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Tokyo is undoubtedly one of the most exciting dining cities in the world. Seasonal ingredients reign supreme here, and there's an emphasis on freshness—not surprising given raw seafood is the cornerstone of sushi. And though Tokyoites still stubbornly resist foreign concepts in many fields, the locals have embraced outside culinary styles with gusto.
While newer restaurants targeting younger diners strive for authenticity in everything from New York–style bagels to Neapolitan pizza, it is still not uncommon to see menus serving East-meets-West concoctions such as spaghetti topped with cod roe and shredded seaweed. That said, the city’s best French and Italian establishments can hold their own on a global scale. Naturally, there's also excellent Japanese cuisine available throughout the city, ranging from the traditional to nouveau, which can be shockingly expensive.
That is not to imply that every meal in the city will drain your finances—the current rage is all about "B-kyu gurume" (B-class gourmet), restaurants that fill the gap between nationwide chains and fine cuisine, serving tasty Japanese and Asian food without the extra frills of tablecloths and lacquerware. All department stores and most skyscrapers have at least one floor of restaurants that are accessible, affordable, and reputable.
Asakusa is known for its tempura, and Tsukiji prides itself on its fresh sashimi, which is available in excellent quality throughout the city. Ramen is a passion for many locals, who travel across town or stand in line for an hour in order to sit at the counter of a shop rumored to have the perfect balance of noodles and broth. Even the neighborhood convenience stores will offer colorful salads, sandwiches, and a selection of beer and sake. There have been good and affordable Indian and Chinese restaurants in the city for decades. As a result of increased travel by the Japanese to more exotic locations, Thai, Vietnamese, and Turkish restaurants have popped up around the city. When in doubt, note that Tokyo's top-rated international hotels also have some of the city's best places to eat and drink.
Soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat, are a signature of the restaurants along the bucolic monzen-machi approach to Jindai-ji temple, perhaps because buckwheat was traditionally easier to grow in this area than rice. Here, toppings for the handmade soba, which is served in a variety of ways—including in warm broths or cold with a dipping sauce—change according to the season.
Open from 11 am to 11 pm, this ever-busy ramen joint, now an international chain with almost 30 locations in Tokyo alone, is an ideal quick stop on or after a night out. The classic ramen is the Shiromaru, which features a creamy pork-based stock, thin yet slightly firm noodles, and a topping of chashu (braised) pork slices. Other options include the Akamaru, which has a little red miso mixed in the soup, and side dishes such as gyoza dumplings.
Down a little side street and behind a tiny door—situated just as all good tonkatsu shops should be—Isen has been serving tender, fried pork cutlets since the late 1920s. To avoid the crowds, plan to come right before or after the midday rush, and try to sit at the bar so you can watch the staff place each piece of your set lunch plate with precision.
This family-run restaurant serves authentic soba—thin buckwheat noodles, often served chilled in summer and hot in winter in a rustic atmosphere—in a rustic atmosphere. Although a simple soba meal can be quite inexpensive here, it still might be worth spending just a bit more to have your noodles topped with tempura or other goodies.
The ever-popular Kanda Yabu Soba is in a traditional-style building that replaced the original 130-year-old structure after a fire in 2013. It's one of the oldest and best places to sit down and savor freshly made soba noodles—be that on tatami or at one of the tables.
Inside a 120-year-old former merchant house on the prominent Ichibangai shopping street, this casual eatery is good for a quick sit-down lunch or a to-go snack. It's known for its skewers of grilled, soy-basted dango (rice dumplings) and its indulgent parfaits, but it also serves bowls of more filling udon or imo soumen (thin, wheat-flour noodles thickened with local sweet potatoes).
This laidback joint in the lively Harmonica Yokocho neighborhood proves that an intimate sushi experience doesn’t have to be overly formal or expensive. Grab a seat at the counter, and use the picture menu to help you order, or enjoy a three-, eight-, or twelve-piece set menu—perhaps paired with nihonshu sake selected from the short beverage list. Although it doesn't serve lunch on Wednesday, Katakuchi makes up for it by offering oden (small stewed dishes) with dinner that evening.
Offering a bird's eye view of happenings below, this 8th-floor restaurant combines Japanese and Western ingredients to create modern home cooking–style dishes. A picture menu before the elevator let's you decide on your selection before you even go in.
Prominently standing at the edge of Yanaka, just a short walk to the west from the National Museum, this historical café is a popular stop for lunch or a light snack. A century old, the café has been stylishly renovated and serves homemade sandwiches, curries, cakes, and kaki gori, a traditional treat of flavored shaved ice. The first floor has a bar and dark wood tables, while the second is an airy Japanese-style tatami room with low tables. Although Kayaba isn't usually too crowded in the morning, expect to line up if you arrive at lunchtime.
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.
If you venture across the broad Yumeno Ohashi Bridge between Odaiba and Ariake, it might be time for a break. Attached to Musashino University's Ariake Campus is a cheap, bright, and fun café with good weekly specials and a wide variety of dishes including pasta and rice bowls. You'll find students working behind the counter as well as studying at the tables.
Maid cafés aren't everyone’s cup of tea, but, if you want to try one, the main branch of Japan’s biggest such chain is as reputable a place as any. All manner of people come to be served by, and have their picture taken with, young women in French maid outfits who affect extreme levels of kawaii (cute) and occasionally break into song and dance. Menu highlights include simple pasta dishes, omuraisu (rice omelets), and colorful parfaits; the lengthy beverage list has coffee and juices as well as cocktails.
Bouquets of flowers are lovely seasonal touches in the airy dining room of this restaurant, which was converted from a sento (public bathhouse) and still has the original high ceiling (built for ventilation) and the signs instructing bathers where to change. The specialty is the tonkatsu set—tender, juicy, deep-fried pork cutlets served with a tangy sauce, shredded cabbage, miso soup, and rice. There's usually a long line, and although it moves quickly, if you're in a rush, you can order something from the takeout window. Solo diners can jump the line to sit at the counter. There are also branches in the Hikarie building in Shibuya and the Daimaru department store by Tokyo Station.
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.
Known for its classic hayashi (hashed beef) rice, lemon herbal tea, and waffles with a side of fluffy ice cream, Maruzen Cafe is the perfect mid-afternoon stop. Its location on the third floor of Maruzen Bookstore and sleek, dark wooden furniture add to the homey atmosphere.
Serving both ramen and tsukemen (noodles with the broth on the side for dipping), this sleek ramen shop is a great stop for a quick and hearty bowl of noodles. The fusion broths—a hearty chicken/pork or lighter seafood stock made from dried bonito and sardines—are a specialty.
By day, this pleasant café offers outdoor seating and brioche French toast with great coffee just minutes from Tokyo Midtown and the museums of the Roppongi Art Triangle. From 5 pm, the menu changes to more expensive grilled meats and pastas.
At the original branch of Monsoon Cafe, which has a dozen locations (including in Shinjuku and Omotesando), the pan-Asian menu is complemented by rattan furniture, brass Thai tableware, colorful papier-mâché parrots, Balinese carvings, and ceiling fans. The best seats in the house are on the balcony that runs around the four sides of an atrium-style space. Try the butcher's plate (mixed grilled meats), steamed shrimp dumplings, or nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice).
In business since 1887, Monzen Toraya is best known for its skewers of sweet kusa-dango rice dumplings, which come topped with red-bean paste and are a popular snack for visitors en route to Taishakuten Temple. The more substantial lunch menu features ramen, udon noodles, and rice bowls topped with seasonal tempura. For fans of the Otoko wa Tsurai Yo Japanese movie series, earlier films used Monzen Toraya as two different settings.
For a post-shopping drink and a bite to eat, stop by this tiny brewpub amid the side streets just east of Nakano Broadway. The rustic decor makes the place seem as if a carpentry enthusiast has made a bar in their garage (the name kobo translates to "workshop," after all), but you're really here for the beer. Although offerings change often, reliable choices include IPA, stout, and white beer—perhaps accompanied by sausage, buffalo wings, or fries.
Sit down for a genuine taste of western Japan at this eatery serving savory okonomiyaki pancakes, as well as noodle dishes like yakisoba. It's inexpensive for the area, so expect a wait.
A good option for lunch, dinner, or a quick bite smack dab in the middle of Inokashira Park, Pepa Cafe Forest cooks up Thai staples such as green curry, pad Thai noodles, and tom yum kung soup. Other Southeast Asian options include fresh spring rolls, Vietnamese coffee, and bottled beer. Don't miss the tuk-tuk casually parked in the corner.
This could be considered a drinking establishment, thanks to its wine selection and its surprising variety of mostly Belgian and craft beers, but its range of meat plates, tapas, and appetizers also makes it a great place for a full meal at lunch or dinner. It's housed in an unimposing building at the far end of Shinjuku Station's outdoor Southern Terrace.
Swing open the door to Pizza Salvatore Cuomo and you'll catch a rich aroma wafting from the wood-burning oven—the centerpiece of this homey, spacious restaurant. As with Cuomo's other branches around town, the chefs here adhere to traditional Neapolitan methods, while updating recipes with dough infused with spinach, herbs, and even squid ink. Lunch courses are filling, affordable (around ¥1,000), and quick. Though seating space is ample, expect a full house on weekdays. For dinner classic antipasto dishes such as Caprese make for an authentic Italian meal. Branches are found throughout the city.
Kaijin shows that ramen doesn't have to be rich and heavy to be satisfying. The shop specializes in a clear shio (salt) seafood-based broth that is both light and flavorful. Think of it as a more nuanced version of the soup in Hong Kong style wonton soups. Instead of the traditional slices of pork, Kaijin tops its ramen with freshly made seafood and chicken meatballs. The thin, chewy noodles, made from two kinds of flour, give the ramen just enough body without making it feel heavy. Expect to line up, but once you sit down service is quick and efficient.
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.
Off a main shopping street, one of Shimokitazawa's many curry shops has a cute entrance, table seating, and a couple of counter seats so you can watch the cooks at work. Unlike most Japanese curries, those served here tend to be heavy on the vegetables. You can also customize the spices and toppings to make your own curry.
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