Where to eat in Tokyo

Nishiazabu Sushi Shin is an Edomae sushi restaurant in Nishi-Azabu with two Michelin stars. Expect an intimate counter and a meticulous omakase of seasonal nigiri. Reservations essential. Delicious and super high-quality fish.

Address: 4-chōme-18-20 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan

GO is the teppanyaki counter at the Palace Hotel Tokyo in Marunouchi, with views over the Imperial Palace gardens. Watch chefs sear top-grade wagyu, lobster, and seasonal produce on the iron griddle in an elegant, calm room. Top-quality meat and ingredients in a fine dining setting.

Address: Teppanyaki GO, Palace Hotel Tokyo 6F, 1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan

The teppanyaki restaurant on the 5th floor of The Peninsula Tokyo, run by Seryna, the Tokyo restaurant group that has been serving sukiyaki and shabu-shabu since 1961. The chefs cook Kobe beef and seafood on the iron griddle right in front of you.

Address: The Peninsula Tokyo 5F, 1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan

A little okonomiyaki house in Nishi-Asakusa that opened in 1937 and is said to be the oldest one still going. You take your shoes off at the door and sit on tatami around a low table with a hotplate – most people cook their own, but the staff will make it for you if you ask. Their most popular monjayaki is only served on weekday lunchtimes.

Address: 2-2-2 Nishiasakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0035, Japan

AFURI started at the foot of Mount Afuri in Kanagawa and brought its famous yuzu ramen to Tokyo in 2003; this Harajuku branch, open since 2010, serves the same a clear, citrus-bright chicken-and-dashi broth topped with charcoal-grilled chashu. Light, refreshing and approachable, with an English menu and cashless ordering. You do have to queue here but it moves quickly and the ramen is worth it.

Address: 3-chōme-63-1 1F, Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0051, Japan

A gyoza place on a side street in Jingumae, just off Omotesando, where the menu is really just pork dumplings, pan-fried or boiled, with or without garlic and chives, plus a few sides like cucumber and bean sprouts. There’s almost always a queue out the front, but it moves quickly.

Address: 6-2-4 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan

The teppanyaki room at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi Hills, where the chefs grill premium wagyu, seafood and seasonal vegetables to order at the counter. It's polished and theatrical, and priced for a special dinner.

Address: Keyakizaka, Grand Hyatt Tokyo 4F, 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

A rice shop in the Azabudai Hills Market, run by a Sumida rice merchant that’s been going for about 100 years. They sell rice blended for different dishes along with other kitchen staples, and there’s a counter making onigiri and okowa. Their onigiri is truly delicious and great for a quick snack while exploring the mall.

Address: Azabudai Hills Market, Garden Plaza C, 1-2-4 Azabudai, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0041, Japan

Roku Roku is the Edomae sushi restaurant on the 6th floor of the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi Hills. A light-filled space with a 14-seat sushi counter and terrace, it pairs classic Edo-style nigiri with a strong sake selection.

Address: Roku Roku, Grand Hyatt Tokyo 6F, 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

The Roppongi Hills branch of Kushinobo, the Osaka kushiage restaurant that started in Hozenji in 1950, is on the 5th floor of West Walk. The skewers of meat, fish, and vegetables come out freshly fried, with little trays of dipping sauces. One important thing to note at kushiage places in Japan is that you have to tell them when to stop, or the skewers will keep coming.

Address: Roppongi Hills West Walk 5F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-6105, Japan

Ryan is a sleek, modern soba house about five minutes' walk from Shibuya Station. Hand-made buckwheat noodles take centre stage, served cold or hot alongside tempura and seasonal small plates, with a thoughtful sake list.

Address: 1-chōme-4-13 1F, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0002, Japan

Sobagoya is a relaxed soba izakaya in Azabu-Juban, about four minutes from the station. Pair house buckwheat noodles with grilled dishes, small plates and a good drink selection - an easygoing neighbourhood spot for lunch or a longer evening over sake.

Address: 2-chōme-5-1 3F, Azabujūban, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0045, Japan

A small onigiri counter in the basement of the Otemachi Park Building, from the team behind Butagumi, making onigiri with Ibaraki Koshihikari rice and Hyogo nori. It moved here from Nishi-Azabu in 2024 and is only open for lunch on weekdays.

Address: Otemachi Park Building B1, 1-1-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan

Yakiniku Yazawa's Tokyo branch brings premium Japanese BBQ to Yaesu, five minutes from Tokyo Station. Grill prime wagyu cuts tableside over charcoal in a polished setting - a step up from casual yakiniku. Reservations recommended. Truly delicious food; I especially enjoyed the wagyu rice. They also had a nice cosy table for one, so I could enjoy my solo dinner.

Address: 1-chōme-5-10 1F, Yaesu, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-0028, Japan

PST - Pizza Studio Tamaki - is one of Tokyo's most acclaimed pizzerias, near Tokyo Tower and Shiba Park. Chef Tsubasa Tamaki turns out blistered Neapolitan-style pies from a roaring oven. Seats are limited, and it's deservedly popular, so booking ahead is wise. Really tiny place and can be a bit uncomfortable, but the pizza is so full of flavour it's worth a little inconvenience.

Address: 1-chōme-24-6 Higashiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0044, Japan

The Roppongi Hills branch of HARBS, the cake café that opened in Nagoya in 1981 and is best known for its mille crêpe – six thin layers of crêpe with whipped cream and fresh fruit, with the cakes made fresh every day.

Address: Roppongi Hills Hillside 1F, 6-10-2 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

The bar on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo in Shinjuku, with live jazz every night and floor-to-ceiling windows over the city – it’s the bar from Lost in Translation.

Address: Park Hyatt Tokyo 52F, 3-7-1-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 163-1055, Japan

The bar on the 4th floor of the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi, with a live jazz band every night, gas lamps and glass partitions, and a list of more than 20 Cuban cigars alongside the cocktails and whiskies.

Address: Grand Hyatt Tokyo 4F, 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

The cocktail bar and cognac lounge on the 39th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, an Art Deco room mixing Japanese and French design, with cocktails built around Japanese spirits and sake. It’s on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.

Address: Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi 39F, 1-2-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan

The café lounge on the ground floor of Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, run by Lexus, that reopened in 2024 with a menu of Japanese sweets. The kakigori is supervised by Shugetsudo, a long-loved sweets shop from Gamagori in Aichi, and it turns into a bar with snacks and drinks in the evening.

Address: Tokyo Midtown Hibiya 1F, 1-1-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan

The Nihonbashi Takashimaya branch of Umezono, the Japanese sweets shop that opened in 1854 in a corner of a temple next to Senso-ji in Asakusa and became famous for its awa-zenzai, served with warm red bean paste. They also do anmitsu and warabi mochi. Hot Warabi mochi is my absolute favourite Japanese dessert.

Address: Nihonbashi Takashimaya, 2-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan

The Tokyo home of Nakamura Tokichi, the Uji tea house founded in 1854, on the 4th floor of GINZA SIX. Serious matcha and hojicha served with Japanese sweets – the jelly-and-tea parfaits are the signature. A quiet stop in the middle of a shopping trip.

Address: Nakamura Tokichi, GINZA SIX 4F, 6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan