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Where to eat in Tokyo: my 17 favourite restaurants

Nobody eats well following the tour buses. These are the 17 restaurants in Tokyo I'd send a friend to: the cheap neighbourhood place, the one locals keep to themselves, the splurge that's genuinely worth it. No photo menus.

A Happy Pancake Omotesando¥1,000–2,000 · Fluffy pancakesTucked just off the Omotesando boulevards, this airy cafe built its reputation on souffle pancakes so light they wobble, cooked slowly and served warm with Hokkaido whipped cream and house-made syrup. Directions
Gonpachi Nishiazabu¥3,000–5,000 · Izakaya / JapaneseThe towering wooden interior of this Nishiazabu izakaya famously inspired a set in Kill Bill, and dinner here still feels like stepping onto a cinematic stage of lantern light and open grills. Directions
Kanda Yabu Soba¥1,000–2,000 · SobaA revered soba institution in Kanda that has been pulling and slicing buckwheat noodles since 1880, Yabu Soba is where Tokyoites go to taste the real, old-Edo version of the dish. Directions
Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama¥1,500–3,000 · TonkatsuSet inside a converted former bathhouse in Aoyama, Maisen is one of Tokyo's best-loved tonkatsu specialists, where thick pork cutlets are breaded in fine panko and fried to a shatteringly crisp golden crust while staying juicy… Directions
Café Kitsuné Aoyama¥800-1,500 · Specialty coffee · AoyamaThe French-Japanese label Maison Kitsuné's Tokyo flagship café: a traditional wooden house in Aoyama with a small garden. Directions
Hatoya Asakusa (tonkatsu)¥2,000-3,500 · Tonkatsu · since 1930One of Asakusa's oldest tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurants, operating since 1930. Directions
Hozenji Yokocho-style izakaya hopping (Roppongi)¥3,500-6,000 · Izakaya sceneRoppongi has the highest izakaya density in central Tokyo: bar-hop 3-5 places: yakitori, oden, sashimi, sake. Directions
Ichiran Ramen Shibuya¥1,000-1,500 · Tonkotsu ramen · solo boothThe famous solo-booth ramen chain, open 24/7. Directions
IPPUDO Shibuya¥1,300-2,500 · Tonkotsu ramenThe most internationally famous Tokyo ramen chain, known for the Hakata-style thin-noodle tonkotsu. Directions
Nakajima Shinjuku (Michelin-star bargain)¥1,000 lunch / ¥10,000+ dinner · Kaiseki · MichelinTokyo's most famous «cheap Michelin lunch»: chef Kishida Sanenori serves a sardine-based traditional lunch set for ¥1,000-1,100 (Michelin-starred for kaiseki, but the lunch is a totally different beast). Directions
Sukiyabashi JiroLegendary sushi restaurant featured in 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi'. Directions
Sushi Hatsume Shinjuku¥18,000-28,000 · Omakase sushiOne of Shinjuku's most respected omakase counters: 10 seats, chef Hatsume Takeshi cuts in front of you. Directions
Sushi Zanmai Tsukiji Honten¥3,000-7,000 · Sushi · 24h TsukijiThe Tsukiji outer market icon, open 24/7, the owner is the famous «Tuna King» who broke the auction record by paying ¥333 million for one bluefin in 2019. Directions
Sushiro Shibuya (conveyor-belt sushi)¥100-300/plate · Kaiten-zushiThe biggest conveyor-belt sushi chain in Japan: ¥120 base plates, freshly cut, touch-screen ordering at every booth, robots deliver special orders directly. Directions
Suzukien Asakusa (matcha gelato)¥600-900 · Matcha gelatoThe world's strongest matcha gelato: 7 levels of intensity, level 7 («the strongest matcha gelato in the world») uses 100% premium uji matcha. Directions
Tsuta (Michelin-starred ramen)¥1,500-2,500 · Shōyu ramen · MichelinThe first ramen restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin star (2015). Directions
Yakitori Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane)¥1,500-2,500 · Yakitori · standing barThe Memory Lane standing-bar yakitori scene: 60 stalls grilling chicken skewers (negima, momo, tsukune) on smoky charcoal. Directions