10 restaurants and shops to visit at Tokyo Station's underground mall Tokyo Gransta

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.

This restaurant is set up to look just like a dining car on a sleeper train, so it’s perfect for living out all your Orient Express fantasies. The food is even made by the chef who designed the luxurious full course meals served on the old Hokutosei and Casseiopeia JR sleeper trains to Hokkaido. We recommend the speciality hashed beef rice with top notch Japanese beef loin and a rich demi-glace sauce.

If you’re looking for a casual and reasonably priced meal, visit Haneda Ichiba for some freshly made conveyor belt sushi. The seafood served here is delivered from all over Japan, as far away as Aomori and Mie. The rice is seasoned with red vinegar, giving it a much milder taste which doesn’t overpower the high-grade sashimi.

If you’re looking to sip some Japanese whisky, this bar has you covered. Sakura boasts bottles collected from 23 different prefectures. There’s the all-time favourite Yamazaki series by Suntory, hard-to-find bottles of Ichiro’s Malt, plus plenty of more unusual drops. This is one of the few places where you’ll be able to get a glass of the good stuff without having to spend your life savings. Drinks are offered in smaller 15ml tasting flutes all the way up to double shot 60ml glasses, so you can easily try a couple of your favourites in a single sitting.

Colombian chocolate brand Cacao Hunters serves up some of the best chocolate in the city, and this small café is the best place to try the full range. There are all sorts of treats to satisfy your chocolate cravings. The chocolate smoothies and chocolate banana omelettes are to die for, but opt for the housemade gelato if you want to savor the rich flavour of cacao without any distractions.

This is the only Tokyo outpost of this souvenir snack shop from Sendai, most famous for its Hagi no Tsuki cakes. The yellow, round sponge cakes have a fluffy outer layer that complements their sweet custard cream filling. The shop also sells Hagino Shirabe Koh, a new dessert exclusive to this branch of the store. Unlike the original sweet treats, these ones have white sponge cake and custard made with special white egg yolks, giving them a much milkier flavour.

Tokyo Banana may be everyone’s go-to souvenir snack, but there are plenty of other delicious goodies at Tokyo station, including Sabrina’s flower shaped white chocolate pies. The buttery crusts were awarded first place at the prestigious Le Concours General Agricole festival in France, and there’s usually a queue outside the shop.

Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a 300-year-old textile shop in Nara, has opened an outpost in Tokyo Gransta selling eco-friendly hemp clothing. The company says its hemp clothing keeps you cool during the summer and warm during the colder months. Every month, you’ll find new colours, patterns and themes, so be sure to come back regularly.

Looking for a gift shop where you can get one-of-a-kind items? Vinyl is stocked with a collection of unique knick knacks created by up-and-coming artists. One of the most popular items is acrylic tags made by the upcycling brand Newsed and engraved with letters or katakana characters. You’ll also find two mini exhibition areas: one is dedicated to the shop’s original soft vinyl figures, which are also available for purchase, and the other is a gallery space featuring a rotating monthly lineup of works by local artists.

Toumei means ‘transparent’ and that’s exactly what this shop is all about – crafts, accessories and homewares, all made from transparent acrylic resin. You’ll find coasters decorated with gold leaf, earrings, soap dishes, and even figurines shaped like bonsai trees or sumo wrestlers. If you can’t decide, head to the gacha capsule machine at the front of the store and leave your choice of figurine up to fate.