Where To Eat In Tokyo, According To A Local Chef

It’s stars all around for Angelo Sato, who just earned his second Michelin star for his immersive, Japanese-European restaurant Humble Chicken. He first opened in 2021 – after spending years inside the world’s best kitchens such as those at Eleven Madison Park, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and Restaurant Story – with a yakitori bar, before eventually transforming the entire concept into an 18-seat chef’s table experience. Angelo and his team, including his brother John Paul who is also a chef and co-owner, deliver an innovative, playful menu that is all types of deliciousness – glorious sukiyaki with 48-hour slow-cooked short rib, beef tartare with miso and fried bone marrow, and persimmon with shaved foie gras on top are just some of the dishes on the tasting menu. 

Born and raised in Japan, Angelo cut his teeth at some of Tokyo’s top restaurants like two-starred kaiseki restaurant Narisawa and three-starred RyuGin. ‘Even if it’s the capital of Japan, you have such a calm, clean, and safe environment in Tokyo where restaurants focus on a single craft using incredible local ingredients and produce sourced both locally and from some of the best farms and seas in the world,’ he says. For a taste of Tokyo’s vibrant hospitality scene, we ask Angelo to share his must-visit restaurants and bars in the bustling metropolis.

Best Restaurants & Bars In Tokyo: Angelo Sato’s Pick

Where To Eat In Tokyo

Sazenka

This three-starred Michelin fine dining spot celebrates the ethos of ‘wakon-kansai’, referring to a menu that takes traditional Chinese dishes infused with the spirit of Japanese cuisine – think crispy chicken wings stuffed with lotus seeds, sticky rice balls with Kameoka-ke chestnuts, and a Shanghai hairy crab spring roll encapsulated by the soft aroma of shiso.

4 Chome-7-5 Minamiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0047, sazenka.com

Shinjuku Unatetsu Hanare

Unagi, or eel, is the star of the show at this hotspot in buzzy Shinjuku. The best way to have unagi is hot off the grill – order the hitsumabushi and it comes thinly sliced atop a bed of fluffy Japanese rice.

1 Chome-22-2 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0021, shinjuku-unatetsu.com

Yoroniku Tokyo Azabudai Hills

The Yoroniku group of restaurants has been a pioneer in Tokyo’s yakiniku scene and their Azabudai Hills branch consists entirely of private dining rooms. Aside from the perfectly grilled meats, Yoroniku is known for its truffle dishes, like the truffle sukiyaki with egg yolk and rice.  

Hills Tower Plaza 3F, 1-3-1 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, azabudai-hills.com

Pizza Bar on the 38th

Perched on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Pizza Bar on the 38th serves its brick oven pies in a tasting menu format at an intimate eight-seat counter. A master pizzaiolo whips up each pizza from scratch before the diners’ eyes, with guests enjoying a slice each before progressing to the next creation on the omakase menu. 

2 Chome-1-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-8328, mandarinoriental.com

Tempura Kondo

Fumio Kondo has been a gastronomic luminary for over half a century and is the unofficial king of tempura. At his Ginza restaurant, he takes a reimagined, lighter approach to tempura, allowing the ingredients to sing and placing vegetables in the spotlight – their signature sweet potato tempura is a must-try.

9F, 5-5-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0061, tempura-kondo.com

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Where To Drink In Tokyo

SG Club

Just ten minutes from the famous Shibuya crossing lies SG Club, a split-level drinking den with two distinct bars. On the ground floor, Guzzle caters to a casual crowd while subterranean speakeasy Sip provides a more intimate feel. Japanese spirits are favoured by their expert mixologists who craft creative cocktails like a cold soba negroni or a whisky nigiri.

1-chōme-7-8 Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0041, sg-management.jp

Bar Mijas

Amidst the lively nightlife scene in Roppongi is Bar Mijas, an unassuming little place serving up a fantastic collection of sake. Sit at the counter with bartender Takumi and enjoy a sake flight paired with light bites.

6 Chome−7−15 Eiwa Bldg. 5F, Roppongi, Minato 106-0032 Tokyo Prefecture, mijas.me

Gen Yamamoto

A cocktail tasting menu, you say? That’s exactly what you’ll get at this eight-seat minimalist establishment where guests are taken on a journey through hyper-seasonal creations that look and taste like works of art. 

Anniversary Building 1F, 1-6-4 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045, genyamamoto.jp