Restaurants in Tokyo
Tokyo is jam-packed with restaurants and snack bars. Quality shabu-shabu (hotpot) bubbles away at Zakuro in Akasaka. The sushi is fresh in Ginza and Uchisaiwaicho, and the beer frothy at the strip of cheap izakaya (snack bars) under Yurakucho's train tracks. Scour Nishi-Azabu and Ebisu's backstreets for traditional places full of character, such as Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu, the inspiration for the restaurant in Tarantino's film Kill Bill. Last orders are often 10.30pm, but many Roppongi restaurants serve food until 5am. Service is included and tipping is unnecessary.
Top-end
Expand all1. Mon Cher Ton Ton - Flash teppanyaki
Show moreMon Cher Ton Ton dishes out teppanyaki (grills) in an ostentatious gold Roppongi setting. Business clientele watch from communal counters as the chefs cook seafood, meat and garlic chips on hot plates, while a stream trickles around the tables. The Kobe beef is a speciality and the wine is high-end. Regulars know to book ahead.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 5pm-11pm; Sat, Sun & public hols 5pm-10.30pm
Address
3-12-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3402 1055
2. Nakata - Traditional sushi bar
Show moreOne of Tokyo's oldest sushi bars, Nakata serves the city's finest and freshest fish. On the menu are tuna, abalone, sea urchin and scallop on rice, but no California rolls. The decor of this Uchisaiwaicho restaurant is simple, with light wood panelling and sliding doors. Service is impeccable, whether to businessmen or lunching ladies.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 11.30am-9.30pm
Address
Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Main Building, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8558
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3503 6026
3. Sabatini di Firenze - Taste of Tuscany
Show moreTokyo's elegant Sabatini di Firenze is a sister restaurant of the well-known Florence eatery. Located on the 7th floor of the Sony Building, diners enjoy views over Ginza while feasting on delicious Tuscan cuisine. Try the handmade pasta, cooked to al dente perfection, washed down with a glass of Italian wine. Dinner reservations are recommended.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 11:30am-3:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm
Address
5-3-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3573 0013
4. Inakaya - Busy grill eatery
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Inakaya is a lively Roppongi robatayaki eatery, where customers choose their ingredients and watch them being cooked. Local diners pick from mountains of vegetables, beef and seafood, and the hard-working chefs yell when it's ready. Dishes are passed from grill to diner on giant wooden paddles. Sake, served in wooden boxes, makes a great accompaniment.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 5pm-11pm
Address
4-10-11, 1F Yamaki Bldg, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5775 1012
5. Zakuro - Japanese hotpots
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Zakuro in Akasaka, part of a 50 year-old local chain, serves high quality shabu shabu (hotpot). On the walls are artworks by the likes of Japanese artists Shiko Munakata and Shoji Hamada. Polite, kimono-clad hostesses serve shabu-shabu, tempura, and teriyaki beef to Tokyo's well-heeled set.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 11.30am-3pm & 5pm-10pm
Address
1/F Akasaka TBS Garden, 5-1-3 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3582 6841
Transport
Akasaka metro
Mid-range
Expand all6. Umaya - Actor's rustic dining-room
Show moreFamous traditional Japanese theatre actor Ichikawa Ennosuke has opened several rustic Umaya restaurants in Tokyo, including this branch in Shinjuku-ku. The menu is known for its hearty recipes from Kyushu, such as one-pot nabe meals and skewers of grilled meats.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 11am-11pm; Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am-5pm
Address
15-1-2 Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5771 6331
7. Miyashita - East meets west
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The simple modern furnishings and muted colours allow the food to take centre stage at Miyashita, a fusion restaurant in chic shopping centre Omotesando Hills. The seasonally-changing menu features European classics with a unique Japanese twist; a cooking style known as yoshoku. Try the French-inspired ginger and onion soup or seafood and macaroni gratin.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 11am-12am (last orders 10.30pm)
Address
Omotesando Hills, 3rd floor, Omotesando Dori, Tokyo 41210 Jingumae
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5785 0707
8. TY Harbour Brewery - Favourite for classic dishes
Show more
Perched on Tokyo Bay, TY Harbour Brewery has views over a calm urban canal. This Higashi-Shinagawa restaurant serves a daily-changing menu of dishes like lime marinated prawns, and eringi, shimeji and maitake mushroom pizzas. The pared down dining-room, with its industrial fittings, attracts a fashionable crowd. Couples order sake nightcaps at Waterline, the floating bar.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm & 5.30pm-10pm; Sat & Sun 11.30am-3pm & 5.30pm-9pm
Address
2-1-3 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0002
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5479 4555
9. Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu - Theatrical late-night dining
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The inspiration for the restaurant scene in Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill, it is easy to imagine samurai sword-fighting at Gonpachi in Nishi-Azabu. Lanterns festoon the wood-panelled interior, where chefs prepare soba noodles and skewers of meat. Diners watch them cooking from the bar, balcony, or private rooms enticingly hidden behind sliding doors.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 11.30am-5am
Address
1F/2F, 1-13-11, Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5771 0170
10. Ubcra - Upmarket snack bar
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Ubcra boasts a trendy Ebisu location, polished wood floors, brown leather booths and floor-to-ceiling glass. Its izakaya (snack bar) fare consists of grilled ginkgo nuts, tempura and grilled skewers (yakitori). The set menus are strictly for more the adventurous diners. Ubcra is also a shochu specialist, serving a wide selection of this Japanese spirit.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 4pm-5am
Address
1-3-11 Ebisu-nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0021
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5428 5027
Transport
Ebisu JR and metro
11. Restaurant Kurosawa - Celebrated film director's food
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Fans of Seven Samurai film director Akira Kurosawa love this shrine to his memory. Restaurant Kurosawa serves dishes modelled on food Kurosawa ate in his own home, such as pork and beef from Kagoshima, and homemade soba noodles. The Nagatacho restaurant is also decorated to resemble a Kurosawa film set.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 11.30am-3pm & 5pm-11pm; Sat & public hols 12pm-10pm
Address
2-7-9 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3580 9638
Budget
Expand all12. Shin-hinomoto - Tempura under the tracks
Show more
Underneath the Yamanote railway tracks, Shin-hinomoto's British owner, Andy, serves sashimi, tempura, deep-fried chicken, and more. Andy buys the ingredients for his dishes fresh from Tsukiji Market each day. Visitors book an upstairs table, where the crowd is a mix of foreign diners and Japanese locals, and the trains rattle through above.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 5pm-12am
Address
2-4-4 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8405
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3214 8021
Transport
Yurakucho JR or Hibiya metro
13. Harajuku Gyoza Lou - Pork dumplings four ways
Show more Harajuku Gyoza Lou in the heart of Harajuku is hip yet unpretentious. It draws a young crowd with its straightforward menu on the wall. Cooks serve four types of delicious pork dumplings (gyoza)- boiled or fried and with or without garlic - from the central, U-shaped counter. Wash them down with beer or sake.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-11pm
Address
6-2-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3406 4743
Transport
Harajuku or Meiji-jingumae metro
14. Midori-zushi Ginza - Delicious slivers of fish
Show moreMidori-zushi manages to pull off the rare combination of reasonable prices and uncompromising quality. Sushi is melt-in-the-mouth fresh and features fatty tuna, salmon and eel on rice, and huge rolls. This Ginza restaurant is highly popular, and echoes to the sound of chat. Diners arrive early to avoid the queues.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 11am-3pm & 4.30pm-10pm; Sat & Sun 11am-10pm
Address
1/F Ginza 7-108, Ginza Korida dori, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5568 1212
Transport
Ginza metro or Yurakucho JR
15. Vegetable Dining Daichi - Vegetarian lunchboxes
Show more
Vegetable Dining Daichi in Kamiyacho serves delicious, seasonal vegetarian dishes in a modern Japanese space. On split levels, this minimalist restaurant has slate floors and wooden sliding doors. Its lunch sets - such as a thick Japanese curry or the bento box of tiny vegetarian dishes - are great value. Business regulars book ahead.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 11am-3pm; daily 5pm-11pm
Address
2F Kamiyacho Prime Place, 4-1-17 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001
Transport
Kamiyacho metro
