West Side
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
One of several Tokyo outlets of this popular Sendai-based beef-tongue specialist, this branch offers an especially wide menu. The more than a dozen dishes range from tongue sausages, meatballs, and...
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
This department-store branch of the popular Sendagaya cafe serves Neapolitan-style pizzas, gourmet burgers, salads and lots of market-fresh vegetable dishes. Budget around Y1000 for lunch, Y2000 for...
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Good, very affordable Thai cuisine from the popular Tokyo-based Tinun chain; budget around Y1300 for food at dinnertime, or Y900 for lunch.
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Harvest provides a natural-foods buffet with more than sixty different mostly Japanese-style dishes, including lots of vegetables. The price is Y1888 at dinnertime and Y1573 at lunchtime.
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
This department-store branch of the ubiquitous German chain offers eight German and German-style beers on tap, along with a meaty, modern German food menu. Some popular dishes include currywurst,...
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 10am-10pm daily.
Well worth the long hike from the station, Yamaya offers an excellent selection of wines from around the world at discount prices, as well as liquor and some cheeses and imported foods.
Open 10am-10pm daily.
Open 5pm-midnight. Closed Mondays.
Syrian cuisine; prix-fixe dinner menus from Y2800, or a la carte.
Open 5pm-midnight. Closed Mondays.
Open 4pm-3am (LO) daily.
Very good Thai cooking served in a modest little shop. They also run a small Thai grocery store across the street.
Open 4pm-3am (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-10pm (LO) daily.
From the owner of Al Flah supermarket, Marhaba is a Pakistani restaurant popular with Pakistani customers. All meats are halal, and curries average Y800-900.
Open 11:30am-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 4-10:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 1-10). Closed Mondays.
The eight taps at this tiny (15-seat) bar dispense domestic craft beers from breweries like Distant Shores, Be Easy and Breakside, and sometimes imports from Belgium and the US - all in all a...
Open 4-10:30pm (LO; Sat, Sun 1-10). Closed Mondays.
Open 5:30-10:45pm (LO). Closed Sundays, holidays.
This is Okinawan food as haute cuisine, with a good number of special Royal-style dishes in addition to the usual champuru stir-fries. Recommended dishes are the minudaru (tender roast pork with a...
Open 5:30-10:45pm (LO). Closed Sundays, holidays.
Open 6pm-1am (LO) daily.
This large late-night bar offers an excellent selection of beers from around the world, including some very nice US microbrews, at decent prices. The happy hour from 6-8pm is an especially good...
Open 6pm-1am (LO) daily.
Open 6pm-8am daily.
Billing themselves as an "Oriental Bistro," this late-night drinking spot serves Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian fare at very reasonable prices. The front of the restaurant is open to the...
Open 6pm-8am daily.
Open 10am-8pm (last entry 7:30pm) daily.
Located overlooking West Ikebukuro Gate Park, this cat cafe is a little oasis of relaxation in the heart of the city. As soon as you climb the stairs to the third floor and enter the cafe, the warm...
Open 10am-8pm (last entry 7:30pm) daily.
Open 11:30am-10pm (LO; drinks LO 10:30) daily.
Located in the unadorned lobby of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theater, this branch of the popular Delirium Cafe chain has somewhat less atmosphere than usual, although there is a bit of outdoor seating...
Open 11:30am-10pm (LO; drinks LO 10:30) daily.
Open 11am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed Tuesdays.
A leftover from the days before Nishi-Ikebukuro went relatively upscale. Delicious curries and ambitiously tacky decor. On weekends there's a good lunch buffet.
Open 11am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed Tuesdays.
Open 7pm-4am. Closed Sundays.
English beers and UK rock music are on tap at this cozy second-floor bar; they're named after an album by XTC. The British-inspired menu includes fisherman's pie, traditional fish and chips, and...
Open 7pm-4am. Closed Sundays.
Open 11:30am-4, 5-10:15pm (LO) daily.
One of Tokyo's finer curry shops, Yamituki serves original-style curries with heaps of fresh seasonal vegetables and umami-rich ingredients like ripe tomatoes, cheese and coconut milk. You can...
Open 11:30am-4, 5-10:15pm (LO) daily.
Open 5-11pm (LO). Closed Sundays, Mondays.
It's not fancy, but with its reliable food and very reasonable prices, this small yakitori chain offers good value for money.
Open 5-11pm (LO). Closed Sundays, Mondays.
Open 11am-2, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Well-prepared Malay and Malay-Chinese dishes.
Open 11am-2, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
East Side
Open 11am-8pm daily.
A wide selection of Miyagi-ken sake - some fifty or sixty varieties - is one of the main attractions of this Miyagi-ken prefectural antenna shop. You'll also find Sendai beef and beef tongue...
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.
Located on the second floor of a Miyagi prefectural antenna shop, this casual cafe-restaurant serves a wide variety of beef tongue dishes, a local specialty. Teishoku-style meals with oxtail soup,...
Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.
Open 8am-8pm (Sat, Sun 10am-7pm) daily.
This stylish, 60-seat branch of the popular Ebisu coffeeshop is connected to a bakery, so you can enjoy pastries along with your espresso or pour-over coffee. They also sell coffee and coffee beans...
Open 8am-8pm (Sat, Sun 10am-7pm) daily.
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Run by the well-known (and always crowded) Midori-sushi chain, this conveyor-belt sushi shop is perhaps even more popular than the parent chain, with very long lines at mealtimes, especially on...
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Excellent Nagoya-style grilled unagi eel is served here, grilled over only the finest binchotan charcoal and served with their own special low-salt tamari sauce. Hitsumabushi (a traditional Nagoya...
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 10am-8:30pm (Sun -8pm) daily.
The smallest of the four Hokkaido antenna shops in Tokyo, this branch is located at the north end of the ISP underground shopping complex next to Ikebukuro station. There's the usual dried fish,...
Open 10am-8:30pm (Sun -8pm) daily.
Kushiya Monogatari - Kushiage: Ikebukuro
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
This popular Osaka-based shop lets you cook your own kushiage skewers in a deep-fryer right at your table. It's all you can eat, including various side dishes and a big variety of skewered tidbits. ...
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open noon-2:30, 6-10pm (LO) daily.
Good food and service and a lively atmosphere. Cheap lunch specials (Y680 including coffee).
Open noon-2:30, 6-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Iroha's gyukatsu is covered with a thin, crunchy coating that softens quickly when dipped in sauce. Each diner is supplied with a miniature brazier with which to heat up individual slices of beef...
Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-10pm. Closed weekdays.
Mimi has some of the friendliest and most relaxed rabbits we've encountered in Tokyo - we were impressed with how well they get along with each other, and how easy-going they are with human visitors....
Open 11am-10pm. Closed weekdays.
Open 11am-10pm daily.
Nine different banh mi sandwiches, including "Pork Marinaded in Nuoc Mam Sauce" and "Beef Ham Special" are prepared for here or to go. Though sandwiches are the main business, other dishes include...
Open 11am-10pm daily.
Open 10am-8pm (LO) daily.
It's always a pleasure when a famous signature dish lives up to its reputation, and "Eggs Rothko" is worthy of the acclaim. A creation of chef George Weld that was first served at his Brooklyn...
Open 10am-8pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Located in one of the quieter corners of Ikebukuro, Little Delirium offers ample terrace seating and numerous party plans featuring unlimited craft beers. If you're going a la carte you can choose...
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 6pm-12:30am (LO; Fri, Sat -2am) daily.
The amply punctuated Vivo! Beer + Dining Bar serves interesting beers and foods from around the world. There are some twenty beers on tap, including local brews like Yona Yona real ale on draft and...
Open 6pm-12:30am (LO; Fri, Sat -2am) daily.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Moyan offers a huge variety of tasty Japanese-style curries and ethnic-style side dishes, along with inexpensive wines and cocktails.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
This popular German chain offers modern German cuisine - currywurst, Schnitzel parmigiana and other meaty fare - along with a half dozen of their own German-style beers on tap. There are also one or...
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
No. 18 Dining Bar - Burgers: Ikebukuro
Open 11am-2:30, 6-10:30pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
Hefty, voluminous, meaty gourmet burgers are the draw at this tiny counter shop.
Open 11am-2:30, 6-10:30pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
Genka - Izakaya: Ikebukuro
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
The Genka chain of sake-specialty izakayas is known for their policy of selling sake "at cost." Each branch serves several dozen premium sakes at remarkably low prices, starting at just Y280 per...
Open 3-11:30pm (Sat, Sun 2pm-) daily.
Open 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.
At first glance it looks like just another cheap and cheerful budget izakaya - unpretentious rustic decor, bouncy J-Pop background music, enthusiastic young staff and boisterous after-work drinkers. ...
Open 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.
One of Nagoya's most popular izakaya chains, Yamachan serves regional delicacies such as spicy fried chicken wings and miso-based stews, all at very reasonable prices.
Open 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 5-11:30pm. Closed Mondays.
Pleasantly modern in its decor, Pump Craft Beer Bar is quieter and more low-key than the other craft beer bars in Ikebukuro, offering a decent selection of both imports and domestic beers from its...
Open 5-11:30pm. Closed Mondays.
Sunshine City, Alpa
Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.
This French bakery prepares excellent pastries and breads to take out. Alternatively you can relax with a pastry and cup of coffee or tea in the cafe area, or out on the terrace when the weather...
Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-9pm (LO) daily.
This branch of the original Joe's Shanghai in NYC is best known for their first-rate xiaolongbao (shoronpo) soup dumplings as well as their 59th-floor view. If you want a full dinner, prix-fixe...
Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-9pm (LO) daily.
Open 10am-10pm daily.
A well-stocked wine shop with a decent cheese selection. There's a pretty good selection of wines by the glass at the tiny, five-seat bar area.
Open 10am-10pm daily.
Open 10am-10pm daily.
Around a dozen famous gyoza shops from around the country are gathered here in this unusual dumpling-centered theme park inside the very noisy Namja Town game center. (Weekdays tend to be quieter.) ...
Open 10am-10pm daily.
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily.
This self-described "market restaurant" serves delicious grilled fish and meats along with brick-oven-baked pizzas.
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-2:15, 5-10:15 (LO) daily.
The second branch of this popular ethnic restaurant, located just above Higashi-Ikebukuro station, serves up Malay and Malay-Chinese dishes at very reasonable prices. Some specialties include their...
Open 11am-2:15, 5-10:15 (LO) daily.
Otsuka
Open 6pm-midnight. Closed Mondays.
The specialized sake selection at this small neighborhood izakaya is beyond reproach, with many seasonal bottles and a number of hard-to-find labels from the elusive Juyondai brewery. The food menu...
Open 6pm-midnight. Closed Mondays.
Vivo Daily Stand - Wine bar: Otsuka
Open 5pm-2am daily.
Cheeses, pates and other snacks are just Y400, while wine ranges from Y500-700 per glass at this casual neighborhood wine bar.
Open 5pm-2am daily.
Open 6pm-1am. Closed Mondays.
Although it looks like an old-fashioned izakaya inside, Bakushuan serves a modern selection of ten Japanese and US craft beers on tap in addition to its very respectable sake list. In fact customers...
Open 6pm-1am. Closed Mondays.
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (Sat 11-3). Closed Sundays.
The master at Tanaka commutes in to this shop every day from the far side of Chiba, about two hours away. He is a surfer, and that part of Japan has some nice waves in the morning. That part of...
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (Sat 11-3). Closed Sundays.
Open 5pm-1am (Sun -11pm). Closed Mondays.
True to its name, the bar serves a number of rausch and other smoky beers from Namachan Brewing, which runs the place, as well as guest craft beers from Japan and abroad, dispensed from a total of...
Open 5pm-1am (Sun -11pm). Closed Mondays.
Open 5:30-11pm. Closed Mondays.
Tokyo has no shortage of good yakitori shops, but Souten really stands out from the the crowd thanks to the quality of both their chicken and their craft sake. The entrance sports an extra-large...
Open 5:30-11pm. Closed Mondays.
Open 11am-midnight daily.
Gourmet coffee, natural wines and craft beers are the focus of this self-styled gastropub. There's a decent selection of offbeat US imported craft beers by the bottle, and a few taps devoted to US...
Open 11am-midnight daily.
Open 5-11pm (LO) daily.
Known for their budget-friendly wines, pizzas and other snacks and drinks, this casual bar is located conveniently close to Otsuka station. Pizzas and many other dishes are just Y500 each.
Open 5-11pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-midnight daily.
Akashiyaki, takoyaki and Kansai-style oden are the mainstays at this very down-to-earth drinking spot, which is the Tokyo outpost of an Osaka-based shop. The akashiyaki has a soft and slightly runny...
Open 11:30am-midnight daily.
Open 3-11pm (LO) daily.
Established by two beer importers - Beer Cats and AQ Bevolution - this combination bar and retail shop offers a nice selection of mostly US craft beers, from breweries like Heretic, Elysian, Schooner...
Open 3-11pm (LO) daily.
Sugamo
Open 6-9:45pm (LO) daily.
The existence of places like Shilingol is one of the many fringe benefits of living in a big city. Tiny, unpretentious "ethnic" restaurants tucked into out-of-the-way neighborhoods, offering great...
Open 6-9:45pm (LO) daily.
Open 5:30pm-midnight (LO) daily.
Great sake, from a list that changes every week, at this local, hole-in-the-wall drinking spot. You'll find bottles from small breweries that are seldom seen in retail shops, and the staff are ready...
Open 5:30pm-midnight (LO) daily.
Konaya - Udon: Sugamo
Open 11am-7:30pm (LO) daily.
The thick udon noodles here are served in a rich, very tasty curry-flavored broth, and served with shrimp tempura, bananas or mochi (rice cakes).
Open 11am-7:30pm (LO) daily.
Mejiro
Open 10am-6:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
The kakigori at Shimura can be ordered on the second floor, above the traditional sweets shop that has been in the area for many, many years. Their kakigori menu features all the usual suspects,...
Open 10am-6:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Open 11am-8pm. Closed Sundays.
This spacious basement shop near Mejiro station offers one of the best selections of American craft beers in Tokyo, along with Hasegawa Liquors (Yaesu) and World Beer Market (Kita-Senju). You'll...
Open 11am-8pm. Closed Sundays.
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