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Echikatsu
Within the exquisite environs of a grand old Japanese house, take in the beautiful ambience with your sukiyaki (thinly-sliced beef, vegetables and tofu cooked in broth at your table) and shabu-shabu (thinly-sliced beef and vegetables cooked in broth and dipped in vinegar and citrus sauces). Many of the tatami rooms overlook small gardens. The staff don't speak English but will make a genuine effort to communicate; reservations are recommended.
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Edogin
Fat pieces of super-fresh sashimi and sushi draw the crowds at this little hole-in-the-wall spot just up the way from Tsukiji Central Fish Market. The teishoku (定食; lunchtime set) is a steal at around ¥1000 , especially since the fish literally comes from up the street. Though there's nothing in the way of atmosphere, the locals who come here to eat provide the colour you need.
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Edokko
Just outside the Senjō-ji complex is this well-known restaurant named after the local folk. And in honour of Edo, this place serves the neighbourhood speciality - tempura (try the tendon , shrimp tempura on rice) - in a very authentic atmosphere. Edokko has a traditional wooden façade and a white noren outside.
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El Castellano
El Castellano's success could be attributed to the warmth of its owner, who casts a friendly eye over the evening's progress and affectionately greets his regulars with sunny Spanish hospitality. But that would discount the definite draw of his homestyle cooking, including a mean paella and the sangria that goes so well with it.
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Erawan
Not a new kid on the block; Erawan serves spicy curries and green papaya salad, in a setting reminiscent of an outdoor Thai café on some southern shore. Except here, you get a glittering urban view from this top-floor dining venue.
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Fonda De La Madrugada
Mariachis stroll through the enclosed courtyard - in a basement hacienda! - as you tuck into chiles rellenos (stuffed chillies) or appraise the mole (savoury, spicy chocolate sauce) drizzled over chicken or enchiladas. This is one of the few authentic Mexican restaurants in Tokyo free of grim guacamole and unfortunate Tex-Mex flourishes.
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Fujimamas
Fujimamas is hugely popular for its Asian fusion cuisine - like pan-seared salmon with wasabi cream on a curried corn pancake - and its quality Californian wines. Upstairs are airy rooms in what was once a tatamimaker's workshop. Fujimamas also offers a great children's menu. The restaurant is in the first alley south of the Omote-sandō and Meiji-jingū intersection. Reservations are recommended.
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Fukuzushi
Arguably some of Tokyo's best sushi is served at Fukuzushi's lovely wooden counter, where the chefs can satisfy your palate with conventional favourites, but could just as easily piece together something more innovative if you wish. Reservations aren't taken at this popular spot, so plan on a few minutes' wait, though it's a small inconvenience to dine on what will probably be the best sushi dinner of your life.
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Futaba
Like so many homestyle eateries, this place doesn't look like much, in its nondescript corner building, but who needs charm when you make the best tonkatsu on the block? It's a bit like a diner with matter-of-fact service, but it knows its stuff and needs no gimmicks beyond the edges of the plate.
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Gompachi
The Glien Passage theme-park is home to every conceivable type of restaurant, though this traditional izakaya gets top marks for its sweeping views and delicious robatayaki (grilled skewers). There is an English menu here, though with wafting aromas of roasting meats, chickens, fish and seafood filling the air, it's not necessary to look at a menu to figure out what you want to eat.
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Gonpachi
The Edo-village décor and festive buzz in the air makes Gonpachi a great place for celebratory dinners, but do you really need a reason to thrill your palate with half a dozen exotic and untried Japanese morsels? Upstairs, you can order everything on the menu, plus sushi. Book ahead.
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Gyros Hero
A popular student haunt that offers great value for your yen, Gyros Hero puts together some seriously monster pitas, packed to the gills with meat and salad, and served up with accompanying sauces and golden fries. The Greek-inspired décor of soft pastels and pictures of tiny sun-drenched isles is a world away from the concrete and neon outside.
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Hannibal Deux
Even if you've never been to Tunisia (or had Tunisian food for that matter), you'll recognise the fiery tajines and savoury couscous dishes on offer at this North African restaurant. The chef and much of the staff do in fact come from Tunisia, which is about all the proof you need that the food here is about as authentic as you'll find in Japan.
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Hantei
Skewers of kushiage (fried meat, fish and vegetables) arrive at your table six at a time, counterbalanced with small, refreshing side dishes. Though courses are predetermined, and well worth the wait, you'll have to decide when you've had enough (or they'll keep coming) and whether to drink sake or beer. The backdrop is a lovely wood-and-bamboo Meiji-era house, which emphasises the Shitamachi charm of the restaurant.
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Havana Cafe
Fuel up or chill out at this casual spot that's open late for dance-floor burnouts. Respectably hefty burritos and very good burgers go for less than around ¥1000 , and Havana offers great happy-hour drink specials. The streetside seating and large-windowed dining room open onto a quiet backstreet, a quick escape from crowds.
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Hawker Style Asian Canteen
Owned by a Japanese man who fell in love with 'chicken rice', the national dish of Singapore, Hawker Style Asian Canteen is a small slice of Southeast Asia in the heart of Roppongi. If you've never eaten chicken rice before, the dish is basically chicken and rice (no surprise there), though the accompanying sauces and broth (for cleansing the palette) can make this a truly sublime culinary experience.
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Hibiki
The inventive menu at this Japanese pub-style restaurant emphasises top-quality meats and hearty side dishes, all of which perfectly accompany the extensive selection of booze on offer. However, don't let all of this fine food and drink distract you from the incredible views of the Rainbow Bridge sweeping across Tokyo Bay.
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Hiroba
Hiroba is a veritable vegetarian oasis, particularly if you go for the lunch buffet (around ¥1300 ). The organic Japanese buffet includes both vegetarian and meat options; descriptions are only in Japanese but signs for each dish include cute, helpful drawings of fish or pigs to explain if animal ingredients were used. The building is off Omote-sandō, a block behind the Hanae Mori building.
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Hump
Modelled after the original Hump, a famous Los Angeles sushi spot near the water in Santa Monica, this Marunouchi instalment marks the increasing popularity of California-style sushi in Tokyo. The main dining room boasts spectacular views overlooking the moat of the Imperial Palace, though diners in the know opt for the private sushi bar where you can order your California rolls directly from the chef.
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Ibuki
Ibuki is an excellent initiation into the pleasures of cooking your own sukiyaki (thinly-sliced beef, vegetables and tofu cooked in broth at your table) and shabu-shabu (thinly-sliced beef and vegetables cooked in broth and dipped in vinegar and citrus sauces). As they're accustomed to foreign visitors, they accept credit cards, have an English menu and host guests in a friendly and traditional atmosphere.
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Imahan
Upstairs from the huge Takashimaya Times Square branch of Tōkyū Hands department store, Imahan is all about beef. Apart from the house specialities of sukiyaki and shabu-shabu, Imahan serves such delicacies as fugu , marbled beef sashimi and scaled-down kaiseki dinners. Come with comrades, as this cookery is meant to be shared for maximum merriment.
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Inakaya
Once you're bombarded with greetings at the door, the action doesn't stop at this old-guard robatayaki (a place that grills food that goes beautifully with booze). It's a party, it's joyous, it's boisterous - and that goes for the profusion of toothsome dishes as well as the attitude one must have when the bill arrives. Live large!
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Ippūdō
Nationally famous, this rāmen shop specialises in tonkotsu (pork broth) noodles. While the akamaru rāmen (rich pork broth with red seasoning oil) is tailored towards the Tokyo palate, the shiromaru (milder, 'white' pork broth) is pure Kyūshū (grate fresh garlic over it for authenticity). You'll have to queue at peak periods and, as a courtesy, should take no more than 20 minutes to eat, but it's well worth it.
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Irokawa
Irokawa serves some of the best, most beautifully-grilled unagi (eel) around. Try the unaju (broiled eel on rice). The restaurant has a humble, traditional-looking exterior, with plants flanking the entrance, and is a friendly neighbourhood spot to try unagi with the locals.
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Isegen
From early autumn to mid-spring, this old Edo-style restaurant dishes up monkfish stew in a splendid communal tatami room. The rest of the year, when monkfish is out of season, expect the same traditional surroundings and a menu offering fresh river fish. Although there is no English menu, the communal surroundings mean that it shouldn't be too hard to point out what you want to eat.
