Best Shabu-Shabu Restaurants in Tokyo: Top 8 Places

Craving a dish that will warm you up from the inside and bring people together? Look no further than shabu-shabu, a beloved meal that’s perfect for the chilly Japanese winter. 

Consisting of thinly sliced meat, seasonal vegetables, a light broth and flavorful dipping sauces, shabu-shabu is a must-try hot pot dish if you find yourself in Japan during the colder months. 

With that being said, we’ve compiled a list of the top shabu-shabu restaurants in Tokyo, along with a couple of cooking classes where you can learn to make it at home. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, keep reading!

Shabu-shabu is a Japanese hot pot commonly eaten in the winter months. Typically featuring pork, beef or chicken (with some seafood and halal wagyu beef varieties) as the main protein, vegetables and tofu round out the dish. 

Unlike other forms of hot pot where all ingredients are cooked together, though, the thin slices of meat are instead swished through the light broth for just a few seconds until cooked. This “swish swish” movement is where the name comes from, and adds an interactive element to the meal. 

After cooking, you’ll then dip the slices into one of two bowls: sesame paste or ponzu sauce, to give it that final burst of flavor. 

Located in the retro neighborhood of Sagenjaya is Shabu Shima, a restaurant that specializes in kurobuta shabu-shabu. Known as the “wagyu beef of pork,” these pigs add a tender texture and decadent flavor to the Japanese hot pot dish. 

As a bonus, here, you can try both black pork loin and pork belly in your shabu-shabu, discussing among friends which is best. 

Over the course of 90 minutes, enjoy your shabu-shabu with a variety of sauces, eating as much as your stomach can manage until the time is up. 

Those keen on the molecular gastronomy movement should pay a visit to Shabushabu Okaka in the Shinjuku area for a meal where every detail is paid the utmost attention. 

Standing out with its choice to use bonito-based broth, watching the .01 millimeter-thick shaved bonito dissolve like new snow in the broth (a process called “oigatsuo”) is drool-inducing. 

Experience it at its finest with their 8-course menu, including unlimited wagyu and all-you-can-eat vegetables.

With origins as a meat wholesaler, it’s safe to say Sukiyaki Sasaki knows a thing or two about preparing meat that melts into your mouth. Serving kuroge wagyu and sirloin that is chilled, but never frozen, you can’t go wrong with either the rich sukiyaki or the refreshing shabu-shabu.

Accompanied by locally grown vegetables, each bite will leave you wanting more! 

Headed by Michelin-starred Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, XEX ATAGO GREEN HILLS serves only the finest ingredients. 

Sourced from Toyosu Fish Market, every dish is just as spectacular as the view of the Tokyo skyline, and the Kobe beef shabu-shabu is no exception.

Opt for the Kobe Beef Course and it’s up to you how you get to enjoy your Kobe beef, including the art of shabu-shabu, boiled and dipped in soy sauce.

Take a journey to Hokkaido via your tastebuds at Hokkaido Shabu Shabu Ginza. Choose from Hokkaido-raised kuroge wagyu beef or its famous lamb option for a regional version of shabu-shabu that is out of this world. 

The most popular course menu among foreign visitors, who constantly return for the texture of the shimofuri — highly marbled — kuroge wagyu beef. It, as well as several other menu offerings like snow crab, sushi and prawn tempura, are flown in directly from Hokkaido.

Find out more: Where To Eat in Sapporo

With meat imported from Spain, Korean grilling methods, Balinese sea salt, and black garlic from Kagawa, there is truly no more international way to have shabu-shabu than at Iberico Pork Ondoru-yaki Urashibuya. 

For the most premium shabu-shabu dining, try their Iberico Pork Hotpot Course, choosing the shabu-shabu style of cooking. Alongside the luxurious Iberico pork is accompanied by a selection of fresh seafood and vegetables, natural Bali sea salt and a fruit-based sauce using black garlic from Kagawa Prefecture.

Want to grab shabu-shabu by yourself? Don’t like sharing your hot pot with others? At Shabu Shabu Let Us, diners can order a personal hot pot with a range of spicy, traditional and healthy broths and all-you-can-eat meat. 

Not only that, but there are also no fewer than 25 seasonal vegetables and 29 sauces on rotation, giving you all the options you could dream of. 

Name a more iconic view than the Shibuya Scramble while eating shabu-shabu. Offering Kobe beef, Matsusaka beef and fresh vegetables from Akita Prefecture, dinner in the sky at Shabu Shabu Tsukada is the perfect way to end a day of sightseeing or shopping in Shibuya. 

With a view like this, only the finest ingredients will do, so treat yourself to their Finest Luxury Dinner Course and indulge in 50g of Matsusaka beef sirloin, 50g of Kobe beef sirloin and 80g of Kobe beef rib eye. No wonder people are scrambling to Shibuya!

Find out more: Where to Eat in Shibuya?

Starting off strong with a favorite of mine. Momo Paradise is part of the Wondertable empire of restaurants all over Japan. Mo-mo Paradise prides itself on stunningly beautiful venues. You can expect a beginner-friendly environment and a lot of foreign support, with English menus and English-speaking staff.

For the quality of meat, the ¥3,000 (excluding tax) for the standard tabehoudai all-you-can-eat is very respectable and the service only adds to the feeling of getting your money’s worth. For the wallet-heavy, there is also a chance to try the wagyu option as well for ¥7,000 (excluding tax)! Definitely one of the finer shabu-shabu in Shinjuku. 

A cousin of the Mo-mo Paradise franchise (being part of the same restaurant family), Nabezo offers a very similar experience and is very reminiscent of Mo-mo Paradise in quality.

The biggest difference being that, in Mo-mo Paradise you get the vegetable tray al-a-carte, whereas in Nabezo you select your vegetables from a large buffet area. Gyuutan (beef tongue) is one of Nabezo’s main hooks that draw the crowds. 

For extreme money bags with prices starting at ¥16,500 (excluding tax), this one is for people flying first class. Imahan has second-to-none quality meat and one of the finest shabu-shabu available in Japan.

Very aesthetically pleasing venue with great, foreigner-friendly service. People looking for an authentic place to eat Japanese winter food, Tsukitei is a must.

Additionally, as this venue is kitted out with traditional Japanese interior and a low-light romantic atmosphere, Tsukitei is right for everything from dates to family reunions. 

Note: This restaurant is not currently accepting reservations.

A great all-round Japanese food one-stop shop, Ichi-nii-san is very popular with the locals with prices starting at an agreeable ¥4,500 (excluding tax).

Ordering a myriad of their side dishes would be the perfect cherry on top to this visit!

Note: This restaurant is not currently accepting reservations.

Kamakura Ikebukuro is a rather unusual spot as it has a rather peculiar hovel theme to its seating. However, the good courses are great and, given all the private room options available, it can be a great little spot to have a private time with your circle of friends and family and still get to experience the beautiful Japanese interior. 

Yorokobi prides itself on its pork shabu-shabu. Delicious fresh pieces of thinly sliced pork make a wonderful compliment to the great selection of side dishes and Kobe beef available. 

For a 2-hour nomihoudai all-you-can-drink, all-you-can-eat pork course, you will be set back ¥4,800 (excluding tax). Not the cheapest place in the world but certainly a good option for people looking to impress a date or enjoy a bit of glamour. 

Little Lamb is an enormous chain, well known for its super hot and very tasty lamb hot pot. Shabu-shabu is the pinnacle of Japanese winter food, and having shabu-shabu in Tokyo is one of the biggest favors you could do for yourself if you’re visiting in the colder months, especially this luxurious lamb-filled version. 

Tired of eating at restaurants where you don’t know who’s cooking your food? Get to know Mika, a licensed chef and food education instructor, as she provides a soulful night of cooking shabu-shabu at home. 

Learn how to set a Japanese table properly (and the etiquette behind it) before making several rounds of shabu-shabu, including one with ramen. In addition, you’ll also get senbei rice crackers, Japanese green tea, ume plum soda, rice and seasonal fruit — a variety just like you’ll see at a real Japanese house party.

Make memories and a delicious meal all in one by booking today! 

Commonly featuring pork as an ingredient, shabu-shabu may often be off the menu for those of Muslim faith, but this inclusive shabu-shabu cooking class in Shinjuku includes halal wagyu beef. 

Start by making a Japanese curry topped with tonkatsu, or chicken cutlet, before making a hearty hot pot of wagyu shabu-shabu, accompanied by a variety of dipping sauces. Round the meal off with a light dessert of green tea pudding. 

Besides all ingredients and equipment being halal-certified, you’ll also have all you need for salat during the cooking class, including a washing area for wudu and a prayer mat. 

In the end, you’ll also get to take home a Japanese kappougi apron! Drooling yet? 

Looking for more items to add to the menu on your night out in Japan? Check out what shabu-shabu is, your guide to shabu-shabu restaurants, the top shabu-shabu restaurants in Tokyo, where to find affordable wagyu beef in Tokyo and, finally, the must-visit restaurants in Tokyo. 

Editor's note: This blog was originally written by Ross McFarlane and updated by Annika Hotta in March, 2025.