to visit here but I know this is a popular place for many restaurants.

Tip:  If you want to enjoy the nightlife, especially local drinking and dining culture in Shibuya and Shinjuku with awesome local people, Tokyo Bar Hopping Food Tours by MagicalTrip is your best choice

Did you know?  Coming from North America?  Good news!  You don’t need any outlet adapters.  It’s the same plug and almost all electronics you have now have no issues with Japan’s 100V vs 120V.

Getting around Tokyo

Alright one more thing before we get into the meat of what you care about.  This is a super important topic in my opinion because this is what’s going to give you the most headache.

As I mentioned, there are a lot of options when you’re in Tokyo and that’s a great thing because it can take you anywhere you want to go.  What’s not-so-great is the fact that there are so many companies.  It almost feels like you need to be choose sides when you’re in the city.  Do you align yourself with Tokyo Subway? Toei? JR? Keikyu? Tokyu? Odakyu? Keio?…you get the idea.

Which is the best line?

If you’re looking for the most comprehensive lines, Tokyo Metro is  going to be your best bet.  They also work closely with Toei which creates a very wide network.

What pass should you get?  Luckily, there’s are very affordable Tokyo Metro + Toei day pass options which in my opinion offers the best value .

• 24 hours – 800 JPY
• 48 hours – 1,200 JPY
• 72 hours – 1,500 JPY

These passes are great if you think you can make it work with one line and you know you’re going to be taking it quite a bit.

The tricky thing you have to consider though is where to buy it.  When you land in Narita or Haneda, you should buy it right away and that’s a no-brainer but if you’re trying to buy one in the middle of your trip, it’ll be a bit more work.  You can either buy them at designated Tokyo Metro Pass Offices in specific stations or you can try to find a nearby BIC Camera or LAOX electronic stores.  There were several times where we weren’t able to link up one pass with another because 1) they don’t allow you to buy multiple passes and 2) we lived by a station that didn’t sell these passes.

When buying the pass, make sure you have a passport with you.   For all the locations where you can buy the pass head here .

What about the JR line?

Love the JR line but unless you somehow have excess hours from your JR Pass , I don’t think it’s worth it to get special day passes with them.

That being said, the JR Line can come in handy for some routes especially with their Yamanote and Chuo Lines.  That’s where the IC cards come in handy.

Be company agnostic with IC Cards

For years I relied on the special day passes but what you should be looking for is an IC (tappable) card once you land.  The main reason is because these cards work on any and all systems.  All you have to do load money into it and you tap-and-go.  There is also a small discount offered on the fare to promote the use of these cards.

The one I’d recommend getting is PASMO which you can buy from a machine without having to go to a special location.

The deposit for a PASMO card is 500 JPY.  All you have to do is load money onto the card and then that allows you to tap the card when you take any line in Tokyo.  There’s a small discount for using the card and you won’t be restricted to any specific company.

A competitor to PASMO is Suica but they are essentially the same thing especially in Tokyo.  Japan Rail Pass explains the difference very well in its FAQ .

Tip:  If you want to be super organized and have everything ready before you arrive, you can get a Suica card online and  pick it up at the airport , or even have it  shipped internationally , although it might cost a bit more.

What gotcha’s should you look out for

From personal experience, I have two examples of when I was a little frustrated with the subway.

• We wanted to get from Shibuya to Ebisu .  Look on the map and you’ll see that there’s no direct way to do that with Tokyo Metro.  While it would’ve been one stop with JR’s Yamanote Line, we were committed to Tokyo Metro with their 48 hour pass.  We looked at the transfers we’d need to do and decided that walking it was a better choice instead.  That said, you could totally take the Tokyo Metro where you can refer to their subway map to find out the best way to get from stop to stop.
• We were in Asakusa and we were looking for a way to get home.  We followed signs to the Asakusa station but when we went underground, we realized the station was run by a company called “Tsukuba”.  This is when we realized we went the wrong direction completely.  In frustration, we double backed to head to the Tokyo Metro and Toei’s Asakusa station.

Lesson learned: Look more closely at the map and go with a PASMO card next time so you’re not locked into a specific train company like we were.

Are you read to eat?? You better be!

FINALLY, we got all of the boring stuff out of the way.  Don’t worry, it was part of the strategy.  Just like waiting in line for food, my theory is that the food always tastes 10x better because you’re so hungry at that point.

The one thing that you notice immediately with food in Japan is how meticulously prepared and presented everything is.  It’s not just the beautifully displayed plastic models of food but it’s also the the careful selection of Japanese ingredients that are paired together, and the freshness of what’s used to really bring out the flavours.

Whether you do a  Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku or go out on your own, there are so many things you have to know about food in Tokyo but let’s start with the basics.

General things you need to know for feasting in Tokyo:

Best value for meals: As   Mark Weins recommends , lunch menus are indeed that much cheaper than dinner.  Now this doesn’t apply across the board as there are a number of places that are only opening for dinner.  From my experience, this only applied to fancier restaurants like Tempura Shinjuku that we visited.  If you plan on doing omakase, lunch is always cheaper than dinner if offered.  As Mark did, we often had 2-3 lunches a day and did something much more casual for dinner.

Places don’t open that early:  One thing you learn pretty quickly is that most restaurants don’t open until 11AM so as much as you’d like to start your eating earlier so you can spread things out across the morning and afternoon, it’s quite hard to do because of the starting hour.  The only exception is of course Toyusu Fish Market.  As a result, use the mornings to either make sure you’re first in line at a place, do Toyosu, or sleep in.

Tipping:  I love that tipping is not part of Japanese culture.  What you see is what you pay and nothing more.  There’s no expectation to tip and some will in fact reject it even if you try.

Cash vs. Card:  How card friendly is Japan?  It’s actually quite easy to use credit card throughout the country.  I was half expecting American Express to be rejected in many places but I almost used my awesome point earning cards  with ease.  That being said, it’s good to have cash on hand because there will be lots of places that won’t accept it or it just wouldn’t be convenient to.  Street food, Tsukiji outer market vendors, and Piss Alley are good examples.

Withdrawing from ATM:   During our two trips to Japan, we never found an ATM that didn’t have any fees.  In fact, most of the “official-looking” would reject our Canadian debit card.  The one place which would take our card was the ATM inside the 7-Eleven.  The fees are unavoidable and at the time of writing, it cost 216 JPY for withdrawals > 20,000 JPY and 108 JPY for a 10,000 JPY withdrawal.  The machines also only dish out denominations of 10,000 JPY.

Tax: One thing I’ve gotten used to in Asia is not having to deal with tax but Japan does have tax (sometimes) and the current rate is 8%.  What wasn’t clear though is that there were definitely places that didn’t seem to charge tax but those tended to be the more local cash places and it’s possible tax was included in the price.

Depachika:  These are the basement floors of big department stores.  If you din’t know, you might hesitate to go to a fancy looking luxury mega-plex but then you’d be missing out on all the amazing food.   From hot foods to desserts, Depachika’s are a feast for the eyes.  Most of the times you won’t know the items are but this is a great place to randomly try things.  Ginza is a prime example of this where high-fashion Matsuya, Ginza Six, and Mitsukoshi are hiding a vault of deliciousness.

Finding restaurants:   Honestly, without data, we would’ve had 10x more trouble finding some of these restaurants.  What you’ll find is that many restaurant names are only in Japanese characters.  While it may have a translated English phonetic name, you’ll see no such name at the storefront.  There were many times where we had to search for images of restaurant to see what the entrance looked like.  If you don’t have data, I highly recommend you taking screenshots of the restaurant before heading out.  Another thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of restaurants hidden in multi-story buildings so you have to look for their name on the sign outside to figure out what floor they’re on.

Etiquette:   We learned this from our time with Arigato Japan Food Tours , here are 3 taboos for chopsticks that are worth knowing:

• Don’t pass food to another person from chopstick to chopstick
• Don’t stick your chopsticks vertically in your bowl of rice
• Don’t pull your plate or bowl with your chopsticks

Eating on a budget:   Tokyo isn’t a cheap place to travel nor is the food friendly for those on a serious budget but there are a few ways to do it if you’re looking to save money in between the splurging you might do :D

• 7-Eleven and other convenient stores – Like what we experienced in Taiwan , there is a ton of awesome food to pick up here.  My favourite are the rice triangles called Onigiri especially with tuna or salmon.  Anything you find here is usually pretty cheap.
• Bento boxes in Depachika – While food in depachika’s aren’t always cheap, there are great gems here.  Seek out the bento boxes as they’re pretty tasty without being overpriced.
• Bakeries – Similar to Chinese bakeries, buns, breads, cakes, and pastries of all sorts can be found here.  These typically make great breakfasts or if you need a quick meal on say a train ride.
• Fast food – You’ll see chains such as Yoshinoya and Sukiya all around the city.  While we tried our best to avoid these, they’re good for a quick cheap bite in a pinch.
• Vending machine restaurants – On our food walking tour , we passed by a number of ramen shops frequented by salarymen (what they call the homogenous men in suits) that had vending machines where you’d pay for your noodles up front and be served in minutes.  They’re not going to be the best quality but I’m sure they could beat many restaurants back home any day and still be affordable.

You can’t really share food: Originally we thought we could try to share dishes in an attempt to try more restaurants during lunch but we learned quickly that this strategy doesn’t really work in Japan because of the limited space.  Some have explicit rules and others you just didn’t want to be THAT tourist.

Think about doing a food tour: As much as you’re going to want to eat often and always, the size of your stomach and metabolism are going to smack you in the face.  An awesome discovery we made was how good the food tours run by Arigato Japan Food Tours are.  Instead of being limited to a dish per person when going out for dinner, sample an assortment foods in one night across a number of hidden gem restaurants in the company of a super knowledgable guide and fellow travellers.  The particular tour we did covered Yurakucho, Ginza, and Shimbashi and is called their Allstar tour .

Wait so what happened to Tsukiji Fish Market?:   That’s a great question.  As of October 11, 2018, Tsukiji’s inner market shut down and everything shifted over to the brand new massive grounds of Toyosu Market.  The good news is that Tsukiji’s outer market is still fully intact so I think it’s still worth going there because there’s a lot of food to try there and a ton of vendors that stayed.  The bad news is that all the top restaurants (Daiwa, Sushi Dai, Nakaya etc.) and the tuna auction have moved to Toyosu which is further away and slightly more inconvenient to get to.  I’m not going to go through how Toyosu Market works but I visited again in 2019 and I share everything I learned including the lottery system.

Explore Tsukiji with Magical Trip .  On this Tsukiji Fish Market Tour by Magical Trip, you’ll walk around the famous Tsukiji fish market with a local guide, getting some new insights into the Tsukiji area and Japanese culture. You will also visit the Japanese Buddhism Temple and Shinto Shrine to find what our religious culture is like. And, most importantly, you will have a gorgeous seafood DONBURI (bowl) for lunch.

9 Best Restaurants You Have To Try

My mindset of these restaurant selections was that I was looking for places that weren’t going to blow up the bank, didn’t require reservation, but were highly recommended and ranked by other influential food blogs.  I also took the advice of a number of friends that I consider to be foodie experts in Japan.  What I didn’t use was anything like TripAdvisor or Yelp.

Let me be clear though, we were in the city for 6 days , and really less if you factor in our time in Tochigi, so we were quite aggressive in working out our stomachs and our feet.  You can do it too but carefully plan out how you’re going to break down your days and your spread of Japanese food you’re going to try.  What I mean is, if you already have a good tempura place in the plans, that means that you should probably cut out any other good tempura restaurant you also have in your list.  If only you could do it all right?…or could you?

Here are my picks for top restaurants you’re going to want to add to your Tokyo itinerary whether you only have 1 day or 2 weeks.  They range from small stalls, dessert shops, and fancier establishments.  They are in no particular order but the ones near the top are the ones I have a little more attachment to but honestly all are worth going to.  Here we go!

1.  Uoriki Kaisen Sushi (海鮮 魚力 渋谷東急東横店)

Tucked away and hidden next to a giant supermarket is this nondescript sushi restaurant that we never would’ve gone to if it wasn’t recommended to us.  You could tell that it was super local too when we wrote our name down on the piece of paper and sat beside two grandmas that were also waiting for a spot.

The sushi here was fabulous especially the fatty tuna which was seriously melt-in-your-mouth good.   Out of all the toro that we had in Tokyo, Uoriki was definitely the most memorable and most fatty.  For the tuna set, I preferred the nigiri because you could really taste the textures and flavours of the fish while Chantelle liked the maki more because of the combination of diced tuna with scallion.

The seasonal sushi set we had was GOOD but the uni that day disappointed a little as it didn’t have quite the creamy texture we were expecting.

When ordering they asked us if we wanted wasabi but what they really meant was whether we were okay to have wasabi in our sushi which we did.  All you have to do is dip in soy sauce and enjoy.

Neighbourhood:  Shibuya Open hours : 10AM – 9PM M-Su Address : Basement floor (B1) of the Tokyu Department Store at Shibuya station ( see map ) Price : Fatty tuna set (1,500 JPY – $14 USD),  Seasonal sushi set (2,000 JPY – $19 USD) English menu?:   Yes

2. Shin Udon (慎)

Ramen gets all the hype these days but what about its friendly, slightly chubbier cousin udon? Well friends, not to worry because udon is making a comeback here at one of the few restaurants we actually waited in line for.

We didn’t know what to expect when our friend jotted this place down in a Whatsapp message a few days before leaving but the timing of our hunger worked out when we ended up in Shinjuku.  Arriving just past 7:30PM, we had to navigate a quiet dark alley before turning into another alley, but this time with a crazy line of tourists.

When we finally got inside, we could see why it took so long.  With a maximum of 12 seats, it’s tight quarters inside which is pretty common in Tokyo.  True to Japanese efficiency, we put in our order while we were in line so it only took 10 minutes for us to receive our udon.

I ordered the soy sauce udon noodles with yuzu pepper jelly, grated daikon radish, and chikuwa (bamboo shaped fish cake).  Chantelle ordered the cold bamboo tray of noodles with shrimp tempura, chikuwa, and kashiwa (chicken) tempura.

Verdict?  This is hands down the most amazing udon we’ve ever had.  Thanks for our line mates who were Tokyo locals, they said the best way to truly appreciate the handmade udon is with a cold udon dish and boy were we glad we did.  The al dente noodles had the perfect amount of bounce that you never get from the frozen udon we buy at home.  The flavour combination was also excellently done especially with how the yuzu was used to delicately balance the grated radish.  I normally don’t like radish but when you put it all together, it’s some kind of amazing.

Chantelle’s tempura was also perfectly battered – crispy on the outside while tender inside.  While they looked somewhat similar, hers came with a soba-like sauce.

 Water is included at no cost.  We sat at the bar table and there was a big jug in front of us.

Other recommended items:  There’s a cold udon with waygu chuck eye roll with chopped yuzu for 1,950 JPY but it was sold out  by the time we ordered.

Neighbourhood:  Shinjuku Open hours : 11AM – 10PM M-F, 11AM – 11PM Sa-Su Address : ( See map ) Price : Soy sauce cold udon with yuzu (1,250 JPY – $12 USD), cold udon with tempura (1,300 JPY – $13 USD) English menu?:   Yes

Read TripAdvisor Reviews

3. Yakitori Ton Ton (登運とん)

If eating meat on sticks and drowning them in beer sounds like your thing then you have to add this spot to your list of restaurants.  There’s no livelier and more local place than this hole in the wall, under the train tracks, yakitori restaurant.

When we came out of Shimbashi station to look for this place, we weren’t sure if we were heading the right direction but we continued to follow the raised train tracks and all the restaurants below them till we started hearing more noise.  When we found this busy throughway and matched the characters, we knew were at the right spot.

With small tables stretching out onto the walkway, smoke billowing and desperate to reach open air, the clanging of glasses, salarymen roaring in conversation, and sizzle from the grill, we anxiously waited in anticipation for our table.

Luckily for us, it wasn’t long until two other tourists finished and we got our spot.  Overall I’d say the crowd was mainly local but the word has definitely gotten out to travellers so you’ll see them scattered around.  That said, the place isn’t big at all.  If you watch the video, I don’t think it could fit more than 25 people.

Thanks to the English menu we were able to put our order in pretty quickly and one by one, succulent skewers of chicken, pork, meatball, gizzard, green pepper, alongside takowasabi (diced octopus in wasabi – omg the best), and beer on tap came to our table.  It was heavenly.

What made it such an awesome experience was that we were eating with all of the other salarymen and women that had just gotten work, there was a kinetic energy that we could feed off of, and of course all of the skewers we had were grilled just right.  Nothing was overcooked.  The chicken was so good that we ordered a second serving.

There are two identical yakitori restaurants on this throughway.  Only one of them is this one.  The other is a different restaurant but from what I saw, I don’t think you could go wrong with either.

Before we were seated, they made sure we understood the rules: 1) Each person must order at least one food item and one drink item 2) When it’s busy, the max seating time is 60 minutes 3) Prices do not include tax 4) It’s cash only.

Neighbourhood:   Yarakucho/Shimbashi/Ginza Open hours : 1PM – 11PM M-Th, 12PM – 11PM F-Su Address : ( See map ) Price : Assortment of skewers, two servings of takowasabi, and drinks (4,276 JPY) English menu?:   Yes

4. Nakaya (仲家)

Nakaya is now at Toyosu

I can confirm that Nakaya has now moved to Toyosu Market from Tsukiji. They can be found in the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building and the floor of restaurants. Saw the same chefs and assistants working there.  I’ve kept my description of Nakaya the original from my experience at Tsukiji. Read more about Toyosu

You could say that Tsukiji Fish Market is a pilgrimage of sorts if you love sushi.  Sure there are better and fancier Michelin rated restaurants in Tokyo but a trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of the sushi restaurants here and for breakfast no less.

In a previous trip to Tokyo, we had done Daiwa Sushi which was an amazing experience.  It’s one of the two sushi restaurants at the market that constantly get reviewed.  This time though, we didn’t feel like getting up at 4AM to get sushi so we instead woke up at 6AM to get to this restaurant at 7AM.

The beauty of Nakaya when we arrived was that there was no line at all.  In fact we showed up, gave our order to the lady in the front, and after one couple came out, we were seated inside at counter seats.

Where Daiwa Sushi was that omakase (chef’s selection) style of menu where you got each nigiri one at a time, Nakaya is all about chirashi which means sashimi on a bowl of rice.

Our bowls came out lightning fast and the fish as fresh as it gets.  I personally thought the toro was better at Uoriki Kaisen Sushi but the uni was insanely good here.

The only thing I found was that the service at Nakaya wasn’t the most friendly especially for foreigners but that might’ve been because of all the photo and video I was doing there.

Neighbourhood:   Toyosu Open hours : 5AM – 2PM M-S (closed on Sunday and holidays) (these are the old hours at Tsukiji) Address : ( See map ) Price : Mixed sashimi chirashi (2,000 JPY – $19 USD) and uni + toro chirashi (2,300 JPY – $22 USD), Cash only! English menu?:   No, but there is a huge menu with pictures at the entrance so just point and order

All the details about Toyosu Fish Market

If you want to get the lottery tickets to see the tuna auction at the Observation Deck level or curious about the buildings that are spread out including where Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi are, make sure to head on over to a new detailed post all about how it works.

How the Toyosu Market Works

5. Sometaro Okonomiyaki (染太郎)

Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese pancake that you have to have in different parts of the country because every region has their own take on this popular dish.  The Kansai region (Osaka) and Hiroshima are said to be the place or origin but if you don’t make it out there, you should definitely have it in Tokyo.

What makes the okonomiyaki experience so unique in Japan is that restaurants that specialize in it allow you to make it yourself.  That’s good or bad depending on how you look at it.  Do you really trust yourself to make okonomiyaki?

Regardless, it’s a really fun experience especially at a restaurant like Sometaro which is rebuilt to be in the atmosphere of the Showa period.  Stepping inside is a bit like going back in time with nostalgic posters on the wall, photos everywhere, and well-loved and aging tatami flooring, and mini teppanyaki griddle.

Okonomiyaki is essentially a mixture of tempura batter with a variety of ingredients depending on what you order.  They come in a bowl and the rest is up to you.  Following the instructions in the menu, you melt something like butter on the hot plate before pouring the batter on in the shape of a pancake.  The key is to split the batter in two, otherwise it’s too difficult to flip.  Once it’s done, you decorate it with mayonnaise, teriyaki sauce, and seaweed flakes.  Using the spatula you split it up like a pizza, serve, and enjoy!

The two types that we ordered were Gomokuten which is essentially the house special with seafood and minced meat and Mochiten which was pretty unique with corn, rice cake, and cheese. Both were super tasty and loved Mochiten because you know I love my mochi.

I’m not going to lie, this is a touristy area because of its popularity.  In the area that we sat near the back, it was all foreigners.  That said, I loved the ambiance of the place and being on a bit of a culinary adventure of trying to figure out how to make something on your own.  It was funny how we totally screwed up our first okonomyaki but figured it out with our second one.

Water is free and at the back of the restaurant.  On the rack you can grab a cup and fill it up yourself.

They will ask you to take off your shoes ahead of time. There are plastic bags at the front where you’ll be able to put your shoes to bring inside.

It gets hot there with all of the griddles going. They provide handheld fans just for this reason so be prepared to peel of a few layers.

Neighbourhood:   Asakusa Open hours : 12PM – 10PM daily Address : ( See map ) Price : Gomokuten (870 JPY – $8 USD) and Mochiten (760 JPY – $7 USD) + Sapporo English menu?:   Yes.  Waiters know English as well.

6. Tempura Shinjuku Tsunahachi Ginza (天ぷら新宿つな八 銀座店)

Battered and fried seafood, meats, and vegetables is a mainstay of Japanese cuisine but did you know that it was introduced by Portuguese merchants in the 16th and 17th century?  Battered fried food wasn’t a thing until that point in time.  Just one of the few things we learned during our walking food tour .

Just like every other type of food in Japan, there’s always the pursuit for perfection and that’s how I discovered this high-end yet affordable tempura experience.  Founded in 1923, Tempura Tsunahachi built its reputation on using the freshest ingredients and highest quality tempura in Tokyo.  Starting in Shinjuku, they now have a total of 7 locations around Japan.  We elected to go to the newer Ginza location.

With a ton of heritage, and frequented by kabuki actors and baseball players over the past century, you’d think things would be ridiculously expensive but for lunch it really isn’t.  Showing up at 3:30PM on one of the top food floors of the Matsuya department store, we were seated immediately and found ourselves to be one of the few guests there.

We were presented with English menus but the choices were pretty simple with their lunch set menu that all had a combination of tempura’ed fish, shrimp, vegetables, and kakiage (mixed veggies, onion, and shrimp).  I’m sure there was an a-la-carte menu but they didn’t bother showing us as foreigners.  We both ordered the 6 piece set, mainly because it was the cheapest option but also the fact that we had sushi only a few hours earlier.  We would’ve shared but felt like it would be poor etiquette.

What makes Tsunahachi a must-try is because of how serious they are about their tempura.  As each plate comes to the table, you’re amazed at how the batter is cooked just enough to be crispy but at the same time not drenched in oil.  It’s a nice light mix that they’ve clearly perfected.

To top that off, we were also given a laminated English sheet on the proper way to have tempura.  It’s a multi-step process and you realize you’ve been doing it wrong your entire life.  I remember thinking to myself “Wow, so this is how tempura was meant to be eaten!”

This was certainly one of our more expensive meals in Tokyo but definitely the best tempura we had on our trip.

Neighbourhood:   Ginza Open hours : 11AM – 10PM daily Address : ( See map ) Price : Tempura-zen set menu (2,160 JPY – $20 USD) English menu?:   Yes

7.  Tokyo Station Ramen Street – Rokurinsha Ramen (六厘舎)

Ramen is kind of an obsession in Tokyo and everyone you talk to will probably have their own take of what is “the best”.  Confused by all the choice, I figured it would be easier to go somewhere that had several options to choose from.  That’s when I found out about Tokyo Station and their cluster of ramen shops on what’s affectionately called Ramen Street.

The history behind it is that when they built the basement level, they took 8 of the best and most famous Japanese ramen shops from around the country and asked them to open up shop on the street.

We went there not knowing where we’d be eating but of course we got suckered into the one that had a line.  After all, Japanese queues are always means that it’s something that’s worth waiting for right?  This ended up being Rokurinsha which is right at the main corner of Ramen Street.

We made it right before the off-work rush hour at 4PM and got seated after waiting in line for 20 minutes.  We ordered the Special Ramen and Special Dip Noodle as we waited in line as instructed by the waiter directing traffic.

Rokurinsha is known for a type of ramen called Tsukemen style where soup and noodle are separated and the broth is much more rich and the noodles thicker.  This is what they call “Special Dip Noodle” in English.  Usually we’re pretty open to trying new types of food but the Tsukemen style wasn’t one for us.  We found the broth too rich and a little too overpowering in fishiness.  This is thanks to the addition of  gyofun  (dry fish powder).  It almost tasted like canned tuna.   Sad to say, we didn’t finish the bowl but we did notice that when you’re done your noodles they basically dilute the broth so you can drink it like a soup.

My special ramen on the other hand was fabulous and more of the traditional style of ramen that we’re used to.  I found the broth to be just the right level of thickness and oiliness.  The egg was done brilliantly with the golden yolk that’s on the edge of being fully cooked through.  The slices of pork were generous and the scallions alongside bamboo shoots the perfect combination.

You have to use a machine to order and pay at the vending machine.  What’s a little counter-intuitive is that you have to put money into the machine first before pressing the buttons for your order.  The ticket that gets printed is what you hand the server when you get your seat.

Neighbourhood:   Tokyo Station/Imperial Palace Open hours : 11AM – 10PM daily Address : ( See map ) Price : Special Ramen (900 JPY – $8 USD) and Special Dip Noodle (1,060 JPY – $10 USD) English menu?:   Yes

8. Memory Lane – Piss Alley (Omoide Yokocho – 思い出横丁)

There’s a narrow alleyway next to the bustling Shinjuku station where lots of izakaya and yakitori are had and also where men often relieve themselves after having too many pints.  That is how the name Piss Alley was born.  Luckily, times have changed and there’s not so much of the namesake happening anymore but it is still a regular place for after work celebrations to happen.

This long alley called Memory Lane is flanked by tiny stalls on both sides where everyone huddles around the bar on tiny stools while the owners grill up skewers.  As you walk from one end to the other, everything from the sounds, smells, and visuals are amplified.

There are a ton of restaurants to choose from and from my observation, you really can’t go wrong with any.  All of them are as full of character as the next and equally as tight quartered.  You kind of just need to pick and see which ones have seats available.

We ended up at one of the bars near the front and ordered 6 skewers and a glass of local beer to wash it down.  The seats were barely big enough for my butt but luckily we weren’t shoulder to shoulder with the other people eating there.  The skewers themselves were pretty good but definitely not quite as good as Yakitori Ton Ton.

Ordering a minimum of one drink is required.

What turned us off a little was when we got the bill and it was much higher than we expected.  Turns out, some of these places automatically charge a “sitting fee”. We later learned that this is to compensate for small spaces and needing to maximize each customer.  What they do is sneakily offer you an appetizer which for us was this cold glass noodle similar to Korean jap chae and even if you don’t want it or eat it, it’s 300 JPY on top. That said, it’s one of the few places that we were able to “split” the food so I guess it was fair game.

Neighbourhood:   Shinjuku Open hours : Late afternoon and late into the night Address : ( See map ) Price : Assortment of skewers (2,000 JPY – $19 USD) English menu?:   Yes

9. Motodane (本種)

Down a quiet alley on the East end of Tsukiji Fish Market is a sushi restaurant that is so easy to miss that we must’ve walked passed it 3 or 4 times before we finally figured out where it was.  The street itself looks more for wholesalers than anything but tucked away is an entrance on a side-alley to this wonderfully local sushi spot called Motodane.

For those that are wondering, yes this is still at Tsukiji !

What we loved about this place is that it is hyper local.  Business men on lunch and other locals dined either at the bar or in the back where we were and there wasn’t an English character in sight.  To order, they pointed to the menu pinned up on the wall and tried to explain what they were.  We could pick up nigiri and sashimi so we were able to figure it out.  It also helped that they were preparing meals for other tables so they could kind of point to things.

The chef’s selection of nigiri and sashimi that we ordered was mouthwateringly fresh and the perfect breakfast paired with the miso soup that came with each plate.  The only thing missing was uni.

The one knock I had on the place was that the mackerel we had was laced with bones in it which we thought was a bit odd.  So sure the experience could’ve been more refined in terms of better slices and selection of fish but for half the price of Nakaya, who were we to complain.

Neighbourhood:   Tsukiji Open hours : Late afternoon and late into the night Address : ( See map ) Price : Sashimi plate (1,200 JPY – $11 USD) and nigiri plate (1,500 JPY – $14 USD) English menu?:   No

Top 5 Dessert Spots in Tokyo

You know I love my dessert too much to not share with you a few of my favourites.  It was so easy to find people’s lists of favourite Japanese restaurants in Tokyo but what about the sweet stuff?

1.  Flipper’s (代官山店)

Pancakes are the champions of  American Breakfast.  In fact, there’s an international house of them.  Soufflé is the French art of heavenly light and puffy cakes made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites.  What happens when you mix them together in Japan?  You get Flipper’s and an all out new sensation called soufflé pancakes.

Topped with special maple butter cream, these super fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth desserts blew my expectations for what a pancake could be.  The choices are pretty simple – you can either get them with fruit toppings or without.  You’re going to love these airy and delicate creations.

Lucky for us we didn’t have to deal with any mind boggling queues but did have to wait in line for roughly 20 minutes before getting into their Ebisu location.  Luckily they had chairs and like all the restaurants that had a queue, they took our orders ahead of time.

 This was one of the few places where we could share a dish but they did make us order a drink.

Neighbourhood:   Ebisu Open hours : 11AM – 8PM M-Su Address : ( See map ) Price : Original soufflé pancake a.k.a. kiseki pancake plain (1,000 JPY – $9 USD) + matcha au lait (400 JPY – $4 USD) English menu?:   Yes

2. Zaku Zaku (ザクザク)

A trip to Tokyo wouldn’t be complete without a visit to character-filled Harajuku.  Besides cosplay shops, vintage clothing stores, and colourful street art, you’ll also find a few my favourite dessert spots in the city.

Zaku Zaku was introduced by a friend and they specialize in a unique take on the traditional cream puff that places like Beard Papa’s have been doing for a long time.  What they make is something called a croquant chou which are French words for ‘crisp’ and the pastry used for cream puffs and eclairs.  Zaku Zaku directly translates to crunchy.

Touting fresh ingredients from Hokkaido, this mashup of cream puffs and eclairs are made of almonds coated with sugar and egg white as well as a blend of Hokkaido-made flour with the cream centres made of milk.  They’re all made in-house as they proudly display.

On top of the croquant chou, there’s also their soft-serve which is crowned by crunchy almond at the cone.

One thing you quickly learn in Japan that any dairy product branded as Hokkaido is instantly premium and for good reason because of the simple reason of how legendary their cows are treated which results in creamy and light milk.  That said, I was surprised to see that everything was quite affordable here as I was definitely tempted to order more than one crispy cream puff.

Eating the croquant chou right away, I quite enjoyed mine.  I think it’s much friendly form to eat compared to the traditional ball of a cream puff that always explodes as you eat it.  The crisp is a nice element to it as it is complementary to the soft-serve which was very good.  I can’t say it’s going to blow you away but definitely unique and will satisfy your sweet tooth.

 There are several locations around Tokyo so make sure you to check to see if there are ones that are more convenient to you.

 We showed up at 8PM on a weekday and there wasn’t much of a line.  Even if there is one, it moves very swift as it’s very much a pay-and-go system.

When you’re done, think about booking a tour to learn more about the neighbourhood here with the  Harajuku Kawaii Fashion & Pop-culture Tour  where you’ll learn from a local guide what makes the pop culture here so unique.  You’ll be able to have lunch in a crazy monster café and also walk through the nearby Meiji Shrine.

Neighbourhood:   Harajuku Open hours : 10AM – 8PM M-Su Address : ( See map ) Price : Original soufflé pancake a.k.a. kiseki pancake plain (1,000 JPY – $9 USD) + matcha au lait (400 JPY – $4 USD) English menu?:   Yes

3. Tsujiri (辻利)

If there’s a #2 behind sushi when you think of Japanese food, I would put green tea in that spot.  The most famous matcha comes from a region in Kyoto called Uji but if you’re limited to Tokyo, there are very few options for authentic and high quality tea.  We were on the hunt for serious matcha ice cream and that’s when we stumbled upon Tsujiri.

Diving down to the basement floor of the newest department store in Ginza, you’ll be sounding out “ooh” and “ahh” at every turn.  This is where you’ll find the highly respected tea shop.  At first, we weren’t too interested as we only saw a loose leaf tea on display but we noticed a group of people intensely focused on a cone of matcha soft-serve on the benches.

On the menu is an assortment of matcha soft-serve based items but we were definitely most interested in having it in it’s purest form.  They offer two types of soft-serve – the cheaper regular Matcha and the more expensive Extra Rich which is described to have “twice as much matcha as Matcha”.

Of course we went with Extra Rich and boy were we impressed.  The soft-serve is smooth and creamy while packing extra strong Uji matcha flavours that is strongly but satisfyingly bitter.

 The price between cone and cup are the same so why not go for the cone?

Neighbourhood:   Ginza Open hours : 10:30AM – 8:30PM M-Su Address : ( See map ) Price : Extra rich matcha soft serve (584 JPY – $6 USD) English menu?:   Yes

4. Angels Heart

And you thought I was done with Harajuku!  We discovered this on our first trip to Tokyo and it certainly wouldn’t be our last.  Paired up with Zaku Zaku, we needed to make sure we had enough stomach room for one more dessert.

Long before croquant chou was even a thing, Harajuku was mainly known for their decadent crepes.  It wasn’t enough just to just put Nutella and fruit on crepes as the French had done but they had to take it a step further and slam it with ice cream and cheesecake on top.  It was so deliciously good that it’s a style of crepe in a cardboard cone holder that’s simply called the Harajuku Crepe.

There are several stalls that serve this dessert but the one we always go back to Angel’s Heart which is in the middle of Takeshita Street.  The walls are plastered with pictures of menu options and the one I highly recommend is the one with green tea ice cream and cheesecake.

Neighbourhood:   Harajuku Open hours : 10AM – 9:30PM M-Su Address : ( See map ) Price : Green tea ice cream and cheesecake crepe (640 JPY – $6 USD) English menu?:   Yes

5. Japanese Ice OUCA (食べログ)

Last but not least is this ice creamery located at a busy intersection in the neighbourhood of Ebisu.  In this small cafe, you’ll have your choice of ice cream and gelato – some of which are standard and others which are special based on the season.  Everything is homemade.

Overloaded with choices in flavour, colour, and special options, we ended up picking the skewers of mochi (called dango) glazed in a soy syrup with their evergreen matcha gelato on top.  An unorthodox combination?  Yes, absolutely.  I think both of us regretted the choice after as we found the salty-sweet combination of the soy glaze and the bitterness of the matcha to clash.  The dango also wasn’t freshly made as we watched them just grill up pre-made ones so it didn’t have the elastic bounce I was expecting.

While the clash was strong, I thought the matcha gelato was excellent.  Not as rich as Tsujiri but with a texture that could easily fool you as ice cream, it held up its own as some of the best ice cream we had in Japan.

If I were to come back, I’d stick to the basic cup of 3 selection ice cream.

Wheat green tea is complimentary if you’re eating in their limited-space cafe.  Also, if you order one of their ice cream cups, it comes with kombu flakes to cleanse your palette after the sugar overdose.

Neighbourhood:   Ebisu Open hours : 11AM – 11PM M-Su Address : ( See map ) Price : Dango with green tea gelato (400 JPY – $4 USD) English menu?:   Yes

Places We Missed

In 6 days I feel like we barely made a dent into everything Tokyo has to offer.  As you plan out your foodie vacation, here are some of the other things you don’t want to miss out on.

Types of Food We Didn’t Get To

• Shabu shabu
• Japanese BBQ
• Steak (Waygu and Kobe beef)

More Places I Didn’t Feature

There are more restaurants that I wasn’t able to feature on this list but I did add them to the Tokyo Food Map .  These include restaurants that we tried or ones that were in the plans but just didn’t have time or the stomach room for.

How much does 5 days in Tokyo cost?

It’s no secret that Tokyo is one of the most expensive places in the world.  I kept track of our expenses over the course of our 6 days in the city and here is a breakdown of how much we spent.

• Food : $437 USD
• Souvenirs : $294 USD
• Accommodation : $188 USD (6 nights at the Airbnb)
• Transportation : $99 USD (not including flights)
• Activities: $189 USD (mainly MariCAR)
• Currency:  $4 USD (ATM fees)

TOTAL:  $1,211 USD

This breaks down to $201 per day and furthermore $100 per day per person .

Food of course is where we spent the most money but from my list above, you’ll see we didn’t really splurge on any particular place which helped keep our cost low.  We definitely ended up spending a bit more on souvenirs which can be broken down into our shopping at Daiso, Don Quijote, and the local supermarkets.

We saved a ton by going cheap on accommodations but that can easily balloon to $1,000 in Tokyo if you’re staying in the city .

There’s an endless amount of things to see, do, and eat in Tokyo.  Our 6 days there was a blitz of food that resulted in intense exercise of our stomachs and our feet.

One thing is for sure, it did not disappointed.  The most impressive thing is just how much care they put into every piece of food that is placed on the dish.  Everything is there for a reason and it’s the combination of all the freshest ingredients and method of preparation that results in incredible dining experiences whether they’re on the street or in a fancy restaurant.

So what are you waiting for?

Looking for activity ideas in Tokyo?

Akihabara Anime & Gaming Adventure Tour –  Akihabara is an awesome neighbourhood to explore that isn’t covered in this particular guide as somewhere with a specific restaurant to visit but if you’re a fan of anime, manga, maids, video games, and toys.  This tour gives you a 3 hour interactive experience including going to a maid cafe, trying out a Japanese photo booth, and being shown the best spots for anime.

Read these next!

• Souvenirs you have to buy before you leave Japan
• Best ramen in Tokyo
• Must have food in Osaka
• Tips for getting around Tokyo by train
• Best ryokans in Kyoto

Thinking about a JR Pass?

If you’re looking to do any travelling around Japan, I highly recommend picking up a  JRailPass .  Keep in mind that you’ll need to purchase it before your trip and ship it to your home.

About William Tang

William Tang is the Chief of Awesome behind the award-winning Going Awesome Places which is focused on outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring photography and videos, and writing detailed itineraries and travel guides. He is a member of Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), and Travel Massive. He has also been featured in publications such as Reader's Digest, Entrepreneur, Men's Journal, and Haute Living. Make sure to learn more about William Tang to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

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Where To Eat in Tokyo, Japan: 17 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

By: Author Raymond Cua

Posted on Last updated: July 5, 2022

Looking for where to eat in Tokyo? In this food guide, we’re covering 17 of the best restaurants and places to eat in Tokyo!

Ask any Travelling Foodie what their dream food destination is, and you’ll most likely hear Japan at the top of the list.

And with over 160,000 restaurants, how do you decide where to eat in Tokyo?

Japan’s Capital and one of 47 prefectures, Tokyo is such a bustling metropolitan area.

Did you know? Tokyo is actually the world’s most populated city with over 38 million in population.

As a travelling foodie, my trip to Tokyo wouldn’t be complete without exploring its food scene.

Coming from Toronto, it was astounding to see how different Tokyo’s food scene was and what made it special.

Though I’ve been to Japan as a kid (less than 10 years old), I consider this my first official trip.

When I food trip in a destination, I try to hit as many places as I can at a reasonable level .

I was there for four days, and tried over 20 places to eat, averaging at least 5 eateries per day!

You can still see the raw experiences on Instagram story highlights for Japan in @TravellingFoodie .

Also Read: Top Restaurants in Toronto

Tokyo Food Guide – Best Restaurants in Tokyo

With exploring the food scene for the first time, I had a checklist of traditional Japanese food and culinary experiences to try as opposed to hitting specific restaurants.

I didn’t even get to finish my entire checklist, which means a return trip is a must!

In this Tokyo food guide, you’ll find 17 of the best places to eat in a wide range of Japanese food and drinks including where to eat in Tokyo for best restaurants, cafes, ramen, sushi, steakhouse, izakaya, tempura and more that I enjoyed during my trip.

Things To Know About Tokyo Food Scene and Culture

Tokyo food prices are more like north america than asia.

I’ll get this first one out of the way. You’ll hear most people say that it’s expensive to eat in Tokyo.

Yes and no.

Compared to other Asian countries like Vietnam or Thailand, where a meal can cost CAD2 only, a typical meal in Tokyo can cost CAD10.

Coming from North America, the prices are similar or, usually much cheaper.

At the same time, the quality in Tokyo is leaps and bounds ahead than North America.

As an example, my favourite sushi is otoro (fatty blue fin tuna).

In Tokyo, the cheapest o-toro I had was JPY300 per piece which is about CAD3.75.

In Toronto, the same sushi cost CAD9 per piece, and the quality is nowhere near as what you’ll be getting in Tokyo.

No Tipping in Tokyo

You’ll love the tip culture in Japan!

One of the best things about the food scene in Tokyo that most North Americans are not used to is that there is no tipping in restaurants.

Japanese people believe that hospitality and service should always be impeccable regardless of gratuity and pay.

In fact, they will even refuse tipping and may find it insulting to their work.

This says a lot about Japanese culture.

I was so happy about this because, in North America, tipping is usually at 15-20% of the bill.

This means the money I saved on tipping can be spent on more food!

Culinary Mastery

I was so fascinated by the fact that, everywhere in Tokyo, locals just enjoy eating and drinking.

It’s the most common past time.

And, it’s clear why: the sense of culinary mastery is just astounding.

You can’t go wrong with food just about everywhere in Tokyo and that includes eating at convenience stores like 7/11.

That’s why it is so exciting to be exploring the best restaurants in Tokyo.

This is the epitome of why Tokyo’s food scene is so good!

Japanese culture has always revolved around mastery and perfection.

The same holds true for their food.

You’ll find the best restaurants in Tokyo focus on one type of dish whether it be sushi, tempura, curry and steak.

The chefs spend years perfecting and mastering that one creation, unlike in North America where training would usually be months.

This is why you’ll find Michelin restaurants in Tokyo for just tempura or ramen.

If you watched the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the apprentices of Master Sushi Chef Jiro Ono, whose world famous restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro is in Tokyo, had to train for at least five years under his supervision before they can do it alone.

The best tempura I had was at Kushi-Tempura Dandan-ya in Shinjuku, where you’ll find there’s only one tempura chef, the owner, who has mastered his craft.

The menu is a simple list of different kinds of tempura you can choose from.

As we entered the restaurant, we found a small bar type seating surrounding the kitchen where we only saw one chef, the owner, who made all the tempura for us.

We watched in amazement seeing him masterfully craft each piece, feeling the heat of the big wok before placing it in.

He would then slide the piece back and forth like its dancing in the oil before taking it out, and placing it on the bowl.

One of my favourite Japanese street food is takoyaki.

In Tokyo, we found Gindaco everywhere in the city, and they have mastered takoyaki.

We visited at 5pm and both locals and tourists were lined up already.

In the small indoor area, I saw it’s already packed with locals enjoying their after-work octopus balls with pints of beer, the perfect pairing

Tokyo is primarily Cash-based

One important thing you should know when dining around Tokyo is to bring lots of cash, not only for restaurants but also public transportation.

Tokyo, and the rest of Japan, is a very cash-based society unlike North America where it’s heading towards cashless.

As an alternative to cash, IC Cards, which are rechargeable cards, are Tokyo’s answer to credit cards.

IC Cards are more widely accepted and can be used in public transportation, vending machines, shops and restaurants.

Tokyo Nightlife is bustling

I always hear New York City is known for being “The City That Never Sleeps”.

After going to Tokyo, I honestly felt Tokyo deserved this title more.

The city comes alive at night! The streets are so vibrant and bustling.

Imagine Times Square in New York City but multiplied to the number of major cities in Tokyo like Shinjuku and Ginza!

Even the locals are usually out until midnight every day.

As we walked along the busy streets of Shinjuku at night, I couldn’t help but feel the energy from all the people around me.

The atmosphere was so bright from the city lights that I didn’t feel it was night time.

Shinjuku has a lot of yakiniku restaurants, but they are packed even on week nights.

We stumbled into Sandaime Hormonya which luckily had some seating remaining because they are more spacious than other yakiniku restaurants.

I was in awe seeing how, even so late at night, locals were still at the restaurant grilling wagyu meats and raising their beers to cheers.

We ordered some melt-in-your-mouth A5 Miyazaki Wagyu and a pitcher of Sapporo, and cheers-ed the night!

We love our whisky and definitely didn’t want to leave Tokyo without checking out a Japanese whisky bar, or at least a bar serving whisky.

We visited Bar Dealan-de, which is a whisky bar frequented by locals in Nishiazabu. The bar is small and intimate.

We grabbed the last bar seating. All the people there were locals, but they were very friendly.

The two beside us started talking to us and even bought us a round of drinks before they left.

We tried around 8 different Japanese whiskies there.

It was already midnight when we left Bar Dealan-de, but the streets were still full of locals as if there’s no work the next day.

People are still either eating or drinking, or both.

It was such a sight!

Channeling the energy from the locals, we headed to Sushizanmai, a popular 24-hour sushi joint in Tokyo.

Our jaws dropped as the place is packed at midnight as we managed to grab the last table to enjoy the some sushi to end our night.

Best Sushi Restaurants in Tokyo

Sushizanmai.

With over 40 locations, Sushi Zanmai is considered to be one of the most popular and best restaurants in Tokyo.

As a big chain that started in Tsukiji Market, don’t expect this to be the best fish you’ll ever have, but this qualifies as best value sushi.

Did you know? Despite being a value joint, they offer some very premium ones too. In fact in 2019, the owner of Sushi Zanmai, ‘Sushi King’ Kiyoshi Kimura paid $3.1 million for most expensive Blue Fin Tuna in the world at the first auction of the year which was then served at the Tsukiji location for up to $24 for small slices.

All sushi is priced from JPY98-498, and the quality for that price is outstanding.

It will already be better than most of the sushi you’ll have outside Japan, and it’s even cheaper here.

So if you’re looking for good value or late night sushi in Japan, this place is it.

Some branches are open 24 hours, 365 days.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒106-0032 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi, 3-chōme−14−１２ 六本木三丁目ビル

Tsukiji Sushidai Honkan

Though the Tsukiji Fish Market has moved to Toyosu, the Tsukiji Outer Market is still there, serving up some delicious meat and seafood.

And while you’re there, be sure to try some sea grapes (umibudo) which are a Japanese delicacy.

I had the best sushi experience during my trip at Tsukiji Sushidai Honkan, considered one of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo (and in Tsukiji Market).

Note, this place is not to be confused with another popular Sushi Dai restaurant that moved to Toyosu Fish Market.

Tsukiji Sushidai Honkan is known for authentic edomae sushi with fresh fish from the market.

The head sushi chef has over 40 years of experience in sushi.

Go for the Omakase Set A (JPY3,500) which has 11 pieces of perfectly crafted sushi (one of which is your choice) and 1 maki roll.

Honestly, the price (~CAD42) is very good compared to North America where a similar experience would cost at least CAD70 but with lesser quality.

This is my first time having Ark Shell Sushi, which is quite common in Japan, but have never seen in my travels outside Japan.

When I thought tuna roll was basic, this was the best tuna roll I’ve had with the perfect tuna-to-rice ratio and the best tasting tuna that tasted like o-toro in a roll.

I also had the best anago (sea water eel) sushi here.

The eel was so tender that it just melted, and the flavour was the perfect combination of grill taste and sweet sauce.

Travelling Foodie Tip : Be sure to come early, or in non-peak hours to avoid line-ups at Tsukiji Sushidai Honkan.

You can watch my full experience of Tsukiji Sushidai Honkan here:

Website / Address : 6-chōme-21-2 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku, Tōkyō-to 104-0045, Japan

Itamae Sushi

Itamae Sushi is another popular chain in Tokyo with over 10 restaurants.

In terms of quality and budget, I would put this in between Sushizanmai and Tsukiji Sushidai Honkan.

What makes Itamae Sushi quite special is their specialization in Blue Fin Tuna, which I just love!

Did you know? From 2008 to 2011, they’ve bought the highest priced Blue Fin Tuna at the first New Year’s auction with the highest being a 342kg tuna for 32.4 million yen (US$323,385) in 2011.

Be on the lookout for their specials.

One of the reasons we went was because of their sign outside for a box of Fresh Hokkaido Sea Urchin for JPY2980 from JPY4980.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒160-0023 Tōkyō-to, Shinjuku-ku, Nishishinjuku, 1-chōme−19−１１ 甲州ビル 1F・2F

Sushi Misakimaru

Delicious sushi starts as soon as you land in Tokyo!

My first meal began at the Tokyo Narita Airport where I went to Sushi Misakimaru at the Terminal 2 Airport Mall.

Most of the time, I find airport prices quite expensive since they bank on passengers who have no other options to leave the airport.

I was surprised at how good the quality and prices were at Sushi Misakimaru.

I can’t believe all this costs only CAD22.95 (tax and tip included) when this meal would easily cost CAD50+ (plus tax and tip) in Toronto.

For comparison, the o-toro sushi in the photo below costs CAD3.60 when it would normally be CAD9 in Toronto.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒282-0004 Chiba-ken, Narita-shi, Furugome, 1−1 成田国際空港第2ターミナル本館4F

Check out this Seattle Sushi Restaurant where the chef was an apprentice to the infamous Sushi Chef Jiro Ono!

Where To Eat Steak and Wagyu in Tokyo

The steakhouse at ana intercontinental tokyo.

Located in the 37-storey ANA InterContinental Tokyo hotel, The Steakhouse is aptly named for their focus on char-grilled steaks and seafood.

In fact, when you enter the restaurant, you’ll find a three-meter charcoal grill by the entrance.

The menu at The Steakhouse goes beyond charcoal steaks including wagyu burgers and sandwiches, and an international mix of appetizers, salad and meat/seafood dishes.

Travelling Foodie Tip : Be sure to check out their set menu in case what you wanted to order already belongs to a set.

Their charcoal-grilled steaks have a mix of both American Angus USDA steaks and Japanese wagyu.

What The Steakhouse is most known for is their special Koji Beef!

You might have heard of Koji before if you’re a sake drinker.

It’s a rice grain that has been introduced with a live culture that’s commonly used in sake to bring a slight sweetness.

What they did on the steak was cure the US Angus ribeye with Koji for 5 days.

The result is sweet, earthy pieces of tender juicy ribeye!

Note though that this is an acquired taste as the taste would be very different from just a regular steak.

It’s very unique and it’s the first time I’ve heard and tried it!

The Koji Beef steak was served on a smaller personal grill with burning rosemary to keep the steak warm and bring the aroma and flavour to the steak.

On the side, they provided 3 kinds of salt: red wine, truffle and lemon.

Try each on its own, then mix and match to your liking. I loved the truffle salt the most because you can really taste the truffle flavour!

We also tried the Sendai Wagyu Tenderloin at The Steakhouse which was the best wagyu tenderloin I’ve had so far.

It melts-in-your-mouth, dripping with juices and has a nice charcoal taste!

Did you know? Sendai is one of the most famous Japanese Black wagyu, which feasts on Sasanishiki rice stalks along with barley grain.

Travelling Foodie Tip : If you order a steak that’s 300g or more, you’ll get to choose and enjoy your favorite knife from our ‘Knife library, which has 5 different types of cutlery.

Watch my experience dining at The Steakhouse inside ANA InterContinental Hotel here:

Website / Address : 1-chōme-12-33 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 107-0052, Japan

Ginza Steak

When in Japan, you definitely have to try A5 Wagyu, and what better way to have it than as many as you want!

One of the best restaurants for All-You-Can-Eat Wagyu in Tokyo is at Ginza Steak.

Did you know? There are four Japanese breeds of wagyu. Here, they serve Kuroge Wagyu which is the Japanese Black breed.

The Lunch Trial Steak Course (JPY5800) is a 2-hour tasting menu with 6 courses including appetizer and dessert.

During the A5 Wagyu Akami Teppan Steak course, there is no charge for extra steaks, which is what makes it All-You-Can-Eat.

Travelling Foodie Tip : Go during lunch when the Trial Steak Course is cheaper than dinner (JPY7800) for the same courses. Dinner has other tasting menu options at a higher cost.

One thing they don’t explain is the “All-You-Can-Eat” part is done differently.

Instead of being able to order as much as you like, the chef will keep serving you meat until you tell him to stop or when it’s time for the last piece.

This was where we felt confused, thinking All-You-Can-Eat meant we can order how many we wanted and which cut.

The drawback is, since one chef was cooking for 9 people, the steak was coming in slowly which takes up a lot of the 2-hour window.

I honestly wanted 2-3 more slabs of steak when he told us it was the last one already.

Nevertheless, you really can’t go wrong with the price, nor can you find an experience like this outside of Japan.

I liked that it was also a tasting menu so you’re not just eating slabs of teppan meat the entire time.

You’re also seated in a Teppanyaki counter so you get to watch the chef cook the steaks.

Watch my full dining experience at Ginza Steak here:

Website / Address : Japan, 〒104-0061 Tōkyō-to, Chūō-ku, Ginza, 5-chōme−9−９番１号 銀座幸ビル 地下１階

You might be interested in the Best Omakase Restaurants in Las Vegas !

Where To Eat Yakiniku in Tokyo

Sandaime hormonya.

One of the items in our Japanese food checklist is yakiniku (grilled meat cuisine).

Shinjuku has so many of these places, and it’s kind of a battle with line-ups since most places are small.

Luckily, we found Sandaime Hormonya, a good yakiniku place that has a big space and reasonable prices.

They offer a wide variety of yakiniku items including wagyu, beef tongue, seafood, chicken, pork and vegetables.

Despite having a big space, the place still gets packed so arrive appropriately.

They specialize in Wagyu Yakiniku, offering high-quality A5 Miyazaki Wagyu with reasonable prices! A must-order!

Address : 1-chōme-23-9 Kabukichō, Shinjuku-ku, Tōkyō-to 160-0021, Japan

Check out one of the best restaurants in Torrance, California serving delicious Wagyu Ribeye Steak!

Where To Eat Japanese Curry in Tokyo

Coco ichibanya.

Established in 1978, CoCo Ichibanya is the most popular Japanese Curry chain with about 1,500 locations worldwide!

Their menu is pretty much all about curry, but its quite extensive and customizable with different protein options, curry options, heat level and over 40 toppings.

Even though they are available worldwide, I was told the locations outside Japan are nowhere as close as the ones in Japan so I went here to check-off Japanese curry.

I’m glad I did as this was the best Japanese curry I’ve had so far.

Being my first time, I tried the Tejikomi-zanmai Curry which included three different meat to try: hirekatsu (pork tenderloin cutlet), tonkatsu (pork loin cutlet) and chicken tender.

I liked the hirekatsu over tonkatsu as it is the more tender and fattier cut.

The chicken tender cutlet was surprisingly tender for chicken breast too.

The curry had a very strong flavour and a nice bit of spice.

If you can take spice, I recommend the Level 5 curry, which is a great way to feel the heat without feeling the burn.

Website / Address : 3-chōme-11-6 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 106-0032, Japan

Where To Eat Ramen in Tokyo

Ichiran ramen.

Ask around for the best ramen restaurants in Tokyo and you’ll hear Ichiran Ramen, one of the most popular ramen joints in Japan established in 1960 in Hakata, Fukuoka.

Dining at Ichiran is quite an intimate experience.

After placing your order from the machine and getting a ticket, you get your own individual private booth to enjoy the ramen.

There’s a curtain-covered window where the staff will get the ticket and serve your ramen.

The curtain is low enough so you will only see their hands.

Once served, they will fully close the curtain and leave you alone with the ramen.

Now that’s ramen-tic!

Ichiran Ramen concentrates only on Tonkotsu ramen, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I got the rich broth and loved it, making me want to try the extra rich broth next time to compare.

The ramen noodles are thin but they were nicely al dente and had good texture! It’s the best thin ramen noodles I’ve had.

You can customize pretty much everything: the richness, garlic, spice level, add-on, noodle firmness, etc.

If you like spicy, they are known for their spicy red sauce.

Did you know? Ichiran Ramen is the creator and the first to place spicy red sauce directly in the center of its ramen.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒106-0032 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi, 4-chōme−11−１１ 六本木GMビル2F

Also Read: Best Restaurants in Singapore

Nantsuttei Ramen

When I’m in a ramen joint, I tend to gravitate towards blackened garlic ramen, and I found THE place in Tokyo for that!

Known for being one of the best ramen restaurants for Kumamoto ramen in Tokyo, Nantusttei Ramen specializes in fragrant black ma-yu ramen located in the popular Shinatatsu Ramen Street in Shinagawa.

The black mayu is what Kumamoto ramen is all about.

At Nantusttei Ramen, their black ma-yu is created by frying garlic over seven phases and mixing it into a balanced blend.

Their soup is a rich, creamy tonkotsu (pork bone) soup with black ma-yu floating on the surface.

Travelling Foodie Tip : I highly recommend sticking with the regular Kumamoto Ramen (JPY750) to get the full flavour. I found the Nantusttei Special had too much bean sprouts that it took away from the flavour of the broth and the bite of the noodles.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒108-0074 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Takanawa, 3 Chome-26−20

Best Tempura Restaurants in Tokyo

Kushi tempura dandanya.

Being a lover of fried food, tempura was high on my Japanese food checklist.

I could not be any happier that we ended up in Kushi Tempura Dandanya in Shinjuku, which, for me, is the best tempura in Tokyo!

Since it is also a kushikatsu (deep fried skewer) joint, you can choose between having items as skewers or in a rice bowl.

Prices are very reasonable, but they only accept cash.

This is the best tempura I’ve had so far.

Their batter turns out different unlike any other I’ve had.

The batter was light and fluffy but also crispy.

The shrimps were sweet and fresh. Even the eggplant tempura was so good!

They use a different kind of sauce which was thicker and sweet.

You’ll love each bite!

Website / Address : 1-chōme-14-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tōkyō-to 160-0023, Japan

Tempura Tsunahachi

Tempura Tsunachi is one of the best tempura restaurants to enjoy authentic Tempura dishes in Tokyo located in the Shinagawa Inter City mall.

They serve the Edo-style tempura that everyone is more familiar with and use fine sesame oil to make it light and fluffy with a more unique taste.

You can’t go wrong with the tempura sets which gives you a nice sampling of different tempura items.

Be sure to pick the one with conger eel (Anago) as you rarely see Anago tempura outside Japan, and it is so good!

Website / Address : 4-10-18, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0074

Where To Eat in Tokyo for Coffee/Cafes

Hoshino coffee.

If you’re like me and need to start your day with a nice cup of coffee, I highly recommend Hoshino Coffee, one of the popular coffee chains in Tokyo known for their hand drip coffee.

You can choose from three kinds of coffee blends based with different roasting, degree and blending ratio.

Did you know? Their coffee uses only Arabica roasted coffee beans selected by their coffee blend specialist, Master Kanno.

I loved the Hoshino Blend which was well-balanced and not acidic.

Be sure to use the cream they provide as it makes the coffee even better!

I honestly found the cream used for coffee in Japan is so much different than in North America.

Travelling Foodie Tip : If you’re planning to get food or dessert, then you can get the hand-drip coffee for JPY400 instead of JPY600.

They are known for souffle pancakes so we ordered it here to get the discounted coffee and to check off souffle pancakes from the list.

However, I found the souffle pancakes here to be different I’ve had and seen.

Here, the souffle pancakes are made well done so the sides are crispy, and the inside texture is similar to that of Japanese cheesecake.

If you’re looking to do a video of the jiggling souffle pancakes, you can’t do it on this one.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒106-0032 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi, 7-chōme−14−７ トリニティビル１F

Also Read: Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, Most Popular Coffee in Calgary, Alberta

Mister Donut

When in Tokyo, you cannot miss having Pon De Ring (mochi donut)!

Now the question is, where to eat the best mochi donut in Tokyo?

You’ll want to visit Mister Donut, the largest donut chain in Japan with over 1,300 stores.

Did you know? Mister Donut was founded in the United States but it’s headquarters is now in Japan.

I’m not one who seeks out donuts, but I was addicted to Mister Donut’s Pon De Ring (Mochi Donut) when I was in Japan, which was soft and chewy like a mochi.

Though you can find other places selling them, Mister Donut is the most popular for them and had a wide variety of flavours.

Seriously, you have to try this! It’s so addicting, you donut buy just one!

Website / Address : Japan, 〒104-0061 Tōkyō-to, Chūō-ku, Ginza, 8-chōme−5−５番地先 銀座ナイン１号館 1F

Where To Eat in Tokyo for Bars and Drinks

Bar dealan-de.

Since I love whisky, I cannot go to Japan without trying Japanese whisky.

Also wanting to experience a local Japanese bar, we ended up at Bar Dealan-De, a hidden gem known mostly by locals, unless you dined at Sushi Bar Yasuda which Chef Yasuda owns both.

This place is perfect for whisky, scotch and cocktail lovers because they have an extensive selection of limited edition and rare whisky, including Japanese whisky.

You will find a lot of the discontinued Suntory and Nikka whiskies here.

Aside from whisky, you’ll find all other types of spirits, beers and wines.

This whisky bar is managed by friendly Chief bartender Aya Hoshi and bartender Takuya Hoshi, who are siblings.

Bar Dealan-de sits around 10 people at the bar and few small tables by the window, allowing for an intimate experience as both Aya and Takuya interact with all the guests to make sure they have a great time.

Due to limited capacity, there is an entrance fee, but this fee gives you a welcome champagne and bar snacks.

Aside from being bartenders, both Aya and Takuya are also mixologists and they craft their own cocktails that are only available at Bar Dealan-De.

During my visit, they made the Tokyo Lucky cocktail, filled with BOLS spirits along with ingredients believed to be symbols of luck in Japan.

Be sure to ask what’s available on your visit. Aside from their own creations, they still offer traditional cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Gin & Tonic.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒106-0031 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Nishiazabu, 3-chōme−13, 西麻布3-13-20 ヒデビル3F

Where To Eat Takoyaki in Tokyo

Among the Japanese street food, one of my favourites is the takoyaki, bite-sized balls of dough with octopus inside.

One of the most popular takoyaki shops is Gindaco which opened its first store in Ginza, Tokyo.

The takoyaki are made fresh to order so it comes out piping hot (be careful!).

Their takoyaki has a crispy exterior and a really creamy interior inside with the umami flavour of octopus.

They put big chunks of octopus too!

I would’ve loved it even more if they used less ginger on the batter because I found the overall taste to be quite gingery.

Website / Address : 4-chōme-4-10-6 Roppongi, 港区 Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 106-0032, Japan

Where To Eat Izakaya and Okonomiyaki in Tokyo

Teppan baby (広島お好み 鉄板ベイビー).

Known as Hiroshima’s Favourite Iron Plate Baby, Teppan Baby is an izakaya restaurant that is also an okonomiyaki restaurant, specializing in Hiroshima Okonomiyaki.

Inside you have the traditional teppanyaki seating where the okonomiyaki and other teppan dishes would be made by the chef right in front of you on a hot iron griddle.

Beside the teppan seating are dining table seating.

At the end of the restaurant are tatami seating (zashiki) where you have to remove your shoes to sit on tatami flooring.

Here, we checked off a couple of experiences: okonomiyaki, tatami seating, izakaya and Japanese oysters.

You definitely must-try the okonomiyaki here since that’s what they specialize in.

The owner is from Hiroshima so you can only get Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki which has a layer of fried noodles at the bottom, and the ingredients are not mixed in with the fried egg.

It’s an enjoyable dish that can be a meal on its own, but it’s better for sharing so you can try other dishes.

You must try their Scallops & Butter and Hiroshima Oysters which were both plump and juicy.

Website / Address : Japan, 〒160-0021 Tōkyō-to, Shinjuku-ku, Kabukichō, 1-chōme−17, 歌舞伎町1-17-4 ポケットビルB1

WATCH: Best Tokyo Restaurants

Here’s a YouTube video I made showcasing the best Tokyo restaurants.

MAP: Best Restaurants in Tokyo, Japan

Here’s a map of the best restaurants in Tokyo covered in this food guide.

Hope this Food Guide helps you decide where to eat in Tokyo, Japan’s capital with the best places to eat and food to try!

I would love to know your recommendations for best restaurants, street food, bars and cafes in Tokyo for my next trip. Let me know below.

Enjoy the content and want to support? Buy me a coffee ☕

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Updated: July 5, 2022 by Raymond Cua

Matador Original Series

11 Restaurants in Tokyo Not to Miss on a Trip of a Lifetime

T okyo’s food and restaurant scene is a diverse landscape shaped by centuries of cultural influences and traditions. The city is renowned for its exceptional culinary offerings, ranging from traditional Japanese dishes to international cuisine. Tokyo’s food scene is constantly evolving, with new restaurants and food trends emerging all the time. Even “budget” cuisine in Japan — what we may consider fast food or “gas-station food” — in the US is higher end, and even department stores in Japan have food courts serving fresh and thoughtful food.

Over the centuries, Tokyo has been exposed to a wide range of foreign cuisines, including Chinese, Korean, and Western styles. Today, the best restaurants in Tokyo are a blend of these international cuisines and traditional Japanese food. Of course, Japan’s island geography means it has the best sushi in the world, with a strong emphasis on creating fresh, simple, and flavorful presentations.

When it comes to exploring Tokyo’s food and restaurant scene, there are several neighborhoods that are particularly well-known for their culinary offerings. The Ginza district has some of the city’s most luxurious and high-end restaurants, including several of Tokyo’s Michelin-starred restaurants. This area is particularly renowned for its sushi restaurants, which offer some of the freshest and most expertly prepared sushi in the world.

Tokyo has lots of fine dining restaurants and izakayas — small, usually affordable casual restaurants serving simple food to accompany beer and drinks. Photo: legend of Ryosuke /Shutterstock

Another popular neighborhood for food and drinks is Shibuya. Shibuya also has a vibrant late-night scene with everything from traditional izakaya pubs to trendy cocktail bars, plus lots of street food stalls and food markets. That’s where you’ll find the alleys known as the “Golden Gai,” known for row after row of tiny bars that sometimes fit no more than half a dozen people. If you want to go to Omoide Yokochō , similar to the Golden Gai but known more for food than bars, that’s closer to Shinjuku station.

These are the best 11 restaurants in Tokyo, whether you’re in the mood for something classic, something quirky, something creative, or something quick.

The best Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo

• The best quirky Tokyo restaurants

The best traditional restaurants in Tokyo

• Other can’t-miss restaurants

Where to find the best resturants in Tokyo

Sukiyabashi Jiro

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Hiro Katsu (@h.i.r.o_t)

The tasting menu costs 55,000 Yen per person, or about $393.

• Address: 4-2-15 Tsukamoto Sogyo Bldg. B1F, Ginza, Chuo 104-0061 Tokyo Prefecture
• Takes reservations? Yes, but they’re hard to get

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by 荒井 昇 (@arainoboru)

• Address: 4-10-5, Asakusa, Taito 111-0032 Tokyo Prefecture
• Takes reservations? Yes

Asagaya Birdland

Photo: FotoFeast /Shutterstock

If you want to check out Tokyo’s izakaya scene but aren’t keen on late-night street food, make a reservation for Asagaya Birdland. It’s izakaya-style food, elevated, and currently has a Bib Gourmant award. But the more formal restaurants owned by the same team, Bird Land Tokyo, has one Michelin star. So this is the hipper, more affordable version. Menu highlights include yakitori skewers and rice and noodle bowls. It’s about 20 minutes west of the Shinjuku area on public transportation.

• Address: 3-37-9 Asagayaminami Pearlasagaya 1F, Suginami 166-0004 Tokyo Prefecture

The best quirky restaurants in Tokyo

Tokyo is known for a unique, thriving cultural scene, and the restaurants in Tokyo are no exception. While the well-known “robot restaurant” closed, there are plenty of other unique options — some with pretty excellent food. Note that many themed restaurants in Tokyo are often popups, and restaurants that were once well-known, like the Alice in Wonderland Shinjuku Restaurant, Robot Restaurant, and Tokyo Ghost restaurant, came and went in a matter of years. If you hear about one that seems exciting, go while you can.

The Ninja Restaurant Tokyo

Photo: Ninja Restaurant Tokyo/Shutterstock

The Ninja Restaurant in Tokyo combines Japanese culinary traditions with theatrical entertainment. It’s in the Akasaka district and designed to resemble a secret ninja hideout, complete with hidden passages, trap doors, and other surprises. The menu focuses on Japanese dishes, including sushi, tempura, and grilled meats. But what most people go for is the theatrical presentation of the food. And the servers dress in ninja costumes, usually performing various “ninja” tricks and illusions throughout the meal. Diners are seated in ninja training areas.

It’s cheesy, sure, but it’s exceptionally fun, and the food is actually quite fresh and tasty. You need reservations , which anyone can make online.

• Address: 2-14-3 Nagatacho Akasaka Tokyu Plaza 1 F, Chiyoda 100-0014 Tokyo Prefecture

Cat Cafe Monta

Photo: Brenden Wuschke /Shutterstock

Tokyo is known for being the home of cat cafes, and they’re just what they sound like. They’re coffee shops with light menus or vending machines where you’ll enjoy coffee alongside dozens of cats. So it’s definitely not for anyone with allergies.

The first cat cafe in Tokyo with Neko No Mise , opened in 2015. But if you want to grab some food while making a feline friend, head instead to Cat Cafe Monta . It has hot drinks and a light menu with pizza and pastries — which is unique among cat cafes as most don’t actually serve food. There are nine cats you can meet and play with, and there’s a relatively reasonably entry fee (which is common at Japan’s cat cafes). The entry fee starts around 200 Yen, or about $1.50. It’s closed on Tuesdays, and kids under age 11 aren’t allowed,  since the cats are pretty laid back and don’t like loud noises and active kids).

• Address: 1-2-5 Hanagawa Tokyo 111-0033 Satellite Fuji Bldg 8F
• Takes reservations? No

Japan has lots of traditional dishes – sushi, ramen, udon, gyoza, and more. Here’s where to go if that’s what you’re after.

Uobei Sushi

Photo: Nate Hovee /Shutterstock

If you want great sushi at a low price – and want it delivered on a conveyor belt, no less – head to Uobei Sushi . In Tokyo, conveyor belt sushi is designed to be quick and cheap. You usually order on a touch screen and pay on your way out, so you can grab fresh sushi and be on your way in about 20 minutes. You’ll find them in train stations and department stores for that reason.

Of the many conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Tokyo, Uobei Sushi is one of the best. It’s the 14th best restaurant in Shibuya District (of more than 4,000). Single pieces of sashimi start around 100 Yen (about $.75) and an entire roll will run you a very non-staggering 600 Yen (about $4.30). Ramen starts around 400 Yen ($2.50). It’s always busy, but as you’d expect, the line moves quickly.

• Address: 2-29-11 Dogenzaka 1f, Shibuya 150-0043 Tokyo Prefecture

Karashibi Ramen

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by 鬼金棒 Kikanbo Official (@kikanbo_japan)

If you want some of the best ramen of your life, head to one of the best ramen restaurants in Tokyo: Karashibi Ramen . It has a small handful of locations in the city, but the Chiyoda City location is the original (and the best). They make spicy, miso-based ramen (not tonkatsu) and there’s always a line, and usually a rather long one at that. But it’s a quick-dining place, with orders placed at a vending machine and food served just a few minutes later. Unfortunately, there’s no vegetarian ramen, but nearby T’s Tan Tan , also in Chibuya City, makes all-vegan ramen that’ll please even the most enthusiastic of omnivores.

• Address: 2 Chome-10-9 Kajicho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0044, Japan

Warashibe Gyoza

Photo: Cristina Nakamura /Shutterstock

Make reservations before heading to what seems like it should be a low-key gyoza restaurant , as it’s very, very popular. That’s probably because it serves only gyoza, specializing in more than 25 types of gyoza from the traditional to creative. Also popular here in gyoza fondue, which is decidedly not a traditionally Japanese dish — but it’s a cool, modern take on a classic. It’s near Kanda Station, also near Chiyoda City.

• Address: 1‐14 Kanda Sudacho, Chiyoda 101-0041 Tokyo Prefecture

Other can’t-miss restaurants in Tokyo

Sky restaurant 634.

Photo: Sean Pavone /Shutterstock

Tokyo Skytree used to be the world’s tallest tower at 644 meters, or 2,080 feet, above the earth, and Sky Restaurant 634 sits on the very top floor. The round restaurant has spectacular views over the city, and two kinds of tables: regular dining tables, or teppan tables, where your multi-course meal will be cooked by a private chef at your personal grill. Teppan tables are set menus that start at 34,500 Yen (or roughly $240). Reservations are usually needed, but can be made just a week or two in advance.

• Address: 1-1-2 Tokyo Skytree, Oshiage, Sumida 131-0045 Tokyo Prefecture

Tapas Molecular Bar

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by てつや (@tetsyan1223)

• Address: 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi 38F, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Chuo 103-8328 Tokyo Prefecture

Burger Revolution Tokyo Wine Bar Roppongi

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Burger Revolution Tokyo（バーガーレボリューショントーキョー） (@burgerrevolution_tokyo)

• Address: 5-9-22 1F, Roppongi, Minato 106-0032 Tokyo Prefecture

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Truly Tokyo

A Tokyo Travel Guide

Best Tokyo Restaurants

Here's our comprehensive list of the best restaurants in Tokyo, divided by type of cuisine, with location and price range indicated to make it easy to choose.

There are quite literally tens of thousands of restaurants in Tokyo, and it would take a lifetime for anyone to eat at all of them. We’ve chosen some of the more approachable restaurants in Tokyo. They’re all located in areas you’re likely to visit, i.e. the main urban hubs. While there are in some cases better or more feted restaurants in Tokyo, they’re not great for casual visitors to the city. Often, they are inconveniently located (long train rides imminent), they’re too expensive (exorbitantly so), or difficult for foreigners to reserve and enter. The restaurants listed here are, for the most part, places that don’t require reservations unless they are fine dining spots!

For information about Tokyo specialties, restaurant costs and where to find the best restaurants, see our What and Where to Eat in Tokyo page. There are also plenty of great vegetarian restaurants and vegan restaurants in Tokyo too.

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to venture just a little off the beaten path, check out our Eat Like A Local in Tokyo page. As billed, these are places well loved by Tokyoites!

Best Restaurants in Tokyo by Type of Cuisine

Best sushi in tokyo.

• Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi ( Roppongi ; expensive) If you’re set on eating at Sukiyabashi Jiro but can’t snag seats there, try your luck with Jiro's son's restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi instead.
• Manten Sushi ( Marunouchi ; mid-range) There’s no shortage of high end sushi restaurants in Tokyo, but very few can match Manten Sushi Marunouchi’s cost performance in this category. This is one of the true must-visits for affordable sushi dining.
• Hinatomaru ( Asakusa ; budget) Whether it’s lunch, tea, or supper, you can’t beat a good sushi meal. Hinatomaru, a stand-and-eat sushi bar in Asakusa, serves up fresh, well-made sushi that’s great value for money.
• Ginza Aoki ( Ginza ; expensive) Ginza has no shortage of amazing sushi restaurants. Sushi Aoki, a 1-star Michelin restaurant is a tiny restaurant down a quiet lane in Ginza that’s a great place to begin your sushi journey.
• Ginza Sushiko Honten ( Ginza ; expensive) Ginza Sushiko Honten has 1 Michelin star and the honor of being one of the oldest sushi places in Tokyo. Naturally, it has the sushi chops to match these accolades.
• Ginza Kyubey ( Ginza ; expensive) Sushi empire Kyubey is one of Tokyo’s most famous high-end sushi restaurants. At the Ginza branch, you’ll get quality sushi without the rigid atmosphere of tiny counter seaters.

For more about Tokyo sushi, see our Best Sushi in Tokyo page.

Best Kaiseki/Kappo/Other Haute Cuisine in Tokyo

• Den ( Harajuku ; expensive) Named one of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants,’ Reservations at Den in Harajuku are correspondingly difficult to secure. We thoroughly recommend this homey, creative kaiseki restaurant for a special occasion, though – it’ll be one of the best meals of your life.
• Ginza Uchiyama ( Ginza ; budget to expensive) With its nondescript entrance and zero signage, top kaiseki restaurant Uchiyama is tricky to find, but well worth the effort. Go for the signature sea bream chazuke, and bargain lunches that won’t require you to sell a kidney.
• Ishikawa ( Shinjuku ; expensive) With impeccable seasonal kaiseki cooking that both tastes and looks like works of art, it’s small wonder that Ishikawa in Kagurazaka is the go-to for many of the upper set in Tokyo.
• Narisawa ( Roppongi ; expensive) With two Michelin stars under its belt, Yoshihiro Narisawa’s eponymous restaurant in Aoyama is a favorite with gourmands all over the world. If you like several-hour intellectual exercises in gastronomy, this may be the right place for you.

For more about Tokyo kaiseki, see our Best Kaiseki in Tokyo page.

Best Izakaya in Tokyo

• Jomon ( Roppongi ; mid-range to expensive) For slightly upscale but unpretentious, umami-packed Hakata-style grilled skewers, Jomon in Roppongi hits the spot.
• Chanpuru-ya ( Ginza ; mid-range) For hearty, homestyle Okinawan cooking, check out Chanpuru-ya, an underground izakaya in Ginza.
• Musshu Mizuki ( Ginza ; mid-range to expensive) This basement sake specialist is a great way to work your way through the various types of Japanese sake in pleasant surroundings.
• Sake no Ana ( Ginza ; mid-range) It’s not easy to find a sake bar open during the day. Luckily, at Sake no Ana in Ginza, you can have a full sake tasting along with lunch.

For more about Tokyo izakaya, see our Best Izakaya in Tokyo page.

Best Ramen in Tokyo

• Takahashi ( Shinjuku ; budget) If you find yourself craving some delicious ramen in Shinjuku, Takahashi’s fantastically smoky ramen bowl will save your stomach and your soul.
• Fuunji ( Shinjuku ; budget) Shinjuku has no shortage of great ramen, but Fuunji in the west side is the place to head to for excellent tsukemen dipping noodles.
• Mugi to Olive ( Ginza ; budget) Sometimes eating like a local means queuing like a local. Thankfully, at Mugi to Olive in Ginza, the lines don’t last long – which is a boon when you want some good shoyu ramen.
• Soranoiro NIPPON ( Tokyo Station ; budget) Think ramen’s all meat and fish? Think again. Whether you’re vegetarian or not, the vegetable noodle bowls at Soranoiro NIPPON in Tokyo Station’s Ramen Street are sure to steal your heart.

For more about Tokyo ramen, see our Best Ramen in Tokyo page.

Best Soba in Tokyo

• Kanda Matsuya ( Kanda ; budget to mid-range) At this long-running soba stalwart in Kanda, you'll slurp up delicious buckwheat noodles in old-fashioned, unpretentious surroundings. Don't expect a lot of fanfare - it's all about the noodles and little else.
• Fukudaya ( Shibuya ; budget to mid-range) A narrow back street in Dogenzaka houses some of the best soba noodles in Shibuya - a great lunch between all the shopping.
• Honmura-an ( Roppongi ; mid-range) For a slow lunch of soba in serene surroundings, try Honmura-an in Roppongi. It’s an oasis of calm amid the chaos of Roppongi.

For more about Tokyo soba, see our Best Soba in Tokyo page.

Best Udon in Tokyo

• Nanakura ( Shinbashi ; budget to mid-range) Think you know udon? Think again. Inaniwa udon specialist Tenchaya Nanakura in Shinbashi serves up thin, chewy eminently slurp-able wheat noodles that’ll convert even the most ardent haters to udon evangelists.
• Anpuku ( Shinbashi ; budget to mid-range) Looking for something different? Try ‘wafu’ or ‘Japanese-style’ udon at Anpuku in the Shinbashi area. Imagine Italian or Chinese meets Japanese noodles and you’ll get the idea. Don’t knock till you try it – their udon is delicious.
• Mentsudan ( Shinjuku ; budget) Want Sanuki-style udon without the queues at Kanda’s Maruka? Hit up Mentsudan in Shinjuku for chewy udon noodles you won’t need to wait several hours for. Cheap, cheerful, delicious. What more could you ask for?
• Udon Maruka ( Kanda ; budget) Udon Maruka in Kanda is by far the best Sanuki udon restaurant in Tokyo, and you’ll have to be prepared to queue for the pleasure of slurping these thick, chewy noodles.

For more about Tokyo udon, see our Best Udon in Tokyo page.

Best Tonkatsu in Tokyo

• Agezuki ( Shinjuku ; budget to mid-range) Who doesn’t like breaded, deep-fried pork cutlets? At Agezuki in Kagurazaka, the chef has been making tonkatsu for the last three decades - and has pretty much perfected the art of tonkatsu.
• Maisen ( Harajuku ; mid-range) Located in an old converted bathhouse near Omotesando Station, tonkatsu specialist Maisen has devotees lining up for its spectacular tonkatsu. Expect to pay a premium for quality, and decide for yourself if it’s worth the wait.
• Butagumi Dining ( Roppongi ; mid-range) Craving a quick meal in Roppongi? Head to Butagumi Dining - a casual tonkatsu restaurant taking this B-grade cuisine staple to heavenly heights.
• Tonkatsu Marugo ( Akihabara ; mid-range) On a side street in Akihabara is this sedate-looking tonkatsu restaurant. But don’t let Tonkatsu Marugo’s unassuming exterior fool you - this restaurant serves some of the area’s best tonkatsu, and has queues to match.

For more about Tokyo tonkatsu, see our Best Tonkatsu in Tokyo page.

Best Teppanyaki in Tokyo

• Ukaitei ( Harajuku ; expensive) This excellent teppanyaki restaurant on Omotesando is a brilliant place to sample delicious Japanese meat and shellfish. They offer wine pairings chosen to accentuate the dishes.

For more about Tokyo teppanyaki, see our Best Teppanyaki in Tokyo page.

Best Tempura in Tokyo

• Kaneko Hannosuke (Nihonbashi; budget) Who knew a tempura restaurant could inspire waits up to 3 hours long? But that’s just testament to how good the food is at Kaneko Hannosuke in Nihonbashi. If you’re keen on some great tempura and have time to spare, you should go. Just get there as early as possible.
• Tenichi Ginza Honten ( Ginza ; expensive) Tenichi in Ginza is a fantastic if slightly expensive restaurant for tempura. Given that people like Frank Sinatra and Gorbachev have eaten here, however, the price tag is probably worth it.
• Tempura Kurokawa ( Tsukiji ; budget) For honest, fresh, fabulous tempura bowls at bargain prices, try Tempura Kurokawa in Tsukiji’s Outer Market. A handful of deep-fried scallop and prawns at just JPY1500? Yes, please!
• Tenkuni ( Shinjuku ; mid-range) For fans of tempura fritters, Tenkuni in Shinjuku’s Takashimaya Times Square is another great choice when dining out in the area.

For more about Tokyo tempura, see our Best Tempura in Tokyo page.

Best Wagyu in Tokyo

• Ningyocho Imahan ( Shinjuku ; mid-range to expensive) For some amazing sukiyaki - a simmered Japanese beef dish - be sure to visit Imahan on the 14th floor of Takashimaya Shinjuku.
• Azuki ( Ueno ; mid-range to expensive) If you’re looking for a sukiyaki restaurant that’s a little different from the rest, you’ve come to the right place. Azuki in Ueno prides itself on serving the finest “Sanuki Olive” wagyu sourced from cows on Shodoshima Island in Kagawa – these cattle spend their lives eating food mixed with local olive oil!
• Cossott'eSP (Azabu Juban; expensive) Special occasions call for special places, and Cossott’eSP in Azabu Juban is precisely the sort of restaurant you pull out all the stops for. Their yakiniku won’t come cheap, but the taste and quality of their wagyu is out of this world.

For more about Tokyo wagyu, see our Best Wagyu in Tokyo page.

Best Unagi in Tokyo

• Tsukiji Miyagawa Honten Isetan Shinjuku ( Shinjuku ; mid-range) We love the Shinjuku outpost of Tsukiji Miyagawa Honten, an old-school eel restaurant that’s been in operation since 1893. The Isetan branch is modern and comfortable, but keeps the grilled eel standard as high as the original. Plus, there are English menus!
• Akasaka Fukinuki ( Akasaka ; mid-range to expensive) For some truly delicious classic Kanto-style unagi, where they steam the eel prior to grilling it, you can’t go wrong with Akasaka Fukinuki. This beautiful, traditional restaurant might be one of the best eel experiences in this part of town!
• Izuei Honten ( Ueno ; mid-range to expensive) For an unagi experience of a lifetime, visit Izu-ei Honten in Ueno. Any restaurant that’s been going strong for over 200 years is doing something right with their food.

For more about Tokyo unagi, see our Best Unagi in Tokyo page.

Best Yakitori in Tokyo

• Kushikwakamaru (Nakameguro; mid-range) Kushiwakamaru serves affordable grilled skewers at a lively neighborhood restaurant in Nakameguro. Popular with the locals, this is a good option for a no-frills meal with friends.
• Bird Land ( Marunouchi ; expensive) Renowned Michelin-starred yakitori restaurant Bird Land in Ginza might be intimidating for some - but the Marunouchi branch is far more accessible and relaxed, and you’ll get the same amazing ingredients and service, too.
• Imai ( Harajuku ; mid-range to expensive) Think yakitori has to be cheap and cheerful? Think again. With its refined cooking and stylish surroundings, Imai in Harajuku proves that chicken skewers can be gourmet fare.

For more about Tokyo yakitori, see our Best Yakitori in Tokyo page.

Best Pizza in Tokyo

• Pizza Studio Tamaki (Higashi-Azabu; mid-range) Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) in Higashi-Azabu serves some of the best Neapolitan-style pizza in Tokyo. That’s not hyperbole - it’s just a fact of life in Tokyo.
• Seirinkan (Nakameguro; mid-range) Made famous by Netflix's Ugly Delicious, Seirinkan offers a selection of antipasto and pasta but just two pizzas; your choice of either Margherita or Marinara. A simple case of do one thing and do it damn well!
• Pizza Strada (Azabu-Juban; mid-range) Pizza Strada serves some fine wood-fired New York-style pizza cooked in front of your eyes; there's even a terrace should you wish to dine outside.

For more about Tokyo pizza, see our Best Pizza in Tokyo page.

Best Curry Rice in Tokyo

• Mokubaza ( Harajuku ; budget) Mokubaza’s keema curry is the heavenly holy trinity of stewed meat, melted cheese and egg yolk. It’s a great way to fill up while exploring Harajuku or Shibuya.
• Mi no Ringo ( Harajuku ; budget) Mi no Ringo’s keema curry is saucy, soul-warming, and spicy - a perfect lunch break on a chilly autumn day in Harajuku.

For more about Tokyo curry rice, see our Best Curry Rice in Tokyo page.

Best Soup Curry in Tokyo

• Dominica ( Tokyo Station area ; budget) Dominica’s soup curry is a fine example of the genre - spicy and hearty, generously portioned with meat and vegetables in equal measure. It’s no wonder this Kyobashi restaurant is so popular with local office workers!
• Ganesha ( Shimbashi ; budget) Located a 6-minute walk from Shimbashi Station, Ganesha is a cozy soup curry eatery that’s a firm favourite with local office workers. Join them for some of the area’s best soup curry!
• Soup Curry Kamui ( Akihabara ; budget) Fancy your soup curry with a dose of kawaii? Soup Curry Kamui in Akihabara is the place to go. You get anime-style artwork on the walls, and the waitresses are decked out in maid costumes on the weekends. It’s a novel treat, that’s for sure!

For more about Tokyo soup curry, see our Best Soup Curry in Tokyo page.

Best Teishoku and Donburi in Tokyo

• Buta Daigaku ( Shinbashi ; budget) Travelling on a budget? You’ll love the wallet-friendly Buta Daigaku – delicious pork rice bowls can be had here for as little as JPY500. To go the whole hog, shell out JPY1080 for a donburi topped with 1kg of pork slices.
• Ippei ( Tokyo Station ; budget to moderate) Even with hundreds of lunch options around Tokyo Station, Ippei is a clear favorite with many office workers in the area. Hearty, solid, inexpensive set lunches of Japanese favourites that arrive within 5 minutes - what’s not to like?
• Nakajima ( Shinjuku ; budget) At JPY800, Nakajima is one of the cheapest Michelin-starred meals in town that’s a favourite with locals and tourists alike. Head to Shinjuku for this delicious bargain of a sardine lunch.
• Nihonbashi Kaisendon Tsujihan Kagurazakaten ( Shinjuku ; budget to moderate) Tsujihan serves one of the most iconic and beloved bowls of kaisendon or sashimi rice bowl in Tokyo. Their shop in Kagurazaka replicates the winning formula of the original shop in Nihonbashi - go on weekdays for a relatively fast turnover.

For more about Tokyo teishoku and donburi, see our Best Teishoku and Donburi in Tokyo page.

Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Tokyo

• Soranoiro NIPPON ( Tokyo Station ; budget) Think ramen’s all meat and fish? Think again. Whether you're a vegetarian or not, the vegetable noodle bowls at Soranoiro NIPPON in Tokyo Station’s Ramen Street are sure to steal your heart. There are vegan and gluten-free options, too.
• Soranoiro Japanese Soup Noodle Free Style Honten ( Imperial Palace area ; budget) Vegan or vegetarian ramen may sound like an oxymoron, but Soranoiro’s bright, flavorful bowls will convert any skeptics to this cause. The original Special Veggie Soba at their main Kojimachi branch is sure to win over both veggie and non-veggie lovers alike.
• Brown Rice Canteen ( Harajuku ; budget to mid-range) Yes, you can have traditional Japanese food that doesn’t contain fish stock! Brown Rice Canteen in Omotesando serves up set lunches showcasing great Japanese vegetables and fermented foods – everything is healthy, organic, and vegan.

For more about Tokyo vegan and vegetarian restaurants, see our Best Vegan and Vegetarian in Tokyo page.

Where Are These Places Located?

• Open the Tokyo map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you're using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

Tokyo Vacation Checklist

• For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Tokyo guide
• Check Tokyo accommodation availability and pricing on Booking.com and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
• Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Tokyo
• You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Kyoto , Tokyo to Osaka and Tokyo to Hiroshima
• You can buy a Japan SIM card online for collection on arrival at Tokyo Narita or Haneda airports. Or rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
• See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
• Compare airline flight prices and timings for the best Japan flight deals . Check my guides to arriving at Narita Airport and at Haneda Airport .
• If you're visiting more than one city, you might save money with a Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
• A prepaid Welcome Suica card makes travelling around Tokyo much easier - here's how
• World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world

Tokyo District Map

• Imperial Palace Area
• Tokyo Station
• Shimbashi Shiodome Hamamatsucho Shinagawa
• Akihabara Kanda
• Roppongi Akasaka
• Harajuku Aoyama
• Ebisu Daikanyama Meguro

Disclosure: trulytokyo.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. World Nomads provides travel insurance for travellers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

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• SAVOR JAPAN
• Discover Oishii Japan
• 15 Must-Visit Long-Established Tokyo Restaurants

People have the impression that Tokyo is a modern and advanced city filled with skyscrapers, but there are also many well-established restaurants that have enjoyed love and support from locals for a long time. Check out this list of 15 such places that you should try on your next visit!

1. Kurofune-tei (Ueno, French)

Kurofune-tei

2. akasaka tsutsui (akasaka, western cuisine).

Akasaka Tsutsui

3. hashimoto (edogawabashi, japanese cuisine).

4. Tamahide (Ningyocho, Japanese Cuisine)

5. Imayoshi (Otemachi, Sushi)

6. Dojo Iidaya (Asakusa, Japanese)

Dojo Iidaya

7. ishibashi (suehirocho, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki).

8. Torishige (Shinjuku, Japanese Cuisine)

9. Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada (Asakusabashi, Udon, Soba)

Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada

10. momonjiya (ryogoku, kaiseki).

11. Sukiyaki Kappo Hiyama (Ningyocho, Shabu-Shabu, Sukiyaki)

Sukiyaki Kappo Hiyama

12. kappo tonbo (honjo-azumabashi, kaiseki).

Kappo Tonbo

13. iroha nishinaka branch (tsukishima, okonomiyaki, monjayaki).

Iroha Nishinaka Branch

14. yanagi-zushi (ikebukuro, sushi).

Yanagi-zushi

15. toriyasu (takara-cho, japanese cuisine).

Thank you for reading our article.

Our goal is to take your culinary journey to the next level by helping you find the best restaurant. With SAVOR JAPAN, you can search and make reservation for the Japanese Cuisine restaurant found in and around Tokyo that matches to you perfectly.

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Japan's largest city, Tokyo, is the center of culinary culture in Japan.

Coastal areas, mountains and valleys surrounding Tokyo are bursting with tourist destinations, such as hot springs and ski slopes, where many unique foods are only available locally.

Kyoto and Osaka Area

The cities of Kyoto and Osaka, together with their surrounding areas, have greatly influenced Japan's culinary culture since the 7th Century.

Hokkaido Area

The island of Hokkaido is home to wide-ranging produce of the finest quality, such as rice, meat, vegetables, fish and fruit.

Northern Honshu (Tohoku)

The northern end of Japan's main island, Honshu, is renowned for its seasonal fruit and vegetables, nation-leading harvest of fish.

Central Honshu (Chubu)

Chubu is in the center of Japan's main island, Honshu, and its culinary culture reflects its position between Japan's western and eastern halves.

Western Honshu (Chugoku)

Chugoku, on the southwest of Japan's main island, is rich with diverse produce.

The mild climate of Shikoku is ideal for growing citrus fruit such as sudachi.

Western culture was first introduced to Japan through Kyushu, Japan's third largest island, where the influence of Portuguese and other western cuisine influenced the creation of a colorful culinary tradition.

Okinawa and Southeast Islands

Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost prefecture, is a treasure trove of distinctive dishes and drinks that have become popular throughout Japan, including Okinawa soba, unique sushi toppings and Awamori distilled liquor.

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Uoshin Shibuya

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Time Out says

You don't need to travel all the way to Toyosu Market to enjoy some of the freshest sashimi in town at a reasonable price. Seafood izakaya Uoshin has earned a reputation for serving generously portioned dishes featuring the day's catch in a relaxed Japanese pub atmosphere.

The menu – a sheet of A4 paper scribbled with the daily offerings and streaked with orange highlighter to indicate signature items – changes frequently based on the availability of seasonal produce. Offerings include a wide variety of hot and cold dishes like vibrant sashimi platters for ¥1,300 per person and grilled miso-marinated swordfish for ¥1,090. It’s best to get there on the early side if you want to sample the most sought-after items before they sell out.

The drinks list is updated almost as often as the seafood menu, with the izakaya rotating bottles from various regions across Japan. If you're unfamiliar with the options, just ask the staff for a decanter of the day's recommended sake.

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Proper place yo meet in Moscow - Tokyo

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“Proper place yo meet in Moscow” Review of Tokyo

I've just returned from my trip to Moscow and want to describe the restaurant where we met with my russian partner. It's a nice place in the centre of Moscow at the most popular Moscow street Arbat. It has japanese cuisine. All the dishes we ate tasted great. Service was high.

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‘Dying for Sex’ Series at FX Casts Jay Duplass, Kelvin Yu (EXCLUSIVE)

By Joe Otterson

Joe Otterson

TV Reporter

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Jay Duplass and Kelvin Yu are the latest additions to the cast of FX ‘s limited series adaptation of “Dying for Sex,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The series is based on the podcast of the same name. Duplass and Yu join previously announced series lead Michelle Williams and cast members Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, David Rasche, and Esco Jouléy.

The official description of the series states “Molly (Williams), a woman diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, leaves her husband of 15 years and begins to explore her sexuality. She gets the courage and support to go on this adventure from her best friend (Slate), who stays by her side all the way to the very end.”

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As an actor, Duplass is known for his roles in shows like “Transparent,” “The Mindy Project,” “Industry,” “The Chair,” and “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Behind the camera, he and his brother, Mark, co-created the HBO series “Togetherness” alongside Steve Zissis. The brothers also co-created HBO’s “Room 104” and co-wrote and directed feature films like “Baghead” and “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” among several other collaborations.

He is repped by CAA and Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment.

Yu is a seven-time Emmy nominee for his work on the writing team of “Bob’s Burgers,” winning the award in 2017 for best animated program. He also recently created the Disney+ series “American Born Chinese.” He has appeared on shows such as “The Afterparty” and “Master of None” as well as films like “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Milk.”

He is repped by Writ Large, WME, and Yorn Levine.

Liz Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock are writers, executive producers, and showrunners on “Dying for Sex.” Williams will produce in addition to starring. Katherine Pope, Nikki Boyer, and Leslye Headland will also executive produce along with Jen Sargent, Marshall Lewy, Aaron Hart and Hernan Lopez of Wondery Inc. 20th Television is the studio.

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