Tokyo: where to eat, what to see

More than 500 days in Japan, filtered down to Tokyo: 245 addresses in 24 categories, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Every one opens in Maps with one tap.

Sinan Hamamsarılar with a tuna at Toyosu
Toyosu
Boxes of uni at Toyosu
Toyosu
Cherry blossoms in Tokyo
Sakura, Tokyo
Tokyo Tower lit up at night
Tokyo Tower

Neighbourhoods

West

  • Shinjuku 16Golden Gai, Kabukicho and the tsukemen queues to the south. Nights start here.
  • Shibuya 22Listening bars, burgers, ramen; the city’s busiest crossing.
  • Harajuku, Omotesando, Aoyama 11Breakfast, pancakes, yakiniku; the shopping avenues.
  • Ebisu 18The densest part of the list for bars and small restaurants.
  • Nakameguro, Daikanyama 5Canal-side coffee and quiet evenings.
  • Koenji, Nakano, Shimokitazawa 13Small ramen shops, curry, secondhand.

Central

  • Ginza 61The heart of the list: sushi counters, tempura, cocktail bars, wagashi.
  • Tsukiji 13Early mornings: kaisendon, sea urchin, grilled fish.
  • Nihonbashi, Tokyo Station 23Tendon, tonkatsu, Ramen Street, curry.
  • Roppongi, Azabu-Juban, Azabudai 40Azabudai Hills, yakitori, sushi and cocktail bars, nightclubs.
  • Akasaka, Toranomon 11Toraya, Hakata ramen, quiet business districts.

East

  • Asakusa, Kappabashi, Kuramae 10The knife and kitchenware street, melonpan, tea, crafts.
  • Ningyocho 3Old Tokyo: sukiyaki, old-school sushi, tea.
  • Ueno, Nezu 3Kakigōri, tsukemen, yakitori.
  • Kameido and beyond 13Gyoza, teamLab Planets and the city’s scattered edges.

Where to eat, what to see

Sushi 21Ramen and tsukemen 28Tempura and tendon 5Yakitori and chicken 7Yakiniku, sukiyaki and meat 15Tonkatsu and katsu 9Unagi 4Soba and udon 3Kaisendon and fish 12Gyoza and Chinese 8Curry 5Yōshoku 5Burgers and sandwiches 11Pizza and tacos 8Izakaya and yokocho 10Fine dining 5Breakfast and onigiri 7Coffee and kissaten 8Tea and wagashi 4Bakeries and sweets 13Bars 25Shopping 27Culture 2Hotels 3

Sushi21

Omakase

Standing and quick

  • Sushicho BekkanStanding sushiTsukiji
  • Uogashi Standing Sushi BarStanding sushiShimbashi
  • Uogashi Nihonichi YurakuchoStanding sushiGinza
  • Sushi no MidoriBusy, fast, affordableGinza
  • Maguro-to-ShariTuna-focused don and sushiShibuya

Conveyor belt and takeaway

Toro nigiri at Sushi Sugita, the master behind
Sushi Sugita, Nihonbashi
Ramen and tsukemen28

Tsukemen

Hakata tonkotsu

Dandan and spicy

Ramen

Old-style ramen at Chūkamenten Kiraku
Chūkamenten Kiraku, Shibuya
Tempura and tendon5
Ikura on crisp nori at Tempura Motoyoshi
Tempura Motoyoshi, Ebisu
Yakitori and chicken7
Tsukune with egg yolk at Yakitori Shinohara
Yakitori Shinohara, Nishi-Azabu
Yakiniku, sukiyaki and meat15

Yakiniku

Sukiyaki and shabu-shabu

Steak and meat

The chef with a platter of wagyu at Nikuya Tanaka
Nikuya Tanaka, Ginza
Tonkatsu and katsu9
Katsudon at Tonkatsu Hajime
Tonkatsu Hajime, Nihonbashi
Unagi4
Unadon at Sumiyaki Unafuji
Sumiyaki Unafuji, Hibiya
Soba and udon3
Kaisendon and fish12
Tuna don and sides at Maguro-to-Shari
Maguro-to-Shari, Shibuya
Gyoza and Chinese8
Curry5
Curry with fried prawn at Kitchen Nankai
Kitchen Nankai, Jimbocho
Yōshoku (Japanese-style Western food)5
Omurice with katsu at Egg Bomb
Egg Bomb, Shimbashi
Burgers and sandwiches11
Pizza and tacos8
Margherita at PST
PST, Roppongi
Izakaya and yokocho10
Yaki onigiri with egg yolk at Robatasho
Robatasho, Shinjuku
Fine dining5
A dish at Sézanne
Sézanne, Marunouchi
Breakfast and onigiri7
Coffee and kissaten8
Tea and wagashi4
Bakeries and sweets13
Shokupan toast with cream at Centre The Bakery
Centre The Bakery, Ginza
Bars25

Cocktails

Listening bars

Sake, beer, whisky

Nightclubs

A bartender making a smoked cocktail at Bar Centifolia
Bar Centifolia, Azabu-Juban
Shopping27

Knives and kitchenware

Sake, wine, whisky

Supermarkets and markets

Books and cameras

Stores

Crates of matsutake at Toyosu
Toyosu
Culture2
Hotels3
Tokyo Tower seen from Toranomon
The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon

The full Tokyo list on Google Maps →

More of the Japan guide

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Nilay and I gave Japan two episodes of our podcast Yemekte Bile Yemek Konuşuyoruz (in Turkish).

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