19 Best Restaurants in Tokyo, Japan

Smoky, noisy, and cluttered, Ganchan is exactly what the Japanese expect of their yakitori joints—restaurants that specialize in bits of charcoal-broiled chicken and vegetables. The counter here seats barely 15 (you have to squeeze to get to the chairs in back), and festival masks, paper kites, lanterns, and greeting cards from celebrity patrons adorn the walls. The cooks yell at each other, fan the grill, and serve up enormous schooners of beer. Try the tsukune (balls of minced chicken) and the fresh asparagus wrapped in bacon. Otherwise opt for a mixed eight-skewer set that comes with several small side dishes. 

To enjoy Japanese haute cuisine served in a relaxed atmosphere look to this kappo-ryori restaurant, where diners traditionally eat at counters while the chef works in front of them (though Yukari also offers tables and private rooms). Third-generation chef—and 2002 Iron Chef champion—Kimio Nonaga displays his artistry in dishes that showcase the freshness and quality of the seasonal ingredients. To witness him at work, and get the full kappo dining experience, request a counter seat when making reservations. Nihonbashi Yukari also offers a lunch setting for a fraction of the price of dinner, which is unusual for this kind of restaurant. Also unusual is that kids are welcome, too.

Daikokuya, in the center of Asakusa's historic district, is a point of pilgrimage for both locals and tourists. The specialty is shrimp tempura, and the menu choices are simple—tendon (tempura shrimp served over rice) or the tempura meal with rice, pickled vegetables, and miso soup. If you're famished, you can add additional pieces of tempura or side dishes such as sashimi for an additional fee. When the line outside is too long, head to the shop's annex (bekkan) just around the corner.

On top of the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, this Michelin-starred restaurant serves contemporary French cuisine with a Japanese twist. Est emphasizes reducing food waste and offers eco-conscious, seasonal menus with 95% of ingredients gathered from Japan, so Chef Guillaume Bracaval's innovative dishes can be traced from source to plate.

Down a little side street and behind a tiny door—situated just as all good tonkatsu shops should be—Isen has been serving tender, fried pork cutlets since the late 1920s. To avoid the crowds, plan to come right before or after the midday rush, and try to sit at the bar so you can watch the staff place each piece of your set lunch plate with precision.

This laidback joint in the lively Harmonica Yokocho neighborhood proves that an intimate sushi experience doesn’t have to be overly formal or expensive. Grab a seat at the counter, and use the picture menu to help you order, or enjoy a three-, eight-, or twelve-piece set menu—perhaps paired with nihonshu sake selected from the short beverage list. Although it doesn't serve lunch on Wednesday, Katakuchi makes up for it by offering oden (small stewed dishes) with dinner that evening.

Offering a bird's eye view of happenings below, this 8th-floor restaurant combines Japanese and Western ingredients to create modern home cooking–style dishes. A picture menu before the elevator let's you decide on your selection before you even go in.

If you're going to splurge on crab in Tokyo, do it at this exclusive restaurant. Chefs serve a choice of kaiseki-like crab courses, featuring in-season delicacies such as red king crab served in a variety of ways—from sashimi to shabu-shabu. For more comfort, select the room with Western-style seating, although the two Japanese-style rooms with tatami mat flooring and sunken seating are more atmospheric.

This world-famous spot proves that a high-end sushi restaurant doesn't have to be solemn to be refined. In addition to having excellent knife skills, many of the chefs speak English and are happy to chat with you about the food, making Kyubey a great choice for a first-time high-end sushi experience.

This bustling restaurant in the Coredo Muromachi complex proves that great sushi doesn't have to be super expensive. Manten does sushi omakase style, meaning you pay for a course and then leave the chefs to choose what to serve, which will vary by season and whatever has been sourced from the market that morning. Incredibly, the cost is almost half a typical omakase sushi rate. You'll need a reservation for dinner, but there are no reservations for lunch; for that you'll often need to be in line by 11 am.

Japan enjoys a special reputation for its lovingly raised, tender, marbled domestic beef (Wagyu), and if your budget can bear the weight, Rangetsu serves excellent dishes with this beef as a star ingredient. Try the signature shabu-shabu or sukiyaki course for a primer. Although dinner can damage the wallet, there is also a good variety of lunch sets available for a third of the price.

Chef Daniel Calvert has been awarded two Michelin stars for the creative French cuisine served at this elegant restaurant on the seventh floor of the Four Seasons Hotel at Marunouchi. The 12-course dinner changes with the seasons, but leans heavily into Japanese produce and could include Akkeshi sea oyster with koshihikari rice and wild sorrel or shamo chicken from Bizen poached in yellow wine. While some tables offer kitchen views, there's also a chef's table where you can watch Calvert and his team at work—a rare opportunity to study some of Tokyo's most talented chefs.

This elegant French restaurant on the 37th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel has wonderful views of the Tokyo skyline as well an open kitchen, where you can see the masterful chefs at work. Inspired by Japanese kaiseki, the menu changes with the seasons. There is also a fine wine list here that includes biodynamic and organic selections.

Here you need a dose of luck—there are only seven counter seats and reservations book up fast (ask your hotel concierge to make one for you)—and a full wallet, as high-end sushi comes at a pretty price. The interior is unpretentious, putting the focus squarely on the gorgeous presentations for each course, but what really makes a meal here subline is the extreme quality of the cuts of fish and garnishes featuring such rare ingredients as zha cai (pickled stem of the mustard plant).

Yakitori and other skewers of chargrilled meat and vegetables are the name of the game at this hip, local-favorite izakaya. To make ordering easier, select one of the set menus, which feature multiple skewers and a few side dishes such as tofu. Beverage options include highballs, draft lager, and local nihonshu (sake).

Combining aspects of a traditional sushi counter, a tapas bar, a science lab, and a magic show, this award-winning restaurant breaks new ground. In full view of diners, the team of chefs assemble a small parade of bite-size morsels in surprising texture and flavor combinations. There are only eight seats, and seatings are at 6 pm and 8:30 pm only, so reserve as early as possible.

Just about everybody who comes to this well-established, family-owned restaurant orders the standard course of utterly delicious deep-fried pork cutlets, soup, raw-cabbage salad, rice, pickles, and tea. Although there's a line here every night, right up until closing at 10:45 pm, efficient service means that the wait is usually only about 10 minutes.

Sitting on the terrace beside the Wadakura Moat, savor a glass of carefully selected wine from the impressive cellar, and choose from a modest selection of fresh, flavorful pasta dishes or one of the set three- to five-course menus. At dinner, the atmosphere turns intimate with candlelight and ultra-attentive service. Reservations are recommended.

This no-frills sushi restaurant with wooden interiors serves up excellent Tokyo-style (Edomae) sushi, the classic nigiri topped with seafood. Á la carte is an option, but it's easier to opt for a set meal, which will be substantially cheaper during lunch than at dinner.