The Best Places To Eat In Tokyo
CONTEMPORARY & FINE DINING
Sushi-Ya, Ginza
Widely considered to be one of the best sushi restaurants in the city, this sushi ‘shop’ is tucked away down an unassuming street in Ginza. At the eight-person counter, diners are served traditional hand-rolls and sashimi cut from seasonal fish – you might enjoy hand-caught octopus or salmon roe depending on the time of year. As you’d expect, interiors are simple and minimalist, while the beautiful crockery adds to the special experience.
Hiroo Onogi, Hiroo
This izakaya in Tokyo’s Hiroo district has moody interiors and a striking wooden sculpture hanging from the ceiling. Diners can sit at the bar or around shared tables to enjoy sharing plates like griddled wagyu beef, grilled eel with miso butter and lobster clay pot rice. Dishes are served with wine, sake and whisky cocktails.
Kotaro, Shibuya
Walk down the residential backstreets of Shibuya to find this small izakaya. Brush past its pretty noren (flag-like curtains outside restaurants) to take a seat at the ten-seat counter. There’s no menu; instead, chef Kotaro Hayashi presents a selection of small dishes like grilled mackerel, fried pork balls with daikon and corn soup. Every meal concludes with hand-cut udon noodles made fresh daily.
Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara, Chiyoda
Beef is the star of the show at this modern restaurant in Chiyoda. Headed up by chef-owner Kentaro Nakahara who is passionate about sourcing only the very best wagyu and prime cuts of beef from trusted suppliers, he knows that the very knife you use changes the taste and consistency of meat. Meals include your choice of cut alongside yukhoe (similar to tartare), steamed veg and miso soup.
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Fry-Ya, Shinjuku
As the name suggests, this ‘fry house’ will batter and deep fry whatever’s on its menu. Simply choose your ingredients for an ‘original mix’ – think classic shrimp tempura and tonkatsu served with delicately balanced sauces. These are served alongside pickled veg, hand-cut noodles and more.
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Merachi, Minato
With its deep-coloured tiled walls, oak panelling and dimmed lighting, restaurant Merachi pays homage to Italian food with its flavoursome and beautifully presented dishes. Dishes have a Japanese twist, including plates like sea bass and guanciale fritters, roast beef shin with miso sauce and bocconcini with peperonata. Dessert could be buffalo ricotta ice-cream or freshly baked madeleines.
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Tacos Bar, Shibuya
Imagine omakase seafood tacos and you’ve got a pretty good idea of this cool Mexican-inspired restaurant in Shibuya. The menu changes daily to reflect what’s in season but the tasting experience could include tacos and tostadas topped with seared tuna, mackerel or baby shrimp. Dishes are served alongside tequila- and mezcal-based cocktails.
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Locale, Meguro
This farm-to-table restaurant overlooking the Meguro River draws inspiration from a variety of world cuisines, including Italian, Mexican and French. The result is a fusion menu of seasonal dishes that showcase plants and pulses, with dishes like chicory with sweet potato and quinoa, enchiladas and crowd-pleasing brunch items.
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Pizza Bar on 38th at Mandarin Oriental, Chuo
Of course, you go to Tokyo for Japanese dishes, but it’s worth knowing the Mandarin Oriental hotel is home to one of the world’s best pizza restaurants. Pizza Bar on 38 is headed up by chef Daniele Cason who makes his dough with organic Italian flour and just one gram of yeast. After it's left to ferment for 48 hours, it’s rolled out and finished with classic toppings. Go for the omakase dinner menu which includes eight different slices.
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Toriyaki Ohana, Ebisu
With its minimalist, contemporary interiors, Toriyaki Ohana in Ebisu is a restaurant to pre-book as soon as you’ve secured your flights. Chef Shintaro Sato welcomes diners to the long counter, where he cooks chicken to varying degrees on different parts of the grill – and no part of the bird goes to waste. The elevated yakitori experience also includes delicate dishes like chicken bone broth with dumplings, crispy rice and chicken meatballs with seaweed.
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Sézanne, Marunouchi
France’s culinary influences can be spotted all around Japan, but chef Daniel Calvert has fused the two cuisines together, perhaps more expertly than any other chef in the city. His restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi holds three stars, where the prix fixe menu showcases this love of travel. Seasonal Japanese ingredients are cooked with intricate French techniques and served beautifully.
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Yamazato at The Okura Tokyo, Toranomon
If you’re not staying at this hotel, visit its destination Japanese restaurant, Yamazato. You can have several experiences here: sit at the sushi counter where the sushi master will deliver you hand rolls featuring melt-in-the-mouth seafood with fresh wasabi, or book in for a kappo experience, where you can watch the chefs prepare, grill and plate up multiple seafood dishes. There’s even a tempura counter if you’d prefer shrimp and veg lightly battered and fried to perfection.
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Nihonryōri Seizan, Minato
Seasonality is nothing new in the culinary world, but chef Haruhiko Yamamoto takes things to the next level with painstaking precision at his two-star restaurant. On any given day you’ll only eat what’s fresh and hyper seasonal from Japan’s land and waters. Current menu highlights include the grilled and glazed seabass, amadai soup and Echizen crab. There’s also an extensive menu of natural wines and sake.
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Higashiyama Muku, Nakameguro
One of the best value restaurants on this list, Higashiyama Muku offers fine Japanese dining for a reasonable price, especially considering it gained a Michelin star in 2023. There are just eight counter seats in the minimalist dining room, which doesn’t play music so guests can solely focus on the intricate dishes. Dinners include a selection of sashimi, followed by soup and dishes like grilled eels with rice.
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CASUAL
Yokota Kagurazaka, Shinjuku
This casual sushi bar is where city workers head on their lunchbreak. Skip the queue and go there at midday for delicate plates of sushi served with sake. A meal of 12-15 hand-rolls served with miso soup will set you back around £30. Highlights include the tuna and prawn nigiri.
Washokuya Taichi, Ota
This affordable izakaya has a regularly changing menu of inventive Japanese dishes you won’t find easily elsewhere. Tucked away on an unassuming street in Ota, diners gather around the counter to tuck into pork sandos made with thick cutlets and Japanese milk bread. Other dishes include corn with butter soy sauce and red mullet with daikon.
Sushi Mikata, Minato
Another great sushi spot that won’t break the bank, this one has stand-up tables only, encouraging guests to stop for a few plates and a beer or two. Delicious sushi and sashimi is available by the piece and served quickly. Don’t miss its signature red snapper.
Hashimoto, Bunkyo
For a memorable omakase restaurant, Hashimoto is near Tokyo Dome in Bunkyo City. Now in its sixth generation of family ownership, the chefs take great care to ensure the menu remains as close to its original – for example, its secret sauce has been made with the same ingredients since 1835. Grilled eel is the signature dish, while the chicken yakitori and umaki also deserve a place on your plate.
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Tempura Kakiage Yukimura, Shinbashi
Affordable, friendly and tasty is the name of the game at this small restaurant in Shinbashi. Chef-owner Tsuji Hiroyuki has spent over 50 years making perfect tempura. Kakiage (a type of tempura that’s light and extra crispy) is served with rice, clam soup and pickles. Shrimp, seasonal veg and small generous portions of white fish are ready to be dipped into the signature dipping sauce, made from dashi, mirin and soy sauce.
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Tempura Kakiage Yukimura, Shinbashi
Affordable, friendly and tasty is the name of the game at this small restaurant in Shinbashi. Chef-owner Tsuji Hiroyuki has spent over 50 years making perfect tempura. Kakiage (a type of tempura that’s light and extra crispy) is served with rice, clam soup and pickles. Shrimp, seasonal veg and small generous portions of white fish are ready to be dipped into the signature dipping sauce, made from dashi, mirin and soy sauce.
Japanese Ramen Gokan, Toshima
It’s hard to have bad ramen in Japan but it doesn’t get better – or more traditional – than this small shop in Toshima. Like most ramen spots, you place your order on the ticket machine before being shown to a seat at the bar. Soy sauce or traditional ‘salted’ bowls of ramen are topped with pork chashu, wontons, egg or steamed chicken, alongside nori dried seaweed and soft noodles made by a local supplier.
Narukiyo, Shibuya
If you’re after a delicious and filling meal at an affordable price, head to Arukiyo, a lively spot in central Shibuya loved by locals. The restaurant has an open kitchen with a ten-seat counter, as well as a small dining room where an eclectic mix of music fills the speakers. Take a seat and wait for the chefs to serve you dishes from the omakase menu – dinner could include six or seven courses of sashimi, fried seafood and wagyu beef, all smartly presented and served with flasks of sake.
Afuri Ramen, Various Sites
Named after Mt. Afuri, just outside Tokyo, this popular chain has more than 12 outposts in the city. Its signature ramen is made with water from the mountain, with delicate notes of umami. Try the ‘Shoyu’ ramen with dashi based shoyu broth, poached chicken, nitamago and nori. Sides include fried pork belly and small bowls of sweet and savoury rice.
Ittoan
The team at Ittoan are serious about soba noodles, which are made from pure buckwheat flour – the chefs even help out at the farm where the grain is grown. Try the soba on its own to take in the complex flavours and don’t miss the tempura menu for sides of fried prawns and corn.
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Masaka, Shibuya
Vegan food can be hard to find in Tokyo but Masaka is the exception to the rule. It offers a selection of inventive vegan dishes you won’t find elsewhere, like its signature karaage made with soy instead of chicken and served with sweet and sticky sauces. The menu also includes veggie pan-friend gyozas, spring rolls and fried rice balls.
Tempura Shinjuku Tsunahachi Souhonten
This tempura restaurant by Shinjuku station looks unassuming from the outside but offers an excellent, affordable set menu. Sit at the counter for tempura cooked to order – for JP¥2,530 (around £13) you can enjoy two large shrimps and a selection of veg and seafood served with miso soup, rice and Japanese pickles. Service is quick, friendly and attentive.
Tonki, Meguro
Little has changed at this charming izakaya where the tonkatsu recipe has remained the same for nearly 90 years. Sit at the wrap-around counter overlooking the kitchen on the ground floor to watch chefs prepare breaded and fried pork cutlets served with fluffy rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables. It’s simple food done very well.
Butagumi, Minato
Another great tonkatsu spot, Butagumi is housed in a beautiful Japanese house with crockery you’ll want to take home. There are over 20 varieties of pork cuts to choose from, all of which are breaded, fried and served on copper racks alongside steaming rice, shredded cabbage and miso soup. Don’t miss the cured tomatoes for a sweet yet refreshing start to the meal.
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CHEAP EATS
Toritkatsu Chicken, Shibuya
This basement restaurant might not look like much from the outside, but its torikatsu is seriously delicious. A small team of women run this family-owned restaurant, which has just ten counter seats. Diners can help themselves to flasks of green tea before ordering one, two or three pieces of fried meat and fish from the menu. Chicken thighs, squid, mackerel and pork cutlets are all served with rice and miso soup. Be prepared to queue during peak times.
Harajuku Gyozaro, Harajuku
Surrounded by vintage and record stores, Harajuku Gyozaro is a cash-only restaurant where queues form around the block. Steamed and fried gyozas are prepared in huge quantities, so you can be in and out in less than half an hour. Sit at the bar with a cold beer or glass of sake to watch the chefs at work. Flavours include pork and prawn, chicken and veg – served piping hot and ready to be dipped into soy sauce or chilli oil.
Ramen Break Beats, Various Sites
Ramen Break has three restaurants in the city: the original in Meguro, Ramen Afrobeats in Shinjuku (which, as the name suggests, plays Afrobeats) and Ramen Jazzy Beats in Nakameguro. Break Beats’ broth follows a ‘yobi-modoshi’ method, where the broth is continuously simmered and fresh broth is added to it, instead of preparing a new batch each time. Toppings included cured pork, smoked oysters and salted beef.
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Hakushū Teppanyaki, Shibuya
This family-run restaurant has been serving wagyu beef cooked on teppanyaki griddles for over 80 years. A favourite among locals, the signature dish is the kobe black wagyu, served with simple slices of bread, garlic rice, grilled vegetables and zingy dipping sauces.
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Ichiran, Various Sites
You’ll find these ramen shops near some of Tokyo’s busiest stations – where businessmen drop by for steaming bowls of noodles and broth. Each site is set up for solo diners, with individual booths and ordering machines. You can choose your level of dashi, richness, garlic and chilli oil in a classic bowl of tonkotsu ramen.
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Menchirashim, Harajuku
You’ve most likely spotted this ramen house on social media, thanks to videos of carbonara ramen going viral. With its American diner-inspired interiors and buzzy atmosphere, expect to queue for homemade udon noodles, tempura and onigiri. The carbonara ramen features silky noodles topped with a generous knob of salty butter, chunky lardons and a golden egg yolk.
BREAKFAST, BRUNCH & DESSERT
Kagurazaka Saryō, Shinjuku
This small matcha cafe is a little out of the way, tucked away on a backstreet in outer Shinjuku. Matcha is served every possible way here – ice-cream, soft serve, cheesecake and even savoury spaghetti. Matcha teas and latte are a must, as is a peruse of its small retail area where you can buy ceremonial-grade matcha and apparatus.
Syndicate Café, Shibuya
Sit on the small terrace or indoor this trendy café for great street style spotting in Shibuya. The matcha lattes are some of the best in the city, while the dessert menu includes treats like crème brûlée cheesecake, carrot cake and Japanese flan. You’ll also find crowd-pleasing lunch options like spaghetti, sandwiches and pizza.
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Happy Pancake, Various Sites
You’ll want to book a table at this dessert shop in advance as walk-ins are hard to come by. Fluffy Japanese pancakes (made with whipped egg whites) are served with everything from strawberries and cream to matcha ice-cream and salted caramel with banana. You can also try savoury options, with toppings like eggs, ham and smoked salmon – ready to be washed down with fresh juices, matcha or coffee.
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Chanoma, Toshima
This small cafe is housed in a 1940s building that looks like a traditional Japanese tea house. You can sit on tatami mats or out on the veranda to enjoy coffees, herbal teas and desserts like matcha terrine and apple cake.
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Kasiki, Hatagaya
Like Folderol in Paris and The Dreamery in London, this dessert shop pulls in crowds with its promise of exceptional ice-cream and natural wines. Expect inventive, seasonal ice-cream flavours like cherry blossom and coconut, rhubarb and pepper, blueberry and cardamom, and pineapple and lemongrass. Ice-cream sandwiches, profiteroles and other patisserie treats complete the sweet offering, while the wine list features bottles from small Japanese producers.
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RoJean, Setagaya
When you’re ready for a break from traditional Japanese breakfasts, visit RoJean for American-style brunch dishes. Sit on the cobblestone terrace or inside the dining room to enjoy French toast, fried chicken burgers, fruit pies and its signature cheese melt with homemade soup.
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Nephew, Tomigaya
This cool all-day dining spot and coffee house serves Australian-inspired dishes in its dining room complete with contemporary interiors. Open sandwiches, bagels, and pasta is all on the menu, while sweet treats include homemade cakes filled with seasonal fruits, and pastries. Coffee is available all day.
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SunnyHills Minamiaoyama, Aoyama
SunnyHills, on a quiet street in Aoyama, is the flagship store of a renowned Taiwanese pineapple cake producer. Designed by architect Kengo Kuma, the building is a wooden cloud-like structure. Visitors can enjoy complimentary pineapple cake, a traditional buttery pastry filled with pineapple jam, along with Taiwanese tea.
Ippuku & Matcha, Nihonbashimuromachi
Ippuku & Matcha, on the first floor of Nihombashi Mitsui Tower, serves the world’s first single-origin Uji matcha, hand-picked and expertly processed. Enjoy matcha-infused drinks and desserts like lattes, tarts and parfaits in its casual outdoor seating area. For a more indulgent experience, book the exclusive four-seat tea room for a tasting course (from JP¥3,500), where you can sample two types of matcha with traditional Japanese sweets.
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