WorldTraveler1024

We never went to Tokyo because we always thought it would be too expensive. But were pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive the hotels were if you could accept a three star spot. Our next challenge to solve in Japan will be eating out. Yes, I know you can go to a fast food spot or a take out restaurant in a shopping mall and save money. But we want to have at least a few sit down meals at pleasant restaurants.

Can you give me a comparison example? How much would a restaurant meal that would cost about $20 in Chicago (equal in quality) be in Tokyo? Would it be about the same, twice as much three times as much? Is eating out at a sit down restaurant even feasible in Tokyo? Maybe no one would speak English and the waiter would not have an English menu.

panda2ac

As with any city, prices at restaurants vary depending on what you order, but a sit down dinner under $20 (I'm assuming per person) is definitely doable. More than likely you will be using the Japanese train and subway systems quite a bit. Their train stations are like malls and quite a few of them are connected to department stores. Which means there's a lot of stores and restaurants. Most of the major train stations have food courts on the upper levels. There you will find a variety of restaurants ranging from noodle shops, sushi, steak houses etc... You will more than likely be able to find a restaurant that will fit your taste and won't break the bank. Most of these restaurants have either pictures or plastic models of their food items along with their prices in Yen. Even if your waiter doesn't speak English, you can always point to the picture or item that you want. We found that was the easiest way to find a place to eat unless someone has recommended somewhere for you. We also found that most of these places were pretty tasty and reasonably priced.

Hopefully during your travels you will also splurge a little and stay at a Japanese Ryokan that includes meals. That is quite an experience. They will usually serve dinner in your room and bring about 10 to 15 different local food items. We stayed at a Ryokan in both Kanazawa and Takayama and found both to be different and enjoyable. We were able to find Ryokans that were about 11550 Yen/person at both places which is really pretty good since it included dinner and breakfast and a great experience.

Alec

Easiest would be to go to one of the hotel restaurants, where there is sure to be a menu in English and someone with a smattering of English. You can normally get a lunch (cheaper than dinner) in that sort of place for around 2,000 yen (set lunch with beer or soft drink, or you can just drink free water or tea). Dinner would be 3000 to 4000 yen (typically double).
Other than that, it's very difficult to give any price range as Tokyo has the greatest concentration of restaurants anywhere in the world! I would say that to eat well, budget at least 5000 yen ($55) per head plus drinks (usually expensive), and 10,000 yen plus ($110) in more fancy or gourmet places. Fascination of Tokyo is while you can easily spend 30 to 50,000 yen in Michelin-starred places, just round the corner there may be a family-run modest diner serving authentic cuisine for a tenth of the price - your challenge is to know where to go, as there are, sadly, plenty of mediocre places as well. A good standby is the restaurant section or floor attached to stations, department stores etc, where there are often outposts of more famous restaurants but charging less, with a fully illustrated menu and window displays, and on the whole you won't be too disapppointed, as they cater to general masses looking for good-value meals in easy surroundings.
One thing you don't need to worry about is tipping. There is none, and more fancy places automatically add around 10% in service charge. You just pay what's on the bill, and credit cards are widely accepted, except in more modest places.
Look for recommendations in http://www.zagat.com/tokyo, as well as in Fodors, Frommers, Tripadvisor etc.

BigRuss

Good G*d! WT1024: Alec is far more high-end than you or I. Tokyo is not that horrendous if you want to "eat well."

Fact is, the major train stations (Shinjuku, Tokyo, Ueno, Shinagawa, Shibuya) all have restaurants galore and the prices are not so horrid. You can eat your $20 meal from Chicaaaaago for $25-30 or so in Tokyo. And yes, the fancy places and Michelin-starred places are not inexpensive. But in areas around the major train stations (which essentially define areas of the town -- Shinagawa area, etc.), near Asakusa, in Roppongi, there are scores of restaurants and many have pictures on the menus so the barbarians who can't read Japanese (that includes me) can figure out what they're eating.

Worse comes to worst, go near the Tokyo Dome to the entertainment complex nearby (Tokyo Dome City, I think?) and eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. or California Pizza Kitchen and you'll know what you're getting.

Check this out for some help and google the restaurants that interest you: http://www.tokyopocketguide.com/tokyo/

offlady

You can definitely get by in Tokyo without paying high prices and enjoy very nice meals in the 2000 yen range. We went to a tempura restaurant in a department store and had a great noodle and shrimp tempura meal for 900 yen. The shrimp were huge. Many shops will have plastic or real food sample plates on display with prices. I suggest you learn or keep a written note with Japanese characters for numbers as not all will have prices in romanized (English) numbers.

rajshiv

We have lived in Tokyo for couple of years and think you can get very good food at reasonable prices. Couple of years ago you could get lunch in most places between 700- 1200 yen/person. Dinner without drinks would cost you between 6000 yen for two people. I can recommend specific places, but most places would be around Hiroo/ Ebisu and Roopongi. Where are you staying and I will try and get you information about restaurants around that area.

We really miss the food in Tokyo! Hopefully you are making a trip to Kyoto as well, it is one of my favourite places in the the world.

rajshiv

I am pasting links for some of the places around roopongi and hiroo. However most links would be in Japanese...however you will have the address and phone number. Call and ask for the directions, you might find some who will speak in English.

Izakaya "Watami" in Roppongi http://g.pia.co.jp/shop/65182

Okonomiyaki "Gen" in Hiroo
http://g.pia.co.jp/shop/62005

Okonomiyaki "Noro" in Hiroo http://g.pia.co.jp/shop/63539

Yakitori "Yokohama tenkadori" in Roppongi http://g.pia.co.jp/shop/86524

Yakitori "Robataya" in Roppongi http://g.pia.co.jp/shop/81364


Tofu and Japanese "Yuuan" in SHinagawa, Ebisu http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g411110/(esp good for vegetarian)

Tofu Izakaya "Tsuki no Shizuku" in Akasakamitsuke and many places http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g078814/ (good for vegetarian)

Okinawa "Churari" in Roppongi http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a359111/

There is a brilliant breakfast/brunch place in Hiroo called Homeworks...they serve the freshest sandwiches in the world. I know I shouldn't be talking of sandwiches when you are going to Tokyo...but they really are the best. Do try their fries and vanilla shake. If you go on a Saturday morning there might be a long wait.

At Ebisu tower place on the 35th floor there is a restaurant that specialises in okonomiyaki. I am sorry I forget the name...but it is the only restaurant on that floor which is not horrendously expensive. You will get stunning views of Tokyo and the waiter actually comes and cooks your meal at the table.

I could go on and on...

crosscheck

We found the restaurant prices in Tokyo to be exactly the same as LA or NY - We had department store meals and noodles for under $15 pp, incredible sushi for under $25 pp and a big splurge kobe dinner at Seryna for about $100 pp including sake. The first time I was in Tokyo (in the '80's) prices were at least double what they were in NY.

usernameistaken

We found Tokyo "cheap" for eating and the food, at all prices, is excellent - just follow the locals. Dept stores have tons of great casual restaurants where you can eat for about $14-20 US per person. We had sushi dinners at the Tsukji chain for $30 total. Udon bowls are a filling lunch and they run $7-8.

Paul1950

We easily found small restaurants with very pleasant surroundings, good service, and nice dinners in the $15-$25 range per person--just depending on what you wanted to eat. These were mostly neighborhood family-owned places or chains. Sometimes we spent more than that, and sometimes less if we weren't especially hungry. But you don't have to spend a lot to dine well and enjoyably.

We had one really fancy meal in our ryokan in Kyoto that cost us $75 each.

rajshiv

I would personally not recommend to go to restaurants on the top of super markets. Nothing wrong with them...only they are mostly average places...like you would expect. Go to any roadside restaurants...the small ones in by lanes...they are usually very good.