Yoyogi station
Open 11:30am-3, 5-11pm. Closed Mondays.
The modern, stylishly decorated Somtum Der has a more cosmopolitan feel to it than most Tokyo Thai restaurants, and indeed it has an impressive international pedigree, with branches in New York,...
Open 11:30am-3, 5-11pm. Closed Mondays.
Open 5pm-2am (Fri -3am) daily.
A chain of neighborhood wine bars, Vivo offers decent wines at inexpensive prices (from Y500), with a rotating selection of ten wines by the glass. If you're hungry, there are cheeses, cured meats...
Open 5pm-2am (Fri -3am) daily.
Open 11:30am-9pm (Sat, Sun -7) daily.
This laid-back local cafe plays a soundtrack of acid jazz and serves well-stuffed sandwiches along with gourmet coffee and desserts. The sandwich selection features appetizing choices like warm...
Open 11:30am-9pm (Sat, Sun -7) daily.
Open 5:30-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Kyushu pork shabu-shabu from Y3500; Hokkaido lamb from Y4000; Wagyu beef from Y5000.
Open 5:30-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 24 hours a day.
This reliable izakaya chain is known for their good, voluminous seafood donburi dishes and their budget-friendly prices for food and drink. They are open 24 hours a day.
Open 24 hours a day.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5pm-midnight daily.
Oriental Table Ama serves good, reliable Nepalese and Indian curries along with crowd-pleasing pan-Asian side dishes (momo dumplings, Thai fishcakes, spicy lamb skewers, samosa, sate). The...
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5pm-midnight daily.
Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.
Nicely prepared Vietnamese fare. The dining room is fairly ordinary, but the terrace is pleasant in warm weather.
Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 3-11.30pm daily.
One of Tokyo's pioneering craft-beer specialty bars, Watering Hole has built up a loyal following with their well-curated tap list and their convivial atmosphere. The four-glass tasting flights...
Open 3-11.30pm daily.
Open 5-11pm (LO) daily.
Located in the thriving izakaya-filled back alleys southeast of Yoyogi Station, Haretoke offers a fantastic sake list and a menu heavily focused on meat, and horsemeat in particular. You can choose...
Open 5-11pm (LO) daily.
Jingumae 2-chome
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-8:30pm (LO) daily.
Having conquered the worlds of music and fashion, "A Bathing Ape" founder Nigo has turned his attention to curry rice. The small Curry Up shop on the northern edge of Harajuku was designed by...
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-8:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 4-10pm. Closed Mon, Tue.
Run by a local bakery, this tiny (4.5-mat) neighborhood bar serves five beers on tap along with three kinds of sake, Talisker whiskey and gourmet coffee. The rotating beer roster features Japanese...
Open 4-10pm. Closed Mon, Tue.
Open 4-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Inexpensive sashimi and other fish dishes, offering good quality for the price. There's an assortment of premium sake brands as well as shochu to drink. (Formerly called Higashi-no-17.) Cash only.
Open 4-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Open 8pm-2am. Closed Sundays.
This tiny, funky ten-seat bar run by Guam native Jamie Skye attracts a mostly local crowd, both Japanese and foreign. Music ranges from String Cheese Incident to Style Council to Scandinavian jazz.
Open 8pm-2am. Closed Sundays.
Open 8pm-1am. Closed Sundays.
This comfortable sofa-furnished lounge attracts a Japanese hipster crowd and features jazzy DJs and occasional live performances; there's also a tiny art gallery and chill space upstairs. The hidden...
Open 8pm-1am. Closed Sundays.
Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-10:30pm (LO). Closed Thursdays.
Skillful Italian cooking in a casual but comfortable trattoria setting. Main courses include game in season, and the finest small-farm-raised meats and regional seafood year-round. There's a good...
Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-10:30pm (LO). Closed Thursdays.
Open 3-9:30pm. Closed Sundays.
This small neighborhood shop stocks a good selection of wines from around the world, sold at very reasonable prices.
Open 3-9:30pm. Closed Sundays.
Open 6pm-1am (Sun 3-10pm). Closed Mondays.
More suited to chilling out than carousing, this quiet neighborhood bar plays prog-rock and is furnished with bookcases overflowing with poetry books, with an emphasis on the Beat era. Decorated in...
Open 6pm-1am (Sun 3-10pm). Closed Mondays.
Open 11:30am-2, 6-9:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Well-prepared Hungarian food and an excellent selection of around 40-50 Hungarian wines, mostly under Y10,000 and mostly served by the glass. The dining space has an old-fashioned European air about...
Open 11:30am-2, 6-9:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Kita-Sando
Open 8am-7pm daily.
Grilled-cheese "melt" sandwiches are the specialty of the house here, and the Blue-Cheese Melt is especially recommended. It's got just enough blue cheese in the blend to give it some bite, but not...
Open 8am-7pm daily.
Open 11am-8pm daily.
A very pleasant garden-style cafe with decent food and drink.
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Open 8:30am-6pm daily.
Serious espresso is served at this tiny neighborhood kiosk, and the friendly staff are happy to talk coffee all day long. A single espresso is Y150 while a large cafe latte is Y420; they also do...
Open 8:30am-6pm daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm (LO) daily.
This cozy American-style gourmet diner serves one of the few lamb burgers in town, and they do a terrific job. With minimal dressing on the burger, it's all about the very flavorful meat,...
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-2, 5-9:30pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
This is the kind of unpretentious neighborhood trattoria that we love, serving good grilled meats and nice pastas, with some reasonably priced wines. Budget around Y6,000-8,000 for food and drink at...
Open 11:30am-2, 5-9:30pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
North of Takeshita-dori
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Attached to an experimental art gallery called Design Festa, Sakuratei is definitely the most artsy okonomiyaki shop in town, and it attracts a young Bohemian-leaning crowd. The menu offers some...
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
This unusual cafe-bar sits in the courtyard of a very bohemian art-gallery space called Tokyo Design Festa. There's a small indoor section where you stand around overturned barrel-tables, and an...
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 11:30-2, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
A popular neighborhood hangout with good mid-level Taiwanese cooking. (Saturdays, Sundays dinner only.)
Open 11:30-2, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 10am-5:30pm (LO) daily.
This laid-back daytime-only Harajuku cafe serves as the atelier of latte artist Kazuki Yamamoto, one of the pioneers of 3D foam latte art. (Read our profile of the artist and his work at our sister...
Open 10am-5:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-3, 3-9pm (LO) daily.
Excellent burgers and sandwiches, good American craft beers by the bottle, and outdoor terrace seating are some of the attractions at this stylish all-day burger joint in the heart of Harajuku.
Open 11am-3, 3-9pm (LO) daily.
Open noon-11pm (LO) daily.
Run by the United Arrows fashion company, this stylish little bar offers an extensive cocktail selection along with light snacks in the evening. In the daytime they offer a solid lunch menu until...
Open noon-11pm (LO) daily.
Open 8-11:15am, 11:30am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Gourmet hot dogs are the specialty here, but they also offer a good selection of Japanese craft beers, including interesting small breweries like Sankt Gallen and Baird. The hot dogs are made from...
Open 8-11:15am, 11:30am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 6-8pm (LO) daily.
Sometimes a menu looks so good that you just want to order everything on it. The "Hokkaido Special" soup curry here is the next best thing. Your bowl of spicy soup comes fully loaded with pork...
Open 11:30am-3, 6-8pm (LO) daily.
Takeshita-dori
Open 11am-11pm daily.
While they're not a pizza specialist per se, this express-level branch of Wolfgang Puck offers a number of pizza choices at dinnertime, including the rather luxurious smoked salmon with salmon roe. ...
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 5pm-midnight daily.
More than twenty craft beers from the excellent Baird Brewery in Shizuoka are on tap here, along with decent yakitori and other light fare. The bar is popular with an international crowd and the...
Open 5pm-midnight daily.
South of Takeshita-dori
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (LO). Closed 2nd Wednesday.
Hokkaido soup-curry shops are known for offering an impressive variety of soup styles, main curry ingredients and toppings, and Sama is no exception. First of all there are five different soups -...
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (LO). Closed 2nd Wednesday.
Open 10:30am-9pm daily.
First-rate doner kebabs, substantial in size, ready to take home or just eat on the sidewalk outside the shop. Kebabs are chicken, beef, or mixed, served in toasted pita bread and topped with a...
Open 10:30am-9pm daily.
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Harajuku Ikea is the first central-Tokyo branch of the Swedish retailer, and in place of the usual cafeteria they run a popular mini-cafe where you can order soft tunnbrod (Polar bread) open-faced...
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
This branch of the long-running French-cafe chain offers open-air terrace seating with an excellent view of Meiji Shrine and the new Harajuku Station building. You can drop in for coffee and...
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.
If you're in Harajuku and looking for a dining spot with a pleasant atmosphere, good food and spacious outdoor seating, Eataly checks all the boxes. The attractive third-floor terrace is probably...
Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.
Open noon-10:30pm (LO; Sun -9) daily.
This starkly minimalist taproom and bottle shop is the first Tokyo branch of a popular Kyoto bar run by an importer of European craft beers. They are equipped with five taps for draft beers and...
Open noon-10:30pm (LO; Sun -9) daily.
Open 10am-8pm (last entry 7:30pm) daily.
With its prime location overlooking JR Harajuku station, this newest branch of the Mocha cafe chain packs in the crowds, including a good number of overseas tourists. The playroom is fairly compact,...
Open 10am-8pm (last entry 7:30pm) daily.
Open 11:30am-11pm (LO) daily.
This glitzy two-story bar-restaurant is worth knowing about for their selection of three craft beers on tap, from US breweries like Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas and Ballast Point. In addition to beer,...
Open 11:30am-11pm (LO) daily.
Open 10am-3, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
This Tokyo outpost of a popular New York restaurant serves "Brooklyn-style brunch" and some of the best, and spiciest, Bloody Marys in town. The daily brunch menu features dishes like buttermilk...
Open 10am-3, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Meaty, well-prepared tacos and burritos are served at this Tokyo outlet of an Australia-based Tex-Mex chain. For added structural integrity, the tacos are double wrapped in nice corn tortillas, and...
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Open 8:30am-9pm (LO) daily.
Although Bills is most famous for their Australian breakfast platters, it's worth checking out their dinnertime menu as well. They offer creative, modern International Cuisine that draws on...
Open 8:30am-9pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-7:30pm (LO) daily.
Run by the Que Bom churrasco restaurant, this cozy shop serves Brazilian sandwiches in nine or ten different varieties. Some favorites include the excellent Ceviche-style Shrimp-Avocado as well as...
Open 11am-7:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Plump, globular donuts bursting with creamy filling are the specialty at Osaka-based BPC Donuts, produced in flavors like chocolate, lemon-cheese and yogurt. Most customers get their donuts to go,...
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Open 11am-2, 6-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Maybe it's the luxurious atmosphere of the dining room or the beautifully presented, innovative cuisine, but dinner at Spica feels like a night out. The food definitely takes center stage, as...
Open 11am-2, 6-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily.
Healthy vegetable-oriented cuisine is the concept at this attractively appointed dining bar - everything from bagna cauda and vegetable terrines to robatayaki-style skewered morsels. Drinks include...
Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily.
South of Omotesando
Open 9am-11pm daily.
A quiet spot hidden on a back street just a few steps from central Harajuku. There's a spacious cafe up front with fresh-baked pastries, a nice outdoor courtyard where dogs are allowed, and a full...
Open 9am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-8:15pm (LO) daily.
The burgers at this popular Hawaiian chain are indeed rather big - flat and wide rather than thick - and charbroiled to order. A regular-size burger (5 ounces) is Y880, or Y1200 with fries and a...
Open 11am-8:15pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-8pm. Closed Tuesdays.
You can get a milk snake to go with your iced coffee and cake at Tokyo Snake Center! As you enter, you'll find a dozen colorful snakes in clear Perspex cases at the door. These are the "attendant"...
Open 11am-8pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Open 11:30am-4:30am (Su -10pm) daily.
With its big wrap-around counter as well as row of booths along the side, Lou is quite a bit larger than the average gyoza specialist, and seems like one of the cooler places in town to satisfy your...
Open 11:30am-4:30am (Su -10pm) daily.
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
First-rate premium-grade burgers, although we prefer the more laid-back atmosphere at their nearby sister shop, Hohokam Cafe. Lunch sets from Y1000 are served until 4pm (2pm weekends).
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
The concept at this casual bistro is "French tapas," although most dishes here are larger than typical tapas-bar fare. The chef spent ten years working in France and three years as sous chef at...
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
Open 8am-8pm daily.
This comfortable and spacious cafe serves espresso, cafe latte and Americano, along with NY Rings, the Roastery's own take on New York cronuts. Coffees are brewed from single-origin beans from Nozy...
Open 8am-8pm daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.
There's great American-style barbecue and a nice collection of a dozen craft beers to wash it down at this cozy bar-restaurant located halfway along Cat Street. Weekday lunches start at Y1000, and...
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Lobster rolls - lobster meat sandwiches in a toasted bun - are the specialty at this New York-based shop. All the lobsters come straight from Maine, and a display in front of the shop shows their...
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Open noon-2:30, 5:30-9pm (LO) daily.
Top-class teppanyaki in a glitzy 1920s-style setting. Specialties include abalone and lobster, and premium beef from their own ranch in Hyogo-ken. Prix-fixe lunches start at Y6830, dinners from...
Open noon-2:30, 5:30-9pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-8pm daily.
This gourmet grocery store offers a big selection of both imported and hard-to-find regional Japanese foods. Everything from goat butter and Hokkaido artisinal cheeses to fresh ramen noodles from...
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Open 11am-9pm daily.
A large conveyor-belt sushi restaurant on Omotesando; very popular with tourists.
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm (LO) daily.
Billing themselves as an "avocado cafe," this sprawling, comfortable space is filled with mismatched furniture and charmingly primitive artwork (or perhaps projects from a kindergarten art class). ...
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 3-11pm (Sat, Sun noon-) daily.
There are maps of Portand Oregon on the wall and music from Portland indie bands on the stereo; the bartender sports a lumberjack shirt and a beard. Most important though, they sell Portland's...
Open 3-11pm (Sat, Sun noon-) daily.
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