Must-see restaurants in Japan

  • Handsome Shokudō

    Tokyo

    The chefs here, who train in Thailand, turn out seriously good Thai dishes (though maybe not quite spicy enough to count as truly authentic) served with…

  • Yamaichi

    Kyūshū

    Aso akaushi (beef from local brown cows) is prized for its relatively low fat content. Get it here sliced over donburi (rice bowl). Set meals come with…

  • Daruma

    Sapporo

    This is where Sapporoites take friends visiting from out of town for the local speciality, jingisukan (all-you-can-eat lamb dish). There's nothing fancy…

  • Genova

    Beppu

    There always seems to be a queue at this ice-cream counter just inside Sol Paseo Ginza Arcade. Even if something seems to have been lost in the English…

  • Daimon Yokochō

    Hokkaidō

    This is a fun place to gather in the evening: a collection of 25 food vendors in an old-style marketplace, with outdoor seats (when it's not freezing)…

  • Biotei

    Downtown Kyoto

    Located diagonally across from Nakagyō post office, this is a favourite of Kyoto vegetarians, serving à la carte and daily sets with dishes such as deep…

  • Yoshida-ya

    Arashiyama & Sagano

    This quaint and friendly little teishoku-ya (set-meal restaurant) is perfect for lunch while in Arashiyama. The standard teishoku favourites are on offer,…

  • Delifucious

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    What happens when a former Ginza sushi chef turns his attention to – of all things – hamburgers? You get fish burgers and anago (seafaring eel) hot dogs…

  • Mōri Mōri

    Amami Islands

    This super-friendly izakaya in Wadomari offers small dishes such as gōyā champurū (bitter melon stir-fry; ¥500). See if you can break the local beer…

  • Hagi Shinkai

    Western Honshū

    Seating here is around a large open tank, so you can witness doomed fish being plucked out by the staff while you eat. There are various set-meal options,…

  • Kome Doko

    Hiroshima Region

    Slightly fancy, a rarity for Onomichi, this bistro-style restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients in excellent dishes that might make you wish portions…

  • Restaurant Le Midi

    Takayama

    One street back from the river, this fancy restaurant serves traditional French cuisine with a Japanese twist. Mouth-watering appetisers include Hida-beef…

  • Komagata Dozeu

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    Since 1801, Komagata Dozeu has been simmering and stewing dojō (Japanese loach, which looks something like a miniature eel). Dojō-nabe (loach hotpot),…

  • iCafe Takayama

    Takayama

    Run by the inspiring crew from Satoyama Experience in neighbouring Hida-Furukawa, this new-in-2016 cafe in the slick Takayama Station is your one-stop…

  • Ukishima Garden

    Naha

    With pork featuring prominently in traditional Okinawan cuisine, Ukishima Garden is a refreshing, cleansing change. Here vegetarian and vegan creations…

  • Mominoki House

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    This pioneering macrobiotic restaurant has been running since 1976, long enough to see many a Harajuku trend come and go (and to see some famous visitors,…

  • Murata

    Fukuoka

    Down the street from Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan, this lovely eatery makes homemade organic soba (buckwheat noodles) from the Shinshū area of central…

  • Bakudanya

    Hiroshima

    Try the famous Hiroshima tsukemen at this simple street-corner eatery. Tsukemen is a ramen-like dish in which noodles and soup come separately. These…

  • Sagano-yu

    Arashiyama & Sagano

    Located near the JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, this whitewashed chic cafe is set in an old public bathhouse complete with decorative tiles and taps still in…

  • Tsurumaru

    Western Honshū

    The smell of fish grilling over coals permeates this restaurant, which specialises in the cuisine of the Oki Islands. The menu features meals such as eri…

  • Ishigakijima Village

    Yaeyama Islands

    A contemporary version of the old-school dining yokochō (alleys) ferreted away in Japanese cities, this new restaurant complex is the perfect place to…

  • Shōkadō

    Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)

    On the 2nd floor, with huge windows overlooking the bay, this light-filled, minimalist cafe specialises in castella, a moist, sponge-like cake originally…

  • Saera

    Sapporo

    This Sapporo institution serves sandwiches of the genteel sort (crusts-off, lightly stuffed), with dozens of fillings. Two to try: the king-crab sandwich…

  • Hainan Jeefan Shokudō

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    This cosy, white-walled ‘hawker-style Asian canteen’ is a small slice of Singapore. Hainan-style chicken rice, Singapore’s national dish, is the…

  • Ohitotsuzen Tanbo

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    The speciality here is the least glamorous part of the meal – the rice, which comes from an organic farm the restaurant manages in Niigata Prefecture. It…

  • Eki Marché

    Osaka

    This excellent collection of wallet-friendly eateries and takeaway counters is on the southwestern side of JR Osaka Station, close to Daimaru and Hotel…

  • Rāmen Stadium

    Fukuoka

    An entire floor of ramen outlets, with eight vendors imported from the length and breadth of Japan, including five from Fukuoka, such as Jinanbō (二男坊),…

  • Yanmo

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    Freshly caught seafood from the nearby Izu Peninsula is the speciality at this upscale, yet unpretentious, restaurant. The dinner courses, which include…

  • Mucha-an

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Mucha-an is in an old wooden ryokan transported from across town to the gardens at Chinzan-sō. The soba (buckwheat noodles) are made in-house: go for…

  • Boulangerie Riz

    Ehime Prefecture

    Heavenly, light and crisp pastries and breads made with rice flour (50% – not gluten-free) are the house speciality at this bakery along the Kisaiya Road …

  • Canal Cafe

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    Along a languid stretch of what was once the outer moat of Edo Castle, this is one of Tokyo’s best al fresco dining spots. The restaurant serves tasty…

  • GVO

    Hokkaidō

    Guitars, motorcycles, CDs and 1960s folk all grace this cafe that's all about the sea urchin. If you've been craving sea urchin curry, sea urchin pasta,…

  • Yukari

    Osaka

    This popular restaurant in the Ohatsutenjin-dōri arcade serves up that great Osaka favourite, okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), cooked on a griddle before…

  • Tensuke

    Tokyo

    A legitimate candidate for eighth wonder of the modern world is Tensuke's tamago (egg) tempura, which comes out batter-crisp on the outside and runny in…

  • Sujata

    Northern Higashiyama

    Opposite Kyoto University, this humble cafe is a godsend for vegetarians. The menu is limited but the food is fresh, tasty, mostly organic and nutritious,…

  • Nakai Shunpūdō

    Kansai

    You can watch the chef make kuzu (arrowroot gelatin) sweets in the shop window here – it's kind of like magic as the kuzu transforms from starch to…

  • Saryo Suisen

    Downtown Kyoto

    There are countless places in Kyoto to be restrained with your matcha and sweets...this teahouse isn't one of them. Roll up your sleeves, loosen your belt…

  • Bijin-tei

    Kagawa Prefecture

    Smiling mama-san sees all at this discreet seafood izakaya. Point to the menu items already plated – the pickled tako (octopus) is a mouthful – or ask for…

  • Ganko

    Downtown Kyoto

    This giant four-storey dining hall is part of Kansai’s biggest sushi chain. The ground floor is the sushi area, with a long sushi counter and plenty of…

  • Rose Bakery Marunouchi

    Tokyo

    Tokyo has taken to organic cafe Rose Bakery's no-fuss style of dining. Vegetarians and those with a love for British cakes and baked goods are well served…

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