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Food & Culinary

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo: A Local Culinary Expert’s Guide to the Metropolis

Tokyo’s dining landscape is fundamentally defined by the concept of shokunin—individuals who pursue a single craft to the point of absolute obsession. These chefs dedicate their entire lives to mastering the minutiae of their chosen cuisine: calculating the precise temperature of oil for frying tempura, engineering the ideal texture and temperature for sushi rice, or achieving the exact sear on grilled unagi. This relentless, long-term commitment distinguishes Tokyo from every other major culinary destination in the world and fosters an enduring sense of continuity within the city’s restaurant scene. Some of the oldest establishments in the capital still serve the same foundational dishes—sushi, tempura, unagi, soba, and sukiyaki—that they did generations ago.

While the city is infamous for a handful of ultra-exclusive spots that are virtually impossible to access without an introduction from a regular, casual visitors and seasoned food lovers alike will find an overwhelming abundance of exceptional options across the massive metropolis. To help navigate this ever-evolving culinary ecosystem, local food writer, sommelier, and shochu advisor Yukari Sakamoto updates this curated guide on a quarterly basis, integrating firsthand insights, historical context, and practical pricing guidelines ranging from affordable neighborhood gems to high-end tasting destinations.

Koffee Mameya Kakeru

Open for: Daytime | Price range: $$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Operating as a spacious, industrial-style sister shop to the popular Omotesando boutique of the same name, Koffee Mameya Kakeru elevates coffee service into a meticulous tasting ritual. The cafe specializes in curated coffee flights that might feature a pour-over, an espresso, a latte, and one or more elaborate mocktails, all designed to highlight different expressions and flavor notes of a single bean variety. Guests can also order drinks à la carte, including spiked coffee cocktails as evening approaches. The interior features a sleek design highlighted by contrasting wooden chairs and a U-shaped limestone counter, where knowledgeable staff dressed in white lab coats and bowties guide patrons through their orders with both precision and warmth. Reservations are required.

Tanikoretani

Open for: Dinner | Price range: $$$

Located in the historic Kiyosumi Shirakawa neighborhood just a short walk from the traditional Kiyosumi Teien garden, Tanikoretani is a vibrant izakaya where vegetables take center stage. The restaurant was opened by former New York City architect Shinji Mizutani alongside his brother, Tomoji, bringing a sophisticated eye to casual dining. Standout dishes include mizu nasu eggplant sashimi, mountain vegetable tempura, and a Japanese-influenced wafu ratatouille. Alongside these vegetable preparations are classic, sake-friendly plates such as seasonal sashimi, chicken karaage, and potato salad. Diners seeking the complete experience can opt for the omakase, trusting the brothers to design a cohesive, seasonal menu.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Yamariki

Open for: Dinner | Price range: $$

Situated in Morishita, an older and more traditional sector of Tokyo, Yamariki is a century-old shinise establishment steeped in history. Its signature dish is a rich nikomi offal stew, simmered meticulously in Hatcho miso, zarame sugar, red wine, and a bouquet garni—a preparation widely celebrated as one of the top three nikomi bowls in the entire city. To balance the richness of the stew, the kitchen offers a colorful array of vegetable plates, including tsukemono pickles, rainbow crudités with miso dipping sauce, and a hearty salad dressed in an anchovy vinaigrette. Alongside standard pours of sake, beer, and shochu, Yamariki maintains a surprisingly refined, concise wine list curated specifically to complement its robust menu. Guests should also inquire about seasonal offerings such as spring mountain vegetable tempura and sample the restaurant’s diverse selection of grilled yakiton pork skewers featuring cuts like tongue, heart, liver, stomach, and harami skirt steak.

Tsukishima Monja Street

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Lined with dozens of bustling shops, Tsukishima Monja Street is the undisputed epicenter for monjayaki, a beloved Tokyo specialty similar to Osaka’s okonomiyaki. The dining format is interactive and communal: diners choose their preferred raw fillings—such as spicy mentaiko pollack roe, sticky mochi, and cheese—and cook the batter themselves on a large iron griddle built directly into the table, using miniature spatulas. The secret to a great monja is spreading the runny mixture thinly across the hot iron and allowing it to develop a savory, crisp bottom layer. Served alongside icy mugs of beer, the street takes on a festive, pedestrian-only atmosphere as night falls.

Taimeiken

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$

Immortalized in Juzo Itami’s classic culinary film Tampopo—which famously features a scene of a chef surreptitiously preparing omurice for a young boy—Taimeiken is an iconic institution in the historic Nihonbashi district, just a short walk from Tokyo Station. Helmed by third-generation chef Hiroshi Modegi, the restaurant specializes in yoshoku, Western-inspired dishes adapted over generations to the Japanese palate, ranging from expert katsu to the legendary soft omelet draped over ketchup-fried rice. While the ground-floor dining room operates on a walk-in basis and draws lively crowds, the formal second-floor space accepts reservations. A beloved tradition for daytime visitors on the first floor is ordering the remarkably affordable 100-yen portions of borscht soup and crisp coleslaw.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Yamamoto Noriten

Open for: Lunch | Price range: $$

While Manhattan currently boasts a higher density of handroll bars than Tokyo, the historic nori specialty purveyor Yamamoto Noriten—in operation since 1849—has established an exceptional temaki counter hidden behind a traditional noren curtain inside its retail shop. Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga has curated a dozen premium fillings, including fresh tuna sashimi, soy sauce-marinated egg yolk, grilled eel, and caviar. The experience centers around high-grade nori kept warm over a small brick of roasting charcoal and presented at the table in a polished wooden box.

Il Ristorante – Niko Romito

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Perched on the 40th floor of the Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo, Il Ristorante – Niko Romito offers a striking, vaulted dining room accented in carnelian orange that feels more like a modern sanctuary of haute cuisine than a hotel restaurant. Executive chef Mauro Aloisio delivers sophisticated modern Italian tasting menus that incorporate exquisite Japanese ingredients, such as amberjack sashimi, collagen-rich longtooth grouper steamed and smoked with sakura wood chips, and wagyu beef tongue braised to tenderness beneath a vibrant beetroot sauce. Because it is housed within a luxury hotel, the restaurant remains open throughout the year, including major holidays when much of the city shuts down. For a more casual experience, guests can ascend to the 45th floor Bulgari Bar to enjoy artisanal pizza crafted by master pizzaiolo Pier Daniel Seu alongside bespoke cocktails.

Sézanne

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$$

Located inside the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, Sézanne continues to command international acclaim under the leadership of chef Steve Lancaster. Although new to Japan’s immediate culinary scene, Lancaster spent seven years working extensively with Japanese seafood during his tenure at Poise in Singapore. His French-rooted tasting menus celebrate local proteins like glass shrimp, sea urchin, monkfish liver, and scallops, while skillfully incorporating domestic pantry staples such as mirin, soy sauce, koji, and various fermentation techniques. The dining experience is further elevated by the sommelier’s thoughtful beverage pairings, which bridge classical European wines with unique Japanese sakes, including sweet kijoshu.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Ekibenya Matsuri

Open for: All day | Price range: $$

Located inside Tokyo Station, Ekibenya Matsuri captures the quintessential Japanese railway tradition of enjoying a boxed meal while watching the countryside blur past from the window of a shinkansen bullet train. The massive shop stocks approximately 170 regional ekiben sourced from across the entire country, offering an accessible cross-section of Japan’s diverse local flavors. The colorful selection ranges from rice bowls topped with fresh sashimi, wagyu beef, or yakitori skewers to innovative boxes like the gyutan beef tongue bento, which features a pull-string chemical heating device that warms the meal instantly during transit. The shop opens early at 5:30 a.m. to accommodate travelers catching morning departures.

Shabusen

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Shabusen offers a streamlined, accessible take on two of Japan’s most celebrated beef dishes: sukiyaki and shabu-shabu. Diners sit at a casual, counter-service setup resembling a hybrid between an American diner and an upscale hot pot bar, where each guest receives an individual personal hot pot. Expert servers slice highly marbled wagyu beef or pork into feather-thin sheets, which are cooked quickly in broth and then dipped into nutty sesame sauce, tart ponzu, or raw egg in the case of the sukiyaki. Beyond the food, design enthusiasts will appreciate the thoughtful integration of mingei traditional folk crafts, visible in the restaurant’s tableware and entryway curtains.

Torigin Honten

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$

Tucked away between two buildings down a narrow, shadowy pedestrian alley in the heart of Ginza, Torigin Honten has long been a destination for exceptional yakitori and kamameshi—rice cooked in individual earthenware pots with ingredients like ground chicken, bamboo shoots, salmon, shrimp, and seasonal mountain vegetables. The chicken and vegetable skewers are expertly charred over high-grade Kishu bincho charcoal. If long queues form outside the historic alleyway location, the nearby sister establishment, New Torigin, offers a similar menu as a reliable alternative.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Est

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$$

Set within the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, the Michelin-starred Est showcases contemporary French cuisine anchored by a commitment to sourcing 95 percent of its ingredients domestically. Chef Guillaume Bracaval crafts seasonal tasting menus featuring delicate dishes such as monkfish seasoned with house-made yuzu kosho, kombu-cured flounder, corn flan gazpacho, and pickled zucchini paired with tomato paste and nasturtiums. The wine program pays special homage to Japanese viticulture, featuring unique domestic varietals like Muscat Bailey A and fruity Koshu, alongside traditional sake pairing options. The meal concludes with pastries and sweets by pastry chef Michele Abbatemarco, highlighted by friandises incorporating artisanal honeys gathered from various regions across Japan.

Kagari Ramen

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Specializing in tori paitan—a remarkably rich, creamy chicken broth that coats thin, straight noodles with the comforting familiarity of refined chicken soup—Kagari delivers one of Tokyo’s most comforting bowls of ramen. The broth is complemented by a vibrant rotation of seasonal vegetables such as watermelon radish, snap peas, and kabocha squash. Diners are encouraged to customize the umami-forward soup midway through their meal by adding grated ginger, fried garlic, and a splash of table vinegar from the counter. While the main Ginza location sits on a quiet pedestrian side street, a less congested sister branch operates within the Roppongi Hills complex.

Bar Meijiu

Open for: Drinks | Price range: $$

At Bar Meijiu, mixology and music intersect in an intimate setting where bartender Keisuke Matsumoto crafts bespoke cocktails tailored entirely to each guest’s immediate preferences. Following a brief consultation regarding desired flavor profiles, sweetness levels, or mood—whether calling for something fruity, effervescent, or caffeinated using house-roasted coffee beans—Matsumoto works like an alchemist behind a compact central station. Non-alcoholic cocktail options are executed with equal creativity. Throughout the evening, Matsumoto spins records from his extensive personal collection, which leans heavily toward classic jazz.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Azabudai Hills Market

Open for: All day | Price range: $$

Opened in the heart of the city as part of the sprawling Azabudai Hills residential and cultural complex, this massive culinary destination houses over 100 food shops, specialty markets, and restaurants alongside the teamLab Borderless museum. The marketplace offers something for every palate, featuring notable dining outposts such as the two-Michelin-starred Florilège and a secondary location of Sushi Saito, which provides a rare opportunity to secure a reservation. Additional highlights include Arabica Kyoto for specialty coffee, Kawamura for tonkatsu, Pelican Café for ham katsu sandos, Sembikiya for extravagant fruit parfaits, Shogun Burger for wagyu patties, and Sobamae Yamato for soba noodles and sake-friendly small plates.

Tenko

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Located on the quiet backstreets of Kagurazaka inside a converted geisha teahouse, Tenko elevates tempura into an art form. Second-generation master chef Hitoshi Arai specializes in frying seasonal seafood harvested from Tokyo Bay alongside fresh vegetables into delicate, lacy garments of batter. Each piece is served immediately as it emerges from the hot oil, and diners are encouraged to sample the tempura with a pinch of pure salt rather than traditional dipping sauce to preserve the crispness of the coating. The subtle sound of the tempura gently bubbling in the oil provides an ambient soundtrack to the meal.

Ishikawa

Open for: Dinner (with Saturday lunch) | Price range: $$$$

Situated within the atmospheric, lantern-lit alleys of the former geisha district of Kagurazaka, Ishikawa offers an exceptional, multi-course kaiseki dining experience. Chef Hideki Ishikawa’s rigorous attention to seasonal ingredients, flawless technique, and gracious hospitality have earned the restaurant three Michelin stars and a global following. Because Chef Ishikawa previously worked for a tableware manufacturing company, every dish is presented on remarkable ceramics and lacquers that delight the eyes as much as the food satisfies the palate.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara

Open for: Dinner | Price range: $$$$

Owner Kentaro Nakahara sources some of the finest wagyu beef available in Japan, expertly curating cuts to be grilled over charcoal burners embedded directly into the dining tables. Beyond the comprehensive seven-item yakiniku tasting menu, guests frequently highlight specialty items such as beef "prosciutto," rich beef tartare, and the chef’s signature grilled tongue. Unlike traditional yakiniku halls that can become hazy and boisterous, Nakahara maintains a remarkably chic, pristine, and smoke-free environment. Reservations are strictly required in advance for those hoping to sample the legendary grilled tongue.

Kikunoi Akasaka

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Kaiseki cuisine is traditionally said to taste best in its hometown of Kyoto, largely due to the region’s exceptionally soft water. To replicate these ideal conditions in Tokyo, master chef Yoshihiro Murata regularly ships water from the ancient capital to the Akasaka branch of Kikunoi, ensuring his foundational dashi broth achieves absolute perfection. Set within a tranquil, secluded environment, the restaurant provides an immediate escape from the frenetic energy of the surrounding metropolis. Daytime lunch seatings offer a more accessible entry point to experience the hyper-seasonal multicourse menu presented on exquisite antique dishware.

Toraya

Open for: Daytime | Price range: $$

As a historic Japanese confectionery maker that has supplied the Imperial court since the early 16th century, Toraya’s flagship Akasaka location operates as a cultural sanctuary housing a cafe, retail boutique, and basement gallery designed by architect Hiroshi Naito. Because wagashi sweets are designed to capture fleeting seasonal transitions, the menu changes on a monthly basis, featuring warm-weather specialties like shaved ice (kakigori) infused with sake, apricots, or premium matcha. Visitors should also explore the basement exhibition space, which displays historical documents and hand-drawn woodblock prints of Toraya’s confections through the centuries.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Sougo

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$

Chef Daisuke Nomura reinterprets shojin ryori—traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine—at Sougo, strategically locating the restaurant in the international Roppongi district to attract a diverse, modern clientele. The menu highlights a vast array of land and sea vegetables alongside fundamental temple ingredients like fu (wheat gluten) and yuba (soy milk skin). For those looking to deepen their culinary knowledge, the venue also hosts cooking classes through Tokyo Cook, located on-site. A must-try item is the signature sesame tofu, which is flash-fried or grilled to achieve a uniquely silky interior texture.

Bricolage Bread & Co.

Open for: All day | Price range: $$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Bricolage brings together an extraordinary collaborative team of prominent Japanese chefs: soups and salads are designed by chef Shinobu Namae of the three-Michelin-starred L’Effervescence; artisanal sourdoughs, baguettes, and pastries are contributed by baker Ayumu Iwanaga of Osaka’s Le Sucré-Coeur; and specialty coffee is provided by Kenji Kojima of Fuglen. Open throughout the day for tartines and open-faced sandwiches served on vintage tableware, the café also features rare outdoor seating—a distinct luxury in Tokyo—alongside a takeaway outpost located within the Tokyu Food Show at Shibuya Station.

Sushi Yuu

Open for: Dinner | Price range: $$$$

Second-generation chef Daisuke Shimazaki serves traditional Edomae sushi at Sushi Yuu, located in a quiet residential pocket just minutes from the bustle of Roppongi. While high-end sushi counters can occasionally feel intimidatingly formal, Chef Shimazaki ensures every guest feels completely at ease, conversing comfortably in English, Russian, Italian, or Japanese. The meal traditionally begins with a series of small cooked plates, such as grilled Pacific mackerel and simmered yellowtail, before transitioning into a parade of pristine nigirizushi. The establishment is particularly renowned for its exceptional bluefin tuna, sourced directly from one of Toyosu Market’s premier vendors.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Eureka

Open for: Dinner | Price range: $$$

Sake connoisseurs frequently gather at Marie Chiba’s intimate bar, Eureka, to explore an extensive, curated list of rare and celebrated labels such as Senkin, Aramasa, and Raifuku. The beverage program is paired with inventive, sake-friendly small plates, including smoked jammy eggs draped in squid ink mayonnaise, blue cheese-stuffed ham katsu, and crab cream croquettes. As an accredited sake sommelier, Chiba provides expert recommendations and will frequently warm specific bottles to highlight different flavor expressions. With only a dozen counter seats, advance reservations are strongly recommended, though walk-ins can occasionally secure a spot at the standing tachinomi section.

Narisawa

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Having trained under European masters such as Paul Bocuse, Frédy Girardet, and Joël Robuchon, chef Yoshihiro Narisawa has synthesized classical French haute cuisine with a profound, personal philosophy of the Japanese natural environment. His namesake restaurant is famous for avant-garde, thought-provoking courses such as "soil soup" and Okinawan sea snake broth, balanced by exceptional preparations of langoustine and wagyu beef. These imaginative contributions have secured the restaurant two Michelin stars and a consistent presence on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Butagumi

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$

Specializing exclusively in tonkatsu—thick-cut, panko-breaded, and deep-fried pork cutlets—Butagumi is housed within a romantic, 60-year-old freestanding traditional wooden house. Diners can select from roughly two dozen different regional heirloom pork breeds from across Japan, each fried to a golden crunch and served alongside towering pyramids of paper-thin shredded cabbage and thick, house-made Worcestershire sauce. The restaurant also maintains a secondary outpost in the basement level of the Roppongi Hills complex.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Julia

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$

Nao Motohashi is one of the rare female chefs in Japan recognized by both the Michelin and Gault & Millau guides. Together with her sommelier husband, Ken, she welcomes guests to their Aoyama restaurant, housed inside a converted residential building. The evening begins with aperitifs and appetizers in a ground-floor lounge before guests move upstairs to the main dining room overlooking an open kitchen. The vegetable-forward menu features inventive plates such as pickled tomatoes in a rose and hibiscus sauce, scallops paired with butterbur, and duck served alongside slightly bitter spring mountain vegetables. The non-alcoholic beverage program is equally ambitious, featuring house-made preparations like grilled mandarin orange with jasmine, burnt honey juice, and a blend of apple, whey, and pomegranate.

Yakitori Imai

Open for: Dinner | Price range: $$$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Grillmaster Takashi Imai presides over a sleek, contemporary dining room centered entirely around a spacious open kitchen. Diners seated at the counter watch as Imai manages the primary charcoal grill, producing exceptional chicken skewers alongside premium proteins like French pigeon. A secondary grill is dedicated to a robust selection of seasonal vegetables, all designed to be paired with the restaurant’s extensive list of natural wines.

Den

Open for: Dinner | Price range: $$$

Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa’s relocation of Den from its original Jimbocho home has allowed for an even more intimate dining dynamic, where the chef can observe each guest’s reaction and adjust pacing or portion sizes accordingly. The cooking remains playful and irreverent, injecting humor and unexpected ingredients—such as foie gras-stuffed appetizers—into the highly formalized conventions of kaiseki. Front-of-house service is led by the chef’s wife, Emi, and her team, offering warm, personalized hospitality leading up to the restaurant’s signature Dentucky Fried Chicken course.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Pizza Marumo

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$

Abandoning a traditional Japanese kitchen background, chef Yuki Motokura defines his pies at Pizza Marumo not as Neapolitan or Roman, but as distinctively Tokyo-style. The charred, blistered crust shares a comforting texture with freshly toasted mochi rice cakes. Alongside wagyu carpaccio and oven-roasted vegetables, the menu features classic pizza options alongside creative, umami-rich Japanese toppings incorporating katsuobushi bonito flakes, shaved kombu kelp, shiitake mushrooms, or soy-marinated tofu. Reservations via the restaurant’s website are essential due to high demand.

Tofu Shokudo

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Operating as a temple dedicated entirely to the soybean, Tofu Shokudo specializes in freshly made, house-crafted tofu served in a bustling, cafeteria-style wooden dining room. Set meals include spicy Korean-style stews featuring soy milk, soft oboro tofu, and pork, alongside the comprehensive tofu gozen set showcasing nine distinct soybean and tofu preparations spanning soft, firm, cheesy, and deep-fried textures. Lines form quickly before lunch service, and a dedicated takeaway window offers okara doughnuts, fresh blocks of tofu, and silky yuba skin.

Tamawarai

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$

While Tokyo features countless soba shops, Tamawarai produces noodles of exceptional fragrance and flavor by milling and hand-rolling each batch from scratch, utilizing buckwheat that the restaurant helps cultivate directly. Side dishes—such as house-made soba miso and exceptionally creamy yuba—are prepared with equal dedication. The restaurant does not accept reservations, meaning guests should prepare to stand in line during peak hours.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Isetan Shinjuku

Open for: All day | Price range: $$

No culinary exploration of Tokyo is complete without visiting a depachika, the elaborate subterranean food halls found in the basements of major department stores. Isetan in Shinjuku remains unmatched for sheer gourmet glamour, featuring historical regional wagashi confections displayed directly alongside European-style patisseries run by master pastry chefs like Sadaharu Aoki, Jean-Paul Hévin, and Pierre Hermé. Visitors often purchase a curated bento box to enjoy upstairs in the department store’s rooftop garden.

L’Ambre

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Located just minutes from Shinjuku Station, L’Ambre has operated since 1950, functioning as an authentic, old-school kissaten coffee house. Featuring high ceilings, red velvet seating, and a soundtrack of classical music, the café serves retro menu items such as coffee jelly topped with a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, pizza toast, tuna and egg sandwiches, and bright green melon soda floats.

Katsuo Shokudo

Open for: Breakfast and lunch | Price range: $

Guests gather around a C-shaped basement counter to watch owner Mai Nagamatsu shave smoked and dried skipjack tuna fillets (katsuobushi) into delicate, translucent flakes à la minute. Because katsuo forms the umami foundation of traditional Japanese cuisine, observing it shaved fresh and served immediately over a steaming bowl of rice is a rare experience. The set menu incorporates these bonito flakes into every element of the meal, from the miso soup to chili oil-infused garnishes. Advance reservations via the restaurant’s website are strongly recommended to bypass the street queue.

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Tea Bar Chokeikyo

Open for: Afternoon tea | Price range: $$

Operated by the team behind Sakurai, the serene Tea Bar Chokeikyo in Daikanyama approaches tea as a craft of extraction and blending. High-grade gyokuro tea is steeped across multiple rounds, concluding with an infusion over fresh peach slices. Spices like star anise, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon are freshly ground and warmed in a Turkish ibrik over hot sand before being whisked directly into matcha. Later in the afternoon, the menu shifts to include innovative tea cocktails such as hojicha mojitos and shiso gin fizzes. It generally offers easier access than its sister venue in Aoyama.

Udatsu Sushi

Open for: Lunch and dinner | Price range: $$$$

The 38 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Udatsu is a rare high-end sushiya that offers a fully realized, dedicated vegetarian course alongside its traditional seafood menu. Chef Hisashi Udatsu incorporates complex textures and umami into vegetable sushi by frying some components and simmering others in kombu dashi. The seafood courses feature exceptional elements like dual preparations of uni served over fried nori, a massive futomaki roll containing five distinct cuts of tuna, and classic kohada gizzard shad. The vegetarian menu requires a two-day advance reservation.

The Peak Lounge and Bar

Open for: Afternoon tea | Price range: $$$

Perched 41 floors above the city within a glass atrium at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, The Peak Lounge & Bar serves a seasonal Blossom Afternoon Tea featuring savory bites like seared yellowtail, snow crab, and smoked duck, followed by whimsical pastries created by chef Julien Perrinet. The meal concludes with a tableside trolley laden with miniature madeleines and canelés, accompanied by a comprehensive selection of British and Japanese teas, hojicha lattes, and panoramic views of the Tokyo skyline.

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