38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo, Japan

Also known as "Andy's," this izakaya is located directly under the tracks of the Yamanote Line, making the wooden interior shudder each time a train passes overhead. It's a favorite with local and foreign journalists and is actually run by a Brit, Andy, who travels to the seafood market every morning to buy seafood. Don't miss the fresh sashimi and buttered scallops. It fills up very quickly, so call at least the day in advance to make a reservation.

Yakitori, Vietnamese-style, is on the menu at the bustling restaurant that feels it could have been transported from the streets of Hanoi. The skewers here include chicken thigh on or off the bone, chicken feet, and gizzards, but also 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.

Run by Neal's Yard Remedies, this laid-back café has all-natural wooden interiors and natural produce on the menu. If shopping in Harajuku, it's a great place to stop for a healthy Japanese teishoku set, vegetable curry, tofu lemon cake, or other vegan fare.

Stop off near the end of the Yurikamome Line and have dinner along the river bank before heading back to your hotel. The live DJ, order-at-bar service, and strong cocktails create a lively ambience, and classic western dishes can be ordered at your table via cellphone. There are often festivals here, so make sure to check the event schedule. 

Connected to a natural-foods store, and with natural airy wooden interiors to match, Crayon House serves Japanese and Western dishes with a common theme—it's all very healthy. Ninety-five percent of ingredients are organic, and the mixture of curries, pastas, salads, and other dishes are all wholesome. The lunchtime buffet is good value. The desserts taste as if the notion of health has been thrown out the window.

Koenji has many culinary bases covered, and with this izakaya it delivers Okinawan food and drink as authentically as you’ll find in Japan’s southern islands: thank the Okinawan owner for that. The menu features regional classics such as goya champuru (a stir fry of bitter gourd, spam, and tofu) and soki soba (noodles with pork sparerib meat), which you can chase down with Orion Beer and a firebrand of an island rice spirit called awamori. Like many Koenji venues, it runs late, opening daily from 5 pm to 5 am.

Daikokuya, in the center of Asakusa's historic district, is a point of pilgrimage for both locals and tourists. The specialty here is shrimp tempura, and the menu choices are simple—tendon is tempura shrimp served over rice, and the tempura meal includes rice, pickled vegetables, and miso soup. Famished diners can add additional pieces of tempura or side dishes such as sashimi for an additional fee, or opt for a multi-dish course. When the line of waiting customers outside is too long, head to the shop's annex (bekkan) just around the corner.

With a focus on South India cuisine, Dhaba has built a reputation as having some of the best Indian flavors in town. A specialty here are the dosas, a kind of stuffed crepe, but the curries, whether the spicy coriander mutton or the fragrant lemon shrimp masala, are just as good. It can get very busy with office workers from noon to 1 on a weekday, so it's best to come before or after that.

Located in Shibuya's Tokyu Department Store, Tenichi is an accessible and relaxed tempura restaurant. The best seats are at the counter, where you can see the chefs work and each piece of tempura will be served piping hot, directly from the oil. The restaurant's simple, brightly lit interior keeps the focus on the food itself. Choose from a selection of ten-don (tempura served with sauce over a bowl of rice) or tempura sets. The more expensive tempura meals are available at the counter only.

If you needed proof that Koenji caters to all sorts of tastes, the cute Moomin-like drawings on the walls of this popular café, not to mention the lattes with cute cartoon faces drawn in the foam, show that Koenji has a soft side too. If you are hungry, try the pizzas or desserts, which include a pumpkin Mont Blanc.

Often, a meal of sushi is a costly indulgence. The rock-bottom alternative is a kaiten-zushi, where it is literally served assembly line–style: chefs inside the circular counter place a constant supply of dishes on the revolving belt with plates color-coded for price; just choose whatever takes your fancy as the sushi parades by. A cheerful, bustling example of this genre is the Heiroku-zushi chain's branch opposite Omotesando Hills; it's all about the fresh fish here (and clearly not the design). When you're done, the server counts up your plates and calculates your bill. The cheapest prices are reserved for staples like tuna and squid, and you'll pay a bit more for delicacies like high-grade toro cuts of tuna and sea urchin.

Every so often, even on foreign shores, you've got to have a burger. When the urge strikes, the Swiss-and-bacon special at Homework's is an incomparably better choice than anything you can get at one of the global chains. Hamburgers come in three sizes on white or wheat buns, with a variety of toppings. You also find hot teriyaki chicken sandwiches, pastrami sandwiches, and vegetarian options like a soybean veggie burger or a grilled eggplant sandwich. With its hardwood banquettes and French doors open to the street in good weather, Homework's is a pleasant place to linger over lunch. There is also a branch in Hiro.

Here’s proof that an intimate sushi experience doesn’t have to be overly formal. Nor does it have to be expensive. Grab a seat at the counter of this laidback joint in the lively Harmonica Yokocho and enjoy an affordable sushi set prepared in front of you. There are pictures on the menu to help with ordering, but the eight-piece omakase set and 12-piece set of the day are both good options. If you only wanted a super quick bite while bar hopping, there's a three-piece set too. You could pair it with sake or something from the small wine list.

For a quick lunch, you can grab reasonably priced set meals just a few minutes north of the station. Imagine a combination of Japanese and Western ingredients in a kind of modern home-cooking. The restaurant's location on the 8th floor makes it a bit hard to find but gives you an amazing view over a busy Shinjuku thoroughfare. There's a picture menu before the elevator, so you can decide before you even go in.

The culinary specialty of the Narita area is freshwater eel (unagi), and there are plenty of places to try it along Naritasan Omotesando. Close to Naritasan, Kawatoyo has been in business for more than 100 years, serving a classic called unajo, chargrilled eel slathered in a savory soy-based sauce and served over rice. Tradition says the dish is good at fighting fatigue. Because nothing is wasted, you can also order eel liver soup and deep-fried eel bones.

Maid cafés won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you do want to try one out, this main branch of Japan’s biggest maid café chain is as reputable a place as any. All manner of people come to be served by young women in French maid outfits who affect extreme levels of kawaii (cute) and occasionally break into song and dance. As for the fare, the menu includes colorful parfaits, simple pastas, and omuraisu (rice omelet), plus the option of taking paid photos with the maids. The long drink menu features coffee, juices, and cocktails. Be aware that there’s an admission fee of ¥770.

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.

The concept of brunch is fairly new in Tokyo but thankfully it's starting to take off. By day, this pleasant café offers outdoor seating and brioche French toast with great coffee just minutes from Tokyo Midtown and the art museums of the “Roppongi Art Triangle.” From 5 pm, the menu changes to more expensive grilled meats and pastas.

On one of Shimokitazawa's main shopping streets you'll find one of the areas many curry shops with an open and airy front, and both table and counter seating (in case you want to watch them cook). Unlike many Japanese curries, these tend to be heavier on the vegetables.

Located in the shadow of Tokyo Dome, the primary baseball stadium in Tokyo, this theme restaurant is filled with sports memorabilia and waitstaff dressed in baseball uniforms. With a lineup similar to a Hard Rock Cafe or TGI Friday's it is a good stop for sports-loving kids.

With a dozen locations (including Shinjuku and Omotesando), Monsoon Cafe meets the demand in Tokyo for spicy, primarily Southeast Asian food. Complementing the eclectic pan-Asian food are rattan furniture, brass tableware from Thailand, colorful papier-mâché parrots on gilded stands, Balinese carvings, and ceiling fans. Here, at the original Monsoon, the best seats in the house are on the balcony that runs around the four sides of the atrium-style central space. Try the butcher's plate (mixed grilled meats), steamed shrimp dumplings, or nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice).

For an afternoon of people-watching, head to this three-story café on Omotesando street in the heart of one of the most fashion-conscious areas of Tokyo. It's the perfect place to relax and indulge. Order one of the scrumptious homemade tarts or cakes, sip a coffee, and watch the trendiest Tokyoites stroll by the full-length windows.

For a post-shopping drink and light bite to eat, stop by this tiny brewpub in the side streets just east of Nakano Broadway. The rough decor looks a bit like a carpentry enthusiast has made a bar in their garage, but the eight beers on tap are far better crafted. They change often, though you will usually find a good IPA, stout, and white beer in the line-up, alongside simple dishes like sausages, buffalo wings, and fries on the menu.

Sit down for a genuine taste of western Japan. The Kiji chain serves savory okonomiyaki, as well as other noodle dishes unique to its stores. It is inexpensive for the area, so expect a bit of a wait.

A good option for lunch, dinner, or a quick bite in Inokashira Park, Pepa cooks up Thai staples such as green curry, pad Thai noodles, and tom yum kung soup, but also has Vietnamese spring rolls, Vietnamese coffee, and bottled beer from around South East Asia on the menu.

This unimposing building at the far end of Shinjuku Station's outdoor Southern Terrace serves a surprising variety of mostly Belgian and craft beers. While it is mostly a drinking establishment, their variety of meat plates, tapas, and appetizers, among other offerings, can easily turn into a meal.

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.

A short walk down a narrow alley from Omotesando Crossing guests squeeze into tiny antique school chairs in this cozy bistro. The cuisine is constantly changing and most diners ignore the printed menu in favor of the daily recommendations chalked on blackboards (mainly in Japanese) propped up outside and on the walls. Specials lean toward French-accented comfort food often with a seasonal flare.

Before exploring the Imperial Palace, enjoy breakfast at Patio, located inside the Grand Arc Hanzomon Hotel. On summer evenings, the restaurant also offers a relaxed beer garden with a reasonably priced set menu and all-you-can-drink options.

Satisfying the need for light, healthy food that is neither raw nor fried, this airy but rather nondescript bakery and café, which also has branches in Paris and London, serves up a tasty selection of salads, quiches, vegetables, and other deli-style dishes. Although the interior's rows of tables and blank white walls can feel a bit too much like a hip reinterpretation of a school cafeteria, Rose Bakery is a good bet for a quick lunch or pastry while out wandering the Ginza area. It's also good for breakfast (from 9 am), especially if you crave a full English breakfast.