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Matsuya
Rival to Kanda Yabu Soba and located almost next door, Matsuya is just as bustling and feels a notch more casual. Try plain zaru soba , then follow it up with the kamo nanban , soba with slices of roast duck. Soak it all up along with the merry crowd.
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Meidi-Ya - Ginza
Meidi-ya specialises in high-end groceries for foreign palates, carrying cheeses, wines, cookies and other titbits you might crave in this foreign land. Note, there are other locations throughout the city, including branches in Akasaka and Ginza.
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Miravile Impakt
It's hard to know what's more striking at this trendy café - the chic modern interior of bold colours and angular furniture, or the fact that everything on the menu here will overload your sweet tooth. Specialising in just dessert, Miravile Impakt serves up an elegant three-course meal that is rounded out by designer teas and speciality coffees.
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Mitsukoshi
Classic style and status at this Ginza institution. Further outlets can be found in Ikebukuro, Marunouchi and Ebisu.
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Mominoki House
Boho Tokyoites and personages such as Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder have descended into Mominoki House's multilevel, rabbit warren of a dining room since 1976. Chef Yamada's menu consists mostly of Japanese wholefoods, much of it vegetarian but also including organically raised Australian perch and Hokkaidō venison. Food here is lovingly prepared, and enriching to both body and soul.
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Monsoon
Monsoon serves up a variety of pan-Asian cuisine from peanut satays to steamed shrimp dumplings in an evocative tropical café setting. Alfresco seating and fruity cocktails help stave off the oppression of Tokyo's notoriously muggy summers, while tropical lagers and spicy curries will help you escape the depression of Tokyo's notoriously grey winters.
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Moti
You'll get the red-carpet treatment at Moti, where some of Tokyo's best Indian food is served up by attentive and friendly staff, in elegant surrounding. The lunch sets are a terrific deal, and this branch serves dosa and other South Indian specialities. Moti has another branch in Akasaka, one in Roppongi, and several others beyond.
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Moti, Minato
Loved by local expats, Moti maintains a loyal base of foodies who come for the set lunches and well-seasoned curries. Settle into one of the comfortable booths and watch as first one embassy staffer and then another comes and goes. Moti can fill to the rafters around noon.
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Mushroom
Chef Yamaoka's obsession with the taming of the 'shroom has sprouted this very cosy little French bistro, whose décor is dominated by a mushroom motif, of course. Three-course set lunches are amazing value and will transport you elsewhere - without the mind-altering side effects of course. Japanese skills will help in making a reservation, and French skills will help in interpreting the menu.
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Nabi
Paying tribute to its progressive surroundings, Nabi offers an organic spin on the traditional Korean dish of yakiniku . While you're grilling your meat and veg at your private tabletop barbecue, stop for a moment to appreciate the fact that you're eating healthily and making the environment a cleaner place at the same time.
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Nair's
Like Japan's foremost living novelist, Murakami Haruki, Nair's was born in 1949, signalling a shift in tone in postwar Tokyo. Though curry restaurants are now a dime a dozen, this was one of the first to introduce naan and cardamom to Tokyo. Since quality midrange fare is a rare find in Ginza, this neighbourhood landmark tends to be extremely busy, though the crowds blend with the Bollywood music to create a festive atmosphere.
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Namco Namjatown
Namco Namjatown houses three food-themed parks, specialising variously in gyōza (dumplings), cream puffs and ice cream. Is your mouth watering yet? Maybe it's just us. Admission fees only get you in; you pay for any goodies you eat.
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Namiki Yabu Soba
Another member of the Yabu Soba family (they have a sister store in Kanda) that has withstood the encroachment of high-rises, this little brown house continues to thrive as it has for almost 100 years. It specialises in tempura soba, which is still served at communal tables allowing for a boisterous dining experience.
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Nataraj
Herbivores don't have it easy in Tokyo, though thankfully there is reason to rejoice at this Indian-influenced vegetarian spot. Nataraj brings its warm colours, low-key elegance and animal-friendly cuisine to this enormous three-storey branch store in the heart of Ginza. Sizable set meals include appealing choices such as pumpkin curry and chickpea pakora, which go down well with an extensive wine and beer list of domestic and international favourites.
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Natural Harmony Angolo
Downshift to the pace of Natural Harmony Angolo, where the wholesome food is pure and so is the smoke-free air. The menu is largely vegetarian, augmented with some fish dishes; set meals featuring the delicately prepared vegetables du jour come with a choice of white or brown rice. Try some cold, cloudy sake with your meal and meditatively decompress.
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New York Grill
You may not be staying at the Park Hyatt, but don't let that stop you from going to the 52nd floor to swoon over the stunning views of the city below. Splurge on a romantic, sumptuous supper backlit by sparkling night-time lights and live jazz. And yes, in case everything looks a bit familiar, the adjacent New York Bar was in fact where Bill Murray drank glass upon glass of Suntory whiskey in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation . Reservations are advised, especially on weekends and for brunch.
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Nobu
Stemming from a childhood wish to become a sushi chef, Nobu Matsuhisa now has namesake restaurants in cities on four continents. His 1993 foray into the New York scene was financed by Robert De Niro, with subsequent Nobu restaurants established in Milan, Paris, London, Melbourne and Tokyo. His stunning, cutting-edge Japanese food doesn't come cheap, but the experience of eating here is simply phenomenal.
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Okinawa
If you've never been to the far-flung tropical islands of Okinawa, then this speciality izakaya will have you racing to the travel agent. Start things off right with a cold Orion Beer or a potent glass of awamori (Okinawan-style shōchū ), and then jump right into Okinawan staples such as mimiga (pig ears), suki-soba (Okinawan-style soba ) and rafute (stewed pork with brown sugar).
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Omoide-Yokochō
Literally translated as 'Memory Lane' (and less politely known as 'Piss Alley') Omoide-yokochō will be but a memory when it's razed to make way for new development by mid-2009. A remnant of postwar Tokyo, the alley is lined with wooden shacks selling yakitori and cold beers to long-time regulars - stop by around to indulge in a few skewers and preemptive nostalgia.
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Ōshima Endomae-Dokoro
The 30th floor of the Hotel Grand Pacific Le Meridien affords broad views of the cranes, lifts and skyscrapers on the opposite shore. How charming then at such a soaring height that this little spot, with its tiny counter and virtuosic sushi chefs, makes you feel like a bird in a very warm nest. If you're travelling with a loved one, dining on sushi of this quality at such lofty heights is a romantic and altogether memorable experience, especially if the weather is cooperating.
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Park Hyatt Delicatessen
Stop by the Park Hyatt Hotel for what is undoubtedly Tokyo's top spot for New York style sandwiches, which will make even the most hardened New Yorker sob for home. Everything from the sesame-seed coated crusty loaves of bread to the protein-packed slabs of cured Parma ham is either homemade onsite or imported direct from the source, which is why everything here just tastes so damn good.
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Peter
It's hard to put a price on unchecked luxury, especially when you're talking about the main dining room at the Tokyo branch of the world-famous Peninsula Hotel. Offering an eclectic breadth of international cuisine, diners can choose from a variety of offerings ranging from fatty tuna sashimi spreads to duck foie gras, and create their own unique set course.
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Rakutei
If the Japanese have elevated the deep-fried to an art form, then the chefs at Rakutei create masterpieces nightly. The freshest seafood and the lightest tempura batter are prepared to order, resulting in tender prawn and sweet potato that actually does melt in your mouth. Although there isn't an English menu, you can easily choose a set meal depending on how much yen you're willing to part with.
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Rico's Kitchen
From light and fruity California wines to juicy New Zealand rack of lamb, this international bistro brings together the best flavours from around the globe to create some truly innovative meals. With vaulted wooden ceilings and hand-brushed walls, the setting at Rico's Kitchen is personal and relaxed, which makes this the perfect spot for slowing down and enjoying the art of fine cuisine.
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Robata
Back near the railway tracks, this is one of Tokyo's most celebrated izakaya (Japanese-style pub). A little Japanese language ability is helpful here, but the point-and-eat method works just fine. It's hard to spot the sign, even if you can read Japanese; better to look for the rustic, weathered façade.
