Tokyo Must Eat! (Updated 2023)

銀座ちかみつ (Ginza Chikamitsu) $$$$

Great yakiniku restaurant with your own private room and a server will prepare and grill all the meat for you. There are different courses to choose from when you make the reservation online (you can do so via Google maps’ “Reserve a table” option). The quality of the beef is top-notch and a few of the dishes are also very creative. Depending on the course you choose, one of the dishes could be the uni hand roll with wagyu beef, the sweetness of the Hokkaido bafun uni and the fattiness of the A5 wagyu beef blend so well together along with the crispy seaweed that’s freshly roasted at the table. It is not your regular yakiniku restaurant and is definitely worth the splurge!

銀座 篝 本店 Ginza Kagari Main Branch $

This is not your traditional pork-based broth ramen. The broth is a chicken-based broth and the soup is very thick and umami. The chicken that comes with it is very tender and juicy. The noodle has the right chewiness and firmness. There are a couple of locations with one being in Ginza and one closer to the Tokyo station. Try to get there 30 mins before it opens if you can to avoid waiting for the second or third round.

Bar Orchard Ginza $$

A very small, cozy bar in Ginza and the menu is a basket of fruits that are available that day. The bartender will ask you to choose one fruit and tailor the cocktail for you. It was named one of the top 50 best bars in Asia before, definitely worth checking out before or after dinner if you are in Ginza.

五代目 花山うどん Godaime Hanayama Udon $$

If you like udon, this place will be perfect for you. They are known for their wide-cut udon and you can choose between cold and hot udon. My favorite is the cold udon with tempura, the udon is very chewy and smooth, and the tempura comes out hot and crispy, and everything goes so well with the two sauces they provide with the set (house made sesame and soy sauce) along with other condiments.

Gyukatsu Motomura $

Have you ever had beef katsu (Japanese fried beef)? This place is a chain and there are convenient locations near the Shinjuku and Shibuya stations. The set comes with fried beef that are medium rare and you get a small grill to cook the beef to your liking. There’s wasabi and sauce to go with the beef katsu and it’s very delicious, and rice refill is complementary!

Ichiran Ramen $

This one is probably one of the most well-known ramen chains in Japan and there are multiple locations throughout Tokyo (and all major cities in Japan). Originating from Fukuoka, Ichiran is known for its Hakata style pork-based broth ramen (with thin noodles) and the “library style” seating with each person getting a small booth so you can enjoy your ramen without any distraction. A lot of the locations are open late (some are even 24 hours)!