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$ | Minato-ku |
Associated with the funky clothing shop that is just around the corner, this cafe is bright and open, and serves quality coffee, cakes, snacks, and gelato. They also have some Kitsuné-branded goods on hand.
3-15-9 Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
Known For
- Lively and airy atmosphere
- Kitsuné-branded small gifts
- Quality coffee
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Odaiba |
Shopping and entertainment are two attractive points for Odaiba, but the chance for a short escape from Tokyo's madness is another. To enhance that, stop in at Canteen, a café operated by Transit General Office. The terrace seating is a fine choice for enjoying a cup of coffee and an ice-cream cake.
2–7–4 Aomi, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 135-0064, Japan
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$ | Setagaya-ku |
Stop by and watch some specialty donuts being fried before your eyes. The giant cone outside reminds you that you can also get ice cream (soft-serve only), and there's coffee, too. Sit outside and watch the world go by as you get your sugar fix.
Kitazawa 2-7-5, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
Known For
- Fresh donuts
- Donuts made with soybean fiber leftover from tofu-making
- Great soft-serve ice cream
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$$ | Odaiba |
Stop off near the end of the Yurikamome Line and have dinner along the river bank before heading back to your hotel. The live DJ, order-at-bar service, and strong cocktails create a lively ambience, and classic western dishes can be ordered at your table via cellphone. There are often festivals here, so make sure to check the event schedule.
6–4–26 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 135-0061, Japan
Known For
- Outdoor-only dining
- Pizza and fish-and-chips
- Fairy lights with river and city views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. to Wed.; No lunch Fri. and Thu.
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$$ | Shibuya-ku |
Connected to a natural-foods store, and with natural airy wooden interiors to match, Crayon House serves Japanese and Western dishes with a common theme—it's all very healthy. Ninety-five percent of ingredients are organic, and the mixture of curries, pastas, salads, and other dishes are all wholesome. The lunchtime buffet is good value. The desserts taste as if the notion of health has been thrown out the window.
Kita-Aoyama 3-8-5, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
Known For
- Healthy lunch and dinner buffets
- Outdoor izakaya area
- Organic fare
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | Suginami-ku |
Koenji has many culinary bases covered, and with this izakaya it delivers Okinawan food and drink as authentically as you’ll find in Japan’s southern islands: thank the Okinawan owner for that. The menu features regional classics such as goya champuru (a stir fry of bitter gourd, spam, and tofu) and soki soba (noodles with pork sparerib meat), which you can chase down with Orion Beer and a firebrand of an island rice spirit called awamori. Like many Koenji venues, it runs late, opening daily from 5 pm to 5 am.
3-2-13 Koenji Kita, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 166-0002, Japan
Known For
- Okinawan dishes
- Awamori spirits
- Opens till 5 am
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$ | Taito-ku |
Daikokuya, in the center of Asakusa's historic district, is a point of pilgrimage for both locals and tourists. The specialty here is shrimp tempura, and the menu choices are simple—tendon is tempura shrimp served over rice, and the tempura meal includes rice, pickled vegetables, and miso soup. Famished diners can add additional pieces of tempura or side dishes such as sashimi for an additional fee, or opt for a multi-dish course. When the line of waiting customers outside is too long, head to the shop's annex (bekkan) just around the corner.
1–38–10 Asakusa, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 111-0032, Japan
Known For
- Being an Asakusa landmark
- Tokyo-style tempura a cut above the rest
- Long lines
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$ | Nakano-ku |
This basement-level ice cream store has become a Nakano Broadway institution for its soft-serve ice cream, which comes in flavors that vary from simple vanilla to matcha (green tea), horse chestnut, and ramune (a popular citrus soda flavor). The signature is the eight-layered, 20-cm Tokudai (extra large) soft serve, though small cups and cones are also on the menu.
5-52-15 Nakano, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 164-0001, Japan
Known For
- Eight-layered soft-serve ice cream
- Flavors like matcha
- Served in cups or cones
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$ | Minato-ku |
The classic bowl of ramen is topped with slices of pork, but Darumaya, in the fashion district of Omotesando, has a slightly different take, topping its noodles with grilled vegetables. In the summertime be sure to order the hiyashi soba, a bowl of chilled noodles topped with vegetables and ham in a sesame dressing. Another shop specialty is the tsukemen, where the noodles and broth are served in separate bowls. Dip (don't drop) the ramen into the broth. Despite the focus on veggies, vegetarians should note, the soups and sauces are not meat-free.
5–9–5 Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 107-0062, Japan
Known For
- Refreshing take on ramen
- A quick, affordable lunch in a high-end area
- One of few noodle shops in the neighborhood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$ | Chuo-ku |
With a focus on South India cuisine, Dhaba has built a reputation as having some of the best Indian flavors in town. A specialty here are the dosas, a kind of stuffed crepe, but the curries, whether the spicy coriander mutton or the fragrant lemon shrimp masala, are just as good. It can get very busy with office workers from noon to 1 on a weekday, so it's best to come before or after that.
2–7–9 Yaesu, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 103-0028, Japan
Known For
- Seafood curries like the Tamil fish pulsu
- The best dosa in Tokyo
- Lunchtime lines can wrap around the corner
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$ | Roppongi |
No surprise that eggs are the thing at this convenient diner on the first basement floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. Eggs are organic and available every which way, including in egg tarts, eggs benedict, pancakes, and a fried breakfast.
6–10–1 Roppongi, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 106–0032, Japan
Known For
- Portuguese-style egg tarts
- Pancakes
- Good breakfast sets
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$$$$ | Chiyoda-ku |
On top of the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, there’s a Michelin-starred restaurant serving contemporary French cuisine with a twist. Est presents eco-conscious, seasonal menus with 95% of ingredients locally sourced in Japan. With a focus on reducing food waste, Chef Guillaume Bracaval crafts innovative and singular dishes that can be traced from source to plate.
1–2–1 Otemachi, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 100-0004, Japan
Known For
- Night view of Tokyo Skytree
- Seasonal outdoor terrace
- A focus on sustainability
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$ | Taito-ku |
At the northern end of the izakaya-lined Hoppy Street, this hip Scandinavian-style café serves up sweet and savory Norwegian waffles along with coffee made using single-origin beans. In the evenings, there's craft beer and cocktails on the menu too.
2-6-16 Asakusa, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 111-0032, Japan
Known For
- Craft beer and cocktails at night
- Norwegian waffles
- Coffee made with single-origin beans
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$ | Koto-ku |
Kamasho serves the signature dish of the old Fukagawa area, Fukagawa-meshi: short-neck clams and green onion cooked in a miso broth and poured over a bowl of rice. You can order just a bowl of Fukagawa-meshi or opt for a set with a side serving of pickles and miso soup. If you are really hungry, the largest set also comes with some sushi. There’s beer and sake on the menu if you want something to wash it all down with.
2-1-13 Shirakawa, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 135-0021, Japan
Known For
- Fukagawa-meshi (clams on rice)
- Lively atmosphere
- Rustic interiors
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | Akihabara |
Located in the historic former Manseibashi Train Station, Fukumori features light meals from Yamagata Prefecture in the north of Japan. The brick and wood interior, with large windows overlooking the Kanda River, offers a relaxing change from the bustle of Akihabara.
1–25–4 Kanda Sudacho, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 101-0041, Japan
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Located in Shibuya's Tokyu Department Store, Tenichi is an accessible and relaxed tempura restaurant. The best seats are at the counter, where you can see the chefs work and each piece of tempura will be served piping hot, directly from the oil. The restaurant's simple, brightly lit interior keeps the focus on the food itself. Choose from a selection of ten-don (tempura served with sauce over a bowl of rice) or tempura sets. The more expensive tempura meals are available at the counter only.
2--24--1 Dogenzaka, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 150-0043, Japan
Known For
- Tempura cooked right before your eyes
- Friendly service
- Long lines on weekends
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$ | Suginami-ku |
Having started as a street stall in Ogikubo in the late 1940s, Harukiya is now a ramen restaurant that often has patrons lining up down the street. The noodles here come in a soy- and dried sardine-based stock and are served with a topping of chashu (roast pork) with the noodles being handmade every morning.
1-4-6 Kamiogi, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 167-0043, Japan
Known For
- Long lines
- Excellent ramen
- Quick turnover of diners
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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$$ | Suginami-ku |
If you needed proof that Koenji caters to all sorts of tastes, the cute Moomin-like drawings on the walls of this popular café, not to mention the lattes with cute cartoon faces drawn in the foam, show that Koenji has a soft side too. If you are hungry, try the pizzas or desserts, which include a pumpkin Mont Blanc.
2-18-10 Koenji Kita, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 166-0002, Japan
Known For
- Good lattes
- Pizza and desserts
- Only open from noon to 6
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner
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$$$$ | Chiyoda-ku |
A short walk from the Imperial Hotel, the Hibiya branch of one of Yokohama's oldest and best Chinese restaurants commands a spectacular view of the Imperial Palace grounds from 28 floors up. Call ahead to reserve a table by the window. Much of the clientele comes from the law offices, securities firms, and foreign banks in the building.
2–2–2 Uchisaiwai-cho, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 100-0011, Japan
Known For
- Kaisen ryori, a banquet of steamed seafood
- Lush, classic decor
- A popular venue for power lunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$ | Shibuya-ku |
Often, a meal of sushi is a costly indulgence. The rock-bottom alternative is a kaiten-zushi, where it is literally served assembly line–style: chefs inside the circular counter place a constant supply of dishes on the revolving belt with plates color-coded for price; just choose whatever takes your fancy as the sushi parades by. A cheerful, bustling example of this genre is the Heiroku-zushi chain's branch opposite Omotesando Hills; it's all about the fresh fish here (and clearly not the design). When you're done, the server counts up your plates and calculates your bill. The cheapest prices are reserved for staples like tuna and squid, and you'll pay a bit more for delicacies like high-grade toro cuts of tuna and sea urchin.
5–8–5 Jingumae, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 150-0001, Japan
Known For
- Fresh, cheap sushi
- Essential Japan experience
- Wide selection of classic and original sushi
