31 Tokyo Food Guide

A Taste of

Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world

A one of a kind gastronomic paradise, Tokyo is a city where you’ll find whimsical novelty restaurants cosying up with unabashed sass to Michelin-starred fine-diners, and a cornucopia of casual but incredible street eateries that offer visitors an epicurean experience on every corner. From plump gyoza dumplings to delicate sashimi, golden tempura to rice-filled sushi, Japanese food is universally adored. Whether it’s a skewer of chicken at a hole-in-the-wall yakitori joint, a steaming bowl of ramen or udon noodles purchased via vending machine, or a traditional multi-course kaiseki feast, dishes are prepared with the utmost finesse and devotion to fresh, seasonal produce.

A Taste of

Chef preparing fresh food at a Tokyo market Photo by Gabriel Forsberg

For the best ramen in town, head underground to the enclave of ramen shops at Tokyo Station’s Ramen Street. The lines can get a little long but whether you order a steaming bowl of tonkotsu and shio ramen or thick noodles served tsukemen-style with dipping sauce – it will be totally worth the wait. Alternatively, head to insider’s secret, Shinigawa Ramen Lane, where another astounding selection of ramen shops await, all in an aromatic row. If slurping soba noodles is your preference, head to the area around Kanda station where you’ll find dozens of wooden restaurants run by sixth-generation noodle specialists who’ve been serving handmade soba noodle dishes here for over 100 years. Despite famed Tsukiji Central Wholesale Fish Market’s moving to Toyosu in October 2018, the Tsukiji outer market shops and restaurants are still sharing the freshest spoils of the sea. You’ll find loads of tiny restaurants serving up sublime sushi and kaisen-don (rice bowls topped with sashimi). But it’s not just about seafood. The five-seat Kitsuneya has been operating for 75-years, and the queues for a bowlful of its Horumon don, a rice bowl topped with beef or pork offal, start as early as 6.30am.

Tsukiji Market Photo by Redd F

Yakitori alley, Memory Lane, Shinjuku-ku Photo by Alexandre Chambon

At Tokyo Bay enjoy a traditional tempura experience at one of its many tempura bars, many of which still retain their original Edo atmosphere. Or at Ryogoku – home of the sumo stadium and stables – dine like a sumo on chanko, a stew full of meats and vegetables that’s extremely healthy when eaten in moderation, as opposed to the gargantuan servings the sumo scoff to maintain their remarkable waistlines. And for various incarnations of yakitori using meats, tofu and vegetables sizzled over a hibachi, dive into one of the 60 izakayas (Japanesestyle bars) secreted in the depths of Shinjuku’s Memory Lane. Yotsuya Arakicho, located alongside the neon streets of Shinjuku, is another culinary hotspot. Once a geisha district, its atmospheric cobblestone alleyways are now a maze of around 320 bars and eateries, from the tiniest reservation-only gems to Michelin-starred Arakicho Tatsuya.

Narisawa, Minato City Photo by Narisawa

Den, Shibuya Ku Photo by Den

Speaking of Michelin stars, Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world. There are a whopping 432 restaurants in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2022, including 12 three-star restaurants, 41 twostar restaurants and 150 one-star restaurants, as well as 229 Bib Gourmand restaurants. Several sparkling standouts include threestar Sushi Yoshitake where guests will enjoy an epicurean adventure that combines creativity and tradition at. Flawless two-Michelin starred Narisawa is another favourite for its culinary creations. Reinvented kaiseki – an elaborate traditional multi-course meal – at Den, a World’s 50 Best restaurant regular, is another must for the epicurean traveller.

Ninja Tokyo waitstaff Photo by Ninja Tokyo

Ladurée, Ginza Photo by Ladurée

Enjoy a cream puff in Tokyo Photo by Susann Schuster

If you prefer your food with a side of whimsy, themed restaurants are a Tokyo specialty. From Ninja waitstaff and performers in the labyrinth-like dining area of Ninja Tokyo to the kawaii cuteness of an Alice in Wonderland-themed restaurant and adorable anime style cream puffs at Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory, Tokyo has you covered. If you do have a sweet tooth, you’ll also find the locals queued up at Kanmi Mitsuya in Asakusa for glutinous shiratama dango mochi, or you can join the candy-haired teens at Harajuku for an equally vibrant onslaught of rainbow-hued sweet treats. For something sugary but a little more refined, Maranouchi’s Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki’s decadent matcha croissants and black sesame eclairs are rated among the best in the world. Or stop to nibble on Ginza’s Ladurée macarons, between diving into the district’s department stores heaving with multiple floors of eye-popping culinary delights.

Eating etiquette:

Whether your consuming street eats or fine dining, Japanese etiquette surrounding eating runs deep. It’s important to remember that while visitors aren’t expected to know everything, it’s considered poor manners to walk while eating, to rest your chopsticks on your bowl or to spear your food with them. One should also endeavour to clean their plate as waste is not appreciated. When it comes to communal dining, it’s considered impolite to take the last piece without asking your fellow diners first. While manners are important, the good news is that slurping is encouraged and is considered a sign of appreciation.

Ramen dish Photo by Bon Vivant

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