Must-see restaurants in Tokyo

  • Food Show

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    A best friend to harried and hungry commuters, Food Show has steamers of dumplings, crisp karaage (deep-fried chicken), sushi sets and heaps of salads…

  • Aoyama Kawakami-an

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    This Aoyama outpost of famed Karuizawa soba shop serves handmade, 100% buckwheat noodles all day and (nearly) all night. Go all in with the (truly) jumbo…

  • Nataraj

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Vegetarians and vegans rejoice: Nataraj brings its warm colours and low-key elegance to its three-storey Ginza branch. Sizeable set meals include…

  • Ahiru Store

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    This tiny counter bistro dishing up homemade sausages, fresh-baked bread and bio wines (¥1000 to ¥1200 per glass) has a huge local following. Reservations…

  • Falafel Brothers

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    Mainly for takeaways, this cosy joint dedicated to crispy chickpea balls offers a couple of stools inside and out at which to get your chops around its…

  • Buvette

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Jody Williams brings her New York City brasserie operation to the heart of Tokyo. It's a classy affair that delivers reliable French comfort classics…

  • Iseya

    Tokyo

    This long-running yakitori shop (the building was redone a few years ago) is popular with park-goers who line-up in front of the takeaway window for…

  • d47 Shokudō

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    There are 47 prefectures in Japan and d47 serves a changing line-up of teishoku (set meals) that evoke the specialities of each, from the fermented tofu…

  • Kanda Yabu Soba

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    Kanda Yabu Soba has been in business since 1880. The restaurant was rebuilt after a fire in 2013, but the commitment to excellent soba remains the same:…

  • Ta-im

    Ebisu, Meguro & Around

    This tiny Israeli bistro, run by expat Dan Zuckerman, regularly draws a crowd for its authentic felafel (four for ¥680), schnitzel, hummus and more –…

  • Izu-ei Honten

    Ueno & Yanesen

    Izu-ei's twin delights are its delicious unagi (eel) and its elegant, traditional atmosphere, with waitstaff in kimonos and tatami seating (there are…

  • Nagomi

    Ueno & Yanesen

    Nagomi deals in juicy skewers of ji-dori (freerange chicken). There are plenty of grilled veggie options, too. Wash it all down with a bowl of chicken…

  • Morinoen

    Tokyo

    Over this teashop is a cafe where you can cool down over superb kakigori (shaved ice) desserts in the summer months. At other times it sells ice cream and…

  • Sanokiya

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    The sweet red-bean pancakes, usually known as taiyaki after their bream (tai) shape, are renamed maguro-yaki here after Tsukiji's most famous fish – tuna…

  • Oden Ore-no-dashi

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    The Ore-no chain – where you stand to eat gourmet dishes prepared by skilled chefs at bargain prices – has been a massive success in Ginza. This one…

  • Asakusa Unagi Sansho

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    At this super-friendly and simple unagi (eel) restaurant the grilled eel is served in three different sizes: only go for large if you're really hungry. On…

  • Kagaya

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    It is safe to say that there is no other restaurant owner in Tokyo who can match Mark Kagaya for brilliant lunacy. His side-splitting antics are this…

  • Yangxiang Ajibo

    Ueno & Yanesen

    Lamb isn't a common meat on Tokyo's menus, but at this casual eatery specialising in the cuisine of northeastern China, it's the raison d'etre. Sample it…

  • Daikokuya

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    This is the place to get old-fashioned tempura fried in pure sesame oil, an Asakusa speciality. It’s in a white building with a tile roof. If there’s a…

  • Sushikuni

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Kaisen-don (bowls of rice topped with a variety of raw fish) is a common dish at Tsukiji's many seafood restaurants. The toppings of rich, creamy uni (sea…

  • TY Harbor Brewery

    Odaiba & Tokyo Bay

    In a former warehouse on the waterfront, TY Harbor serves up excellent burgers, steaks, salads and sandwiches along with views of the canals around…

  • Nezu-no-Taiyaki

    Ueno & Yanesen

    This street stall, beloved of locals for half a century, sells just one thing: tai-yaki – hot, sweet, bean-jam buns shaped like tai (sea bream), a fish…

  • Gomaya Kuki

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    Goma (sesame) ice cream is a must-try and this takeaway stand is the place to try it. There are two varieties, made from high-grade kurogoma (黒ごま; black…

  • Daily Chiko

    Tokyo

    A Nakano legend and one of Nakano Broadway's few original shops, this ice-cream counter features eight rotating flavours of soft-serve – and you can get…

  • Harukiya

    Tokyo

    Harukiya, open since 1949, is one of Tokyo's oldest existent ramen shops. It serves what has since come to be known as classic Tokyo-style ramen: with…

  • Izu-ei Umekawa-tei

    Ueno & Yanesen

    This branch of the venerable eel restaurant, Izu-ei, is located inside Ueno-kōen, near Tōshō-gū. It's a lovely spot to enjoy lunch while exploring the…

  • Rose Bakery

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    This chic branch of the top-class organic bakery chain is on the 7th floor of the same building as Dover Street Market Ginza. Come here for great cakes,…

  • Iriya Plus Cafe

    Ueno & Yanesen

    It's all about the fluffy American-style pancakes at this charming cafe set in a book-lined, mural-painted old house. Order them savoury with the likes of…

  • Chinese Cafe 8

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    This cheap-and-cheerful Chinese restaurant, part of a chain, is known for its golden phallic decor, Peking duck (¥3980) served at any hour, and abrupt…

  • Eat More Greens

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    Inspired by the greengrocers and farmers markets of NYC, this appealing cafe has an airy interior and an outdoor patio to enjoy a delicious assortment of…

  • Ginza Kazami

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Go down the alley in the middle of a Ginza block to find this small shop specialising in ramen. Its bowl of choice is sake kasu noko soba, which has a…

  • Brozers’ Hamburger

    Tokyo

    Handmade burgers with a vast range of topping options and quality hot dogs are the draw at this authentic US-style diner with a menu to match.

  • Tank of ornamental goldfish at Kingyozaka's fish shop, Ueno, Yanesen & Komagome.

    Kingyozaka

    Ueno & Yanesen

    We've seen a lot of cafe mashups on our travels but this might just be the only ornamental goldfish breeder-cum-cafe around. Kingyozaka (the name means …

  • vegetarian meal set at Komaki Shokudo, Akihabara, Kagurazaka & Korakuen.

    Komaki Shokudō

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    A Kamakura cooking school specialising in shōjin-ryōri (Buddhist-style vegan cuisine) runs this cafe within the Chabara food market. Its nonmeat dishes…

  • Warayakiya Akasaka

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    This chain izakaya (Japanese pub-eatery) specialises in Tosa-ryōri, the food of Kōchi Prefecture in Shikoku. It's easily spotted by the giant black wave…

  • Takashimaya Restaurant Park

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Of all the department-store food courts in Shinjuku, Takashimaya has the best selection, with three floors of restaurants. Many of the options here are…

  • Tsunahachi

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Tsunahachi has been frying prawns and veggies for more than 90 years and is an easy place to be initiated in the art of tempura. Come at lunch for the…

  • Tori no Ana

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Tori paitan (鶏白湯) is a style of ramen made with a chicken stock so collagen-rich as to be creamy and it's very popular in Tokyo at the moment. This…

  • Sakura Cafe & Restaurant

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    With terrace seating, fairy lights, a global array of comfort food (from fried calamari sandwiches to gapao rice) and beer, Sakura Cafe & Restaurant nails…

  • Ōtaru

    Ebisu, Meguro & Around

    Ōtaru isn't winning any Michelin stars, but we're giving it three stars of our own for atmosphere. In increasingly redeveloped Naka-Meguro, this izakaya …

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