Takadanobaba (west side)
Open 5pm-midnight (Sun -11pm) daily.
The first-rate grilled pork at Teruteru is matched by a serious selection of craft sake, including many seasonal choices. Pork skewers start at just Y100, with more than a dozen different organ...
Open 5pm-midnight (Sun -11pm) daily.
Open 11am-3, 5-10:30pm daily.
This attractively appointed branch of a Tottori-based shop serves organic ramen in a beefy shio-style soup. The drinks menu features a house-brand organic junmaishu sake from Akita as well as beer...
Open 11am-3, 5-10:30pm daily.
Open 10am-9pm daily.
Unlike the nearby Banh Mi Sandwich shop, Xin Chao offers indoor seats - six of them in all - where you can enjoy your meal. They serve eight different sandwiches as well as Rice Paper Salad...
Open 10am-9pm daily.
Open 11am-10pm. Closed Sundays.
One of several banh mi shops in this part of Takadanobaba, Ngon Ngon also serves pho, and they're furnished with fifteen seats if you want to eat here rather than take out. There are six sandwich...
Open 11am-10pm. Closed Sundays.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6pm-1am (Sun -8pm) daily.
The unusual chicken ramen here is topped with lettuce, tomato and olive oil.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6pm-1am (Sun -8pm) daily.
Open 11am-8pm (Sat -6pm). Closed Sundays, Mondays.
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...
Open 11am-8pm (Sat -6pm). Closed Sundays, Mondays.
Open 5-11pm (LO; Sat, Sun noon-11) daily.
Yet another bar from the Shizuoka-based Baird Brewery, Takadanobaba Taproom offers the usual range of more than twenty Baird beers on tap in a casual space. Like the other Taprooms around town, the...
Open 5-11pm (LO; Sat, Sun noon-11) daily.
Open 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Yakitori and yakiton (grilled pork on skewers) are the specialities at this inexpensive izakaya. Budget around Y2000-2500 for food and drink.
Open 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Good home-style Burmese cuisine is served at this extremely casual restaurant on Takadanobaba's lively shotengai. Mohinga (rice noodles in catfish soup) is recommended, as is the rather spicy Tea...
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Takadanobaba (east side)
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Tsukemen is the specialty here; it comes in three different sizes, but they're all the same price - Y720.
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Open 4pm-midnight (LO; Fri, Sat -2am LO). Closed Sundays.
Late-night cocktails, jazz, light meals, and garlic chips in a relaxed neighborhood bar. Some outdoor seating.
Open 4pm-midnight (LO; Fri, Sat -2am LO). Closed Sundays.
Open 11am-2:30, 5-9:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun -8:30) daily.
Indo-style Japanese curries are the specialty here, served in a variety of styles. Bombay curry and Kashmir curry are the two most famous dishes, and for Y1500 you can compare them side by side.
Open 11am-2:30, 5-9:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun -8:30) daily.
Open 10am-11pm (LO) daily.
My Curry offers its own distinctive versions of European-style beef curries, katsu (pork cutlet) curries, omu-rice (fried-rice omelet) curries and Indo-Japanese butter-chicken curries. You can...
Open 10am-11pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-4am (LO) daily.
Late-night cocktails and snacks, with jazz in the background. Terrace seating is available on the first and second-floor cafe areas.
Open 11:30am-4am (LO) daily.
Open noon-midnight daily.
A hole-in-the-wall bar serving Shan-style cuisine, which draws on influences from neighboring Yunnan and Sichuan in China. The adventurous may want to try the Shan-Iei (Y400) - a...
Open noon-midnight daily.
Open 6pm-midnight (Sat, Sun 7pm-). Closed Tuesdays.
If you're looking for a pleasant cilantro specialty bar with owls, look no further than this popular counter bar in Takadanobaba. The diverse menu features original dishes like an invigorating...
Open 6pm-midnight (Sat, Sun 7pm-). Closed Tuesdays.
Open 11am-midnight daily.
A steady stream of students and local residents flip open their laptops and settle in for an afternoon of work or study at this well-populated three-story cafe. There's free wifi, with some window...
Open 11am-midnight daily.
Open 5pm-2am daily.
The draw at this chain of casual neighborhood wine bars is simple - decent-quality wines and snacks at a reasonable price. Generally a glass of wine and a small snack - such as pork rillettes or...
Open 5pm-2am daily.
Toyoda's Cheese Steak - American: Takadanobaba
Open 11am-10pm daily.
The tiny original branch of Toyoda's in Hatagaya makes the best Philadelphia-style cheesesteak sandwiches in town, so the opening of a larger branch in Takadanobaba is a welcome development.
Open 11am-10pm daily.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5pm-midnight daily.
Ruby is a friendly place that attracts a lively crowd of drinkers and eaters. They have a complete Japanese-language menu, listing some Malaysian-style dishes like satay in addition to a full range...
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5pm-midnight daily.
Open 11am-midnight daily.
The deep-fried whole chickens at this Shanghai-based chain are audibly crunchy, with a thick coating and succulent, juicy meat. Each order is customizable with your choice of flavorings like mala...
Open 11am-midnight daily.
Open 11am-10pm daily.
Nyankoto has some of the prettiest cats in town - all thirteen of the residents have impressive pedigrees, and the two frisky Exotic Shorthair kittens were especially cute. The little booklet...
Open 11am-10pm daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 5-11pm (LO) daily.
A very casual, home-style restaurant with many Burmese customers. You can assemble a hearty meal or a light snack from the extensive menu of small dishes - some 50 appetizers, salads, meat dishes,...
Open 11:30am-3, 5-11pm (LO) daily.
Open noon-midnight daily.
An old-fashioned "jazz kissa" where you can nurse your drink and nod your head to the music for hours on end. They also host live sessions on weekends, and sometimes on weeknights as well.
Open noon-midnight daily.
Open 4pm-5am daily.
This cheap and cheerful late-night izakaya serves decent yakitori and izakaya fare and very cheap beer. The sprawling dining areas are usually crowded with Waseda students.
Open 4pm-5am daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-9pm (Sat, Sun 11:30-9). Closed Mondays.
Takadanobaba is considered a bit of a ramen battle zone. Through the years, many shops have opened and closed, and to have a successful shop in this part of Tokyo is considered a great feat. ...
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-9pm (Sat, Sun 11:30-9). Closed Mondays.
Open 11am-2am (Fri, Sat -4am) daily.
A branch of the famous Hakata ramen chain, featuring thin, slightly chewy noodles in a pork-based broth ("red" or "white"), with or without extra chashu. You can add your own freshly grated garlic.
Open 11am-2am (Fri, Sat -4am) daily.
Open 11am-1am daily.
Great, cheap noodles and crowds of Waseda students. Noodles are served in several different thicknesses and styles.
Open 11am-1am daily.
Open 11:30am-11:45pm daily.
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,...
Open 11:30am-11:45pm daily.
Waseda
Open 11:30am-10pm daily.
Like other soup curry shops in town, Rakkyo Brothers offers standard curry bowls and some unusual variations, such as their cheeseburger-inspired Gouda Cheese and Hamburg Steak. If you're especially...
Open 11:30am-10pm daily.
Open 11:30am-1:30, 5-11pm (LO; Sat, Sun -10). Closed Sundays.
Kinari serves first-rate charcoal-grilled chicken along with seasonal vegetables and side dishes in a comfortable, stylish dining room. Highlights from the grill include chicken wings, momo (thigh...
Open 11:30am-1:30, 5-11pm (LO; Sat, Sun -10). Closed Sundays.
Okubo
Open 11am-5am daily.
This late-night branch of the popular Tsukiji-based budget sushi chain offers good value for money.
Open 11am-5am daily.
Open 9:30am-10:30pm daily.
One of the better-stocked international grocery stores in town, this spacious second-floor shop carries a wide range of prepared foods and ingredients from Thailand. Shop for fresh vegetables and...
Open 9:30am-10:30pm daily.
Open 8am-10:45pm daily.
Meats and sausages, frozen goods, pouches of samgetan (chicken-ginseng soup) and spicy chige stews, and several different varieties of makkoli (Korean milky sake) are among the many imported foods...
Open 8am-10:45pm daily.
Open 4-11:30pm (Fri, Sat -3am) daily.
The unusual specialty of the house is Korean futomaki - fat sushi rolls filled with vegetables, bulgogi, cheese, kimchee, glutinous black rice - some ten variations in all, including a sampler set if...
Open 4-11:30pm (Fri, Sat -3am) daily.
Open 9am-11pm daily.
Not quite as large as the nearby Kankoku Hiroba, this popular Korean grocery store offers housewares as well as a big selection of imported food and drink, including fresh produce.
Open 9am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-1am daily.
This popular Korean fried chicken specialty restaurant serves a bewildering array of chicken variations with different spice and sauce combinations. Crispy fried chicken, regular sauce chicken,...
Open 11am-1am daily.
Open noon-4am daily.
Part of the popular Toriyoshi chain, this late-night branch offers a wider menu of izakaya fare, with everything from fried wontons to macaroni salad. At the core of the menu you'll find their...
Open noon-4am daily.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
This festively decorated restaurant has a Southeast Asian resort theme and a menu offering Vietnamese, Thai and other nearby cuisines. Budget around Y2500 for food and drink.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 11:30am-11pm (LO) daily.
The main branch of this popular Thai restaurant is simply called Khun Mae and is located a few doors down the road; the confusingly named Khun Mae 1 handles some of the overflow. (Apparently they...
Open 11:30am-11pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 3-11pm (LO) daily.
One of Okubo's better Thai restaurants; budget around Y3000-4000 at dinnertime.
Open 11:30am-3, 3-11pm (LO) daily.
Open 5pm-midnight daily.
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...
Open 5pm-midnight daily.
Open 9am-2am daily.
While we love the Korean barbecue joints, Thai restaurants and Middle-Eastern food markets of Okubo, this stylish but budget-friendly wine bar makes a nice change of pace. Wines by the glass are...
Open 9am-2am daily.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Better-than-average Vietnamese fare is served at this popular cafe-restaurant. Budget around Y4-5000 at dinnertime for food and drink. At midday they offer three voluminous set lunches priced at...
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-11pm daily.
Nicely textured noodles in a tasty fish-based broth are topped off with excellent home-made menma (pickled bamboo shoots). They also offer a rather novel ramen pizza.
Open 11:30am-11pm daily.
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