Six of the best restaurants in Tokyo for dining solo
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
- Ginza Kagari Otemachi, Otemachi
- Arva, Otemachi
- Colazione Vario, Uchikanda
- Tenhou, Roppongi
- PST, Roppongi
- Otora, Nishiazabu
The problem with choosing a place to dine solo in Tokyo is not the lack of options but the surfeit. Eating alone is not uncommon nor seen as unusual here, and with more than three times as many restaurants per head than New York, a business trip becomes a gourmandising opportunity.
Given Tokyo’s gargantuan range, this is an idiosyncratic selection and does not even touch the Michelin-starred stratosphere (Tokyo has the highest number of garlanded restaurants, with 226 in 2020, including 11 at three stars). You can eat delicious food for as little as $10 without an incognito critic sitting nearby.
My choices focus on two areas: Otemachi, the business district north-east of the Imperial Palace, which is busy during the day (also including nearby Uchikanda); and Roppongi, a lively entertainment quarter that is more popular at night, along with Nishiazabu on its fringe.
Many restaurants have photos of their food outside; this is standard and not indicative of a touristy place as you might think elsewhere.
If the restaurant has a vending machine by the door — as many ramen places do — put your money in, press the button with the picture you like and give your ticket to the waiter or chef.
The following restaurants are not necessarily easy to find, so keep your eyes peeled. Some of Tokyo’s best restaurants are in basement arcades under office buildings, or set back from the road at ground level.
Extra pointers for diners
Navigation
Exact locations of restaurants are not always obvious, even to seasoned visitors. An address such as “7-8-5 Roppongi” means building five on block eight of district seven of the Roppongi area. Mapping apps are helpful, though even smartphones can find Tokyo puzzling.
On the subway, check your exit — using the wrong one could land you a kilometre from where you need to be.
Etiquette
Whether you are dining solo or with Japanese colleagues, there are some simple, though not essential, pointers.
When you enter a restaurant, “hitori desu” (don’t pronounce the “u”) will get you a table for one, or a seat at the counter if you prefer.
Just before eating — even by yourself — say “itadakimasu” (again the “u” is silent), which is halfway between “bon appétit” and grace: a moment of appreciation. On the way out, thank the chef with “gochisosama deshita ” (pronounced “deshta”) for a carefully prepared meal.
1. Ginza Kagari Otemachi
1-9-2 Otemachi (basement arcade), Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0004
Website | Directions
- Good for: the best ramen in Tokyo
- Not so good for: those who object to queueing
- FYI: ask for a kami epuron (paper bib) to protect your top
Of the thousands of ramen places in Tokyo this is the one I show off to friends and visitors, because it can’t be beaten.
At peak lunchtime (just before noon to after 1pm) you may have to queue for 15 minutes before a waiter lets you in to buy your ticket from a machine, whereupon you are expected to go back outside and wait some more.
But it is worth it. I always choose tori paitan, a creamy, intensely savoury chicken broth, heartened with thin soba noodles and dressed with melting slices of chicken breast and vegetables. Extra ingredients feature each month: in October it was avocado, in November pumpkin.
The taste should develop, so add grated ginger, fried onions, a splash of vinegar — all provided — as you go.
By the time you’ve eaten the noodles, listened to the 1950s girl-group soundtrack, and are left with just rich, tangy soup, you can give up pretending and slurp the rest.
2. Arva
Otemachi Tower, 1-5-6 Otemachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0004
Website | Directions
- Good for: a 33rd-floor view across the city
- Not so good for: a quick, cheap meal
- FYI: as your thoughts turn to what to drink, ponder the wine cabinets — seven metres tall
The view from Arva (part of the Aman hotel) through floor-to-ceiling windows, across the Imperial Palace’s park to the towers of western Tokyo and beyond, is almost enough to distract you from the food. Almost.
The chefs use Japanese ingredients and Italian techniques to produce an unusual fusion. In autumn, for example, you might encounter pumpkin terrine or mackerel (a Japanese favourite) sautéed with turnip, green onions and cured ham.
I have had spaghetti carbonara here, not just because it is comfort food but also to see how far an Italian restaurant in Tokyo could push it to perfection. The answer is pretty far.
3. Colazione Vario
2-3-7 Uchikanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0047
Website | Directions
- Good for: the freshest sandwiches
- Not so good for: avoiding carbs on the Paleo diet
- FYI: two pieces are quite filling
Sandwiches may seem an oddly western choice for lunch in Tokyo. But as the city’s chefs focus on serving the highest quality of whatever they make, even a simple bakery is a cut above.
Using Hokkaido wheat from the north of Japan, this unprepossessing café produces its own bread for a range of sandwiches, rolls, miniature pizzas and more — all of which will make you regret every soggy BLT you’ve ever consumed.
There are plenty of glamorous bakeries in Tokyo, but this is not one of them, though I do like sneaking off here at lunchtime because it is peaceful, a respite from hectic Tokyo, and I can fulfil most of my carby cravings.
4. Tenhou
7-8-5 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032
Website | Directions
- Good for: post-meeting, pre-drinking ramen
- Not so good for: anyone not good with directions
- FYI: order the 1-3-5 ramen
The hard part with Tenhou is finding it. Once inside the building, opposite the gargantuan Midtown shopping-dining-hotel-museum complex, you will find the restaurant up a few stairs on your right. If you feel lost, you’re probably almost there.
The easy part is what to order. The house recommends its 1-3-5 (ichi-san-go) ramen — hard noodles, heavy oil and thick soup — and there is no reason to dissent. It is an impressive bowl of food, and you can have rice on the side to soak up some of the soup, risotto-style.
Ramen is a traditional post-drinking food, so if you are on your way back to your hotel after sufficient nihonshu (sake), Tenhou is a good stop. If it’s really late, try nearby Kaotan, next to Aoyama cemetery. It is open until 5am (6am on Friday and Saturday) and despite the shack-like surroundings, the ramen is good.
5. PST
7-6-2 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032
Website | Directions
- Good for: Michelin award-winning pizza
- Not so good for: those on a tight expenses budget
- FYI: you might need a reservation
I was agog when I saw PST’s menu: around £20-£30, or $25-$40, for a pizza seemed a luxurious price for commonplace food. Then I tried it and understood.
Chef-owner Tsubasa Tamaki has had an illustrious career on the Tokyo pizza scene, and this is his second standalone place. Both venues have been awarded a Bib Gourmand from Michelin.
Using salt from Okinawa in the dough and mozzarella from Italy, he produces thin bases with irregular edges — from chewy to crispy — under fairly traditional toppings, only with higher-quality ingredients than you might have had on a pizza before.
Given how rare — and monstrously expensive — good cheese is in Tokyo, I can recommend the cinque formaggi, which comes with a small vial of honey (also monstrously expensive here) for drizzling.
6. Otora
2-13-13 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031
Website | Directions
- Good for: exploring Japanese cuisine beyond the obvious
- Not so good for: a light meal
- FYI: across the road from the restaurant that inspired a set design in the Quentin Tarantino movie Kill Bill: Vol 1
An izakaya is a Japanese-style pub-restaurant where people go to drink after work, though that doesn’t quite capture the broad range of places that fall under that label. Otora is at the upscale end, on the fringes of Roppongi.
Nikujaga — meat, potatoes and onion stewed in sweetened soy sauce — is perhaps not what most people would expect of Japanese cuisine, having a strong resemblance to a hearty stew. But the sweetness of the sauce plays well with the tender meat.
On my last visit, I had a rainbow-coloured dish of pickles — carrots, red cabbage, cucumber, turnip and daikon (radish) — then a large bowl of pasta with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and lemon, which was creamy, salty and sharp. Again defying expectations, which is one of the best things about eating out here.
Have you found any other hidden gems in Tokyo for solo diners? Let us know in the comments
Follow @FTGlobetrotter on Instagram for insider tips from our global network of correspondents to help you make the most of your work travel. Let us be your locals
About the author
Josh Spero, FT journalist, Tokyo
After working as the FT’s transport correspondent in London, Josh moved to Japan for a year and is keeping busy being astounded by Tokyo daily. When not editing opinion pieces, he is swimming or at the sento; hesitating over whether $15 is too much for a slice of strawberry tart (it is. maybe . . .); and burning up the dance floor at Tokyo’s oldest queer club.
Comments