eating out in Tokyo
 

Were staying in the Ginza district can anyone recommend resturants that wont break the bank

You'll find them all over the place...just avoid the hotel restaurants for the most part, though some offer great deals on buffets. The top floors of department stores have a variety of places with good prices. The stations are often packed with shops and restaurants. Yakiniku, yakitori, izakaya, family restaurants are all reasonable as well. Noodles at lunch are a great bargain. You could ask your hotel to recommend a few places, check out the free advertising magazines that have good ideas and often coupons. Have a wonder around and enjoy.

If you see a small place with a bunch of young guys chowing down, go there.

Plenty of reasonably priced dining options at various department stores and shopping arcade around the subway station. They also have an advantage of wax model display to give you an idea. You can eat reasonably well for JPY3000-5000 per person, can be JPY1500-2000 for lunch.

If you're into tempura, there is a restaurant tucked behind the basement of Sony Plaza. A branch of a famous ginza tempura restaurant (Tenichi or Tenkuni or something like that, the name escapes me right now). Shouldn't break the bank if you go for lunch and stick to the set menu.

There are yakitori places under the railway track near Yurakucho JR station, though I haven't tried them being a veggie myself.

For a real cheap options, you can always get a hot or cold take-away foods from department store basement floors (Matsuya being my favourite).

The yakitori places are nice!

For lunch I would suggest the teppanyaki restaurant on the 17th floor of the Imperial Hotel (directly opposite Hibiya Park) A lunch set starts from JPY3,600 onwards. It includes choice of appetiser, main course of Australian beef, rice, tea, dessert (which is very good) and coffee/tea. Dinner starts at least twice the amount. Excellent service.

Near Imperial, just under the railwaytrack is a branch of Sushisanmai. They have good sushi at reasonable prices. Testimony to this are the crowds during the evenings. Sushi set is JPY900 onwards.

Agree with suggestions/ideas posted above especially about asking Concierge for recommendations (that was a life-saver for us many times). Also, I can think of at least one restaurant in Ginza (where you're staying) that we liked. Its called Kanzai. It is a Tapas place, so not traditional Japanese food. But the seafood there is very good and it was a great deal. 3 drinks and 5-6 tapas dishes for 10000 Yen. Nice ambience. Address - 4F Shibuya Bldg., 7-8-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

Have a great time!

We loved VENTO - an Italian restaurant which we found quite cheap- especially the set meal. Wonderful food and friendly English speaking waiters. We thought the young man who served us was so Italian looking, but when we got chatting to him (on our second visit) he told us he came from Albania.
There are 3 Vento restaurants. This one was opposite the Matsuya building -take exit 13 , Ginza station and its across the street - basement restaurant. Nice atmosphere.You can even get a decent bottle of house wine too!

All wonderful suggestions.

Check out this website for some other eateries wherever your staying in Tokyo

http://www.bento.com/ra-ginza.html



Aloha!

I love those Yakitori restaurants. Some beer and multiple helpings of skewered meat etc are to die for.
Lots of restaurants in the underground passageways out of Tokyo station. Ramen/Soba/Udon or Donburis make for inexpensive eating. Take out meals from the depatment store basement food sections are another way for eating on a budget. If you go close to closing time the take out meals are also slashed in price.

Mushroom hotpot is really worth trying in Japan. My family went to Ashima mushroom hotpot restaurant (3-4-2 Shibaura Minato-ku, Tokyo) one time and God! hundreds of mushroom there. My parents were rather satisfied and my sister will come there on her kid's birthday.