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To the surprise of many visitors, dining out in Tokyo doesn’t cost the earth. With en estimated 60,000 eateries there is something for every tastebud and budget, from the gastronomic delights of Gordon Ramsay’s or Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurants to fresh and delicious sushi, served from a stall at the city’s famous fish market.

Lunch is the perfect time to try new restaurants, as menu prices are often less than half the nighttime equivalent in the pricy areas of Ginza, Omotesando and Harajuku. And all over the city lunchtime queues form for bento-boxes, lunchboxes filled with a selection of rice, shellfish, and vegetables. Incredibly good value, they offer a traditional Japanese meal for ¥1,000 or less.

Unlike their American and European counterparts, Japanese restaurants are often housed in anonymous grey buildings, either at the top of a high rise or down in the basement. But don’t be put off, the city has an incredible eye for design and diners often find themselves eating in the most beautiful surroundings. Service is impeccable and every diner is made to feel special.

The restaurants below have been divided into five categories (Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations) and have been grouped into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over ¥15,000)
$$$ (¥8,000 to ¥15,000)
$$ (¥3,000 to ¥8,000)
$ (under ¥3,000)
These prices are for a three-course meal for one (dinner), with service included, but not drinks.

A 5% consumer tax is added to restaurant bills and luxury restaurants may also add a 10-15% service charge. Tipping is not customary and might offend.


Gourmet

Gordon Ramsay at Conrad Tokyo
The famous chef has finally brought his magic touch to the Conrad Hotel in Shiodome, with a menu of delicious lobster and foie gras that is receiving rave reviews. For those on a budget, the three course lunch is a bargain, while those wishing to watch the spectacular views over Tokyo bay can plump for the rather more pricy set dinner. Although Ramsay himself is not in the kitchen, the chefs deliver exquisite food in a setting of understated elegance. Booking ahead is strongly advised!

Conrad Tokyo, 1-9-1 Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 6388 8000.
Website: www.conradtokyo.co.jp
Price: $$$$

La Tour d’Argent
Considered by many to offer the very finest French dining in Japan, this Akasaka branch of the celebrated Parisian restaurant serves classic cuisine in a dramatic setting of period opulence. The wine list is renowned for its selection and quality and the seasonally based menu typically features carpaccio with caviar, roast pigeon with fresh truffles or the restaurant’s renowned roast duckling.

New Otani Hotel, 4-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: (03) 3239 3111.
Website: www.newotani.co.jp
Price: $$$$

Nobu
With its stylish decor, exposed brickwork and giant pink rose emblems, the restaurant by celebrated chef Nobu Matsuhisa has made his indelible mark in Tokyo’s upscale Aoyama district. Nobu’s masterful blending of traditional Japanese ingredients with New World flavors results in exquisite signature dishes such as black cod with miso, squid in light garlic sauce and the renowned ‘new-style sashimi’. For a culinary adventure, the omakase course (chef’s tasting menu) is recommended.

6-10-17 Minami-aoyama, Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 5733 0070.
Website: www.nobutokyo.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

Takamura
Serving kaiseki (Japan’s haute cuisine and an art form in itself), Takamura creates a traditional Japanese dining experience never to be forgotten. Seated in one of eight serene tatami rooms overlooking Japanese gardens, guests are presented with a succession of intricately prepared dishes, such as delicate slices of sashimi or quails eggs, each item seasonal and exquisitely displayed on the finest of Japanese ceramics. Takamura is located on a wooded hill and seems a world away from the bustling city below. Advanced reservations are required.

3-4-27 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 3585 6600.
Price: $$$$


Business

Les Saisons
Long renowned as the top formal French restaurant in Tokyo, the award-winning Les Saisons is conveniently located in the Imperial Hotel. The elegant opulence of the Provençal-style surroundings is extremely inviting and the seasonal menu features classic dishes such as steak with foie gras, bouillabaisse (fish soup) and cider-roasted lobster. The restaurant is rumoured to be Tokyo’s ultimate location for elite political and business ‘power breakfasts’.

Imperial Hotel, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: (03) 3539 8087.
Website: www.imperialhotel.co.jp
Price: $$$

Miyuki
The Japanese restaurant of Tokyo’s top class Four Seasons Hotel, Miyuki specializes in kaiseki, its multiple courses creating the most formal and exquisitely presented of Japanese dining experiences. In addition, the restaurant offers teppanyaki, sushi, tempura and shabu shabu menus. The decor is elegantly Japanese and kimono-clad staff present each course on a selection of fine Japanese ceramics. Set lunches are good value.

Four Seasons Hotel, 2-10-8 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku
Tel: (03) 3943 2222.
Website: www.fourseasons.com/tokyo/dining/miyuki.html
Price: $$$

New York Grill
An oasis of sophistication on the 52nd floor of Shinjuku’s Park Hyatt Hotel. Just securing reservations for this award-winning restaurant will impress any Tokyo client. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide magnificent views and the vibrant, contemporary design features bold artworks and an open kitchen. The cuisine is creative American and the honey-glazed rotisserie duck and prime Japanese steaks are particularly notable. Naturally, the Californian wine list is first class and the service impeccable.

Park Hyatt Hotel, 52F, 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: (03) 5322 3458.
Website: www.tokyo.hyatt.com
Price: $$$$

Sabatini di Firenze
This stylish Ginza restaurant is known as one of Tokyo’s finest Italian dinner venues. Amid surroundings reminiscent of a grand country villa, freshly made pasta cooked to perfection complements dishes such as grilled sea bass. The dessert trolley is bursting with temptation and the wine list, featuring an extensive selection of Italian and French wines, rounds off the experience. Set lunch menus are good value.

Sony Building 7F, 5-3-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku
Tel: (03) 3573 0013.
Website: www.miyoshi-grp.com/cardinal/sabatini/index.html
Price: $$$

Teppanyaki Asuka
A favorite for less formal business occasions, the Palace Hotel’s teppanyaki restaurant showcases the considerable skills of the chef, as he cooks each meal to order. Guests sit at a crescent-shaped counter and choose from a menu encompassing everything from abalone, prawns and seasonal fish to Kobe beefsteak with Madeira sauce, all accompanied by soup, salad, rice and kimchee pickles. Guests may also enjoy cooking for themselves at private tables.

Palace Hotel Tokyo, BF1, 1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: (03) 3211 5211.
Website: www.palacehotel.co.jp
Price: $$$


Trendy

Daidaiya
This upscale Ginza restaurant, serving nouvelle cuisine Japonaise, is a treat for the eyes as well as the palate. Theatrical lighting and dramatic avant-garde decor accentuate the succession of unique dining spaces, ranging from rooms to counters and tatami areas, plus a cigar bar. The Japanese menu with a twist includes grilled meats and seafood with delicate sauces and excellent sushi and tempura. Daidaiya has branches in Shinjuku and Akasaka.

GinzaNine No 1 Building, 2F, 8-5 Saki, Ginza-nishi, Chuo-ku
Tel: (03) 5537 3566.
Price: $$

Fujimamas
Asian fusion is the ‘in thing’ in Tokyo dining and trendy Fujimamas is riding the crest of the wave. This Harajuku restaurant, bar and café has a warm, comfortable atmosphere, wooden verandah and rustic-style decor with a stylish twist. Among the dishes offering a unique take on world cuisine are grilled chilli-marinated pork loin with tomato chutney and sweet potato fries, and crispy tofu steak with Indonesian cucumber sambal. A fine selection of Californian wines rounds off a great meal.

6-3-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tel: (03) 5485 2283.
Website: www.fujimamas.com
Price: $$

Garb Pintino
Many Tokyo restaurants claim to offer a meal with a view, but situated at the foot of the famous Tokyo Tower, at Garb, guests eat whilst the brightly lit monument glows above them. A menu of European fusion and traditional cocktails keep the trendy clientele happy, and with service available into the small hours, it is the perfect spot for a weekend night out.

3-5-4 Shibakoen, Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 5472 1057.
Website: www.garb94.com
Price: $$

Immigrant’s Café
Located in trendy Aoyama, this funky café-bar invites guests to ‘experience the world’ through its Asian fusion menu. Dishes range from clam chowder to Thai fish balls, but it is the unusual decor (colorful retro with an industrial edge) that makes the place stand out. A DJ booth, video graphics and lively bilingual staff add the finishing touches to a fun venue. Vegetarian friendly.

Kyodo Building B1, 5-9-15 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 5766 8995.
Website: www.immigrantscafe.com
Price: $

The Pink Cow
The Pink Cow is still a firm favorite on Harajuku’s trendy café scene. The atmosphere is colorful and relaxed, with funky furnishings and a maze of rooms hung with the work of local artists. The list of Californian wines is excellent and the vegetarian friendly home-style cooking (from burritos and bagels to fudge brownies) is an added bonus. A dinner buffet is available on the weekends.

Villa Moderuna B1, 1-3-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
Tel: (03) 3406 5597. 
Website: www.thepinkcow.com
Price: $


Budget

Chinya
This restaurant has been running since 1880, and there is a touch of old Japan from the moment you relinquish your shoes to the ’Gesoku-ban’, or shoe keeper, at the door. After being led to your table by the kimono-clad waitress, choose from shabu-shabu (thin slices of beef and pork served raw for you to cook in a boiling broth) and sukiyaki (thin slices of beef, vegetables, tofu and shirataki noodles cooked in warishita, a special stock of soy sauce, sweet sake and sugar). Both come complete with rice and soup.

1-3-4 Asakusa, Taito-ku
Tel: (03) 3841 0010.
Website: www.chinya.co.jp
Price: $

Edogin
It’s busy, noisy and filled with workers from the nearby fish market, but if you love your sushi fresh and cheap, you won’t find any better. Portions are large but prices are small and although the menu is only in Japanese, there are realistic plastic dishes for you to point to!

4-5-1 Tsukiji, Tsukiji Market, Chuo-ku
Tel: (03) 3543 4401.
Price: $

Jangara Ramen
Two minutes from Harajuku Station, an enthusiastic clientele means long peak-time queues. But the bowls of steaming Japanese noodles are well worth the wait. Cheerful staff dish out the standard jangara or richer bonchan with meat, fish and egg added according to choice. Jazz music and quirky artwork add to the colorful atmosphere.

Shanzel Building No. 2 1F/2F, 1-13-21 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tel: (03) 3404 5405.
Price: $

MealMUJI
Just across the railway tracks from the Tokyo International Forum, this bright, spacious café extends the MUJI lifestyle brand to food. Focusing on organic, preservative-free ingredients, the café offers freshly baked breads and 25 deli choices, such as curries, grilled fish and seasonal salads, which attract a relaxed, youthful crowd.

3-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: (03) 5208 8241.
Website: www.muji.net/shop/h_shop.html
Price: $

Moti
Located in the Roppongi nightlife district, Moti has been serving Tokyoites with authentic Indian food for over 20 years. Vegetable curries such as palak panir and channa masala offer a haven for vegetarians, while meat eaters will enjoy specialties such as Punjabi chicken tikka and mutton kofta. Mughal-style arches and murals give an exotic feel to the decor. Lunch specials are good value. Moti also has a branch in Akasaka.

Roppongi Hama Building 3F, 6-2-35 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 3479 1939.
Website: www.tokyo.to/moti
Price: $-$$

Tengu
This cheap and cheerful chain of Japanese-style pubs (izakaya) is popular with students and office workers. It offers a wide range of snack foods, such as yakitori grilled chicken and sashimi fish, plus Japanese interpretations of salads and pizza, washed down with reasonably priced beer and sake. Guests can order as little or as much as they want from the convenient picture menu, and the many branches are easily recognized from the red, long-nosed demon mask emblem.

Ginza Roku-chome Branch, 6-13-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku
Tel: (03) 3248 2588.
Website: www.teng.co.jp
Price: $


Personal Recommendations

Bamboo Grassy
Teppanyaki means stir-fried meat and vegetables cooked on a large grill, and this is one of the best spots to give it a try. Although unlike most teppanyaki restaurants here customers do not cook the meat themselves the food is fabulous, and four lucky guests can grab front row seats to watch the chef at work. Four vegetables cost from ¥400, while the melt-in-the-mouth fish and meat start at ¥930.

B1F Pia House Ebisu, 3-9-29 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku
Tel: (03) 5739 0527.
Website: www.bamboograssy.com
Price: $$

Daigo
The rich and discerning still adore this eatery, a Tokyo institution since 1950, where the chef follows the strict vegetarian Buddhist rules of shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine). Diners relax in one of the restaurant’s private tatami rooms, each elegantly designed in the traditional Japanese style. The restaurant offers a selection of vegetarian and Japanese dishes in a beautiful building set among manicured quiet greenery, with attentive staff on hand to help visitors navigate their way through the 16-course dinner.

2-3-1 Atago, Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 3431 0811.
Website: www.shiba-daigo.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

Hanezawa Garden Terrace
Tucked behind a back street in hip Hiroo, with its cool leafy surroundings, this is the best kept secret in the city. Set in a converted estate in the sweltering summer months you can drink beer and eat yakitori in a lush green gardens, lit in the evenings with flickering torches.

3-12-15 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku
Tel: (03) 3400 2013.
Website: www.thehanezawagarden.com
Price: $$

Good Honest Grub
Those visitors hankering after some filling North American food make a beeline for this Tokyo institution, serving everything from salads and sandwiches to scrambled eggs. The portions are enormous, and the vegetarian options are famous among the city’s non meat eaters. Food is served in a bright and breezy dining room.

2F 6-6-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tel: (03) 3406 6606.
Website: www.goodhonestgrub.com
Price: $

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
So successful is this restaurant (the hottest restaurant ticket in town) that the queues snake out of the door each night. The black and red décor is low lit and intimate, while the ever changing menu offers simple yet delicious French cuisine, sushi served with fresh crusty bread and the house specialty of pumpkin cauliflower soup. Built around an open kitchen, it is counter seating only, giving diners the chance to watch the chefs at work.

Roppongi Hills Hillside 2F 6-10-1 Roppongi Minato-ku
Tel: (03) 5772 7500.
Website: www.robuchon.com
Price: $$$

Red Pepper
This tiny one-room restaurant is hidden behind the bustling Omotesando crossing, and serves a selection of delicious French-Italian dishes to a stream of happy customers. With only 20 seats, there can be a queue, but once inside order a number of small dishes ideal to share.

1-12-5 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku
Tel: (03) 3280 4436.
Price: $

COFFEE HOUSES & TEA SHOPS
Café culture has long gripped the Japanese. For years kissaten have been the meeting place for the young, the restful oasis of the salaryman and the gossip houses for the ladies who lunch. Now the third biggest coffee consumers in the world, the Japanese are a nation in love with their lattes.

Alongside the ubiquitous Starbucks that dot every street, the Japanese equivalents are numerous and growing. The pink awnings of Almond coffee shop at Roppongi intersection is one of the most famous meeting spots in the city, while the dark wood interior of Daibo, 2F, 3-13-20 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, oozes traditional charm.

Tea has a long and fascinating history in Japan, with tea ceremonies proving a tourist favorite. Green tea is famous for its healing anti-oxidant properties, and the best spot in the city to try it out is the small but perfectly formed Green Bird, 2-14 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku. Pots of ocha start at ¥250 and are best sipped with sweet bean paste treats.

Another popular tea spot is Mariage Freres, 2F & 3F, 5-6-6- Ginza, Chuo-ku, where 450 varieties of teas are on offer from 32 countries. Hua Tai Tea, 1-18-6 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, is a four-floor tea haven, offering private tea rooms, Japanese classes and of course the chance to drink hundreds of varieties.



Nightlife:

With tiny Japanese apartments still very much the norm, most Tokyo locals socialise out of the house. This has contributed to the vast array of restaurants, bars, clubs and coffee houses for visitors to discover. From the small and smoky Japanese nomiya bars to the wallet-busting cocktails at the Park Hilton, even long-term visitors can’t run out of new watering holes.

Dress codes are rarely overly strict. Entrance fees to clubs are high but usually include a couple of drinks. Cover charges are common in izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) and bars. Drink prices very much depend on the surroundings and range from the reasonable to the stratospheric. If in doubt, do ask before ordering. Should you be tempted by one of the city’s many ‘hostess clubs’, be aware that a beer in the company of an attractive companion can easily cost ¥10,000. Tokyo’s gay bars are clustered in the Shinjuku 2-chome area. They are generally wary of foreign customers and are best explored with a Japanese companion.

There are no specific licensing hours in Tokyo, although the minimum drinking age is 20 years. Admission fees and opening times vary widely and the Tokyo nightlife scene is ever changing - for listings of what’s on and information about the latest hotspots, visitors should check the English-language Metropolis (website: http://metropolis.japantoday.com/default.asp) or Tokyo Journal (website: www.tokyo.to).

Bars: There are hundreds of bars on offer in the city, from the sleek and sublime to the rowdy and raucous. Hajime, 6-4-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku is one of the most popular, its minimalist design offset by a distinctive yellow light that runs across the room and bar. Mother, 5-36-14 Daizawa, Setagaya-ku, is a Tokyo tradition at the other end of the design spectrum, the interior an eclectic mix of kitsch with a giant lizard hanging down from the ceiling. If you’re craving beer, head for Flamme d’Or, 1-23-36 Azumabashi, where Philippe Starck’s infamous sculpture houses a bar selling a wide selection of beers and snacks. If it’s a drunken night out you’re after, you won’t do better than Gas Panic, 3-10-5, Roppongi Minato-ku, an expat institution where inebriation is an absolute prerequisite. But Roppongi isn’t just for the mega clubs and bars: Finger, 3-9-8 Roppongi, Minato-ku, is a stylish hangout for the rich and discerning. Finally for a taste of the izakaya bars, try the incredibly designed Zaru, 4F Zero Gate, 16-9 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, where chandeliers and changing lights set the scene, or the more traditionally classy Sasagin, 1-32-15 Uehara, Shibuya-ku.

Clubs: If superclubs are your style, this is the right city. Womb, 2-16 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya (website: www.womb.co.jp) boasts an enormous dance floor packed with an up-for-it crowd while Velfarre, 7-14-22 Roppongi (website: http://velfarre.avex.co.jp/index.html) is a huge multi-level disco palace with a strict dress code and a high admission charge. For a more intimate clubbing experience head for Secobar, 3-23-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, where a clutch of clubbers enjoy the electro funk sounds. The hip student crowd are still hanging out at Yellow, 1-10-11 Nishi-Azabu (website: www.club-yellow.com) either making the most of the big name DJs or relaxing in the upstairs lounge.

Live Music: Tokyo’s local pop and rock scene revolves around ‘live houses’ - dark disco-like venues with a small stage. Club Que, 2-5-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku (website: www.ukproject.com/que) and Club Quattro, 32-13 Udagawacho, Shibuya, are among the best known names. Milk, 1-13-3 Nishi-Ebisu (website: www.milk-tokyo.com), a hip, indie rock music venue, is a club/live house hybrid. The two main venues for major rock acts are Nippon Budokan, 2-3 Kitanomaru-Koen, Chiyoda-ku (website: www.nipponbudokan.or.jp) and Tokyo Dome, 1-3 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku (website: www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/). Tickets are pricey and should be reserved well in advance.

Jazz has a large and ever growing following in the city and there are numerous venues offering excellent live jazz music. The best known is The Blue Note Tokyo, Raika Bldg, 6-3-16 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku (website: www.bluenote.co.jp), featuring impressive artists and high prices.

Karaoke: If all the live music inspires you, you might want to start making some of your own. Karaoke is still big business in Tokyo, but forget the drunken man serenading a bar full of strangers. In Tokyo the singing is done in small private rooms, with plush seating and excellent sound systems. Venues are scattered across the city, so you will never be far from a karaoke bar: just look up, they tend to be housed in the high floors of high rise buildings (although they rarely give you a view). For those wishing to splash a bit more cash, the Keio Plaza hotel (website: www.keioplaza.com) in Shinjuku hires out top floor rooms from just over ¥5,000 an hour. They seat up to 10 and you can enjoy spectacular views of the city at night. And the genre is evolving. The more adventurous karaoke fan head for Lovenet, Hotel Ibis 3F & 4F, 7-14-4 Roppongi, Minato-ku (website: www.ibis-hotel.com/en.html), where singing takes place within a Jacuzzi.

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