Tokyo remains one of the world’s most compelling food cities, not only because it has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city, but because of the sheer breadth of what it offers. According to the report, the city treats a quick bowl of soba with the same seriousness as a months-ahead sushi reservation, and recent openings continue to broaden that range. Among the examples highlighted are an Italian-trained chef in Kagurazaka who ends an omakase with pizza, a compact yakitori counter in Ebisu that grills over both wood fire and charcoal, and a Ginza breakfast service from Natsuko Shoji, Asia’s Best Female Chef 2022.
The list of 42 restaurants was assembled independently by Condé Nast Traveler editors and reviewed with help from a local contributor who has visited each place. The selection spans high-end and affordable dining, with attention paid to standout dishes, location, service, and also inclusivity and sustainability. The guide is updated as new restaurants open and as existing ones change.
From understated counters to dramatic hotel dining rooms
Among the featured restaurants is Miyawaki in Mita, a discreet spot whose calm dining room hides a kitchen focused on seasonal ingredients and careful technique. Chef Kenta Miyawaki shops at Toyosu each morning and builds menus around what looks best, from a lunchtime set with charcoal-grilled unagi and donabe rice to seasonal omakase dinners that shift with the weather. The wine list is also unusually deep for the setting, with Burgundy, Bordeaux, and a few bottles from outside France.
In Shibuya, Suba VS brings a Kyoto soba concept to Tokyo in a spare, concrete space with no obvious signage. Guests order at a small window and return their bowls when finished. The noodles are delicate, and the toppings lean inventive, including Shinji Lake clams with green mandarin oil and a Shibuya-only chicken tempura seasoned with “Mao Zedong spice.” Its signature dish is beef soba topped with an onsen egg. At the other end of the spectrum, Bulgari Il Ristorante Niko Romito occupies the 40th floor of the Bulgari Hotel in Yaesu, where large windows look toward the Imperial Palace. The restaurant reflects Niko Romito’s minimalist approach, with Tokyo-specific dishes such as linguine with wagyu sauce and braised Ise-ebi lobster with buckwheat tea and chili pepper.
Together, the restaurants in the guide show how Tokyo’s dining culture keeps expanding beyond any single idea of Japanese cuisine. The report suggests that the city’s appeal now lies as much in its global influences and neighborhood variety as in its classic traditions.
Source: cntraveler.com