Ranking
The best places to eat in Japan
An editorial ranking of restaurants, cafés and bars: grades from A+ to F, price range, and the Tabelog score where one exists.
Places ranked: 2,446
1202
tbz Kakuouzan honten: Japanese-Style Craft Burgers
Aichi Prefecture · Café
A top-rated burger restaurant in Nagoya's Kakuozan district, celebrated for its creative Japanese-American style. The main draw is the house "tbz" burger, which pairs a coarse-ground, meaty patty with grilled mochi and nori.
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1203
boulangerie Artisan'Halles: Classic French Viennoiserie
Kyoto · Bakery
A French-style boulangerie in Kyoto's Kamigyo ward, celebrated for its exceptional croissants and traditional baguettes. Its wine-cellar-inspired storefront is a go-to for high-quality pastries to take away.
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1204
Pomme de terre: Artisan Bagels and Sandwiches
Tokyo · Pâtisserie
A tiny takeaway bakery in Nishi-Ogikubo, celebrated for its uniquely dense and chewy bagels with fillings folded directly into the dough. It's a destination for creative bagel flavours and substantial, French-influenced deli sandwiches.
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1206
Niima Soba: Modern Okinawa Soba
Okinawa · Casual Dining
A highly sought-after soba shop on Miyako Island, known for its unique house-made wavy noodles and a rich, smoky broth that blends tradition with a ramen-like depth. Getting a seat requires signing up on a list early in the morning.
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1207
Ri En: Local Chinese with a Tomato Twist
Kanagawa · Casual Dining
A beloved family-run Chinese restaurant in Yokohama's Hongocho district, famous for its unique tomato-based dishes like tomato tanmen and beef-tomato fried rice. A local favourite worth the trip for its hearty, distinctive flavours.
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1208
Metzgerei Kusuda Ashiya: Artisan German Charcuterie
Hyōgo · Delicatessen (Deli)
A celebrated German-style butcher and deli in Ashiya, renowned for its handmade sausages, pâtés, and terrines. The tiny eat-in space serves a famous hot dog and plated dishes, making it a destination for charcuterie lovers.
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1209
Alpenrose: Classic Hotel Dining in Kamikochi
Nagano · Casual Dining
A casual restaurant on the first floor of the historic Kamikochi Imperial Hotel, serving the hotel's signature European-style dishes. It's the place to try the famous beef curry or hashed beef omurice in a unique mountain-lodge setting after a day…
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1212
400°C PIZZA Kyoto: Unique High-Hydration Pizza
Kyoto · Pizzeria
A modern pizzeria in a renovated Kyoto machiya, known for its unique high-hydration dough baked at high temperature. The signature FNT pizza with blue cheese and honey makes it a destination for pizza lovers.
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1214
Korean Pusan: Authentic Home-Style Feasts
Hyōgo · Casual Dining
In Amagasaki, near Tachibana Station, Korean Pusan (韓国料理 釜山) offers a legendary Korean home-feast experience. It's famous for a table-spanning spread of over 20 side dishes, but securing a table requires booking months in advance.
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1217
Chinese Sai Oil: Sichuan Mapo Tofu Specialist
Osaka · Casual Dining
A Sichuan specialist in Osaka's Fukushima district, famous for one thing: a deeply aromatic mapo tofu. Visitors queue for its complex, numbing spice and surprising sweetness, a signature dish that has earned it a loyal following.
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1218
Seabura no Kami Mibu honten: Rich Back-Fat and Niboshi Ramen
Kyoto · Casual Dining
A celebrated Kyoto ramen shop specializing in a rich but balanced broth of rendered pork back-fat (seabura) and dried sardines (niboshi). Located in the Mibu district, it's a top choice for intense, flavourful ramen.
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1219
Gunjo: Daily-Specialty Ramen & Tsukemen
Osaka · Casual Dining
This tiny, six-seat counter in Osaka's Tenjinbashi district is famed for serving just one unique bowl of ramen or tsukemen each day. It's a destination for noodle connoisseurs drawn by its exceptional house-made wheat blends and inventive…
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1221
Ore no Ramen Appare Ya: Creamy Espuma-Style Ramen
Kyoto · Casual Dining
A destination ramen shop in Joyo, south of Kyoto, famous for its creamy, whipped fish-and-pork broth and exceptional house-made noodles. It's worth the trip for the limited-edition 'Super Tsukemen', a theatrical platter of noodles and peppered roast…
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1222
Meiji Tei Komagane honten: Nagano's Famous Sauce Katsudon
Nagano · Casual Dining
The Komagane flagship of Meiji Tei, famous for its enormous 'sauce katsudon' — a deep-fried pork cutlet on rice, so large the bowl's lid won't close. A popular stop for its hearty portions and signature sweet sauce.
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1223
Ichiwa Ichimonjiya Wasuke: Historic Aburi-Mochi Teahouse
Kyoto · Dessert Shop
At this 1,000-year-old teahouse by Kyoto's Imamiya Shrine, experience a single, perfected specialty: aburi-mochi. These small, skewered rice cakes are grilled over charcoal and served with a sweet white miso sauce.
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1224
QUATTRO: Classic Kobe Yoshoku
Hyōgo · Casual Dining
A celebrated yoshoku restaurant in Kobe's Motomachi district, famous for its signature barrel-shaped croquettes and rich demi-glace sauce. It's a prime destination for classic Japanese-style Western comfort food, but expect long queues at lunch.
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