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What to eat in Tokyo

Written by hand, not generated. Dishes, markets, timing and prices for Tokyo.

Eating in Tokyo: a local guide

Tokyo holds shops that make one dish for a lifetime and food from everywhere else in the world, in the same city. Many places seat barely ten people at a counter, which is why lunch service moves so fast. Restaurants split clearly into those you must book and those where you simply queue.

What people eat here

  • Sushi Tsukiji Outer Market and Ginza

    Many counters serve the same fish at lunch for around half the evening price. At the counter you eat each piece as it is set down.

  • Soba Kanda and Asakusa

    Named by how much buckwheat is in the flour. The local way is to dip only the end of the noodles into the sauce.

  • Monjayaki Tsukishima

    A loose batter worked flat on the griddle and scraped up with a small spatula. A Tokyo dish.

  • Ramen

    The Tokyo baseline is a clear soy broth, but every regional style is represented, so you can compare them in one city.

  • Tendon Asakusa

    Tempura over rice with a sweet-salty sauce poured over. A common lunch set.

Where the food is

Tsukiji Outer Market

The shopping streets that stayed after the wholesale market moved. Open from early morning.

Asakusa

Old soba, tempura and sweet shops clustered around the temple.

Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

A narrow alley packed with grilled skewer bars — an evening drinking quarter.

Tsukishima Monja Street

A street given over to monjayaki restaurants.

Shibuya and Ebisu

A dense commercial area of izakaya, cafes and newer restaurants.

When to go

  • Lunch service at popular shops is short, roughly 11:30 to 14:00, and they close when the ingredients run out.
  • The outer market is a morning trade; many shops shut after 15:00.
  • Independent restaurants take long breaks over the new year period, late December into early January.

Worth knowing

  • Small counter-only shops are easier alone than in a group — single seats come up fast.
  • Some long-running shops are still cash only. Carry a little cash.
  • Many restaurants order through a ticket machine. Check the machine as you walk in.
  • Some places restrict phone calls or photography inside. Look for the notice.

What it costsRamen or soba runs JPY 900-1,300, a sushi lunch set JPY 1,500-3,000, and an izakaya evening JPY 3,000-5,000 per person.

JP

What to Eat in Tokyo — Local Food Guide | TastyLog