Ranking
An editorial ranking of restaurants, cafés and bars: grades from A+ to F, price range, and the Tabelog score where one exists.
Places ranked: 1,522
Fukuoka · Fine Dining
A theatrical counter restaurant in Fukuoka's Yakuin district where the chef prepares inventive Chinese cuisine, including a signature Beijing duck, right before your eyes. A reservation-only experience.
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Tokyo · Casual Dining
A celebrated ramen shop in Yushima, known for its highly customizable Sichuan-style tantanmen. Diners choose their preferred level of spice and numbing, with the rich, dry-style white sesame bowl being a consistent favorite.
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Kyoto · Casual Dining
Famous for its uniquely thick, potage-like chicken ramen broth, this popular shop in Kyoto's Ichijoji district draws long queues for a bowl unlike any other. Order from a ticket machine and prepare for a rich, intense experience.
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Fukuoka · Casual Dining
In Fukuoka's Hakata ward, this renowned ramen shop serves a uniquely creamy, frothy tonkotsu broth. Visitors come for this intense, potage-like soup and the signature curry-flavoured noodle refill that transforms the bowl.
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Osaka · Casual Dining
A celebrated okonomiyaki restaurant in Osaka's Sennichimae district, famous for its signature 'fuwatoro' (fluffy and melting) style. Diners watch chefs cook on a large teppan grill before the food is served on personal hot plates.
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Fukuoka · Casual Dining
A beloved local udon shop in Fukuoka's Hakata district, celebrated for its exceptionally soft, flat noodles and a remarkably clear, flavourful broth. It's a prime destination for an authentic and affordable taste of Hakata's distinctive udon style.
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Tokyo · Fine Dining
A stylish, modern dim sum restaurant in Marunouchi's Nijubashi Square, from London-based producer Alain Yau. It's known for its refined take on Cantonese classics, an open kitchen, and a popular terrace with city views.
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Kyoto · Casual Dining
A celebrated ramen shop in Kyoto, famous for its signature miso tsukemen. Diners queue for the thick, chewy noodles served with a rich, smoky pork and seafood dipping broth, making it a key stop for noodle lovers.
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Hiroshima · Casual Dining
A benchmark for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki in the Noboricho district. Visitors queue for its perfectly layered pancakes, featuring sweet cabbage, crispy noodles, and signature double-yolk eggs, all cooked before them on the teppan.
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Osaka · Pâtisserie
A sophisticated chocolatier and salon in Umeda, on the 4th floor of HERBIS PLAZA ENT. It's famous for its house bean-to-bar chocolate and elaborate, multi-layered parfaits with views over Osaka Station.
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Osaka · Pâtisserie
A stylish chocolate salon from Spain on the 7th floor of the Daimaru Umeda department store. Visit for its intense, cacao-forward soft-serve, seasonal desserts, and window seats with a view over the city.
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Tokyo · Fine Dining
In Nihonbashi Kabutocho, HOPPERS serves modern Sri Lankan cuisine from the ground floor of the KABUTO ONE building. It's highly regarded for its visually striking Rice & Curry lunch plate and a more elaborate tasting menu with wine pairings for…
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Tokyo · Casual Dining
A high-end lamb specialist in Azabujuban where staff grill each piece of rare domestic lamb for you at the counter. Go for the guided tasting flights of lamb, hogget, and mutton, and unique dishes like lamb yukke.
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Kyoto · Pizzeria
A stylish pizzeria in Kyoto's Nakagyo ward, celebrated for its creative use of local vegetables. The wood-fired oven is the heart of the open kitchen, turning out unique pies and a signature roasted vegetable platter.
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Tokyo · Fine Dining
A stylish restaurant in Jingumae serving refined Peruvian tasting menus. It's a top Tokyo destination for South American cuisine, translating classic dishes like ceviche and anticuchos through precise Japanese technique.
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Hiroshima · Casual Dining
A celebrated ramen shop in Kure, Hiroshima, serving the city's signature dish: Kure reimen. Expect long queues for its unique flat noodles in a sweet, sour, and spicy broth, a local specialty you won't find anywhere else.
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Osaka · Casual Dining
A shabu-shabu specialist in Osaka's Miyakojima ward, Yasuda is celebrated for its owner's theatrical hand-cutting of marbled beef. It offers an experience of exceptional quality and value, though booking requires significant advance planning.
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Nara · Casual Dining
In Nara, Toi Inshokuten serves meticulously reconstructed South Indian 'meals' (thali). Run by a Japanese couple who researched in India, it's a destination for its authentic, complex curries and is worth a special trip.
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Tokyo · Fine Dining
In Nakameguro, this stylish restaurant serves a modern Japanese-Korean kaiseki. Diners praise its creative tasting courses, which feature premium ingredients and a unique structure allowing guests to customize their main and finishing dishes.
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