The Japanese capital already topped the list of cities with the most Michelin-starred establishments. In the recently updated Michelin Guide, the metropolis has a whopping 504 restaurants, including Bib Gourmand and Green Star nominations. Of those 504, 142 received a Michelin Plate distinction but no stars or other awards. Don't be fooled — these restaurants still provide a stellar dining experience and are worth your consideration.
Tokyo eateries featured in the Michelin Guide boast great Japanese cuisine ranging from sushi to kaiseki. It's impossible to fit every Michelin-starred or Michelin Guide-worthy restaurant in a single Tokyo trip, but we recommend squeezing at least one or two into your itinerary. With a list so long as 504, it can be hard to decide where to go. To get you started, we've compiled a list of Tokyo restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide to consider for your next visit. For easy skimming, we've grouped our recommendations into sections: sushi, nihon ryori (including kaiseki), and yakitori.
Michelin Guide Sushi Restaurants in Tokyo
Forty-eight sushi restaurants were recognized in the latest Michelin Guide. Here is a selection of three establishments and why we recommend them to traveling foodies.
Nishiazabu Sushi Shin
If you're looking for sushi crafted to perfection by the hands of an expert, head to Nishiazabu Sushi Shin. Chef Shintaro Suzuki personally inspects the catch of the day at the market each morning, rejecting any that fail to meet his lofty standards. "Only fish that have been treated with care are flavorful enough," he says, testing the texture of each fish by hand.
So exacting is he that his staff even use different brushes to apply soy sauce to various nigiri, depending on the fish. For instance, tuna belly contains pungent oils that would otherwise overpower the taste of a more neutral fish. To use the same brush to apply sauce to both would be equivalent to contamination.
This eye for detail has cemented Sushi Shin in the annals of Japanese culinary history: When the Michelin Guide first expanded to Japan, it was one of the first sushi restaurants to be awarded a Star.
Want to taste Chef Suzuki's delicious sushi for yourself? Reserve your seat at Nishiazabu Sushi Shin on byFood.
Sushi Kanesaka
Three pillars prop up the philosophy of service at Sushi Kanesaka, located inside Tokyo’s Palace Hotel: premium ingredients, attentive service, and skilled preparation. It may seem a simple approach, but the care with which they attend to all three aspects goes above the norm. The proprietors here compare sushi with the art of calligraphy: it’s easy to create the basic forms, but true skill and attention can bring out altogether more beautiful results. This means that the chefs pay attention to the ingredients' temperature, moisture, and ripeness to ensure the best balance of flavor.
Sushidoroko Shigeru
Awarded a Bib Gourmand, Sushidokoro Shigeru is a quaint sushi restaurant with a friendly atmosphere. The chef prepares every course item with care and precision, and his experience shows in his swift mastery of the knives. Patrons come to sample his exemplary nigiri sushi. The price of an omakase course here only sets you back ¥6,500, making this an absolute must-visit if you want to eat well on a budget.
Michelin Guide Nihon Ryori Restaurants in Tokyo
While you'll find many French, Spanish, and Italian Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo, if you're in Japan, you should also try to make time for a dinner at a Michelin Guide-recommended nihon ryori establishment. These eateries are the crème de la crème when it comes to traditional Japanese cuisine.
Tanimoto
Simplicity and delicacy. These are the two hallmarks that define Chef Seiji Tanimoto's cuisine. He opened his eponymous restaurant in 2017 and earned his first Michelin Star two years later. The foundation of all Japanese cuisine is dashi, and Chef Tanimoto's kaiseki is no exception. Sourcing the ingredients from all over Japan, he combines them to present a gustatory picture of the mountains, the sea, and Japan's four seasons, all through the myriad flavors of a single seasonal dish. "Soups are the flower of Japanese cuisine," he says, which is why his menus place so much emphasis on them.
The restaurant relocated to its current Kagurazaka location in September 2023, and in the updated guide, Tanimoto keeps his accolade.
Tsunokamizaka Koshiba
Seasonal cuisine is big in Japan. Whether it's for the return of wild geese in spring or autumn's first descent of fog, Tsunokamizaka Koshiba's head chef and owner, Takeshi Koshiba, carefully imbues each of his menus with the spirit of the current micro-season. Like a painter or writer, Chef Koshiba uses cuisine to preserve an exact moment in time only as a chef of his caliber could, using hyper-seasonal ingredients and careful preparation techniques centered around binchotan charcoal grilling.
To dine at Tsunokamizaka Koshiba's hinoki cypress counter is to partake in an experience that leaves one with a full stomach and a heightened appreciation for the essence of Japanese cuisine.
Sakuragi
Chef Sakuragi imbues his establishment with a homey sense of care. A made-to-order approach to cuisine allows diners to slowly relish in the moment and space as the chef tenaciously prepares each of the 10 courses. Pair your meal with fine wine, sake, and Ebisu beer, all chosen to elevate the ingredients and dishes of the day.
Sakuragi has been on the radar of many foodies, and this recognition from the illustrious guide only confirms this eatery should be on your bucket list.
Hungry yet? Reserve a table at Sakuragi on byFood.
Guchokuni
Guchokuni translates to "simple honesty." This pretty much sums up Chef Masato Otsuka's culinary commitment. He and his team showcase this in this one-star Michelin restaurant by taking a creative approach to traditional Japanese cuisine. Seasonal dishes feature ingredients sourced directly and thoughtfully from local farms and small-batch producers, and every bite is an ode to simplicity, authenticity, and quality.
Guchokuni offers an extensive selection of dishes that range from turnip soup or burdock root to Sarashina soba. The chef cuts and plates each dish for guests, and the restaurant creates an intimate and engaging dining experience.
Michelin Guide Yakitori Restaurants in Tokyo
The Michelin Guide also contains subgenres of Japanese cuisine like tonkatsu, soba, and ramen, often with the Bib Gourmand label. Yakitori restaurants are also featured in the Michelin Guide, with 11 Tokyo establishments making the list this year. Here are our three favorite spots for delicious Japanese chicken.
Yakitori Omino
Yakitori Omino has raised the bar when it comes to this classic Japanese bar food. The Michelin-starred restaurant uses exclusively Fukushima free-range chicken, using every part of the animal. The space offers a good view of the kitchen so that you can see the staff at work, and the seating areas are well-ventilated so that it doesn't get too smoky. Be warned: If you'd rather avoid eating raw chicken, tell the staff when they sit you.
Torishiki
Along with Yakitori Omino, Torishiki is the only other yakitori restaurant awarded a Michelin Star at the time of writing. Located only a short walk from Meguro Station along Tokyo's Yamanote Line, Torishiki is a chic establishment that offers high-level comfort food.
To eat at Torishiki requires a bit of planning, as the restaurant only sits twelve and is said to have a two-month waiting list. So, if you know your dates, see if you can't book your place.
Yakitori Sanka
Diners come first at Yakitori Sanka. Here, the chef takes a unique approach to yakitori, assembling every skewer to suit the customer's preferences and drink orders for the best experience. Think of it like wine or sake pairing but with yakitori. The Michelin Guide writes, "he starts beer drinkers off with chicken breast and wine tipplers with chicken heart." If that doesn't sound like the perfect yakitori dinner, we don't know what is.
More Michelin-Starred Recommendations
The above recommendations are but the tip of the iceberg of the incredible selection of Tokyo restaurants in the Michelin Guide. You'll also find Michelin-starred restaurants in Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka.
If you're visiting Kyoto, we've got you covered: check out one of these eight affordable Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand-recommended restaurants.
