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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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:…
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 –…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 & 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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 & 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…
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.
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 …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 …