31 Best Restaurants in Tokyo, Japan

With an outdoor patio dining area and bar—the perfect place to relax with a nightcap—Cicada has a resortlike atmosphere that makes it feel a world away from Aoyama's busy shopping streets. Craft beers and wine from the extensive list complement dishes that range from Spanish tapas and Middle Eastern mezze to hearty grilled meats and seafood. Though spacious, this popular restaurant fills up quickly, so dinner reservations are recommended.

Smoky, noisy, and cluttered, Ganchan is exactly what the Japanese expect of their yakitori joints—restaurants that specialize in bits of charcoal-broiled chicken and vegetables. The counter here seats barely 15 (you have to squeeze to get to the chairs in back), and festival masks, paper kites, lanterns, and greeting cards from celebrity patrons adorn the walls. The cooks yell at each other, fan the grill, and serve up enormous schooners of beer. Try the tsukune (balls of minced chicken) and the fresh asparagus wrapped in bacon. Otherwise opt for a mixed eight-skewer set that comes with several small side dishes. 

To enjoy Japanese haute cuisine served in a relaxed atmosphere look to this kappo-ryori restaurant, where diners traditionally eat at counters while the chef works in front of them (though Yukari also offers tables and private rooms). Third-generation chef—and 2002 Iron Chef champion—Kimio Nonaga displays his artistry in dishes that showcase the freshness and quality of the seasonal ingredients. To witness him at work, and get the full kappo dining experience, request a counter seat when making reservations. Nihonbashi Yukari also offers a lunch setting for a fraction of the price of dinner, which is unusual for this kind of restaurant. Also unusual is that kids are welcome, too.

The style here is robatayaki, a dining experience that segues into pure theater. Seated on cushions behind a grill, traditionally attired cooks prepare fresh vegetables, seafood, and skewers of beef and chicken. You point to what you want; your server shouts out the order; and a cook in back plucks up your selection, readies it, and hands it across on an 8-foot wooden paddle. Inakaya is open from 5 pm and fills up fast after 7.

The exclusive specialty here is tofu, prepared in more ways than you can imagine—boiled, steamed, stir-fried with minced crabmeat, served in a custard, or wrapped in thin layers around a delicate whitefish paste. Tofu is touted as the perfect high-protein, low-calorie health food; at Ume no Hana it's raised to the elegance of haute cuisine. Remove your shoes when you step up to the lovely central room. Latticed wood screens separate the tables, and private dining rooms with tatami seating are available. Prix-fixe meals, from ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 at dinner, include a complimentary aperitif, while lunchtime is very budget-friendly considering the quality (courses from ¥2,100). Ume no Hana shops in Ueno and Ginza are also worth visiting.

Carnivores flock here for the all-you-can-eat Brazilian grilled chicken and barbecued beef, which the efficient waiters will bring to your table until you tell them to stop, so be sure to pace yourself at the impressive, self-serve salad bar. With drinks (including, perhaps, Brazilian cocktails), dinner can easily run ¥10,000 per person, but the weekday lunch buffet offers largely the same selection at a fraction of the price. Hardwood floors, lithographs of bull motifs, warm lighting, and salmon-colored tablecloths provide the backdrop. Look for the entrance just off Omotesando-dori on the Harajuku 2-chome shopping street (on the north side of Omotesando-dori), about 50 yards down on the left. There are also branches of Barbacoa near Tokyo Station and in Roppongi, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. 

On top of the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, this Michelin-starred restaurant serves contemporary French cuisine with a Japanese twist. Est emphasizes reducing food waste and offers eco-conscious, seasonal menus with 95% of ingredients gathered from Japan, so Chef Guillaume Bracaval's innovative dishes can be traced from source to plate.

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.

Perched on the 46th floor of the Carretta Shiodome Building overlooking Tokyo Bay, this seafood-focused izakaya is a nice escape from the chaotic frenzy below. Specialties include grilled fish and house-made tofu. As the name suggests, Suntory's highly rated Hibiki whiskey is also on the menu, along with wines and sake that pair well with the food.

The appeal of Ajioka's seasonal specialties like fugu (puffer fish) and suppon (Japanese turtle) lies as much in the unique texture and experience as in the subtle, nondescript taste. Licensed chefs prepare these in every way imaginable—raw, fried, stewed—using the fresh catch flown in straight from Shimonoseki, a prime fugu-fishing region. Try the house specialty of suppon (Japanese turtle) and fugu nabe, fugu sashimi, or fugu no arayaki (grilled head and cheeks). Menus change by season and reservations must be made two days in advance to order fugu.

As Japan's sumo heartland, Ryogoku is home to not just the Kokugikan wrestling arena and numerous beya (training stables), but also to plenty of restaurants specializing in chanko-nabe, the hotpot of meat, seafood, and vegetables eaten by sumo wrestlers. At Kappo, this hearty fare is served in a former training stable, complete with a practice ring is in the middle of the main dining room. Depending on the course you select, the hotpots can also be accompanied with sashimi, sushi, or tempura. Most nights there will also be some entertainment, whether that's a shamisen performance or retired wrestlers singing traditional songs.

The specialty here is shabu-shabu: thin slices of beef cooked in boiling water at your table and dipped in sauce. Kisoji, which has been serving the dish for more than 60 years, elevates the experience, with all the tasteful appointments of a traditional ryotei—private dining rooms with tatami seating (at a 10% surcharge), elegant little rock gardens, and alcoves with flower arrangements. The easiest way to order is to opt for a course, which range from ¥5,000 to ¥10,000. There are branches in Ginza, Shimbashi, Shinjuku, Ueno, and elsewhere as well.

If you're going to splurge on crab in Tokyo, do it at this exclusive restaurant. Chefs serve a choice of kaiseki-like crab courses, featuring in-season delicacies such as red king crab served in a variety of ways—from sashimi to shabu-shabu. For more comfort, select the room with Western-style seating, although the two Japanese-style rooms with tatami mat flooring and sunken seating are more atmospheric.

This world-famous spot proves that a high-end sushi restaurant doesn't have to be solemn to be refined. In addition to having excellent knife skills, many of the chefs speak English and are happy to chat with you about the food, making Kyubey a great choice for a first-time high-end sushi experience.

This bustling restaurant in the Coredo Muromachi complex proves that great sushi doesn't have to be super expensive. Manten does sushi omakase style, meaning you pay for a course and then leave the chefs to choose what to serve, which will vary by season and whatever has been sourced from the market that morning. Incredibly, the cost is almost half a typical omakase sushi rate. You'll need a reservation for dinner, but there are no reservations for lunch; for that you'll often need to be in line by 11 am.

Japan enjoys a special reputation for its lovingly raised, tender, marbled domestic beef (Wagyu), and if your budget can bear the weight, Rangetsu serves excellent dishes with this beef as a star ingredient. Try the signature shabu-shabu or sukiyaki course for a primer. Although dinner can damage the wallet, there is also a good variety of lunch sets available for a third of the price.

After a short walk down a narrow alley from Omotesando Crossing, diners squeeze into this cozy bistro, perch on tiny antique school chairs, and order from the daily recommendations (mostly in Japanese) chalked onto blackboards—ignoring the ever-changing printed menu. Specials lean toward French-accented comfort food. Dinners can be pricey; lunches are about a third of the price.

If you're feeling adventurous, check out this izakaya's seafood-focused dishes, which pair nicely a cup of sake and which do not disappoint. The daily menu is often hand-written, though, so unless you read Japanese, be nice to the wait staff, and trust them to help you make a selection. On weekends, reservations are a good idea.

Chef Daniel Calvert has been awarded two Michelin stars for the creative French cuisine served at this elegant restaurant on the seventh floor of the Four Seasons Hotel at Marunouchi. The 12-course dinner changes with the seasons, but leans heavily into Japanese produce and could include Akkeshi sea oyster with koshihikari rice and wild sorrel or shamo chicken from Bizen poached in yellow wine. While some tables offer kitchen views, there's also a chef's table where you can watch Calvert and his team at work—a rare opportunity to study some of Tokyo's most talented chefs.

This elegant French restaurant on the 37th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel has wonderful views of the Tokyo skyline as well an open kitchen, where you can see the masterful chefs at work. Inspired by Japanese kaiseki, the menu changes with the seasons. There is also a fine wine list here that includes biodynamic and organic selections.

Here you need a dose of luck—there are only seven counter seats and reservations book up fast (ask your hotel concierge to make one for you)—and a full wallet, as high-end sushi comes at a pretty price. The interior is unpretentious, putting the focus squarely on the gorgeous presentations for each course, but what really makes a meal here subline is the extreme quality of the cuts of fish and garnishes featuring such rare ingredients as zha cai (pickled stem of the mustard plant).

In a converted waterfront warehouse, T.Y. Harbor brews five of its own year-round beers and seasonal specials in a tank that reaches all the way to the 46-foot-high ceiling. The restaurant, which is known for its grilled meat and fish, has a California-meets-Asian approach, with such dishes as wheat ale steamed clams, Thai-style gai yang chicken sate, or Indian spice-marinated lamb chops. Although the tables on the bayside deck art the best, regardless of where you're seated, you'll appreciate the relaxed, modern vibe. Reservations are a good idea on weekends.

Although some might find the glitzy decor at this restaurant to be over the top, the service is cordial and professional; the food, which is centered on Tokyo's version of international cuisine, is superb; and the wine list has more than 200 bottles, ranging from affordable house wines to real rarities. There might be a DJ during your dinner, and if you feel like some live music and a drink after, check out the Tableaux Lounge in the same building.

Combining aspects of a traditional sushi counter, a tapas bar, a science lab, and a magic show, this award-winning restaurant breaks new ground. In full view of diners, the team of chefs assemble a small parade of bite-size morsels in surprising texture and flavor combinations. There are only eight seats, and seatings are at 6 pm and 8:30 pm only, so reserve as early as possible.

Beyond the rather nondescript entrance are counter seats where you can watch the chef expertly prepare and fry exceptional tempura. Although this is a great place for dinner, the lunch sets are far more reasonably priced yet still give you a proper tempura experience. You can also order additional individual pieces, either à la carte or as recommended by the chef.

When you're looking for a break from all the ramen, tempura, and yakitori, this restaurant on the 45th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel serves a fusion of French and Japanese cuisines. The prix-fixe lunches include a three-course business lunch (¥6,500), and there are dinners with four and five courses (¥12,200 and ¥16,500). A plush brunch (¥9,500) is also available weekends and holidays. Best of all, the dining room overlooks a panorama of the Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower, which is where the eatery gets its name.

Sitting on the terrace beside the Wadakura Moat, savor a glass of carefully selected wine from the impressive cellar, and choose from a modest selection of fresh, flavorful pasta dishes or one of the set three- to five-course menus. At dinner, the atmosphere turns intimate with candlelight and ultra-attentive service. Reservations are recommended.

This no-frills sushi restaurant with wooden interiors serves up excellent Tokyo-style (Edomae) sushi, the classic nigiri topped with seafood. Á la carte is an option, but it's easier to opt for a set meal, which will be substantially cheaper during lunch than at dinner.

This compact, counter-only sushi restaurant in Naka Meguro’s backstreets just does omakase, meaning that you'll be served whatever the owner–chef has sourced each day from Tokyo's Toyosu Market. Although the fish (or hair crab or sea urchin by special request) takes center stage, herbs and vegetables are also incorporated into Udatsu’s often-modern takes on sushi. There's even a vegetarian sushi course, though it must be reserved at least two days in advance. Like many sushi restaurants, lunch is a far more affordable experience than dinner. Still if you are planning to splurge somewhere, this is the place to do it.

When it comes to preparation, this long-running unagi (freshwater eel) restaurant sticks to tradition, claiming to follow a 200-year-old recipe. For its ingredients, however, Maekawa takes a modern turn towards sustainability. Instead of using (rapidly dwindling) wild caught unagi, the restaurant uses only the highest quality domestically farmed unagi for its dishes. Choose from the una-ju (eel over rice served in a lacquered box), kabayaki (sweet grilled eel set meal), or shirayaki (plain grilled eel without sweet glaze). Maekawa offers a few small side dishes such as sashimi and dashi-tamago (Japanese rolled omelet) but like most classic unagi restaurants,  Maekawa does exactly one thing and does it well.