Restaurants in Japan(3548)
SEAT RESERVATIONHamaichi
These sea bream specialists serve tai-meshi with dedication and finesse. Each meal at Hamaichi underscores Japanese tradition and commitment to service through simple but expertly prepared ingredients.
SEAT RESERVATIONKyoto Tsuruya (Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel)
A dedicated sushi counter promises authentic dining, while course menus and celebratory meals bring people together from across the country and world to delight in historic Japanese traditions of hospitality.
SEAT RESERVATIONShion
Even before moving to its current Akasaka location, a philosophy of reverence for Japan’s natural beauty has always driven the traditional kaiseki cuisine at Shion. Private rooms provide a much-needed respite from the Tokyo rush.
COURSE MENUSushi Kakuno
Sushi powered by the spring water from the Sakurajima volcanic belt — in fashionable Roppongi, Chef Kakuno Masayuki gets the greatest satisfaction when his guests smile.
SEAT RESERVATIONGinza Wakuta
Want to experience a traditional kaiseki course menu in the heart of Japan’s haute cuisine? Book a cozy, private room at Ginza Wakuta, a Ginza restaurant where the Japanese cuisine is as beautiful as it is delicious.
SEAT RESERVATIONthere is ramen
This Michelin Bib Gourmand ramen shop in Ogikubo prefers to let its food speak for itself, with simple menu offerings that belie the complex flavor of its soup.
SEAT RESERVATIONRamen Break Beats
Chef Takuro Yanase’s unorthodox spin on ramen has attracted a lot of attention, to the point where it’s earned him a Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024. Try seasonal menu offerings or stick to the tried-and-true classics of salt and soy sauce ramen.
SEAT RESERVATIONJapanese Ramen Gokan
Less than a year after starting operations, this Ikebukuro ramen shop has earned itself a Michelin Bib Gourmand award. All-natural domestic ingredients like Yamagata pork loin and Iwate duck breast come together to form ramen like no other.
SEAT RESERVATIONHoppers
Chef Kazuhiro Ito has done it again: his Michelin Bib Gourmand award for Spice Cafe has now been followed up with one more for Hoppers in 2024.
SEAT RESERVATIONCharcut
This Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Toranomon charcuterie specialist doesn’t just wow with its huge variety of cold cuts, but also the 100-plus wines in its selection.
SEAT RESERVATIONKatsuyoshi Nihonbashi Ningyocho
Set in the “Doll Town” of Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district, the chefs behind the dark wooden counter of Katsuyoshi fry up gorgeously fatty, thick cuts of pork and other luxurious ingredients.
SEAT RESERVATIONJeeten
The name of this restaurant comes from the Chinese pronunciation of owner-chef Katsuhiko Yoshida’s name — similar to how Japanese yakuzen cuisine and Chinese influence come together in its kitchen.
SEAT RESERVATIONTrattoria Buca’Massimo
The highlight of this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant is the bistecca alla fiorentina, a traditional Tuscan steak weighing up to 800 grams, and measuring up to four centimeters thick.
SEAT RESERVATIONLa Bettola da Ochiai
Founded by the grandfather of Italian cuisine in Japan, La Bettola da Ochiai is known by Japanese foodies for being the hardest restaurant to book in the entire country.
SEAT RESERVATIONHamacho Kaneko
A veteran of the Michelin restaurant Ishiusubiki Teuchi Kyorakutei, Chef Kaneko Yasushi wears his own Michelin awards with quiet pride. Soba, tempura, appetizers and sake are aplenty at his Hamacho restaurant.
SEAT RESERVATIONBistro Glouton
This Ikejiri-Ohashi restaurant run by a husband-wife duo offers the quintessential French bistro experience. Classic French fare like duck confit and ratatouille employs the best of Japan’s seasonal produce.
SEAT RESERVATIONTeuchisoba Narutomi
A legend in the Ginza food scene, Teuchisoba Narutomi sets itself apart from other soba shops with their hand-crafted noodles, made with 100 percent buckwheat flour. Accompaniments of seasonal tempura are a winning combination.
SEAT RESERVATIONLien
Offering courses of flavor and sentiment, the Michelin-recognized Lien offers an intimate, insightful French dining experience. All courses are made using fresh ingredients from the chef’s hometown in Aomori for a personal touch.
SEAT RESERVATIONL'AS
A recipient of the Michelin Bib Gourmand, this Minami-Aoyama restaurant has made a name for itself with its simple dishes that belie the complexity of flavors within.
SEAT RESERVATIONTonkatsu Narikura
The characteristic white color of the tonkatsu batter at this Minami-Asagaya restaurant comes from a low-temperature frying process that gives the pork maximum juiciness — and a Michelin Bib Gourmand award.
SEAT RESERVATIONTohakuan Karibe
The highlight of this Michelin Bib Gourmand soba restaurant is its extensive wine selection, which changes every week at the recommendation of a sommelier. Seasonal tempura offerings keep guests coming back for more.
COURSE MENUYakiniku Kokonomi
This Ebisu yakiniku restaurant’s name literally means “only here”, referring to its claim to serve the “original” wagyu beef — Takenotani-tsuru beef from Okayama — that can only be eaten there.
COURSE MENUHiroshima Yagumo
This Hiroshima hotpot restaurant was serving shabu-shabu before it was even called shabu-shabu. Tuck into the finest Japanese beef dipped in a homemade sauce, all while surrounded by traditional Japanese folk art.
COURSE MENUYagumo Nagarekawa
At the Nagarekawa branch of one of the first restaurants to serve shabu-shabu, guests can enjoy the finest kuroge wagyu black beef in a homemade sauce, all while surrounded by traditional Japanese folk art.
COURSE MENUWagyu Amiyaki Kaiseki Sizzler
For over 50 years, this Hiroshima yakiniku restaurant has offered 25 different cuts of beef from every possible part of the cow. Each one is kuroge wagyu black beef from the Hiroshima region for maximum freshness.
COURSE MENUTeppanryori Mimitei
Discover Hiroshima’s best-kept secret at this teppanyaki restaurant: Hiroshima beef, which has a melting point so low it literally melts in the mouth.
COURSE MENUShunsai Hayato
Cuisine fit for a king. Near the Korakuen Gardens, this Okayama restaurant keeps the cuisine of the feudal lords of fine otonosama-ryori alive. Feast on fresh sashimi and Chiya beef, a wagyu cattle so rare it bears the title of “phantom wagyu”.
COURSE MENUSumiyaki Kaminari Main Store
This legendary Hiroshima yakitori restaurant uses a combination of “tohbi” distant-fire charcoal grilling to seal in the flavor, as well as a tashi-tsugi sauce that has been continuously added to for over 40 years of operation.
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Best Restaurants in Japan
From fresh sushi to crispy tempura, Japan’s diverse restaurant scene excites visitors and locals alike with hundreds of thousands of high-quality Japanese restaurants. Beckoning with drool-worthy plastic replicas in their windows, both contemporary and traditional restaurants offer unique flavors and atmospheres. Enter any restaurant in Japan and immediately be welcomed with a hearty “irasshaimase!”
Many Japanese restaurants focus on one signature dish, like Japanese curry restaurants, ramen shops, or speciality restaurants selling yakitori grilled chicken skewers. Restaurants steam with DIY shabu-shabu hotpots while grill-it-yourself teppanyaki hotplate restaurants sizzle! Find tiny family-owned ramen shops hidden in the backstreets of Kyoto, and yatai street food stalls bustling in alleys of Fukuoka. And let’s not forget, Tokyo alone boasts the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world!
Throughout the country, fine dining restaurants serving exquisite kaiseki banquets contrast cheap “shokudo” cafeterias meals for salarymen on-the-go. You can order dinner directly from a tablet or even a vending machine, or choose your own sushi pieces trundling past on the belt of a sushi train. Nibble on small plates as you drink up during an izakaya dining experience, seated on tatami flooring and cheersing “kampai!” with the locals. There are so many exciting Japan restaurant options with different foods and local cuisines to try, so don’t waste a moment of your trip looking for a restaurant! Reserve ahead of time at some of the best restaurants in Japan with byFood and secure some of the country’s best cuisine for your taste buds. Don't forget to say, “gochisosama deshita” when you leave any Japan restaurant, meaning “thank you for the meal!”
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