Ikebukuro is a bustling sub-metropolitan area in Tokyo with a multitude of shopping facilities, cultural activities, indoor theme park and aquarium to keep you entertained. Of course, in a gourmet paradise like Tokyo, you can look forward to great food everywhere you go. Ikebukuro is no exception. There is a diverse range of cuisines to satiate your taste buds amidst all the shopping and entertainment at Ikebukuro, including famous ramen shops and Japanese izakayas. Read this guide for the best restaurants you can find around Ikebukuro Station, the second busiest railway station in Japan now!
For the ramen noodle lover:
1. Mutekiya ramen restaurant
There are many ramen restaurants in Ikebukuro, but if you only have time for one, make Mutekiya (無敵家) your only stop for the delish bowl of Kyushu-style wheat noodles served in a flavourful broth. Established since 1994 in Ikebukuro, this cosy ramen restaurant with limited seating lives up to its Japanese name of being an invincible store. There is always an endless stream of customers queuing outside the restaurant, regardless of the time you visit.
With long opening hours all the way till 4 am, Mutekiya is also the ideal ramen choice for late-night party-goers, to satisfy their cravings for a sizzling bowl of soy sauce-flavoured tonkotsu soup. It may be quite a wait before you can taste the highly raved about ramen as the restaurant is small with limited seats. However, rest assured you will not regret queuing for it after tasting signature ramen dishes like the Mutekiya Ramen Nikutama (1,080 JPY, 9.65 USD)!
Mutekiya (無敵家)
Address: 1-17-1 Minami Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: from 750 JPY (6.70 USD) for a bowl of ramen.
Opening Hours: 10.30 am - 4 am daily, except 31 December to 3 January.
Access: 3-minute walk from east exit of Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81 3-3982-7656
2. Uchi ramen restaurant
Hidden away from the main streets of Ikebukuro is Uchi (我家), a tiny traditional Japanese ramen restaurant with only 11 counter seats. With an unassuming shop front and an offbeat location, Uchi is a hidden gem that you will be glad to visit once you can locate it. Just like its Japanese name, the little restaurant gives customers a warm homely feeling with its simple wooded design. Be stunned by how chewy the noodles are in the richly flavoured broth made from pork bone mixed with seafood. Along with fresh bamboo shoots and the delicious piece of tender pork slice, the ramen served at Uchi is definitely a divine combination that will get you hooked. The best selling dish at Uchi is Tokusei Soba (特製そば, 980 JPY or 8.75 USD). Try it out yourself and you will understand why it is so popular!
Ramen Uchi (らーめん我家)
Address: Kishino Building 1F, 2-23-9 Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: around 990 JPY (8.80 USD) for a bowl of ramen.
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11 am - 3 pm & Dinner: 5.30 pm - 10 pm (or earlier if all sold out) from Sundays to Fridays; Lunch: 11 am - 4 pm & Dinner: 5.30 pm - 10 pm (or earlier if all sold out) on Saturdays and national holidays.
Access: 8-minute walk from west exit of Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81-3-5391-4448
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3. Karukaya udon restaurant
Compared to ramen, udon is thicker and shorter in size. If you love the chewy thick wheat noodles and want to get your fix in Ikebukuro, head to Karukaya (かるかや) inside Seibu Department Store. The landmark shopping complex of east Ikebukuro is directly connected to Ikebukuro Station. Located on the highest level of Seibu (ninth floor) where the sky garden is, enjoy the beautiful city view as you savour a satisfying bowl of chewy udon with your favourite ingredients. Karukaya has been around for almost 50 years since its opening in 1968, but it still retains the same old flavour loved by locals all these years. Let your sight, smell and taste enjoy the wonderful gastronomical experience by dining at this traditional restaurant housed in a modern complex with cool city views!
Karukaya (かるかや)
Address: 1-28-1 Minami Ikebukuro Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: from 400 JPY (3.60 USD) for a bowl of udon.
Opening Hours: 10 am - 8 pm daily, last order at 7.30 pm.
Access: directly connected to Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81 3-3981-0111
For the rice lover:
4. Midori Echika Ikebukuro sushi bar for take-out
Located inside the Echika Ikebukuro building, Midori Echika Ikebukuro is a no-frills standing-style sushi bar for a quick fulfilling meal. Well known in Japan as a place to enjoy mouth-watering sushi at reasonable prices, Midori is so popular you often see long queues outside the shop. If you do not want to wait, the delectable sushi can be purchased from the take-out counter.
There is a wide variety of freshly made sushi available here, such as tuna, salmon and saltwater eel. Sushi lovers will be delighted to know that they can feast without burning a big hole in their wallets. Because one generous piece of tuna sushi costs just an unbelievable 50 JPY (0.45 USD)!
Midori Echika Ikebukuro (美登利 テイクアウト ECHIKA 池袋店)
Address: 3-28-14 Nishi Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: from 50 JPY (0.45 USD) per piece of sushi.
Opening Hours: 11 am - 11 pm daily, last order at 10.30 pm.
Access: 5-minute walk from exit C6 of Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81 3-3984-0075
5. Sushi Tsubaki Ikebukuro Nishiguchi
Located just within a stone’s throw from Ikebukuro Station, Sushi Tsubaki Ikebukuro Nishiguchi restaurant is another popular place for delightful sushi and bento sets in Ikebukuro. Unlike Midori at Echika Ikebukuro where you have to stand and eat, at Tsubaki, you can enjoy the food seated in an elegant Japanese restaurant setting and watch the sushi chefs prepare your dishes behind the counter.
Can’t decide what to eat from the vast selection of sushi on the menu? Then order the 8-piece assorted sushi lunch set at an incredible price of 500 JPY (4.50 USD). For the same price, you can also order the Sanshoku Don (三色丼), a tantalising rice bowl topped with 3 fresh catch of the day during lunch.
Sushi Tsubaki Ikebukuro Nishiguchi (すし 椿 池袋西口店）
Address: 1-20-1 Nishi Ikebukuro, I.Tower B1, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: around 780 JPY (7 USD) for lunch; around 4,000 JPY (35.75 USD) for dinner.
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11 am - 3 pm (last order at 2.30 pm) & Dinner: 5 pm - 12 am (last order at 11.15 pm) daily.
Access: 1-minute walk from west exit of Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81 3-5985-4077
For the fish lover:
6. Kabuto restaurant
Besides the numerous ramen shops and sushi joints to satisfy your carbo cravings, you must pay a visit to Japan’s favourite unagi (freshwater eel) specialist in Ikebukuro - Kabuto (かぶと) restaurant. Kabuto is one of the top 50 restaurants in Japan, and it is unlikely you can visit the renowned 15-seat restaurant without making a reservation at least six months in advance. Only the finest ingredients are used, right from the rice to pickles, and of course to unagi, the star of Kabuto. Watch the chef grill the different unagi parts to perfection skilfully, while explaining the stringent process in detail. Pair the superb dish with your choice of quality Japanese sake from the extensive list and the result is a divine meal that will leave you with fond memories for a long time.
Kabuto (かぶと)
Address: 2-53-2 Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: around 10,000 to 15,000 JPY (89.35 to 134 USD) per person.
Opening Hours: 5 pm - 10 pm. Closed on Sundays, Thursdays and national holidays.
Access: 5-minute walk from west exit of Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81 3-3983-8608 (phone reservations are only accepted from 1 pm - 6 pm)
7. Mammaru restaurant
If fine dining at Kabuto sounds too much of a splurge for you, don’t worry, you can also visit the nearby Mammaru (まんまる) for a enjoyable unagi meal. A bowl of unagi don (rice topped with freshwater eel) is priced economically at 1,000 JPY (8.90 USD) with a generous serving of the delicious fish. Besides the well-known unagi dish, you can also enjoy dojo (river eel), a commonly eaten fish for the working-class locals since the ancient times. Nowadays, not many Japanese restaurants serve this traditional dish and when they do, it doesn’t come cheap. At Mammaru, you can savour rare finds like the tasty dojo at wallet-friendly prices too. So drop by Mammaru to relish in the authentic flavours of great comfort food soon!
Mammaru (まんまる)
Address: Kofu Building 1F, 2-13-8 Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward,Tokyo
Price: around 1,000 to 2,000 JPY (8.90 to 17.90 USD) for lunch; around 3,000 to 4,000 JPY (26.80 to 35.75 USD) for dinner.
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11 am - 3 pm (last order at 2.40 pm) & Dinner: 5 pm - 8.30 pm (last order at 8 pm). Closed on Sundays and national holidays.
Access: 7-minute walk from west exit of JR Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81 3-3980-5616
For the Japanese Izakaya pub lover:
8. Kinno Kura Izakaya
Kinno Kura is a famous Japanese izakaya (bar) chain with many branches in Tokyo, and there is a branch right next to Ikebukuro Station. It is a tourist-friendly izakaya where the menu is available in English and Chinese, in addition to the appetising pictures featured. Beers in other izakayas are often priced around 300 to 800 JPY (2.70 to 7.15 USD) so the all-you-can-drink beer option is certainly a bargain for beer lovers! Tuck into a diverse range of dishes such as yummy deep fried platter, assorted sashimi, yakitori, sushi and pancakes to go with your favourite beers. Gather with some friends and come here for an affordable and fun time chilling over great beers soon!
Kinno Kura Ikebukuro (金の蔵 池袋西口店)
Address: Masumoto Building B1, B2,1-23-6 Nishi Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: 1,980 JPY (17.70 USD) 120-minute all-you-can-eat dinner buffet per person; from 900 JPY (8.05 USD) for all-you-can-drink option per person.
Opening Hours: 5 pm - 3 am from Mondays to Saturdays; 4 pm - 3 am on Sundays and national holidays.
Access: 1-minute walk from west exit of Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81 3-5911-0040
9. Ino Izakaya
Most Japanese izakayas serve beer to go along with grilled yakitori or sashimi. However, if you prefer to pair your tantalising food with Japanese sake, Ino (イノ) is the place to go. Using fresh ingredients direct from the fish market, savour the goodness of the raw fish with every bite. Whet your appetite for some exquisite Japanese sake with these beautiful and mind-blowing delicacies in Ino!
Ino (イノ)
Address: 2F Daini Shanpole, 2-40-1 Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Price: around 4,000 to 5,000 JPY (35.75 to 44.65 USD) per person.
Opening Hours: 5.30 pm - 4 am. Closed from 31 December to 4 January.
Access: 5-minute walk from west exit of Ikebukuro Station.
Contact: +81-3-5979-0051 (for enquiries); +81-50-5868-7560 (for reservations only).
Ikebukuro - the foodie’s haven
From traditional Japanese cuisines like ramen and udon to eel and Japanese taverns, Ikebukuro has it all. There are also a wide range of restaurants catering to different budgets in this vibrant district. Visit Ikebukuro with an empty stomach so that you will be able to feast on all the above palatable cuisines. Enjoy your foodie tour!
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