116 Best Restaurants in Japan

One of the culinary specialties of the Narita area is freshwater eel (unagi)—indeed, on the short stroll along Naritasan Omotesando, you'll see a number of places offering it. This one, close to Naritsan Shinsho-ji, is known for its chargrilled eel, slathered in a savory soy-based sauce and served over rice. Tradition says the dish is good at fighting fatigue, hence, it's particularly popular during the humid summer months. If you are a truly adventurous eater, try the eel-liver soup or the deep-fried eel bones. Takeout orders are an option.

You'll enjoy pâtisserie perfection at this tiny traditional Okinawan house on Sesoko Island. Relax with a delicious coffee, a macaron, or chou à la crème as you listen to the cicadas. Vincent, the maître pâtissier, worked in France and then Tokyo, but chose to raise a family in Okinawa. The locals now enjoy the gastronomic finery of Paris from the tropics!

Ramen is the quintessential Japanese fast food—thick noodles in a bowl of savory broth topped with sliced grilled chashu (pork loin)—and each neighborhood in Tokyo has its go-to ramen restaurant. In Ebisu, near Shibuya, the hands-down favorite is this branch of Afuri, where you choose and pay for your ramen at a machine, find a seat, and hand over your payment ticket to the cooks, who prepare your ramen then and there. There's limited seating, and the a line of customers might extend down the street, but the ramen is worth it. The signature ramen here is yuzu shio (citron and salt), but there are other options, including a vegan version.

Just south of the Shinjuku station, on a basement food level of Shinjuku's Lumine I department store, this branch of a ramen-house chain serves its noodles with a broth that has hints of citrus, turning what can be a heavy dish into something more refreshing (and even free of meat if you like).

Located near the Art House Project in Honmura, Aisunao is known for its healthy and predominantly vegetarian lunches, although you can also stop just for ice cream, sweets, and soft drinks. Diners sit on raised tatami mats overlooking a garden of a traditional Japanese guesthouse. It's the perfect place to recharge your batteries between exploring the various art sites of Naoshima.

An outpost of a New Zealand roastery, this small, friendly café serves excellent espressos, flat whites, and cappuccinos, plus simple snacks like cookies and toasted sandwiches. It occupies a repurposed wooden warehouse with indoor seating, but, if the weather is nice, grab a to-go drink and a slice of banana cake and walk a few minutes east to Kiba Park, a lovely green spot to while away an hour.

Situated along the monzen-machi approach to Jindai-ji temple, this traditional-looking spot has its own spin on soba dishes. Here, you don’t get soba noodles, but rather "soba bread"—basically, a steamed bun made with buckwheat (soba) flour, sugar, and rice flour that comes with your choice of fillings consisting of sweet red bean paste (anko), mustard greens (takana), daikon radish, or the very nontraditional keema, or mince-meat curry.

Located near the shops of Kappabashi-dori, the counter-only Aun specializes in tantanmen (tantan ramen), a Japanese take on spicy Sichuan dandan noodles. The lip-numbing dish, which routinely score high marks from reviewers, can be ordered here with spice levels that range from gentle to extreme.

Baird, one of the first craft brewers to find success in Japan, now has several taprooms in and near Tokyo, including this one on a side street just off of Bashamichi. You'll find almost a dozen Baird beers on tap—from year-round IPAs to seasonal specials like a summer mikan ale and warming imperial stouts—and the bar menu features Texas barbecue.

Look for the cute neon bear sign to find what is possibly the neighborhood's best coffee shop, since, aside from some branded merchandise, coffee is the only thing that's sold. It's a tiny, low-key place with a simple design, including old wooden benches that make the place feel as if it's both in the now and from long ago.

Many long lines outside Shibuya's eateries are more about trendiness than quality, but Beard Papa makes a wide variety of genuinely good cream puffs. Pick up a single or a six-pack of freshly made pastries. It's in the underground Shibuchika shopping arcade, which is located roughly beneath the main crossing; head down some stairs, and follow the aromas of vanilla and butter.

This German bakery serves cakes and cookies that are surprisingly authentic—the baker trained in Germany. There are a few small tables outside, and cozy tables inside where you can enjoy coffee and cakes before resuming your tour. Many Japanese who visit from other parts of the country bring back the bakery's butter cookies as souvenirs.

Kushiyaki (grilled skewers), Vietnamese-style, are on the menu at the bustling restaurant that is the Tokyo branch of a popular barbecue chain in Hanoi. The skewers here include chicken thigh on or off the bone, chicken feet, and gizzards, as well as seafood, vegetables such as okra, and sweet treats like banana. The owners also run another no-frills Vietnamese restaurant called Chopsticks, serving excellent pho noodles, on the same block in Koenji’s north side.

While strolling down Naha's Kokusai-dori, stop by one of the island's iconic Blue Seal ice cream shops. "Born in America, Raised in Okinawa," Blue Seal combines American soft serve with Okinawan flavors such as beni imo (purple sweet potato), ube (mountain yam), or brown sugar. If you're desperate for a midnight snack, you can also find Blue Seal ice creams at any 24-hour convenience store.

Inside Neal's Yard Green Square, this laid-back café has all-natural wooden interiors and a menu of dishes that will make the health-conscious happy. While shopping along Omotesando, it's a great place to stop for a snack or a lunch that might include a Japanese teishoku set, vegetable curry, tofu lemon cake, or other vegan fare.

On the road to Kiyomizu-dera, a wooden archway plastered with senja-fuda (name cards pilgrims affix on the entryways to shrines and temples) is the entry to this charming courtyard teahouse that opened in 1910. The specialties here are amazake, a sweet, nonalcoholic sake often served hot with a touch of ginger, and warabimochi rice cakes. The interior is adorned with an eclectic collection of kites and folk dolls.

This Australian-style café near Coredo Muromachi is a casual hangout serving potent espressos and milky flat whites. For a quick bite to eat, try a meat pie, or stop by for the money-saving breakfast, which features a coffee and toasted sandwich for ¥650.

In business since 1948, Café de l'Ambre is a legendary haunt for Tokyo's coffee aficionados. The retro decor provides a snapshot of an older Tokyo, and the caffeine-fix options include a dozen or so single-origin beans, including some that have been aged for years.

Associated with the funky clothing shop just around the corner and part of an international chain, this bright, open café serves high-quality coffee, cakes, snacks, and gelato. It also has some Kitsuné-branded goods on hand.

Located on a quiet backstreet just a short walk south of Horyu-ji's Great Eastern Gate, this low-key yet stylish café offers delicious lunch sets, including very local specialties such as tatsuta-age (a type of fried chicken) and deep-fried ofu (steamed wheat gluten). The café also has its own woodwork studio and shop, with a number of robot-themed wooden toys on display.

Stop by and watch specialty donuts being fried before your eyes. They come in many flavors, and although they're on the "healthy" side, don't worry—they're still donuts. The giant cone outside reminds you that you can also get soft-serve ice cream, and there's coffee, too. Sit outside on the bench and watch the world go by.

This little café in the backstreets near Ito's main shopping arcade specializes in drinks, including green-tea latte, made with tea grown in Izu. You'll also find coffee, soda floats, and snacks like waffles and green-tea cheesecake.

This lively gastro-pub in the Coredo Muromachi complex specializes in local craft beers, with the 20 or so brews on tap covering a range of styles. Though you can stop by for just a pint, there's also a food menu featuring Japanese izakaya staples and lunchtime teishoku meals that are great value for money.

The focus of this laid-back eatery near Hisaya Odori Station is craft beer, with 13 taps pouring a frequently changing lineup of well-handled microbrews, mostly from Japan, such as excellent Ise Kadoya brews from Ise. To go with the beer, there's a menu that includes decent pizza. The only drawback, as with all of Japan's craft pubs, is price: not-quite-pints are typically ¥880.

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 (powdered green tea), horse chestnut, and ramune (a popular citrus soda flavor). The specialty is the eight-layered, 20-cm (8-inch) tokudai sofuto, or extra-large soft serve, though small cups and cones are also on the menu. Next door, is the Daily Chiko udon (thick wheat noodles) shop.

Although a classic bowl of ramen is topped with slices of pork, here it's often topped with grilled vegetables. Other specialties to try include the tsukemen, with the noodles served in one bowl and the broth into which you dip them served in another, or the chilled noodles topped with vegetables and ham in a sesame dressing. The restaurant also serves gyoza and other goodies. Despite the focus on veggies, note that the soups and sauces are not meat-free.

Located in one of the area's few remaining historic Western-style houses, Enokitei is a relaxing stop for sweets or a light meal. The interior has the feel of a British-style tea room, with dark wood and antiques, while the garden terrace is surrounded by greenery and flowers much of the year. In addition to cakes and scones, Enokitei also has a selection of homemade sandwiches for a light lunch.

Quick and easy plant-based food isn't always easy to come by in Tokyo, but this small spot serves up excellent vegan fast food—namely, falafel, veggies burgers, and plant-based brownies. Most customers buy takeout, but there are a few tables, plus craft beers and coffee on the menu, if you fancy lingering. There's also a branch in Shibuya.

This delightful café-restaurant sits just south of the main drag between Harimaya-bashi and the castle. Choose a table by the window and people-watch on the cobbled lane, or head indoors to the quirky third-floor dining area. The cake, incidentally, is excellent.