Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, is filled with various types of culture unique to Japan - traditional Japanese culture, pop-culture and sub-culture. The food found there are also exclusive to Tokyo, including cafés, bars and eateries. Here are some of the best restaurants you should visit when in Tokyo to have a luxurious yet reasonably-priced meal!
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The birthplace of "viking" style dining in Japan: The Imperial Viking Sal
When looking for a restaurant in Japan, you might often come across the word “viking” to describe the way food is served. Don’t worry, you won’t be in any danger.
Viking-style dining refers to buffets in Japan, and it is said that The Imperial Viking Sal, a restaurant located on the 17th floor of Imperial Hotel Tokyo, is the first restaurant in Japan to serve eat-all-you-can plans. Opened in 1958, the restaurant has a grand design and also provides a great view of Tokyo from the windows.
Over 40 choices of international cuisine are available at The Imperial Viking Sal. Many of the recipes have been maintained for over 50 years, such as original potato salads, toasted beef (available during dinner) and even escargot! The desserts also come in a wide variety, including jellies, roll cakes, cookies and ice cream.
The Imperial Viking Sal
Address: 100-8558 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Uchisaiwaichō, 1 Chome-1-1-1, 17th floor
Access info: 3-minute walk from Hibiya station
Opening hours: please refer to the official website
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 1-3-3539-8187
Book Your Stay: Imperial Hotel Tokyo
Restaurant Saito - top-quality seafood restaurant in Tokyo
Saito is located near Iriya station and is one of the most popular seafood restaurants around the downtown area there.
Numerous television programmes have featured Saito before and it is common to see long queues during lunch hour. The small shop has also been visited by various celebrities whose signatures decorate the walls in the restaurant.
Saito is most famous for its lunch menu, the Kaisendon Guno Oomori. Seafood is served in a Donburi (Japanese rice bowl dish with ingredients placed on top) style. The bowl is filled with fresh seafood including red caviar, shrimps, scallops and more! What makes this menu so enticing is the amazing price - with so much luxurious seafood and quantity, it only costs 1,050 JPY (10 USD)! Saito is also popular during dinner time so it is recommended that you reserve a table a few days earlier before making your way there.
Saito
Address: 110-0004 Tōkyō-to, Taitō-ku, Shitaya, 2 Chome-9
Access info: 3-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Iriya station
Opening hours: 11:30 am - 2 pm, 5 pm - 10 pm
Fixed holiday: Sunday
Contact: +81 3-3873-7321
The fried dumplings of Huan Yin
The Kamata area in Tokyo is famous for the “Hanetsuki Gyoza”, literally “fried dumplings with wings”. Your dumpling will not fly away when attempting to eat it, but the fried dumplings are cooked in a way that a few of them are connected by the wing-like skins.
Huan Yin is one of the great shops where you can enjoy the Hanetsuki Gyoza. Located on the first floor of Ootaku Seikatsu Center building, the crispy dumplings served there are filled with juicy meat and soup. It comes at a reasonable price of only 300 JPY (2.9 USD) for 6 dumplings and is definitely worth a try!
Huan Yin
Address: 144-0052, Tōkyō-to, Ōta-ku Kamata5 Chome-13-13-26
Access info: 4-minute walk from Kamata station
Opening hours: 11:30 am - 2 pm, 5 pm - 11 pm
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 3-3730-7811
Gallery Coffee Shop Koseto - amazing Japanese curry
Gallery Coffee Shop Koseto is located at the Jimbocho area in Tokyo. Jimbocho is a street with a long history dating from the Edo era (year 1603 to year 1867) and is today known as the biggest book store street in the world. Many schools were built at the area in the past, and book stores began to sprout there. Around 180 books stores line the streets of Jimbocho today. After exploring the streets, it is recommended that you visit Gallery Coffee Shop Koseto, a shop that combines an art gallery and a café.
The paintings on the walls of Gallery Coffee Shop Koseto are created by renowned painters in Japan. The café is most known for its delicious curry rice. Several types of curry, including chicken curry, beef curry and shrimp curry, at different levels of spiciness are available and they are served together with delectable Saffron rice and salad.
Gallery Coffee Shop Koseto
Address: 101-0051 Tokyo, Chiyoda, Kanda Jinbocho, 1 Chome-7-1, NSE Building 1F
Access info: 2-minute walk from Jimbocho station
Opening hours: 10:30 am - 11 pm (10:30 am - 9 pm on Sundays and holidays)
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 3-3294-7941
Kabaya Coffee - acclaimed egg sandwich
Kabaya Coffee has attracted many tourists and locals alike after becoming viral on guidebooks and social networking sites like Instagram. The building which Kabaya Coffee is located in has a history of over 100 years and the quaint-looking house is the landmark you will be looking for. The interior of the building, on the other hand, has a relaxing and modern design.
Kabaya Coffee is best known for its Egg Sandwich, made from a recipe that has not changed since the opening of Kabaya Coffee in 1938. Fluffy bread sandwich the soft and warm fried egg. The original drink at Kabaya Coffee is also fantastic, made from a mixture of cocoa and coffee. Both chocolate lovers and coffee lovers will be hooked to this drink!
Being a popular café, many gather at Kabaya Coffee to have a taste of their recipe during peak hours so do plan your time accordingly.
Kabaya Coffee
Address: 110-0001 Tōkyō-to, Taitō-ku, Yanaka, 6 Chome-1
Access info: 11-minute walk from JR Nippori station
Opening hours: 8 am - 11 pm (8 am - 6 pm on Sundays)
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 3-3823-3545
Yanaka Beer Hall - Tokyo-style craft beer
The Yanaka Ginza Commercial District is 5 minutes from Nippori station and over 60 eateries and other shops line the streets. Among the many eateries there, one of the recommended places to visit is Yanaka Beer Hall.
Yanaka Beer Hall is located in a vintage building that was renovated in 1938, and the retro shop is most known for the craft beers available there. Craft beers refer to locally brewed beers and are exclusive to the region. At Yanaka Beer Hall, you will get to taste the 4 different types of Yanaka beer. Together with other items such as hot dogs and edamame (green peas), you can spend a wonderful time with your friends delighting in the delicious beer. For those who are unable to choose their favourite beer, you can order the tasting set where all 4 flavours can be enjoyed.
Yanaka Beer Hall
Address: 110-0002 Tōkyō-to, Taitō-ku, Uenosakuragi, 2 Chome-15
Access info: 10-minute walk from JR Nippori station
Opening hours: 12 pm - 8:30 pm (11 am - 8:30 pm on Saturdays and holidays)
Fixed holiday: Monday
Contact: +81 3-5834-2381
Katsukichi - pork cutlet loved by locals
Posted by on Thursday, 5 February 2015
Katsukichi is located right in front of Tokyo dome and has a history of over 50 years. The retro design of Katsukichi gives it a quaint atmosphere and the most striking design there is the row of 2,000 antique cups on display. There were all made during the Edo era (year 1603 to year 1867) and the Meiji era (year 1868 - year 1912).
The first thing that you will be served when in Katsukichi is the bowl of cabbage - typical of any pork cutlet shop. It is recommended that you try the “Ro” set menu, which comes with pork cutlet, fried oyster, miso soup and rice. The crispy and juicy pork cutlet is simply amazing!
Being near to Tokyo dome, Katsukichi is a fantastic place for baseball lovers. There are also other festivals held at Tokyo dome during off season so do check them out too!
Katsukichi
Address: 113-0033 Tōkyō-to, Bunkyō-ku, Hongō, 1 Chome-1-4-1
Access info: 9-minute walk from Hongosanchome station
Opening hours: please refer to the official website
Fixed holiday: January 1st and 2nd
Contact: +81 3-3812-6268
Togoshiginza Shopping Arcade - the longest commercial district in Tokyo
Togoshiginza is famous for being the longest commercial district in Tokyo and it is said that over 200 television programmes feature the street every year. Over 400 shops, ranging from eateries and other shops, line the street there and it is also famous for the wide variety of cheap and fantastic eat-and-walk food available.
One of the famous dishes there is the croquettes that are served at over 20 stalls. You can get the Ginza Croquette Guide to find out which are the greatest shops there. Apart from croquettes, there are other popular sweets shop in Togoshiginza too. One of them is the sweets store “Henteko”. Numerous European sweets including cakes and madeleine are available there. It is also famous for the animal cookies (shown in the photo) which come in a wide variety including squirrels, penguins and owls. Only about 50 cookies are available each day and they sell out very fast so make sure you visit the shop early!
Togoshiginza Shopping Arcade
Address: 42-0041 Tōkyō-to, Shinagawa-ku, Togoshi,
Access info: 1-minute walk from Togoshiginza station
Contact: +81 3-3788-1474
Bistoire - unique pizza and ice cream!
Bistoire is a café located right outside the Chiyoda Line Nezu station. The New York style exterior of Bistoire is accompanied with a simple but fashionable design inside and has an atmosphere that youngsters would definitely love.
Bistoire is most known for its interesting menu called the “Pizza Mashed Potatoes”. At first sight, this dish looks almost like gelato but they are actually flavoured mashed potatoes placed on top of Margherita pizza. There are also actual gelatos served at Bistoire so do check them out for some great walk-and-eat food!
Bistoire
Address: 113-0031 Tōkyō-to, Bunkyō-ku, Nezu, 2 Chome-19
Access info: 1-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Nezu station
Opening hours: 11 am - 10 pm (last order 9:30 pm)
Fixed holiday: Monday
Contact: +81 3-6873-6125
Pietro Dressing - free flow of salad and dressings!
The Yurakucho area in Tokyo has a wide range of antenna shops - stores specialising in food and other products - due to its great location and one of the popular ones is Pietro Dressing.
Pietro is a salad dressing brand from Japan and it has been dominating the market.
Salad dressings are experiencing a little bit of a boom in Japan today and Pietro Dressing is a shop where you can taste numerous types of dressings together with their fantastic salads, buffet style. Over 10 types of salads made from fresh seasonal ingredients are available at Pietro Dressing. After picking your salads, you can now move on to the salad dressing section where you will be greeted by over 20 varieties of dressings. From popular choices to unique, exclusive dressings, the number of choices there is mind-blowing!
Pietro Dressing
Address: 100-0006 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Yūrakuchō, 2-10-1
Access info: 1-minute walk from JR Yurakucho station
Opening hours: 11 am - 7 pm (last order 6:30 pm)
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 3-5293-0831
Shibuya Niku Yokocho - a must-visit for meat-lovers!
Shibuya Niku Yokocho literally means Shibuya Meat Alley, and is the biggest meat-based theme park in Japan. A total of 17 stalls are located on the second floor of Chitose Kaikan building where you can enjoy a wide variety of meat cuisine. Every shop has its original recipe and sauce, and going around the different stalls for comparison will be a fun-filled experience!
Shibuya Niku Yokocho
Address: 150-0042 Tōkyō-to, Shibuya-ku, Udagawachō, 13-8
Access info: 7-minute walk from JR and Metro Shibuya station
Contact: +81 3-6416-9929
Kitchen Kampo’s - delicious hot pot
Kitchen Kampo’s is a unique shop located just 3 minutes from Shimbashi station by foot. The food at the restaurant is based on the medicinal cooking concept and it serves a wide variety of healthy dishes.
All the ingredients used at Kitchen Kampo’s are organic. One might have the impression that medicinal cooking focuses on the effects and sacrifices taste, but this certainly isn’t the case for this restaurant. Kitchen Kampo’s is most famous for the “Yakuzen Hinabe” menu where various vegetables are served in a hot pot. Apart from the healthy cuisine, wine and cocktails are also available in Kitchen Kampo’s and this is the ideal restaurant for those who want to enjoy delicious food while staying healthy!
Kitchen Kampo’s
Address: 105-0004 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Shinbashi, 1 Chome-5-6
Access info: 3-minute walk from JR and Metro Shimbashi station
Opening hours: 5 pm - 11 pm (last order 10:30 pm)
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 50-5785-4047
Kaisen Monja Kataoka: a unique way of enjoying seafood
The Monjayaki is a type of savoury dish with pancakes mixed with various ingredients. Kaisen Monja Kataoka is known to be the first store that served the Kaisen Monja dish, which serves Monjayaki cooked with Kaisen (seafood).
Based on the concept “to serve fresh seafood at a cheap price”, Kaisen Monja Kataoka is filled with unique menu items that you cannot enjoy elsewhere. Among them is the Raw Salmon Monja set, where raw salmon, original miso paste and seaweed are served together on a huge hot plate. Apart from the savoury, there are also side menus in Kaisen Monja Kataoka, such as the fried oyster with butter, as well as sweets such as the ice cream puff with red beans.
Located at a convenient location, make sure you visit Kaisen Monja Kataoka for an unprecedented seafood cuisine experience.
Kaisen Monja Kataoka
Address: 104-0052 Tōkyō-to, Chūō-ku, Tsukishima, 1 Chome-1-25-9
Access info: 1-minute walk from Tsukishima station
Opening hours: 5 pm - 10 pm (Weekdays), 12 pm - 10 pm (Weekends and holidays)
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 3-5560-8989
Eat like a sumo wrestler!
Ryogoku Happyakuyacho Hananomai, Edo-Toyko-Hakubutsukan mae ten is a very long name to remember, so let’s refer to it as Hananomai. This branch is actually the flagship store of the tavern Hananomai found in various locations of Japan.
Hananomai is best known for the Chanko-nabe, a type of hot pot dish that is enjoyed by sumo wrestlers when they are trying to gain healthy weight. The large quantity of fresh vegetables served in the Chanko-nabe comes with four different types of soup including soy sauce, salt, miso and spicy flavour. You can enjoy the delicious Chanko-nabe together with your friends but for those who are travelling alone, have no worries - there are servings for 1 person as well.
Ryogoku Happyakuyacho Hananomai, Edo-Toyko-Hakubutsukan mae ten
Address: 130-0014 Tokyo, Sumida, Kamezawa 1-1-15
Access info: 5-minute walk from Ryogoku station
Opening hours: please refer to the official website
Fixed holiday: nil
Contact: +81 3-5619-4488
Eating at the canteen of Tokyo Metropolitan Government!?
The 32nd storey of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Number 1 is famous for its staff canteen which is also open to the public. The high-rise building provides a great view of Tokyo city where you can enjoy a delicious lunch by “Tonkatsu Shibuya Saboten”, a shop that specialises in pork cutlet.
Numerous dishes are available at the staff canteen, ranging from curry rice, ramen and pork cutlet sets. There are also menus that change daily. It is recommended that you try the pork cutlet that is only available on Wednesdays. Cooked with the recipe from the Tonkatsu Shibuya Saboten store, the thick pork cutlet is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The staff canteen is open from 11:30 am to 2 pm but is most crowded from 12 pm to 1 pm, so do plan your time accordingly.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Number 1 Staff Canteen
Address: 163-8001 Tokyo, Shinjuku, Nishishinjuku, 2 Chome-8-1
Access info: Direct access from Tocho-mae station
Contact: +81 3-5320-7513
Enjoy Tokyo’s vibrant gastronomic scene
Various types of restaurants serving varied cuisine line the streets of Tokyo and many are generally located in convenient locations. Make sure you check them out when in Tokyo!
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