Tour of Popular Shibuya Restaurants Recommended by Locals
Shibuya is packed with "cheap and delicious" foods, favored by students and salarymen.
TokyoTableTrip has put together this 1-day gourmet tour of Shibuya's best seasonal dishes for all of you food-lovers who plan on visiting Shibuya!
12:00 - "Yakitori-don (800 yen)" at Toritake So Honten
Before we start our day of sightseeing, we're having a quick meal here at Toritake So Honten, a long-established yakitori restaurant.
The delicious aroma coming from the grill is sure to get your appetite going.
Their most popular dish around lunchtime is their yakitori-don, 3 yakitori skewers served over a bowl of rice.
The melt-in-your-mouth texture of the large pieces of liver, cooked medium, is addicting.
Hop in with all of the local salarymen stopping by for a meal and fuel yourself up for the rest of your day!
◆Toritake So Honten
Address: 1-6-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3461-1627
Hours: 12:00pm~12:30am the following day
Budget: ~999 yen (lunch), 3,000-3,999 yen (dinner)
Closed: Never
Credit cards accepted
13:00 - "Premium Pudding (550 yen)" at Nishiya
After eating, next we're heading over to a cafe called "Nishiya."
This super-popular shop sees a steady flow of customers despite being a 10-minute walk from the station.
Most customers order the cafe's signature "Premium Pudding" that has made a splash on Instagram.
The combination of scrumptious pudding and slightly bitter caramel is mouthwatering, and you're sure to polish it all off before you even know it.
After enjoying this sugary treat, our next stop is Shibuya's iconic sightseeing location, the "Scramble Crossing."
◆Coffeehouse Nishiya
Address: 1-4-1 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3409-1909
Hours: 11:00-18:00
Budget: ~999 yen
Closed: Tuesdays, Wednesdays
Credit cards not accepted
15:00 - A Bitter "Stout (1000 yen)" at Craftheads
Once you've tired yourself out a bit from walking around, our next stop is grabbing a beer at Craftheads, a long-standing beer bar in Shibuya.
They open at 15:00, a bit earlier than usual, on Saturdays and Sundays.
Their beer lineup features popular craft beers from both Japan and America.
Our goal here is to perk up a bit with a nice bitter stout, then head out for more shopping in Shibuya.
◆Craftheads
Address: 1-13-10 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6416-9474
Hours:
[Tuesday-Friday] 17:00-24:00
[Saturday, Sunday, Holidays] 15:00-23:00
Budget: 4,000-4,999 yen
Closed: Tuesdays, Wednesdays
Credit cards not accepted
18:00 - "Ham Katsu (200 yen)" at Fujiya Honten
Our dinner begins here at Fujiya Honten, a super-popular standing izakaya in Shibuya.
The ham katsu here is a great deal at 200 yen for how generous of a portion you get.
Take this chance to happily communicate with your fellow customers while drinking some delicious Japanese shochu!
◆Fujiya Honten
Address: B1F 2-3 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3461-2128
Hours: 17:00-21:30
Budget: 1,000-1,999 yen
Closed: Sundays, holidays, every 4th Saturday
Credit cards not accepted
19:00 - "Sashimi Moriawase (2500 yen)" at Narukiyo
Our second stop for dinner is Narukiyo, a restaurant that's popular with fashionistas for its high-quality dishes.
It has also become more popular with foreign tourists in recent times.
While the sashimi moriawase (assorted sashimi) here is somewhat pricey at 2500 yen, you're sure to receive high-quality fish.
The super-fresh fish here is leaps and bounds better than what you'd typically find at an izakaya.
The rock and R&B songs played inside are also fitting, so enjoy the energy here along with your sake and food as a great peak to your day!
◆Narukiyo
Address: 2-7-14 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5485-2223
Hours: 18:00-12:30am the following day
Budget: 8,000-9,999 yen
Closed: Irregular holidays
Credit cards accepted (JCB, AMEX, Diners)
20:30 - "Ryukyu Mapo Tofu (1250 yen)" at Ryukyu Chinese TAMA
Our final stop for dinner is the chic standing izakaya Ryukyu Chinese TAMA.
Their clever assortment of dishes takes inspiration from Okinawan and Chinese cuisines, earning them high praise from local customers coming out for a good time; the restaurant is often packed with customers until late at night!
Our choice for tonight is their original take on "mapo tofu," which starts off with a base of ground goat that is then made spicy and aromatic with Okinawan togarashi pepper and two types of Japanese prickly ash peppers.
The stimulating spicy flavors of this dish are sure to wake you up!
◆Ryukyu Chinese TAMA
Address: 2-3-2 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3486-5577
Hours: 18:00-3:00am the following day
Budget: 4,000-4,999 yen
Closed: Sundays
Credit cards accepted (VISA, JCB, AMEX, Diners, MASTER)
22:00 - "Udagawa Blend (600 yen)" at Udagawa Cafe
To wrap up our day of Shibuya sightseeing, we're ending at Udagawa Cafe, a shop with an exotic atmosphere that's popular with adult women!
Their signature "Udagawa Blend" is lovingly drip-brewed, and it has a rich but refreshing flavor.
Take a minute to relax in the calm atmosphere here and look over your local guidebook to finalize your plans for nighttime fun.
Next up? Tokyo's number one clubbing area, Roppongi! The night is still young!
◆Udagawa Cafe
Address: 18-4 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 050-5594-6835
Hours: 11:00am-4:00am the following day
Budget: 1,000-1,999 yen
Closed: Never
Credit cards accepted (JCB, AMEX, Diners, VISA, MASTER)
Register account first.
Register
Comments 2
ChuToroZuke
Nice list!
I would like to also recommend Nagasaki Hanten
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13033880/
which while is not for everyone, I went back to a second time a couple weeks ago and enjoyed it immensely. Featured in Season 6? of one of the episodes of Kodoku No Gurume (lonely gourmet), the food lives up to the coverage.
While no English is spoken that I am aware of (and no English menu), all you need to do is focus on one or two signature dishes. The food is Nagasaki style Japanese Chinese
- Gokujo Champon (signature Nagasaki style pork bone broth ramen with a delectable amount of stir fried cabbage, pork, mixed seafood, vegetables on top with round slightly thicker medium firm noodles). Second time having this and still loved it. Seems healthier than Buta Yaro ;-) or Ramen Jiro's monster bowls...
- Sara (Sala) udon - this is not udon but resembles Cantonese pan fried noodles with cabbage and pork (and a few other things) on top. Another Nagasaki specialty. You can ask for "kata men" which is firmer crispier noodles. In the end it doesn't matter anyway as the starch thickened sauce will make it all less crispy and delicious. Alternate between vinegar, mustard, and their seasoned soy sauce in moderation.
If anything focus only on the champon. The soup alone is gorgeous, the seafood delicious, and the shitake is ridiculously good after absorbing all that flavor. If room allows then try the Sara Udon.
Get an order of yaki gyoza (beautiful and quite large portion), and a "bin biru" (bottle of Kirin) or you can get a nama beer. Then you should be good!
They have other classics like sweet sour pork (su-buta) and the typical chuka ryori classics, but the champon is a must have.
Kengo Yamada
Tokyo gourmet emperor/German cars for life/Dan beste, oder nichtsWe introduce you to many popular restaurants in Shibuya that you can enjoy casually.