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
Nara · Café
Enjoy refined Japanese set lunches in a private room overlooking a traditional garden in Nara. Known for its excellent value, Tekisui is a tranquil escape near Nara Park, perfect for a quiet, high-quality meal.
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Hyōgo · Izakaya
A small, one-man izakaya in Ashiya known for its exceptional fried chicken and refined finishing ramen. It's a place for diners who appreciate precise cooking and don't mind a leisurely pace, with a menu that often forgoes prices.
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Osaka · Fine Dining
A counter-dining experience in Osaka's Nishitenma district, where the chef prepares a multi-course meal from a single, live crab before your eyes. Go for the theatrical presentation and exceptional quality of Japanese crab.
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Osaka · Bar
A tiny, chef-run wine bistro in Osaka's Tenjinbashi area, L'angolo pairs creative Italian-French tasting courses with a generous selection of natural wines. It's a destination for a relaxed, counter-front dinner watching the chef at work.
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Tokyo · Casual Dining
In Ikebukuro, this tiny counter serves some of Tokyo's most intense soupless tantanmen. Go for the rich sesame and Sichuan pepper sauce, which you can customise to your preferred level of spice and numbness.
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Hokkaido · Casual Dining
A bustling seafood diner located above its own fish market in Yoichi, Hokkaido. Visitors come for exceptionally fresh, generously portioned seafood bowls at prices far below what you would find in a city.
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Hyōgo · Casual Dining
A local institution in Kobe's Motomachi district, Gyoza Daigaku serves classic pan-fried gyoza. It's famous for its thin-skinned dumplings and a signature white miso-based dipping sauce you mix yourself at the table.
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Tokyo · Bar
A tiny counter bar in Iidabashi serving inventive Japanese-style curry. Each plate comes with a complimentary bean curry, turning a two-choice order into a trio of distinct, deeply spiced sauces.
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Kyoto · Dessert Shop
A Kyoto institution since the Meiji era, this fruit parlour near Omiya Station is famed for its fruit sandwiches and parfaits. It's the place to try perfectly ripe seasonal fruit, especially in its great-value sets.
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Kyoto · Casual Dining
In a quiet alley in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, this family-run spot serves a rare style of okonomiyaki. Watch the chefs cook on a large teppan, and try their signature dishes with beef tendon and intestine.
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Tokyo · Izakaya
A celebrated izakaya in Shibuya, where chef Sakai elevates casual dishes into signatures. Known for its inventive anago sandwich, cloud-like ham katsu, and fragrant clay-pot rice, it's a top choice for a special meal with rare sake and natural wine.
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