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
Hokkaido · Casual Dining
A Kushiro breakfast institution where you select fresh Hokkaido seafood from a market-style display and have it charcoal-grilled for you on the spot. It's famous for its perfectly cooked salmon belly and generous salmon roe bowls.
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Tokyo · Bar
A lively Portuguese bistro in Tomigaya, serving confident seafood classics and an extensive, affordable list of Portuguese wines. It's a rare find in Tokyo for its focused menu, featuring standout charcoal-grilled sardines and multiple preparations…
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Osaka · Casual Dining
This lively specialist in Osaka's Tenmabashi area serves a wide variety of horse meat, both raw as sashimi (basashi) and grilled at your table (yakiniku). It's a prime spot for adventurous eaters to try rare cuts with guidance from the helpful staff.
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Kyoto · Diner
A specialist in saikyo-yaki, Kyoto-style grilled fish, located in the Isetan department store at JR Kyoto Station. Go for the outstanding black cod set, a complete meal with refined side dishes and excellent rice.
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Hyōgo · Fine Dining
A traditional house restaurant in Tamba-Sasayama, famous for its unique wild boar hotpot (botan nabe) made with a sweet-savory chestnut-miso broth. A regional specialty worth the trip.
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Nara · Casual Dining
A takeaway specialist on Mount Yoshino, famous for its kakinoha-zushi. This traditional persimmon-leaf-wrapped sushi, with cured mackerel or salmon, is designed to be eaten the next day for the best flavour.
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Osaka · Fine Dining
A specialist restaurant in Osaka's Tenjinbashi district dedicated entirely to anago (conger eel). It offers multi-course tasting menus exploring the fish in myriad ways, from sashimi to sukiyaki, paired with a curated sake list.
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Kyoto · Fine Dining
In a traditional Gion machiya, Mizudaki Manjiro (水だき 萬治郎) serves two distinct seasonal menus: a rich, slow-cooked mizutaki chicken hotpot in winter, and a highly sought-after oyakodon for lunch in summer.
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Hokkaido · Fine Dining
A dedicated fugu specialist in Sapporo, serving multi-course meals centred on live tiger pufferfish. Located on the 7th floor of the Sanjo Bisho Building, it offers an authentic fugu experience in private rooms for a surprisingly reasonable price.
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Fukuoka · Izakaya
A rare specialist for fresh, unfrozen horse sashimi (basashi) in Fukuoka's Takasago district. Go for the wide variety of cuts, from tender red meat to rare liver, and the excellent value, especially during the long happy hour.
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Osaka · Izakaya
A family-run izakaya in Osaka's Nishinari ward, famed for its exceptionally fresh chicken sashimi. Visit for the weekend-only special raw chicken bowl, a rare treat sourced directly from their own butchery.
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Hiroshima · Casual Dining
In Hiroshima's Misasa district, this unique restaurant applies traditional nukazuke (rice-bran fermentation) to Western dishes. Expect creative combinations like uni cream pasta with nukazuke roast beef.
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Hyōgo · Fine Dining
Experience modern Sichuan cuisine in Ashiya, where authentic numbing spice and creative plating meet in a multi-course format. This intimate 12-seat restaurant is known for its signature brush-shaped pastry.
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Hiroshima · Fine Dining
A formal kaiseki restaurant in Onomichi, showcasing rare ingredients from the Seto Inland Sea. It's a destination for its precisely crafted, course-only menus and excellent sake pairings. Reservations are essential.
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