Around Tokyo
Perched on the lakeside, this busy restaurant is of the picture-menu and vending-machine variety – choose your meal, pay at the machine, and then give…
Must-see restaurants in Japan
Hiroshima
It looks like a shack from the outside – let's call it rustic – and inside there are just a few wooden stools to perch on and a couple of tables. The…
Aomori Prefecture
All the coffee shops in Yasumiya have similar offerings – coffee, apple juice and locally made apple pie – but this one at the southern end of the village…
Kansai
This craft-beer pub near the town centre has four locally brewed house beers on tap and a diverse menu that includes dishes with Tajima beef, such as…
Tokushima & the Anan Coast
Its beige facade looks unremarkable, and its atmosphere is unassuming, but the traditional Japanese dishes served at this family-run restaurant are…
Himeji
This reliably good local conveyor-belt sushi chain has a huge selection (including many non-sushi items): choose what catches your eye as it goes round or…
Fukuoka
Sushi here can be two completely different experiences: elegant and dignified on the 2nd floor, or served together with other dishes in a rollicking…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Long known for its generous, exceedingly reasonable sushi sets, Sushi-no-Midori is perhaps now a little too well-known: long waits are common during peak…
Osaka
The Dōtombori branch of famous kushikatsu specialist Daruma can draw long lines (though there are plenty of seats, so it moves fast). Start with the …
Nagano Region
Even if it's cold outside, be sure to stop by for some of Marrone's delicious, creamy, freshly churned gelato, available in a range of seasonal flavours…
Tontoro Kagoshima-Chūō Ekimae-ten
Kagoshima
Tontoro is an institution for its thick tonkotsu (pork broth), finished with scallions and a hint of garlic. This branch near JR Kagoshima-Chūō Station is…
Downtown Kyoto
This tiny joint serves more than just the dal bhaat (rice and lentil curry) that most people associate with Nepalese cuisine. In fact, the fare (good…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This is a cosy branch of the izakaya (Japanese pub-eatery) that specialises in using a straw-burning flame grill to prepare Tosa-ryōri, the food of Kōchi…
Sendai
Named after a Song-era fantasy epic, this classic izakaya specialises in charcoal-grilled kinki (rockfish; also called kichiji), which is nibbled by sake…
Hiroshima
One of the few places in Hiroshima serving early breakfast, Andersen's cafeteria-style buffet is an unchallenged hit. This Japanese bakery, named after…
Nagasaki
At this Shinchi Chinatown standby, the cheerful staff dressed in black with white aprons have been serving southern Chinese cuisine since the Shōwa era…
Hokkaidō
This cute restaurant – the name means 'stage coach' – inside the old wooden Yambetsu train station serves up tasty ramen and is naturally a hit with…
Kagoshima
Quench your thirst during Kagoshima's steamy summers with highly refreshing kakigori (shaved ice with condensed milk, fruit and beans). Go for the…
Sendai
In business for 130 years, this charming teahouse is known for its zunda-mochi, pounded rice cakes topped with a jam made from fresh soybeans – a Sendai…
Hokkaidō
Traditionalists should put aside all preconceptions when visiting this brewery-restaurant. The yakiniku (grilled meat) served here is pretty good…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
The Pink Cow has occupied several locations across Tokyo since its launch in 2000 – this is the latest. What has remained consistent is its good-value…
Hokkaidō
One of Furano's signature dishes is omu-karē (オムかれー), rice topped with an omelette surrounded by a moat of Japanese-style curry. Yamadori ups the ante…
Central Honshū
This popular lunch spot is diagonally opposite the bus station and serves filling teishoku (set meals) mainly based around tempura and soba or udon…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Gone too long without a hummus fix? Tabela will sort you out, and serve you tagine on the terrace while you watch the comings and goings on Shibuya's hip…
Kyoto Station & South Kyoto
On the corner out the front of the north side of Kyoto Station, this casual cafe is a good place to kill some time while waiting for a train (though note…
Nara
Adjacent to Nara-kōen and across from the Nara National Museum, this convenient collection of a dozen restaurants and cafes offers a variety of dishes …
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Yummy oyako-don (chicken and egg on rice) set meals are the pick of this busy train station restaurant, plus a decent crack at the local hotpot speciality…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Halfway between the train station and the sightseeing district, this samurai house has been partly converted into a stylish cafe. The menu spans the ages,…
Kyūshū
This friendly shop across the road from the ferry dock serves Nagasaki Prefecture's most famous dish, champon, a relative of ramen, loaded with pork and…
Southern Higashiyama
This super-casual cafe on Higashiōji, just down the hill from the main Southern Higashiyama sightseeing district, is a convenient stop for a light lunch…
Downtown Kyoto
Kyoto's best Indian restaurant is a narrow upstairs unflashy spot on Kawaramachi-dōri. The lunch set menu is a good deal, dinners run a little pricey but…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Ruby is among a handful of restaurants and shops that make up Takadanobaba's 'Little Yangon', serving up Burmese classics like mohinga (rice-noodle soup)…
Hokkaidō
Right in front of JR Mashū Station, this small, cosy restaurant serves up standards such as ramen and buta-don (grilled pork on rice; ¥1080), with a…
Takayama
Delicious, chunky yaki-soba (fried noodles) and chūka-soba noodle soups are the speciality at this local fave that will fill your belly and satisfy your…
Downtown Kyoto
This simple cosy cafe is a great spot to grab a healthy breakfast – it opens early (a rarity in Kyoto) and serves a tasty cheap Japanese breakfast set, a…
Kansai
This huge (by local standards) casual restaurant has an equally huge menu of local seafood served fried, grilled, sautéed or as sashimi. You can't go…
Kagawa Prefecture
Loved equally by locals and Japanese celebrities, Yakiniku Jinsuke offers up a solid set menu to suit meat and beer lovers for a very reasonable ¥3000…
Western Honshū
White adobe-style walls and South Asian knick-knacks set the scene at this diminutive cafe-restaurant. There's a menu of simple Indian curries (and a Thai…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
While many believe Sakata is an underrated town, Kumura no Sakaba is definitely a much underrated izakaya. The atmosphere is propelled by buoyant, local…
Sapporo
An easy option for a bite to eat in the train station, Ramen Kyōwakoku is a collection of ramen shops from all over Hokkaidō. It's all here: Sapporo miso…
