42 Best Restaurants in Tokyo, Japan

Ramen is the quintessential Japanese fast food—thick noodles in a bowl of savory broth topped with sliced grilled chashu (pork loin)—and each neighborhood in Tokyo has its go-to ramen restaurant. In Ebisu, near Shibuya, the hands-down favorite is this branch of Afuri, where you choose and pay for your ramen at a machine, find a seat, and hand over your payment ticket to the cooks, who prepare your ramen then and there. There's limited seating, and the a line of customers might extend down the street, but the ramen is worth it. The signature ramen here is yuzu shio (citron and salt), but there are other options, including a vegan version.

Just south of the Shinjuku station, on a basement food level of Shinjuku's Lumine I department store, this branch of a ramen-house chain serves its noodles with a broth that has hints of citrus, turning what can be a heavy dish into something more refreshing (and even free of meat if you like).

An outpost of a New Zealand roastery, this small, friendly café serves excellent espressos, flat whites, and cappuccinos, plus simple snacks like cookies and toasted sandwiches. It occupies a repurposed wooden warehouse with indoor seating, but, if the weather is nice, grab a to-go drink and a slice of banana cake and walk a few minutes east to Kiba Park, a lovely green spot to while away an hour.

Situated along the monzen-machi approach to Jindai-ji temple, this traditional-looking spot has its own spin on soba dishes. Here, you don’t get soba noodles, but rather "soba bread"—basically, a steamed bun made with buckwheat (soba) flour, sugar, and rice flour that comes with your choice of fillings consisting of sweet red bean paste (anko), mustard greens (takana), daikon radish, or the very nontraditional keema, or mince-meat curry.

Located near the shops of Kappabashi-dori, the counter-only Aun specializes in tantanmen (tantan ramen), a Japanese take on spicy Sichuan dandan noodles. The lip-numbing dish, which routinely score high marks from reviewers, can be ordered here with spice levels that range from gentle to extreme.

Look for the cute neon bear sign to find what is possibly the neighborhood's best coffee shop, since, aside from some branded merchandise, coffee is the only thing that's sold. It's a tiny, low-key place with a simple design, including old wooden benches that make the place feel as if it's both in the now and from long ago.

Many long lines outside Shibuya's eateries are more about trendiness than quality, but Beard Papa makes a wide variety of genuinely good cream puffs. Pick up a single or a six-pack of freshly made pastries. It's in the underground Shibuchika shopping arcade, which is located roughly beneath the main crossing; head down some stairs, and follow the aromas of vanilla and butter.

This Australian-style café near Coredo Muromachi is a casual hangout serving potent espressos and milky flat whites. For a quick bite to eat, try a meat pie, or stop by for the money-saving breakfast, which features a coffee and toasted sandwich for ¥650.

In business since 1948, Café de l'Ambre is a legendary haunt for Tokyo's coffee aficionados. The retro decor provides a snapshot of an older Tokyo, and the caffeine-fix options include a dozen or so single-origin beans, including some that have been aged for years.

Associated with the funky clothing shop just around the corner and part of an international chain, this bright, open café serves high-quality coffee, cakes, snacks, and gelato. It also has some Kitsuné-branded goods on hand.

Stop by and watch specialty donuts being fried before your eyes. They come in many flavors, and although they're on the "healthy" side, don't worry—they're still donuts. The giant cone outside reminds you that you can also get soft-serve ice cream, and there's coffee, too. Sit outside on the bench and watch the world go by.

This basement-level ice cream store has become a Nakano Broadway institution for its soft-serve ice cream, which comes in flavors that vary from simple vanilla to matcha (powdered green tea), horse chestnut, and ramune (a popular citrus soda flavor). The specialty is the eight-layered, 20-cm (8-inch) tokudai sofuto, or extra-large soft serve, though small cups and cones are also on the menu. Next door, is the Daily Chiko udon (thick wheat noodles) shop.

Although a classic bowl of ramen is topped with slices of pork, here it's often topped with grilled vegetables. Other specialties to try include the tsukemen, with the noodles served in one bowl and the broth into which you dip them served in another, or the chilled noodles topped with vegetables and ham in a sesame dressing. The restaurant also serves gyoza and other goodies. Despite the focus on veggies, note that the soups and sauces are not meat-free.

Quick and easy plant-based food isn't always easy to come by in Tokyo, but this small spot serves up excellent vegan fast food—namely, falafel, veggies burgers, and plant-based brownies. Most customers buy takeout, but there are a few tables, plus craft beers and coffee on the menu, if you fancy lingering. There's also a branch in Shibuya.

Preparing wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets generally served with tea) since 1907, the main branch (out of six) of Fukagawa Iseya is less than a five-minute walk from Tomioka Hachiman Shrine. Popular choices include mitarashi dango (skewers of small rice balls covered in a sweet soy glaze) and daifuku (mounds of mochi filled with Hokkaido red bean paste). Unlike many other wagashi shops, Fukagawa Iseya has a small café next door.

Amid a sea of dilapidated buildings, thin-crust pizza specialist Garage 50 stands out for its retro camper van equipped with a brick-oven. Numerous toppings—from seafood to ham or chorizo—are available, and all the pies cost the same. The tomato sauce and wheat are imported from Italy, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the no-frills eatery. Seating is limited and all of it is outside, but takeout orders are also possible. 

This lunch-only restaurant not far from the Kabuki-za Theater has received a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its subtle take on ramen. The key is the soup, which foregoes soy for a light broth that takes inspiration from consommé, using vegetables, duck, chicken, and sea salt. The noodles are then topped with juicy slices of chaa-shu pork.

Having started as a street stall in Ogikubo in the late 1940s, Harukiya is now a ramenya (ramen restaurant) that often has patrons lining up along the street. The noodles are freshly made by hand every morning, come in a soy and niboshi (dried sardine)–based stock, and are served with a topping of chashu (roast pork).

After strolling through the flower gardens of Hibiya Park on a hot day, stop off for a cold pint of beer here. There's no indoor seating, but with its view of Hibiya Park, you wouldn't want to be inside.

At Ueno Station is a branch of a raman restaurant chain that has an amusing way of servings its noodles. First, you select your seat and choose and pay for your meal, and then, after you sit down, like magic, a window opens and the food appears. All the seats are individual, in theory so that you can concentrate on the flavors, making this a place you come to for the food rather than for conversation.

Soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat, are a signature of the restaurants along the bucolic monzen-machi approach to Jindai-ji temple, perhaps because buckwheat was traditionally easier to grow in this area than rice. Here, toppings for the handmade soba, which is served in a variety of ways—including in warm broths or cold with a dipping sauce—change according to the season.

Open from 11 am to 11 pm, this ever-busy ramen joint, now an international chain with almost 30 locations in Tokyo alone, is an ideal quick stop on or after a night out. The classic ramen is the Shiromaru, which features a creamy pork-based stock, thin yet slightly firm noodles, and a topping of chashu (braised) pork slices. Other options include the Akamaru, which has a little red miso mixed in the soup, and side dishes such as gyoza dumplings.

Offerings at this small café just to west of the Imperial Palace's Chidorigafuchi feature coffee beans from as far afield as Brazil, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. There's also usually a decaf option available.

Inside a 120-year-old former merchant house on the prominent Ichibangai shopping street, this casual eatery is good for a quick sit-down lunch or a to-go snack. It's known for its skewers of grilled, soy-basted dango (rice dumplings) and its indulgent parfaits, but it also serves bowls of more filling udon or imo soumen (thin, wheat-flour noodles thickened with local sweet potatoes).

Drop by this branch of a hipster chain for hand-dripped coffee made with house-roasted beans or lattes with artistic patterns in the foam. If you're really into your coffee, try the taster set to compare three different beans. Despite its name, this place is entirely smoke-free.

If you venture across the broad Yumeno Ohashi Bridge between Odaiba and Ariake, it might be time for a break. Attached to Musashino University's Ariake Campus is a cheap, bright, and fun café with good weekly specials and a wide variety of dishes including pasta and rice bowls. You'll find students working behind the counter as well as studying at the tables. 

Serving both ramen and tsukemen (noodles with the broth on the side for dipping), this sleek ramen shop is a great stop for a quick and hearty bowl of noodles. The fusion broths—a hearty chicken/pork or lighter seafood stock made from dried bonito and sardines—are a specialty.

Mihashi offers traditional Japanese sweets in a comfortable environment. The staff is attentive and helpful, making it the perfect place to try desserts you may have never tried before. Located next to, but not inside, Yaesu North Gate in Tokyo Station.

In business since 1887, Monzen Toraya is best known for its skewers of sweet kusa-dango rice dumplings, which come topped with red-bean paste and are a popular snack for visitors en route to Taishakuten Temple. The more substantial lunch menu features ramen, udon noodles, and rice bowls topped with seasonal tempura. For fans of the Otoko wa Tsurai Yo Japanese movie series, earlier films used Monzen Toraya as two different settings.