Ayumasa

The only restaurant in Tokyo specialising in ayu (sweetfish) cuisine, Shinbashi's Ayumasa has earned a Michelin star for its efforts in introducing the capital's gourmands to naturally reared sweetfish from Shimane prefecture. Sourced from the Takatsu River, one of Japan's very few freely flowing waterways – along which not a single dam has been constructed – Ayumasa's rich seafood is best enjoyed in late summer and autumn. Visit during this season and you can look forward to a multi-course experience composed almost entirely of sweetfish-based dishes, while the off-season menu (available in winter and spring) consists of seafood-heavy kaiseki (Japan's traditional haute cuisine). Look out for bottles of Kasen no Shizuku, the local Shimane sake that's said to go perfectly with Ayumasa's edible offerings.