This charming neighborhood spot serves creative, upscale bistro fare in a pleasant setting and at reasonable prices. Some of our favorite dishes have included a very meaty plate of pork rillettes and liver mousse, a lively bonito carpaccio on a bed of couscous, and excellent homemade boudin blanc sausages. The excellent rum caramel creme is also worth a try. Prix-fixe menus start at Y3500 for dinner, Y1800 at lunchtime.

This gorgeously appointed izakaya serves Hokkaido cuisine - top-grade charcoal-grilled seafood, meats and vegetables as well as assorted sushi. Pretty much everything we've tried has been excellent, including very tasty grilled lamb and chicken, eggplant, shiitake and bamboo shoots. Also highly recommended dish is the "hassan set" - eight bite-sized seasonal delicacies served on seasonally appropriate pottery (Y1480 per person).

The drinks menu features more than a dozen local Hokkaido sake, and three-part tasting flights (Y1260) are a nice way to try them out. (There's also a shochu tasting flight.) The spacious counter is the best place to sit for 1-3 people; there are also tables overlooking the refurbished Tokyo Station and comfortable private rooms. Budget around Y6500 for dinner and drinks. Lunch starts at Y1000, and is served until 5pm.

Ezo venison, salmon, scallops, potatoes and mountain vegetables - all freshly imported from Hokkaido - are prepared in simple fashion to bring out their wholesome, natural flavors here at Tokyo's only Ainu restaurant. Similar to Hokkaido country-style cooking, Ainu cuisine uses a bit more garlic, ginger and spices while focusing on seasonal local vegetables and other ingredients.

Some standout dishes include a stunning grilled venison with ponzu (even better than the venison steak); pan-fried scallops, asparagus and bacon; and garlic fried rice with scallops and mustard greens. We also loved the gyoza dumplings stuffed with kitopiro, a wild garlic-like grass similar to nira and only one of the several mysterious food names on the menu that we had to ask about.

Drinks include a few different Hokkaido sakes as well as shochu and beer. Like many of its neighboring Okubo shops, HaruKor features extremely casual decor and cheap prices - budget around Y2500 for food and drink.

Retro-chic furnishings and a comfortable, laid-back atmosphere are the attractions at this cute neighborhood cafe. The soundtrack ranges from bossa nova to sixties rock, and the drinks list features simple cocktails, nice herbal teas and interesting coffee variations.

Slow-smoked American-style barbecue is the specialty here, to stay or to go. Pork belly and back ribs are prepared with a spicy rub, while the richly flavored beef brisket is livened up by an espresso rub. Side dishes include a spicy and meat-filled chili-bean soup, nice tangy cole slaw, and smoked sausages.

B & Loin's casual decor is a cross between beer bar and upscale burger shop, with rolls of paper towels on the tables for your convenience. The BBQ meats are priced at Y500-600 per 100 grams, while craft beers on draft (Brooklyn Lager from New York and Tokyo's own TY Harbor IPA) are Y900 per pint.

At lunchtime Y800 will get you a BBQ "burger" - actually a choice of one of four BBQ meats served on a bun, along with chili soup and cole slaw; beverages are an additional Y100. There's also a generous party plan in the evenings - all you can eat plus an open bar for Y5000.

The first Tokyo "artisanal bakery" from famous French baker Gontran Cherrier produces first-rate breads, pastries and sandwiches. The selection includes some interesting Japanese-inspired items like yuzu cheesecake and curry baguettes.

There's also a rather nice "bread and wine cafeteria" upstairs, serving charcuterie plates and other light French fare in the evening.

One of the specialties of the house at this first-rate tempura counter is anago, served with a tasty golden-brown coating that's thicker than average and satisfyingly crunchy. Prix-fixe dinners are Y5,000, Y7,000 and Y10,000, with reasonably priced sake and wines to accompany your meal. Voluminous deluxe donburi lunches are a bargain at Y1700-2000.

Original recipes, unique flavors and ample use of fresh seasonal vegetables help Yamituki stand out in the highly competitive Japanese curry landscape. Umami-rich ingredients like ripe tomatoes, cheese and coconut milk add depth and bring out the individual flavors of the curries' vegetable and meat ingredients.

Some popular options (from Y730) are oysters and spinach with baked cheese; ripe tomato, eggplant and chicken; and pork-cabbage. (There are also seasonal specials.) Extra toppings (mostly Y100) include corn, bamboo shoots, coriander, garlic shoots and tofu. Lunch is served until 4pm.

Great New York-style pizza, by the slice or by the pie, to stay or to go. Slices are substantial in size - two slices with a side salad will make a decent meal - and large pies are a full 18 inches in diameter. They come with an extensive selection of toppings, which you can customize to your heart's content (we highly recommend the Italian sausage).

You can also choose from several kinds of calzone and stromboli - the Calzone Supreme (Y950), for example, is stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, onions, garlic, red peppers and capicola. Side dishes include Buffalo wings and homemade chili, and there's regular or chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Beer and wine are Y500/glass, as are cocktails, and shots of various liquors are just Y300 if you're so inclined.

The classic pizza-shop interior features red-checked tablecloths, upon which you'll find shakers of red-pepper flakes and oregano. A large-screen TV shows NBA and MLB games, and there are a few outdoor tables out front. Slices start at Y375 (most are Y425 or Y450), and pies start at Y2400.

With its sleek decor and lush wall of greenery, this is one of the more pleasant and relaxing spots along Kotto-dori to stop for a midday snack. Charcoal-grilled burgers (from Y450) are served with gourmet bacon and organic vegetables, including an interesting avocado-wasabi topping. There are also a couple of vegetable sandwiches, and smoothies in flavors like fresh tomato, komatsuna-banana, green tea and espresso.

Gourmet pancakes are the big draw at this popular Oregon-based breakfast restaurant, where they come in interesting variations like Banana-Chocolate Chip with Raspberry Jam; and Roast Mushrooms, Scallions and Cheddar Cheese. In fact you're encouraged to devise your own custom combination of sweet or savory ingredients, ten optional toppings (lemon-curd, whipped-cream), and choice of batter (buttermilk, whole-grain or peanut-butter).

If you're not in a pancake mood, they also put together original concoctions like their Slappy Benedict (with sauteed spinach, prosciutto, pureed roast garlic, sun-dried tomatoes) and Vegetable Scramble (squash, leeks, kale, blue cheese), plus more meaty choices like the Slider Plate (spicy mini-burgers) and country-fried steak.

The Pork-belly Benedict comes in a decent-sized double-muffin configuration, along with a generous helping of roast potatoes. The flavorful pork-belly confit is complemented by tart cider-marinated cabbage strips and a creamy Hollandaise sauce livened up with bacon fat. The potatoes are properly roasted, resulting in crisp skins and soft centers.

Slappy Cakes' blintzes make a nice dessert after a savory main - they're filled with tangy, custard-like lemon-cream cheese, dusted with powdered sugar, and buried under a seasonal fruit topping (ours was a sweet blueberry jam). The drinks menu offers assorted brunch-friendly cocktails - Apple Toddy, Lavender Fizz, Marypolitan - as well as wines and amber ale from Oregon. Espresso is churned out by serious-looking Italian-made machinery.

The decor has an updated American-diner feel to it - spacious counter, Formica-top tables and a handful of large booths equipped with pancake griddles. The soundtrack is mainly 1940s vocal jazz (Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra) with a bit of R&B thrown in.

Because of its department-store location the restaurant doesn't open until 11am, but breakfast is served all day from then until 10pm.

This simply named shop sells freshly made Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches in several enticing varieties, including roast pork (our current favorite), grilled chicken with honey and lemongrass, ham and liver paste, shrimp avocado, and vegetable-cheese, all served on fresh-baked bread with crunchy, not-too-sour pickled vegetables.

Sandwiches are Y500, and you can spring for extra coriander, liver paste, etc. for a little more. They also sell fresh-baked rolls in various flavors for Y130. There's a tiny open-air seating area out front, but most customers are here for take-out.

Yes, it's yet another pancake restaurant, this one offering unusual variations like ham-and-cheese; caramel-ginger; apple-turnover; and a spicy Latin pancake. The ham-and-cheese pancake was a meal in itself, studded with big juicy chunks of ham and served with mashed potatoes, a small salad, and an excellent iced coffee for Y1550 in total.

If for some reason you're not in a pancake mood you can also opt for burgers (beef or mahi mahi), herb-chicken sandwiches, or maple-bacon donuts. After 6pm there are even more intriguing side dishes like Greek lentils with spiced yogurt dip; fig-flavored pork chops with pineapple sauce; and deep-fried mozzarella balls with salmon, potatoes and green-pea puree.

There's also a good selection of cocktails and other drinks. The spacious second-floor interior is quite cheerful, with a festive yellow-and-blue color scheme and beach-themed artwork decorating the walls. The original shop is down on the beach in Zushi.