Ehime Prefecture
Near the castle ropeway, this warmly austere restaurant serves simple, beautifully balanced Matsuyama-style cuisine at reasonable prices. Rice lunch sets …
Must-see restaurants in Japan
Kyūshū
Sample Miyazaki beef for less than an arm and a leg with yakiniku (Korean barbecue) at this sister shop of famed beef specialist Miyachiku. Two-person…
Aomori Prefecture
This brightly lit basement restaurant stars musicians wielding shamisen (three-stringed instruments resembling a lute or a banjo) entertaining seafood…
Hiroshima
This low-ceilinged narrow cafe-restaurant near the Peace Memorial Museum is a good place for a coffee or lunch stop after walking around the park. There…
Hiroshima Region
On the ground floor Kugurimon roasts coffee, while upstairs is a cafe serving up cakes, lunch sets and other simple meals. For something different and…
Kōbe
Amid the myriad izakaya (pub-restaurants) and bars northwest of Sannomiya Station, Hirai is a reliably popular spot for its house specialities katsuo wara…
Kyūshū
This venerable yet up-to-date restaurant across from the castle serves Shimabara's best-known dish, guzōni, a clear broth with mochi (pounded-rice…
Central Honshū
This chintzy Korean-Japanese barbecue joint is unmissable from Takasaki Station's west exit: it's the red-and-cyan building on the corner of the first…
Gyoza Chao Chao Shijo-Kawaramachi
Downtown Kyoto
This branch of Gyoza Chao Chao is convenient for a quick bite when hitting the shops downtown. It has a range of interesting vegetarian gyōza (dumping)…
Kagoshima
The original branch of the tonkotsu (pork broth) institution is in Tenmonkan, in the corner house with the red tile sign. It's rather workaday yet often…
Downtown Kyoto
This casual restaurant in the Sanjō covered arcade serves a variety of soba and udon (thick white wheat noodles) dishes. It can get crowded at lunchtime…
Aomori Prefecture
Nearly 50 years of churning out sweet, creamy curries has led to mastery of spice and consistency at Curry House Hōryū. It's remarkably cheap and draws a…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Huge bowls of udon (thick white wheat noodles) are the speciality here. Go for simple (topped with seaweed or pickled plum), exotic (udon carbonara) or…
Northern Higashiyama
For an experience you won’t soon forget, try Okariba. If it crawls, walks or swims, it’s probably on the menu. The inoshishi (wild boar) barbecue is a…
Kansai
Run by a local tofu maker, this shop sells all sorts of soy-based dishes, from orthodox goma-dōfu (tofu made with ground sesame seeds) to more unexpected…
Aomori Prefecture
A true local restaurant offering a variety of set meals of hearty stews and delicate seafood concoctions. There's also an extensive list of Aomori sake,…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Come here to sample sake and local Yamagata specialities such as imo nabe (potato stew) and dongara (cod), as well as a variety of chargrilled seafood…
Aomori Prefecture
In business since 1929, this old-fashioned cake and tea shop is said to be the oldest in Tōhoku. Expect to see arty types with pen in hand (or finger on…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Curry rice is Japan's version of baked beans on toast – a comfort food beloved of nearly all Japanese. This neatly designed outlet, tucked under the…
Tokyo
Occupying a faithful replica of the bank that once operated here, Cafe 1894 has vaulted ceilings and handsome woodwork as well as a tempting menu of well…
Osaka
If you've never tried Japanese-style curry rice, this restaurant on a quiet Ame-Mura side street is a good place to get acquainted with its warm, saucy…
Western Honshū
There's only one thing in this Yuda Onsen store: uirō. This Yamaguchi take on mochi (pounded rice made into cakes) uses bracken-root starch, rather than…
Kyūshū
Across the car park from the tourist-information office and operated by local fishing families, this cooperative is basically a market with picnic tables,…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This super-slick offering is themed on the speakeasies of the US Prohibition era. Dine on the likes of wagyū steaks, burger sliders or gnocchi Gorgonzola…
Osaka
Satoyama's all-you-can-eat 'Viking' (buffet) setup lets you choose from mostly Japanese home-style dishes, while enjoying great city views from the…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
This is one of Tokyo's better kaiten-sushi (conveyor-belt sushi restaurants), with fish sourced daily from the fish market in Numazu (south of Tokyo on…
Kyūshū
Fish fans should head to humble Daitoku on Makurazaki's main drag for award-winning katsuo funado meshi, a donburi (rice bowl) topped with fresh katsuo …
Tokyo
This restaurant serves uninspired Thai food in an inspired setting: a terrace on the edge of Inokashira-kōen. You can also just stop in for a Thai iced…
Shinshindō Notre Pain Quotidien
Northern Higashiyama
This atmospheric old Kyoto coffee shop is a favourite of Kyoto University students for its curry lunch set (¥710), which is kind of an acquired taste. It…
Aomori Prefecture
In business for over 30 years for good reason, and a perennial favourite among the meat-eating fraternity, Aki's signature dish is katsu teishoku (crumbed…
Matsumoto
In Nakamachi, this is one of central Japan's finest soba shops. Its owner ran a French restaurant in Tokyo before returning to his home town. Keeping…
Shikoku
Near the start of Obiyamachi Arcade, this is a good place to try local set meals, especially if you're struggling with Japanese menus. Most of the menu is…
Imperial Palace & Around
If you find yourself in need of a light meal or drink while you’re in the Demachiyanagi area, this casual cafe is a good choice. There is a variety of…
Nara
Part of the somewhat Mediterranean-looking Axe Unit complex (towards the back), Mellow is indeed a relaxed space in which to eat pasta and brick-oven…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
This street stall dishes out steaming hot tako-yaki (grilled octopus dumplings) and it's clearly got a following: check out the celebrity signatures on…
Aomori Prefecture
Hirosaki mightn't be the first place that comes to mind when you think of paella, but you can nonetheless find a pretty decent one here, along with tapas…
Kagoshima
This classy multistorey shop claims to have invented kurobuta shabu-shabu (black-pork hotpot). Set meals come with handmade udon noodles and side dishes…
Hiroshima
Location location. The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki here is good, but Nagataya's advantage is its location across the road from the Peace Memorial Park. It…
Niigata Prefecture
Yōshoku (Western-style) cuisine is a treat for homesick Japanophiles. This grill house does a good katsu-don (rice topped with a fried pork cutlet) and…
Niigata Prefecture
This beer-and-bourbon bar's chef sizzles amazing yakitori (chicken, and other meats or vegetables, grilled on skewers), curates cured meat and cheese…
