Restaurants open on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day 2022-2023

Don’t let the looks of this casual izakaya-style eatery fool you – Gyoza Stand Oolong serves up some of the fanciest pub grub in the city. Go for the speciality Oolong Ale craft beer and, of course, the gyoza dumplings, created by a Michelin-starred chef and Chinese Dim Sum Master. The dumplings here use minced Spanish Iberico pork and shoulder loin, giving them an extra rich kick. Don’t skip the condiments like green onion sauce, sansho peppers, sesame seeds and powdered chili oil with yuzu peel – they’ll really level up your dumplings.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 29-31 10am-10.30pm, December 31-January 3 10am-8pm, January 4 11am-10pm

This New York-style restaurant and bar on the fifth floor of Roppongi Hills can accommodate 164 diners, who can watch the chefs through the lively open kitchen. Food-wise you can expect a fusion of Spanish and Italian cuisines – think tapas and paella – plus a selection of hearty meals like burgers. The restaurant opens out to a beautiful night scene of Roppongi, and if you prefer a bit more privacy, book the separate room that comes with a view of Tokyo Tower.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 30 11.30am-11pm, December 31 11am-10pm, January 1-3 11am-9pm, January 4 11.30am-11pm

No prizes for guessing what this Chinese restaurant specialises in. Located on a dinky alleyway in Kabukicho – you basically have to walk through the outdoor kitchen to enter – Shanghai Xiaochi serves up a wide variety of delectable Shanghainese dishes, as well as some more unorthodox offerings. Fried spiders, anyone? If you're not keen on trying one of these critters, go for the clams in vinegar, served with fried bread. Come with a small group, order a bunch of dishes to share plus a few cold ones, and you're good to go. You might even forget you're in Kabukicho and think you've been transplanted to a hole-in-the-wall in the city above the sea.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31 5pm-4am, January 1 5pm-12midnight, January 2-4 5pm-5am

At this convenient Roppongi eatery you’ll find one of the best pork tonkatsu in central Tokyo. The lunch deal, available daily until 4.30pm, is exceptional – you get a perfectly fried piece of pork loin, coated with crisp, golden panko, and served with bottomless rice and shredded cabbage, plus miso soup and pickles, for just ¥1,100.

If you want to splurge, premium pork options costing close to ¥3,000 are available. But the standard pork is no slouch: depending on the day, you could get an Okinawan meat raised on herbs or a breed from Chiba that feeds on sweet potatoes.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31-January 3 11am-9pm

With seafood delivered straight from the restaurant’s Hokkaido headquarters, it’s clear why people are willing to stand in long lines for a spot at this affordable kaitenzushi joint. Toriton is a seafood lover’s paradise, with menu items including buttery kanimiso (crab innards), gleaming ikura (squid) nigiri wrapped in salmon, and an icy fresh Hokkaido shrimp nigiri. Plates start at ¥143, and unlike many other sushi-go-round spots where it’s advisable to order directly from the chef, here you can happily pluck plates straight from the conveyor belt.

If you do want to order instead, you’ll need to write down which dishes you’d like and how many plates on a small order slip. Yes, there are cheaper kaitenzushi places out there, but Toriton’s generous portions combined with the freshness of the fish make it an unforgettable stop that’ll leave you dreaming of your meal long after you’ve left.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 29-30 regular hours, December 31 11am-9pm, January 1-4 regular hours

Tucked snugly into a corner by Shiba Park in Minato ward sits one of the most highly regarded pizzerias in Tokyo. Pizza Studio Tamaki, or PST as it’s called by fans, is led by Tsubasa Tamaki, who trained under lauded pizzaiolo Sussum Kakinuma of Seireinkan and Savoy. 

The bases are light and chewy, sporting the characteristic puffy crust and thin centre of Naples-style pizza. They’re cooked in a wood-fired oven at a searingly hot temperature, meaning they touch the insides for a matter of moments before being delivered to your table with just the right amount of char. You notice the bases have a salty slant, thanks to the pinch of salt thrown into the oven before the pizza goes in. 

Our favourites here are the namesake PST and the diavolo. The PST is a smoky spin on margherita, with smoked mozzarella, pecorino romano cheese, fresh basil and dotted with cherry tomatoes. The diavolo delivers a satisfying kick, with spicy pork mince, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, olives, oregano and basil. There’s also a monthly special featuring seasonal ingredients like Hiroshima oysters, lotus root and yuzu paste.

There’s a ¥300 table charge, which gets you a little shot glass of extremely tasty mushroom soup, and each person is required to order at least one drink. Pizzas start at ¥1,700, but that’s not out of the ordinary for pizza in Tokyo, and you won’t regret the spend once you’ve tasted the pizza on offer here.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31-January 3 5pm-9pm, closed January 4-5

The Mumbai group of restaurants have been serving up authentic, halal-friendly north Indian cuisine in Japan since 2005. Their 17th outlet, located inside the Aqua City Odaiba shopping centre, offers a range of aromatic biryanis, succulent tandoori fare and luscious curries, paired with plentiful wines and lassis. Don’t miss their acclaimed Seekh Kebab, served piping hot off the skewer at your table, all while immersing yourself in spectacular views of Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Bay.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 28-January 4 11am-11pm

Japanese sushi chain Kura Sushi has opened up this new outlet in Harajuku, just across from Laforet shopping mall. But you’ll quickly notice this outlet is a little different from all the rest.For starters, the staff are dressed in pink outfits and the interior is decked out with paper lantern walls and ukiyo-e art to match Harajuku’s eclectic style. Plus, along with the usual line up of sushi, this shop also offers Western-style rolls like the red dragon, golden crunch and tiger shrimp rolls (¥264) for a limited time.

That’s not all, though. You’ll find a separate section inside Kura Sushi Harajuku serving up the brand’s first-ever crêpes. The bright pink crêpes come in standard dessert flavours like maple syrup butter (¥280), chocolate and nuts (¥280) or strawberry double cream (¥380). Or you can go for something savoury with one of the frankly bizarre ‘sushi crêpes’.  The sushi crêpes come in tuna mayo or iberico pork flavour, both of which have fried sushi rice wrapped inside. 

If you’re not in the mood for a crêpe, there’s also soft serve ice cream and parfaits available too. You can take your food to-go, or eat out on the balcony with a clear view over the city.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31 10.20am-9pm, January 1 11am-10pm, January 2-3 10.20am-11pm

This brasserie-café-boulangerie oozes Parisian spirit. Take a seat inside the retro French interior, or out on the relaxing open terrace facing Shimizutani Park, where the beautiful double-flowered cherry trees in front of the restaurant attract a huge number of people in spring. The menu is authentic and reasonably priced: try a fluffy omelette, a crisp-cased quiche or the massive steak frites. Whatever you choose, it will go well washed down with a cold beer or a glass of champagne. 

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31 café 10am-6pm, boulangerie 10am-5pm, January 1-3 café 11am-6pm, January 4-5 café 10am-6pm, boulangerie 10am-5pm

Kyoto’s long-established coffee roasters Ogawa Coffee has finally set up shop in the capital with a flagship coffee laboratory in residential Setagaya. The spacious café was designed by interior design firm Yusuke Seki Studio and is full of muted tones, with the focal point being the wrap-around counter encircling the barista space.

Thanks to the large floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the shop, the café offers generous natural lighting which works well with the textured plywood counter and white washi paper accents. To add a touch of Kyoto, the floor also features old stones from the old capital's tramways.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31 7am-6pm, January 1-3 11am-6pm, January 4 9am-6pm

Tokyo's love of Brazilian barbecue seems to know no bounds, at least judging from the slew of churrascarias opened in 2014 alone. Sao Paulo-born Barbacoa already has restaurants in Aoyama, Marunouchi, Shinjuku and Shibuya, and now sets up shop in Roppongi, only minutes away from fellow 2014 upstart Rio Grande Grill. Located on the fifth floor of Roppongi Hills, its latest venture is a large-scale one, seating 200 and also featuring bookable private rooms. For carnivores looking to get their fill without breaking the bank, the ¥3,600 weekday lunch offers decent value.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 29-30 11am-4pm, 5pm-11pm, December 31-January 3 11am-4pm, 5pm-9pm

Sydney-based Italian diner Fratelli Paradiso set up shop inside Omotesando Hills in April 2017. Known in Sydney as a bastion of natural wine, the spot also has the reputation of creating stellar wine pairings. Its inaugural Tokyo outlet is split into a wine bar area and a sit-down dining zone, with the latter offering food that puts the produce front and centre – and, of course, plenty of bio-wine to go with the goodness.

All of the bread and pasta are made fresh on-site, a signature being the scampi spaghetti, which sees a whole scampi served in its shell alongside a simple, fresh tomato pasta. Whatever your choice, a meal at Fratelli Paradiso is not complete without their signature tiramisu. It’s got the perfect balance of creamy versus light and airy, with just the right amounts of coffee and booze.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 30 11am-10pm, December 31-January 1 11am-9pm, January 2-3 11am-10pm

One day, all kaiten-zushi restaurants might be like this high-tech Shibuya sushi shop. You won't even find any conveyor belts in Uobei: once customers place their orders via multi-language touch screen, the dishes are delivered by high-speed chute, with nary a hint of there being any humans involved in the process. (Sure, the sushi itself is prepared by humans rather than sophisticated humanoids – but it's nice to imagine otherwise.) The flavours aren't quite as dazzling as the futuristic presentation, but when you're paying a rock-bottom ¥110 for each item on the menu, it's hard to complain.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31 10.30am-7pm, January 1-2 10.30am-9pm, January 3 10.30am-11pm

A restaurant and café located in Hotel Unizo Shibuya, featuring an open terrace that overlooks the city. Most of the dishes here focus on organic veggies and there are also vegan options. 

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31-January 1 7am-10pm, January 2-3 7am-6pm

For a taste of tradition, dine in at this sushi restaurant located near the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, in the luxury residential area between Shirokanedai and Ebisu. The fresh, seasonal seafood sits on rice flavoured with either red or white vinegar – whichever makes for the best combination. It's counter seats only here, but don't let that scare you away; you can also reserve the entire place if you're up for it. One of the prix fixe courses comes with souvenirs, and is popular for business meetings. The lunch menu starts from ¥5,000 for ten nigiri and goes up to ¥12,000 for 15 pieces, all of which come with miso soup and a sushi roll.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: closed December 31, January 1-3 12noon-10pm (dinner only offers course menu)

Conveyor belt sushi is no doubt on everyone’s Japan bucket list, especially if the restaurant allows you to order using digital displays attached to your table. Sushiro in Ikebukuro is one such joint. It is a cheap, family-friendly restaurant with a varied menu focused on sushi, but with alternative options for smaller, more picky, eaters including salad, ramen and fried chicken.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31 10.30am-8pm, January 1 12noon-9pm, January 2-4 10.30am-11pm

A conveyor-belt sushi bar with a difference. Here, you can either help yourself to whatever’s going past, or peruse the menu, sing out your order and wait for it to be prepared and delivered straight to you. Lunch sets are also worth a visit as ten piece sushi sets start as low as ¥1,580, or you could also opt for a donburi bowl topped with assorted sashimi. Quality and freshness are definitely superior, but so too are the prices.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 31-January 3 11am-3pm, 5pm-9pm

This branch of hip noodle chain Tsurutontan is busiest at lunch, dinner and 5am, when club-goers sit down for a wholesome meal to close the night before straggling home, and no wonder. The chain offers an extensive variety of dishes perfect for post-dancing calories. Menu items range from the simple kitsune (fried tofu) udon and classic curry udon with slices of beef to carbonara udon that might just pass for breakfast with its toppings of egg and bacon. You can decide on the amount of noodles you want: choose one bundle for the standard serving or up to double the noodles for no extra charge.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: regular hours until December 31, January 1-2 11am-8am, January 3 11am-11pm

Attention carnivores – you're sure to get the good stuff at this first non-US branch of meat master Wolfgang Zwiener's empire. With restaurants in New York, Honolulu, Miami, and Beverly Hills, Wolfgang's is already very well known in America, and has been welcomed with excitement by many Tokyoites. The chefs here never use anything but USDA Prime-certified beef for the steaks, the selection of which includes T-bone, sirloin, fillet, and rib eye. Those looking for a non-meat alternative can go for seafood choices like lobster and broiled salmon.

Opening hours during New Year holidays: December 29-January 4 11.30am-10.30pm