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…
Must-see restaurants in Tokyo
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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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Ginza & Tsukiji
Kyūbey, running since 1935 is one of Tokyo's prestige sushi restaurants, where each piece of nigiri-zushi (hand-pressed sushi) is made and delivered one…
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Kōrakuen & Akihabara
German-born chef and Noma alumnus Thomas Frebel leads an international team of young chefs here at Inua, one of Tokyo's most talked about openings in…
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Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Kikunoi is one of Japan's storied ryōtei, the high-class restaurants that serves kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine). Its Akasaka branch is (relatively…
Asakusa & Sumida River
The former Miyagino sumo stable is the location for this one-of-a-kind restaurant that has preserved the dōyō (practice ring) as its centrepiece. Playing…
Tokyo
This classic restaurant, open since 1931, specialises in yōshoku – Western cuisine adapted to the Japanese palate. Its signature dish is omuraisu (an…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Set in an old wooden house with a white lantern out the front, Kado specialises in katei-ryōri (home-cooking). Dinner is a set course of seasonal dishes …
Tokyo
For generations, people have been lining up outside this restaurant – in business since 1760 – to try its signature dish oyakodon, a sweet-savoury mix of…
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Harajuku & Aoyama
There are sushi shops that pride themselves on hewing to tradition and then there is sushi m (and blessedly Tokyo has room for both). Here there are two…
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Harajuku & Aoyama
Eatrip is one of the big players in Tokyo's farm-to-table organic movement. Chef Shiraishi Takayuki works closely with domestic producers and his cooking…
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Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
The Mensho chain is known for its innovative ramen recipes and the clean, contemporary design of its shops. At this branch the concept is farm to bowl…
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Harajuku & Aoyama
Sahsya Kanetanaka is the entry level offshoot of exclusive kaiseki (haute cuisine) restaurant Kanetanaka. At lunch (served until 2pm) choose two mains …
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Ueno & Yanesen
In a gorgeous wooden building dating to 1875, Innsyoutei (pronounced 'inshotei' and meaning 'rhyme of the pine cottage') has long been a favourite spot…
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Tokyo
This casual restaurant from long-time producer (300-plus years!) of katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes), Ninben, naturally serves dishes that make use of…
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Ginza & Tsukiji
A collaboration between the impossible-to-get-a-reservation for kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) restaurant Kurogi and centuries-old Kyoto tea shop…
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Asakusa & Sumida River
In business for over a century, Otafuku specialises in oden, a classic Japanese dish of vegetables and seafood simmered in a soy sauce and dashi (fish…
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Ginza & Tsukiji
Kagari changed the ramen game in the mid-2010s with its tori paitan soup, a chicken broth so thick and rich with collagen as to be almost opaque. Added to…
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Ginza & Tsukiji
Truly vegan restaurants are few and far between in Tokyo and ones that make so much effort over their food as Ain Soph are even rarer. Thank heavens then…
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Ueno & Yanesen
Tucked down an alley off Yanaka Ginza is this design-savvy deli and cafe that subscribes to the farm-to-table ethos by telling customers all about its…
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Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Kanae is a perfect example of one of Shinjuku-sanchōme's excellent and all but undiscoverable izakaya: delicious sashimi, seasonal dishes, simple staples …
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Ueno & Yanesen
Housed in a beautifully wooden building from 1909, Hantei is a local landmark. It serves courses of kushiage (meat, fish and vegetables deep-fried in oil…
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Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Mensho is the new agitator in the Tokyo ramen scene, now with a couple of shops around town, each with a different speciality. At this one, it's a twist…
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Ginza & Tsukiji
Paradise for food lovers, indeed. This charming, aqua-painted trattoria serves seafood pasta dishes that will make you want to lick the plate clean. Its…
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Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Proof you don't need to shell out a small fortune to eat well in Tokyo is this humble restaurant specialising in Sanuki-udon, wheat noodles from Kagawa in…
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Ginza & Tsukiji
A speciality of Akita Prefecture, inaniwa wheat noodles have been made by seven generations of the Sato family. As you'll be able to tell from the glossy,…
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Ginza & Tsukiji
Nobody in Tokyo does tempura vegetables like chef Kondō Fumio. The carrots are julienned to a fine floss; the corn is pert and juicy; and the sweet potato…
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Asakusa & Sumida River
A blast of Antipodean sunshine in the midst of Tokyo, Iki is a relaxed all-day Aussie cafe complete with avo on toast, ricotta hotcakes and long blacks…
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Ueno & Yanesen
The family who run this charming little restaurant source many of their organic ingredients, including the rice, pickles and vegetables for side dishes,…
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Tokyo
Indian meals in Tokyo don't come much better than those served at this long-established restaurant with deep-indigo plaster walls. The food is very…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Out serves only one dish – tagliolini al tartufo (egg noodles with truffles) – take it or leave it (we'll take it). The noodles are made from scratch in…
Tokyo
This is a classic Japanese-style steak house, where the meat is cooked at the counter on a teppan (iron hotplate), diced, then paired with rice, miso soup…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Commune is a food and event space, with a daily farmers market plus vendors selling fresh bread, curry, cold-pressed juice and herbal teas to eat and…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Chef Hosokawa Takashi grinds buckwheat fresh daily for the soba he kneads and cuts by hand. Get them in hot broth (kake-soba) or at room temperature on a…
