Must-see restaurants in Japan

  • Kaiseki dishes

    Tofuya-Ukai

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    One of Tokyo’s most gracious restaurants is located in a former sake brewery (moved from northern Japan), with an exquisite traditional garden in the…

  • Sushi Dai

    Odaiba & Tokyo Bay

    There is no better-value sushi in Tokyo than the omakase (chef's choice) course here. The menu changes daily (and sometimes hourly), but you're guaranteed…

  • Kawashima Tōfu

    Kyūshū

    On Kyōmachi covered arcade near the station, this renowned tofu shop has been in business since the Edo period and serves refined kaiseki, starring tofu…

  • Menya Saimi

    Sapporo

    Sapporo takes its ramen very seriously and Saimi is oft-voted the best ramen shop in the city (and sometimes the country) – and it's not overrated. You…

  • Plate of high-grade beef, part of a course of Asakusa Imahan's famous sukiyaki lunch, Asakusa & Sumida River.

    Asakusa Imahan

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    Among the oldest and most famous of Tokyo's wagyū (Japanese beef) restaurants, Imahan (in business since 1895), specialises in courses of sukiyaki and…

  • Kozue

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    It's hard to beat Kozue's combination of exquisite seasonal Japanese cuisine, artisan crockery and distractingly good views over Shinjuku. As the kimono…

  • Kikuyo Shokudo

    Hokkaidō

    Inside Hakodate Morning Market, Kikuyo Shokudo got its start in the 1950s as a counter joint to feed market workers and is now one of the top reasons to…

  • Hakatarou

    Fukuoka

    If you can't visit the rest of Kyūshū, try regional foods at this elegant izakaya. Look for dishes like karashi renkon (spicy, deep-fried lotus root) and…

  • Mamakari-tei

    Western Honshū

    This traditional eatery, in a 200-year-old warehouse with chunky beams and long wooden tables, is famed for mamakari, the sardine-like local speciality…

  • Okashi no Hidaka

    Kyūshū

    At this family-run legend, in business since the early 1950s, peruse the refrigerator case of luscious-looking Japanese and Western pastries, but order…

  • Menami

    Downtown Kyoto

    This welcoming neighbourhood favourite specialises in obanzai-ryōri – a type of home-style cooking using seasonal ingredients – done creatively and served…

  • Yōshūji

    Kansai

    Yōshūji serves superb shōjin-ryōri in a delightful old Japanese farmhouse with an irori (open hearth). The house special, a sumptuous selection of…

  • Gyōshintei

    Nikkō

    Treat yourself to an elegant course of shōjin-ryōri, Japanese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Meals are made from locally-sourced vegetables and bean curd…

  • Narukiyo

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Narukiyo is many people's favourite 'secret' izakaya, serving all the classics (sashimi, charcoal grilled chicken, etc) with a low-key attitude that…

  • Matsukiya

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    There are only two things on the menu at Matsukiya, established in 1890: sukiyaki (thinly sliced beef cooked in sake, soy and vinegar broth, and dipped in…

  • Pōcha Tatsuya

    Okinawa & the Southwest Islands

    This hospitable izakaya is a warm, efficient bastion of Miyako-jima quality, serving fresh, thoughtfully prepared local fare such as kobushime-yawaraka-ni…

  • Rāmen House Tida

    Okinawa & the Southwest Islands

    This old-school family noodle joint exudes a Shōwa-era movie vibe if only for its fabulously faded original decor. Friendly hosts dish out hearty bowls of…

  • Wanaka Honten

    Osaka

    This famous tako-yaki (octopus dumplings) stand, just north of Dōguya-suji arcade, uses custom copper hotplates (instead of cast iron) to make dumplings…

  • Takamori Dengaku-no-Sato

    Kyūshū

    At this fantastic thatch-roofed ex-farmhouse the staff use oven mitts to grill dengaku (skewers of vegetables, meat including Aso beef, fish and tofu…

  • Ippudō

    Fukuoka

    Fukuoka's most famous ramen chain has efficient and always bustling branches in Tenjin, serving the best-selling Akamaru Modern (with black-sesame oil and…

  • Kizushi

    Tokyo

    While sushi has moved in the direction of faster and fresher, Kizushi, in business since 1923, is keeping it old school. Fourth-generation chef Yui…

  • Misen

    Nagoya

    Folks line up for opening time at this jolly place, where the Taiwan rāmen (台湾ラーメン; a spicy concoction of ground meat, chilli, garlic and green onion,…

  • Robata Chidori

    Hokkaidō

    Chidori does real robata-yaki, charcoal grilling in a pit built into the table. The speciality of the house is hokke chanchan-yaki (ホッケチャンチャン焼; ¥1000) –…

  • Sanrokuen

    Fuji Five Lakes

    In this beautiful old thatched building, diners sit on the floor around traditional irori charcoal pits grilling their own meals – skewers of fish, meat,…

  • Okonomi-mura

    Hiroshima

    This Hiroshima institution is a touristy but fun place to get acquainted with okonomiyaki and chat with the cooks over a hot griddle. There are 25 stalls…

  • Tōshō

    Hiroshima

    In a traditional wooden building overlooking a large garden with a pond and waterfall, Tōshō specialises in homemade tofu, served in a variety of tasty…

  • Ryūkyū Ryōri Nuchigafū

    Naha

    For a memorable, elegant meal in Naha, don't pass up dinner at the hilltop Nuchigafū, off the southern end of Tsuboya Pottery Street. Formerly a lovely…

  • Gyōza Kogetsu

    Beppu

    This seven-seat, 1940s time warp with a manic local following has only two things on the menu, both ¥600: generous plates of gyōza (dumplings) perfectly…

  • Onigiri Yadoroku

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    Onigiri, rice moulded into triangle and wrapped in sheets of nori (seaweed) is Japan's ultimate snack. You know, the ones at the convenience store; try…

  • Sanzenkai

    Shikoku

    The three kanji characters that make up this classy restaurant's name say it all – mountain, river, sea. Out at the spectacular Iyashi-no-sato eco-hotel,…

  • Atsuta Hōraiken Honten

    Nagoya

    The head branch of this hitsumabushi chain, in business since 1873, is revered for good reason. Patrons queue during the summer peak season for…

  • Matsumoto Karaage Center

    Matsumoto

    This wildly popular 4th-floor (above Midori in the station building) shrine to karaage (deep-fried chicken) is a must, with tender, juicy boneless chicken…

  • Iya Bijin

    Shikoku

    For a taste of local Iya soba, head to Iya Bijin, in an attractive black-and-white building with lanterns hanging out the front, overlooking the gorge…

  • Yoshikawa

    Downtown Kyoto

    This is the place to go for delectable tempura with a daily changing menu. Attached to the Yoshikawa ryokan, it offers table seating, but it’s much more…

  • Chibō

    Osaka

    One of Osaka's most famous okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) restaurants, Chibō almost always has a queue, but it moves fast because there's seating on…

  • Yakumo-an

    Western Honshū

    This busy soba restaurant and its beautiful grounds are an excellent place to sample the local warigo soba, served in a stack of three round lacquerware…

  • Honke Owariya

    Downtown Kyoto

    Set in an old sweets shop in a traditional Japanese building on a quiet downtown street, this is where locals come for excellent soba (buckwheat-noodle)…

  • Yabure-Kabure

    Western Honshū

    There's only one thing on the menu in this boisterous spot: pick from a range of fugu sets, such as the dinner Ebisu course, which features the cute…

  • Yotaro Honten

    Osaka

    This two-Michelin-starred restaurant specialises in exceptionally light and delectable tempura served at the counter, where you can watch the chefs, or in…

  • Matsubara-an

    Kamakura

    Dinner reservations are recommended for this upscale soba restaurant in a lovely old house. Try the goma seiro soba (al dente noodles served cold with…

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