kifu

Top five Tokyo spots for classy Japanese dining

Explore seasonal flavours at some of the city's finest kaiseki and kappo restaurants

Written by
Time Out Tokyo Editors
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In collaboration with Pocket Concierge

Living up to its reputation as the gourmet capital of the world, Tokyo excels in both cheap eats and astronomically priced, truly unique dining experiences. If you're on the hunt for something in between those two extremes, be it for an after-hours meeting, a get-together with old friends or a very special date, look no further than the city's wide range of small kappo and kaiseki restaurants, which make the most of the much-vaunted seasonal emphasis that's so central to Japanese cuisine. 

Working together with crack restaurant booking service Pocket Concierge, we now bring you five examples of these upscale but homely and laidback joints, hiding out along alleyways and side streets all across Tokyo. Pick your favourite, make a reservation through the direct link, and you're set for one of the best meals you'll ever come across.

The seasonal top five

  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Ichigaya
  • price 3 of 4
Nestled in along a Kagurazaka alleyway, Kifu serves up traditional Japanese cuisine while also integrating Western ingredients and condiments. The omakase (chef's choice) menu is particularly good value – make sure to combine it with some sake, shochu or champagne...
  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Hibiya
  • price 4 of 4
Experimental chef Seiji Yamamoto has put modern Japanese cuisine on the map with his three-Michelin-star restaurant. Hailed as Japan’s leading molecular gastronomist, Yamamoto applies cutting-edge technology to the tradition of kaiseki-ryori, which involves a theatrical series of small courses...
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Kifuu
  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Ebisu
  • price 3 of 4
A hideaway Japanese restaurant in Ebisu, with an L-shaped counter and two four-seat, semi-private rooms, Kifuu is an upscale but cozy spot run by Mr Shirota, who earned his stripes at the well-regarded Kyou Shizuku nearby. Using the finest seasonal ingredients, he creates culinary magic here every evening...
Tagetsu
  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Aoyama
  • price 3 of 4
Hidden in a basement just off Aoyama-dori, Hideo Mochizuki's Tagetsu opened in 2013 and has carved out a loyal following of in-the-know gourmands ever since. With experience at some of the city's finest kaiseki restaurants, chef Mochizuki and his wife put a lot of thought and preparation into their dishes. It all begins with the dashi stock...
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Shun No Aji Ichi
  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Roppongi
  • price 3 of 4
As the name suggests, seasonal cuisine is key at Roppongi's Michelin-starred Ichi, where the fresh veg and wild plants used are delivered directly from the owner-chef's home in Nagano and a wide assortment of seafood is sourced straight from fisheries. We recommend the seasonal pot-rice...
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