12 new restaurants, cafés and bars to try in Tokyo

Strolling down the hill from the west exit of Shimokitazawa Station, it’s hard not to notice the exposed-concrete façade of this airy café. An ambitious undertaking that combines contemporary near-to-nature design with a commitment to quality joe, Et opened at the tail end of 2024. 

The two-storey space showcases the aesthetic of the in-demand Setouchi region through an interior by Yui Matsushita, whose design evokes the rugged beaches and outcrops of the Seto Inland Sea. Her pale walls incorporate sea shells and sand, while minimally flattened lumps of wood and stone serve as seats and tables. The spiral staircase in the middle of the space is intended to resemble a cave leading to an Inland Sea shore, with understated lighting by artist Yasuaki Yoshimoto accentuating the idea. Up on the second floor, the windows look out over a park built where the Odakyu line used to run before the railway tracks were moved underground.

Drinks including pour-over coffee and flavoured ‘bloom’ lattes are served in cups and glasses with natural hues that match the interior. On the food menu you’ll find mainly sourdough tartines featuring a vivid array of seasonal ingredients; the toppings range from an umami-packed ratatouille to a satisfyingly tangy citrus-and-ricotta combo. Sweet options include french toast flavoured with aromatic vanilla syrup, pastries from Sangubashi’s Floto and cookies courtesy of Ovgo Baker. Much of the tableware is available for purchase.

Coming up on its 30th anniversary, Fire House has been ruling the burger roost in Hongo Sanchome since the days of the Tamagotchi. The temple of massively meaty patties and leftfield toppings has become such an institution that it’s spawned a cadre of imitators and, with the November 2024 opening of Apple Burger, an officially sanctioned offshoot in the norenwake tradition usually associated with soba shops.

Apple Burger is run by long-time Fire House burger boss Hiromichi Endo, who despite going indie hasn’t fallen far from the tree: his restaurant is housed directly above Fire House’s takeout and delivery location. It’s a fairly dainty operation – an open kitchen surrounded by an eight-seat counter plus two booths seating four each – but there’s nothing bashful about Endo’s creations. 

The obvious headliner is the Apple Burger (¥2,002), an elevated take on the Fire House favourite topped with a sweet apple compote. This version combines a lean, thick slab of beef – cooked to perfection, as you’d expect from a chef whose resume includes a stint at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in NYC – with fresh, only lightly seasoned apple slices whose acidity help bring out the umami in the patty. Romaine lettuce, tomato and onion are served on the side for you to mix and match as you please.

Even elite burgers crave the company of a solid serving of fries, and Apple Burger’s satisfyingly texturous and crispy bites are cut and fried to order from domestic spuds, without a frozen tater in sight.

Besides the eponymous favourite, popular burgers include the bacon cheeseburger and the double cheeseburger. Also on the menu are a fancy-pants hot dog (¥1,342) and a standard line-up of soda and juice; the drinks can be topped with a dollop of vanilla gelato for an extra ¥330.

Recently renewed and relocated, No (the abbreviation for ‘number’) now finds its home at the Uehara's new Cabo complex. Situated on the ground level, this café and bar welcome guests to whip out a laptop and fire off some emails with a coffee or a cocktail in hand. The redesigned interior boasts a contemporary take on Japanese aesthetics – think slatted blond timber panels, clean lines, and minimalistic decor.

The cocktail list is the handiwork of bar consultant and bartender Soran Nomura, whose experience spans The SG Club, Fuglen Tokyo and Ao Bar in Tokyo. He’s created an impressive list of cocktails (from ¥1,300 to ¥1,500) that changes seasonally. Past menus have included the No 4, a short cocktail of dark rum, pinot noir syrup, walnut liqueur, lemon and oat milk, alongside classics a decadent old fashioned. Plus, there are also similarly creative mocktails (from ¥1,000).

The full cocktail menu gets going from 2pm, but if you want to start early, there’s a daytime cocktail list featuring lighter tipples like an ume spritz, coffee gin and tonic and seasonal beer. Coffee and tea are ¥500 to ¥600, which are perfect with a slice of carrot cake, banana bread or classic croissant (¥470). No's daytime menu also offers bites like egg sandwiches (¥900) and Niboshi ramen (¥950) for more substantial savory options. 

Gyokai-tonkotsu (seafood and pork bone) broth flavoured with shoyu tare had its moment in the spotlight not too long ago, and the style stills has plenty of fans among noodle fiends who like their ramen rich with a heavy marine aroma. Minohi up in Shimura-Sakaue has captured that demographic effectively since opening in September 2024, at one point going viral with its thick, well-balanced soup that sticks satisfyingly to the medium-thick noodles.

As for toppings, we’d be remiss not to mention the char siu pork, a thick, invitingly sweet and fatty affair that’s best left to soak up the soup for a minute before digging in. Minohi does both ramen and tsukemen, as is par for the course at most gyokai-tonkotsu joints. Bowls start at ¥1,000.

DJ Takuro Yanase’s Ramen Break Beats turned up the volume further with the August 2024 opening of this second offshoot, tucked away under the railway tracks in Nakameguro. At Jazzy Beats, the Tori Nibo Ramen (from ¥1,380) is the signature bowl: a milky, fragrant paitan soup made with heirloom Amakusa Daio chicken from Kumamoto – a staple ingredient at all three of Yanase’s eateries – and several kinds of dried fish, paired with reliable straight noodles from Mikawaya Seimen, one of Tokyo’s premier artisanal noodle factories.

The premium Tokusei version of the dish comes topped with scallions, red onion, a soft-boiled ajitama egg, lightly grilled char siu and wonton, plus chopped nori whose aroma helps bring out the seafood elements in the soup. Jazzy Beats also does regular shoyu and shio ramen (from ¥1,230), as well as a soupless mazesoba version of the Tori Nibo (¥1,200).

Bars in Ginza tend to lean towards the genteel: small and cosy spaces serving mostly classic cocktails, where patrons speak in whispery tones. Which is why Punch Room Tokyo, set in the mezzanine lobby of the Tokyo Edition, Ginza hotel, is such a refreshingly informal addition to the district’s drinking scene.

Punch Room is the signature bar of the Edition hotels and there are currently eight of these drinking dens around the world. This Ginza location is spacious and elegantly posh, with dark walnut-coffered walls and ceilings reminiscent of a gentlemen’s club. The vibe, however, is relaxed and vibrant, with lots of plush chairs and couches to lounge around in, a rare find in Ginza. 

As its name suggests, the bar’s menu revolves around the punch cocktail, but reimagined with Japanese spirits and flavours, and served in beautifully crafted bowls for sharing. The immensely enjoyable Big Red Dot, for instance, is made with Akadama sweet port wine, Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky, awamori (a white spirit from Okinawa distilled from rice), mango and coconut tea. 

Nanzuka Underground is changing the way we experience art. From the retail store/gallery Nanzuka 2G to the art space and sushi restaurant 3110NZ by LDH Kitchen, the Tokyo art gallery keeps coming up with new and exciting ways for people to enjoy and appreciate art. The gallery’s latest foray comes in the form of a glitzy bar called Nanzuka Taken.

Tucked away on the second floor of the new commercial complex Shibuya Axsh, the stylish space was designed by Snark Inc with art direction by Nanzuka’s very own Shinji Nanzuka. Artist Tetsuya Nakamura crafted all the furniture for the bar, including the sofas, bar counters, counter chairs, ceiling monitor frames and even the doorknobs. 

You'll of course be able to enjoy a number of artworks here, including the bar’s centrepiece – a standing table incorporating one of Hajime Sorayama’s signature sexy robots. Sorayama's futuristic works are also displayed on the monitors around the bar and are accompanied by exhibitions from a number of renowned artists including Daniel Arsham and Hiroki Tsukuda. 

Nanzuka Taken also encompasses a members-only private room featuring a gorgeous red oak counter carved by sculptor Ryuichi Ohira and chairs courtesy of a collaboration between artist Haroshi and furniture specialists Modernica. The monitors in this special room showcase animations by pop artist Keiichi Tanaami and features 3D works by Haroshi as well as airbrush paintings by Harumi Yamaguchi.

As for the bar's drink selection, you can enjoy a range of original cocktails made in collaboration with chef Natsuko Shoji of Été and Keiichi Tanaami, and choose from a generous selection of wines and whiskeys.

Don’t be fooled by the name: this stylish new bar in Ebisu is dedicated not to beer, but rather to cocktails made with premium shochu sourced from all over Japan. Draft Ebisu’s cocktail selection is overseen by the bartender of hip Kuramae watering hole Nomura Shoten, Soran Nomura, and its well-timed opening coincides with shochu’s growing international popularity.

Shochu as traditionally enjoyed (straight, or mixed with soda or hot water) isn’t listed on the menu here: the intention is to redefine perceptions of the base ingredient and the forms it can be given. This is ably achieved by Nomura’s lineup of eight shochu cocktails, and the intention is to expand this selection further. Certain cocktails are on-tap and ready-to-drink, an advantage that inspired the bar’s name. The fine shochu varieties used as cocktail bases can, nonetheless, be ordered as stand-alone tipples.

A Japanese Black Tea and Cream Cheese Sour (¥1,400) combines raspberry and black tea in a rice shochu base, and is topped off with a cream cheese foam that has the aroma of Earl Grey tea. The Spicy Palo Santo Sour (¥1,300) blends the toasty aroma of barley shochu with chai syrup, and is given a woody scent thanks to a small piece of wood that is set on fire when the concoction is served.

The food menu comprises dishes that pair well with shochu, including oyster yakisoba (¥1,800). Sample these and other creations in this counter bar-style space that itself innovates upon Japanese tradition. There's also a private room, or head out to the terrace overlooking Ebisu Station.

Kei Kobayashi is arguably the most prolific Japanese chef around. Famed for being the first Asian cook to be awarded three Michelin stars for a restaurant in France, he has been extending his presence back home this year with a string of new openings. One of which is this handsome bar in Ginza, created in collaboration with Saint-Louis, the oldest crystal glass manufacturer in France.

With a contemporary Japanese aesthetic featuring dark walls, low mood lighting and double bar, St Louis Bar by Kei is pristine and sophisticated, the kind of place you go to for intimate conversations. The menu is extensive to say the least, with a long lit of classic and signature cocktails as well as an impressive array of domestic whiskies. If you're looking to splurge, you can get the super-rare 25-year Yamazaki single malt for an eye-watering ¥40,000 a glass.

The bar's literal high-point is the hidden outdoor terrace and rooftop space. Here you'll find seating arranged around a small but tranquil Japanese-style gardens and a breathtaking view of Ginza's shimmering skyline from the rooftop.

Tokyo culinary giant the Onodera Group adds yet another string to its bow with the opening of this unagi-focused eatery in Akasaka. Known for its Sushi Ginza Onodera restaurants with locations in Los Angeles and Hawaii, the company here taps the firewood-grilling expertise of chef Keiichi Terada, whose work at the group’s French restaurant Makiyaki Ginza Onodera has been awarded a Michelin star four years running.

Here Terada’s way with a blazing flame is applied to the traditional Japanese delicacy of unagi (eel grilled in a thick, sweetened form of soy sauce) to mouthwatering effect. This dish is especially popular at the height of summer, as it is believed to combat the exhausting effects of the heat.

Terada’s menu serves up domestic eel in various styles. A tangy aroma, which is the result of a sauce specially created under his direction, rises from the staple unaju (unagi served over rice in a lacquered bento box; from ¥2,200), as well as from other offerings including unatamadon (a donburi rice bowl topped with unagi and egg, served at lunchtime only; ¥980).

This restaurant is a first-of-its-kind venture from UK-born furniture and interiors retailer the Conran Shop. Orby aims to reflect the passion for good food of the brand’s late founder Sir Terence Conran, and is found just across from the Conran Shop’s latest Tokyo store in Azabudai Hills Tower Plaza. The restaurant’s moniker is itself a tribute to Sir Conran, taken from his middle name.

Overseeing the project is Shin Nakahara, a key figure in Japan’s own interior design scene. Besides his current role as president of the Conran Shop Japan, Nakahara is part of the team behind Playmountain, a Tokyo shop whose great influence belies its compact size. Orby’s interior is every bit as stylish as expected: understated natural tones are flooded with light via expansive floor-to-ceiling windows during the day.

Head chef Makoto Konno, of acclaimed Tokyo bistros Uguisu and Organ, has put together a French bistro-style menu in which around 20 percent of the elements are derived from the often-underrated cuisine of the Conran Shop’s homeland. The prix fixe lunch (¥4,400) comprises an entrée, main dish and dessert, with vegan options also offered. Dinner, meanwhile, is a delectable eight-course affair priced at ¥11,000. A fine eye for design extends right down to the tableware, which has been custom-made in Japan’s pottery heartland of Mashiko, Tochigi prefecture.

This Sydney transplant has been in the coffee business since 2003 and set up an outpost in Tokyo’s sumo heartland, Ryogoku, in 2014 – on the cusp of Japan’s coffee boom. Fast forward to 2024 and the roastery has now moved into a brand new space in celebration of its tenth anniversary in Japan.

Still located in Ryogoku, the new premises function as both a café and roastery, which stay open five days a week instead of just on the weekends, as was the case with the previous tasting bar. The spacious 200sqm building, which was once used as a wood-processing factory, includes plenty of seating and takes after Single O's main store in Sydney with similar interiors courtesy of award-winning architecture and interior design firm Luchetti Krelle.

Single O prides itself on securing ethically sourced coffee and highlighting the beans' natural flavours. For instance, the vibrant Reservoir house blend of Costa Rican and Ethiopian beans is a winner, producing an acidic brew that’s bright with citrus notes. Similar to the Single O Hamacho outpost, you can enjoy self-service coffee on tap here, taking your pick from four different varieties.

The menu also includes a selection of long-standing food favourites from their Sydney café. Highlights include the Reservoir Dog, a hot dog featuring sausages made with Okinawan ham and caramelised onions, avocado toast served on sourdough bread, and Boris' Beans, a Middle Eastern-inspired dish combining labneh strained yoghurt with feta cheese and mixed beans.