Where to Eat in Tokyo: 17 Best Restaurants in the Capital

Tokyo. The largest city in the world, the safest city in the world and the city with the most Michelin Star restaurants. There’s always exciting things to do, see and taste.

While exploring Tokyo can seem like a daunting task, we’ve put together a ultimate three-day itinerary for first-time visitors, which covers the most popular must-see spots and attractions. 

Food lovers from near and far flock to Tokyo to try some of the top-rated food the city has to offer, from street food stalls to local izakaya and vending machine restaurants to Michelin-starred establishments.

Here are some of the best places to eat in Tokyo, saving you a seat at affordable lunch spots, fancy fine dining options and even a low and no-alcohol bar.

The all-natural ramen restaurant of Gokan takes pride in using ingredients that are only sourced throughout the country – everything is domestic, natural and Japanese. Gokan in Japanese refers to the five senses, and the food served at this Michelin-rated makes sure to engage them all. 

Head chef Takuro Yanase of Ramen Break Beats loves two things in his life: ramen and DJ-ing. At this Michelin-rated restaurant, we see how his passion for those two arts has combined and created a unique menu all its own. 

With a background in French and Japanese cuisine, as well as time spent living abroad in Toronto, Yanase has created bold dishes that explore a loud explosion of flavors.

Look no further than the tasty suburban area of Ogikubo for there is ramen, a Michelin Bib Gourmand shop where there is, in fact, ramen. Although only four types of ramen are served here, the soup is loaded with umami thanks to its strong iwashi (dried sardine) flavor, complemented with rich and fatty pork and topped off with a dash of oil. 

Established only in October 2022, this eatery is one of the fastest restaurants ever to receive the Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Find out more: Bib Gourmand Restaurants in Tokyo: An Affordable Guide Tokyo's Best

Beneath the train tracks of Hibiya resides Itamae Bar LIVE FISH MARKET - Hibiya Gourmet Zone, a seafood restaurant filled to the brim with fish fresh off the boat and ready for consumption. The seafood is prepared in a multitudes of ways – from traditional Japanese methods to diverse European styles of cooking. 

At the bar, the highlight of the drinks menu is the white wine from Yamagata Prefecture, which is rumored to pair perfectly with the establishment’s selection of seafood.

Diners enjoy delicious and traditional hand-shaped sushi 200 meters above the streets of Tokyo, where even Mt. Fuji is visible on a clear day. At Sushi Misuji, beautiful Edomae sushi is served with a selection of wine and champagne that has been expertly chosen to pair with each dish.

Most sushi restaurants tend to focus on the fresh seafood that tops the sushi, but at Sushi Hajime, Chef Takahoshi Hiroshi believes in equally focusing on the seafood topping and the rice base. 

His fresh sushi toppings are sent directly from Toyosu Market, courtesy of his own personal suppliers, and his Aizu Koshihikari rice is delivered from Fukushima. This rice is considered some of the finest in Japan, with its sweetness, stickiness and glow. It’s the rice that really sets Sushi Hajime apart.

Indulge in a fine dining teppanyaki experience at Teppanyaki Icho, based in Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba, where breathtaking views of Tokyo Bay accompany your glamorous meal. Highlights of the menu include enticing Waoh meat from Kumamoto Prefecture, a rare delicacy in Tokyo, and the abalone that is bought live daily to ensure its freshness.

Seasonal specialties paired with a melange of Japanese and Western influences inspire the delectable menu at Katsura Steak House. Wrap-around seating ensures that diners all have the best seat in the house when observing the chef’s stunning cooking techniques.

Celebrities flock to atelier Morimoto XEX in Roppongi, founded by one of Japan’s Iron Chefs, to feast upon delectable creations of Edomae sushi and expertly grilled culinary bites on a teppanyaki counter. 

Spanning three floors, this luxurious establishment includes a private teppanyaki counter, perfect for more intimate events and gatherings.

Indulge in Chef Shimura Koichiro’s omakase tempura menu at Tempura Ono, where guests enjoy a personalized set of 10-13 dishes created from seasonal ingredients sourced throughout Japan. 

Dietary restrictions are taken seriously and the chef can even recommend sake pairings that complement each diner’s omakase meal.

Stunning views of the Tokyo skyline function as the backdrop at XEX ATAGO GREEN HILLS / tempura & sushi An, a tempura and sushi restaurant established by the legendary Masaharu Morimoto, the Michelin-starred trailblazer of Japanese fusion and Iron Chef. 

Ingredients and the chefs themselves are only of the most elite quality.

Read more: 7 Best Restaurants with Views of Tokyo Tower

Only tempura of the highest quality is served at Tempura Ten Soso Roppongi Hills, made from fresh and seasonal ingredients. Chef Keita Sato is very particular about ensuring the tempura is light and white in color, and does so by making it without any eggs.

With its first restaurant established in an old speakeasy in New York City in 2015, the flagship Tokyo YAKINIKU 37west NY projects the same ambiance. A patented “owners meat system,” a method of selecting, freeze drying, aging and scrutinizing the atmospheric conditions of the meats for optimal flavor, ensures satisfaction for each and every customer.

Unparalleled views of Tokyo Bay greet diners at Yakiniku Toraji Param Caretta Shiodome, a luxurious yakiniku dining experience in Shiodome. 

With a mindset of the thicker the slice, the better the flavor, Yakiniku Toraji serves all of its meat in solid and hefty slices, from skirt steak to even the highest A5-grade wagyu beef. Flavor rules supreme at this lavish establishment.

Enter the Showa Era at the nostalgic izakaya of Yoyogi Milk Hall, hidden away in the outskirts of Shinjuku. Enjoy fried food, retro drinks and a blast into the past as you indulge in escapism and retreat to a lost time.

Enjoy a good time with or without alcohol at THE 5th by SUMADORI-BAR, a welcoming, sleek space in Shibuya. The aim of the bar is “smart drinking” – where adults can interact and enjoy themselves and some deliciously crafted drinks with the option of low or no alcohol content. 

The 5th is a place to relax and enjoy yourself without the pressures of a traditional drinking culture.

Uredori chicken from Iwate Prefecture is considered one of the best, and at Higonoya Omotesando, several different parts of the bird are served and available. 

Grilled over charcoal and smeared generously with spicy yuzu kosho (pepper) paste, this yakitori joint is considered one of the best places to eat in Tokyo.

Home to thousands of delicious restaurants, it can be overwhelming trying to choose where to eat in Tokyo. From ramen to sushi to tempura to yakiniku, hopefully this list of some of the best restaurants in Tokyo can provide guidance.

Hungry for more of the best foods in Tokyo? Discover decadent wagyu beef in Tokyo, join the best food tours in Tokyo, or tick off a few of the city’s must-see attractions with our 3-day Tokyo itinerary.