Aoyama/Omotesando

Beacon

Burgers and elegant dining don’t always go together. But Beacon in Shibuya not only serves one of the best burgers in town—it does so in a moody, modern and generously proportioned room.

Though they call this 100-seater eatery an “urban chop house,” Beacon is far more sophisticated than that moniker suggests. Chef David Chiddo uses natural, organic ingredients, including meat from animals that are reared without the use of hormones or antibiotics. The seafood is either raised at eco-friendly farms or harvested from sustainable stocks.

With this much attention to the details of dining, you can be confident the food won’t disappoint. The menu includes long grain-fed Australian sirloin steak (200g, ¥3,200), grilled local swordfish with lemon risotto (¥2,900), and grilled steak and jumbo shrimp surf-and-turf (¥4,800). And then there’s the unforgettable burger, made from freshly ground beef that’s hand-shaped and grilled to order.

Mondays, Sundays and holidays are “Burger and BBQ” nights, when you can enjoy a range of gourmet meals-between-buns and authentic American BBQ favorites, paired with reasonably priced wine. The space also boasts a chic 30-seat bar and a private room for up to 16 guests.

1-2-5 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-6418-0077. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-3pm and 6-11pm, Sun & hols 11:30am-9pm. Nearest stn: Omotesando or Shibuya. www.tyharborbrewing.co.jp/restaurants/beacon_e.html

Harem

Located in leafy Kita-Aoyama, Harem is Tokyo’s favorite spot to enjoy innovative Turkish cuisine in a sophisticated yet relaxing atmosphere. Along with fantastic traditional dishes, shish kebabs and the delicious hunkar begendi (lamb cooked in tomato sauce with eggplant puree), the restaurant also offers Turkey’s most famous kebab, the iskender—which at Harem is made with Japanese beef and high-quality New Zealand lamb with tomato sauce, yogurt and butter (¥2,800).

This piece of the Middle East in Gaienmae is famous for its bestsellers: lahmajun (Turkish-style thin pizza with minced lamb and pomegranate-flavored tomato sauce, ¥2,400) and peynirli pide (Turkish-style pizza with feta cheese, ¥1,800). Harem’s special plate, the Harem pilav (eggplant rice with lamb and pistachio served with yogurt sauce, ¥1,800), is also a perennial favorite among customers.

Top-selling vegetarian dishes include sebzeli kizartmasi (fried zucchini and eggplant with tomato and yogurt sauce, ¥1,400) and sezeli guvec (vegetables stewed in tomato sauce, ¥2,200). Weekend lunches are a popular option for families with small children and offer a fantastic deal, while dinner and course menus are available at ¥2,500 and ¥3,500.

If you want some refreshment with your Turkish delights, try Harem’s new varieties of rare wines, like South African Shiraz (¥5,800) and Israeli Petit-Syrah and Zinfandel (¥7,400). Harem also has shared (i.e. family-style) course menus for ¥4,800, ¥6,500 and ¥8,000 per person, which are ideal for a date or a visit with friends or business associates. Parties and catering services are also available.

B1 CI Plaza, 2-3-1 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5786-2929. Open for lunch Tue-Wed & Fri-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm (L.O. 2pm), dinner Tue-Sat 5:30-11pm (L.O. 10pm), Sun & hols 5:30-10pm (L.O. 9pm). Nearest stn: Gaienmae, exit 4A. www.harem.co.jp

Azabu-Juban/Nishi-Azabu/Mita

f.Bar

With nightlife hotspots already established in cities from Bombay to Buenos Aires, style network Fashion TV has finally got its first franchise here in Tokyo. Azabu-Juban’s f.Bar offers a unique blend of “leisure, fun and fashion” that you won’t find anywhere else in town.

Start with the food, an ample selection of Italian cuisine prepared by a chef trained in Italy. Delicious and with an admirable attention to detail, the scallop risotto (¥1,400) is made with white and red rice, asparagus, clam juice and cream, with a crown of scallops that have been lightly fried in f.Bar’s signature oil. Unusual fare includes beer-marinated spare ribs (¥1,900), which are bathed in a brew with herbs overnight and then stewed with fresh veggies. Dine in one of three spaces: the open terrace, the glamorous lounge, or in one of three private VIP rooms.

After enjoying the flavors of the Mediterranean, take in some of the hottest nightlife in town when f.Bar turns into a lounge after 11pm. A throwback to the sexier days of Tokyo’s club scene, the crowd is a fun and funky mix of international models and fashion industry bigwigs. Don’t miss Martini Mondays, with ¥700 martinis, and Single Saturdays, which offer ¥500 shots and free entrance for ladies before midnight. And just to keep the clientele happy, monitors throughout the club broadcast the latest in style through Fashion TV’s worldwide updates.

1-4-5 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3586-6383. Open daily 6pm-5am, restaurant 6pm-11pm. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban. www.fbar.jp

Gion Kahala

A small sign behind a narrow staircase is the only indication that you’re at the right place. But Gion Kahala, a hidden gem of a restaurant located just minutes from Nishi-Azabu crossing, is worth tracking down.

The interior is a visual feast of Kyoto-style wabi-sabi elegance mixed with vibrant modern design. The architecture is pitched somewhere between Buddhist temple and modern Kyoto mansion, but Occidental touches create an intriguing mishmash, with Eastern antiques mingling with Western furniture. The blood-red “salon de bar,” decorated with a collection of gleaming decanters, was produced by Minoru Nishida, an executive bartender well-known for creating inventive bar-restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto. The main restaurant, meanwhile, has several seating options, including private rooms with a view of the serene Japanese garden.

As the interior might lead you to expect, the food is a fusion of modern and traditional Japanese, with a prominent Mediterranean influence. Kahala’s course menus start at ¥7,000 for eight dishes, offering up carefully crafted flavors made with fresh veggies straight from Kyoto. The star of the menu is, without a doubt, the succulent teppan-fried Kyoto beef—a real rarity in Tokyo.

Kahala makes expert use of seasonal produce, with matsutake mushrooms gracing the menu while supplies last. Vegetarian courses are also available upon request. And don’t leave without trying the desserts, such as vinegar and olive macedonia with yogurt gelato (¥800) and frozen catalana (custard pudding) with rum and raisin (¥800)—a fantastic way to wrap up an unforgettable meal.

B1 Nishi-Azabu 2521 Bldg, 2-25-21 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3409-1099. Open Mon-Sat 6pm-3am (L.O. 2am), closed Sun & hols. Nearest stn: Roppongi or Hiroo. www.kahala.in

Les Vinum

The Nishi-Azabu area is dotted with colorful little eateries and exclusive high-class dining spots, but none of them feel quite as homely as Les Vinum. Though it originally opened in 2004 as a classy little wine bar, owner Makoto Tokuhara figured that if you’re going to invite guests to sample some excellent wine, you might as well serve them some excellent food.

Thus was born Les Vinum’s French-inspired cuisine, dealing in all the high quality ingredients minus the heavy sauces (which Tokuhara insists hide the essential flavors of meat). The meat here, from duck to lamb to beef, is flame grilled, seasoned only with salt and pepper, and served with a side of mustard, to create a simple center to an elegant meal. The homemade lamb sausages and homemade paté deserve a mention, but the best of the menu changes daily based on what’s fresh from the market that morning, making every visit an exciting new culinary experience. A six-course dinner is available for only ¥4,800, and diners are free to make requests, or choose a wine and leave the rest up to the chef.

Les Vinum’s open kitchen, visible from every chair inside, gives diners a front row seat to watch the magic happen, but there is also the option to relax outside surrounded by greenery on Les Vinum’s terrace. Come to sample some of the bottles of wine from around the world and share a few recommended dishes between friends, or order a full meal and have one of the staff recommend the perfect wine pairing. Relaxed and easygoing but still sophisticated, Les Vinum is that ideal little neighborhood bistro that you’ll end up wishing was just around the corner.

1F, 4-5-8 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5466-8607. Open Tue-Fri 6pm-1:30am (L.O.), Sat-Sun 5:30-11:30pm (L.O.), closed Mon. Nearest stn: Hiroo or Roppongi, www.les-vinum.com

Siam Thai Cuisine

You might not be aware that the side streets around Mita are home to some of Tokyo’s liveliest after-work drinking establishments. And it’s something of a surprise to find Siam Thai Cuisine nestled among all the ramen and yakitori stalls. This refined outpost of authentic Thai cooking would seem more at home in an upscale, international neighborhood than the tiny backstreets near Mita station.

Recently opened by longtime Tokyo expat Ross Purdie, Siam Thai Cuisine is notable for its wine list as much as its food menu. Purdie has put together an international list that ranges from France to Chile to the Napa Valley, with most bottles under ¥5,000 and by-the-glass options available.

While the wine list takes its inspiration from various corners of the globe, the food is all Thai. The trilingual menu brims with over 80 items, and even though all the popular dishes make an appearance, diners would do well to explore. Instead of the ubiquitous pad thai (¥1,250), try the pad unsen (¥1,150), a hearty dish of glass noodles, shrimp, vegetables and egg. Or if you usually enjoy tom yam kung (¥1,250), order up tom kha talay (¥1,350), a spicy, coconut-based seafood soup.

Another notable aspect of Siam Thai Cuisine is that the chefs are unafraid to spice things up. Unlike most local Thai restaurants, where the chili peppers have been tempered to soothe wimpy Japanese palates, the spiciness rating on this menu should be heeded. When the main area of the restaurant gets busy later in the evening, the atmosphere gets as lively and spicy as the food, making this little piece of Thailand a must-visit for an elegant and festive night out.

5-15-2 Shiba, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5443-5165. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm, closed Sun & hols.

Sasashige

Spacious and stylish, Nishi-Azabu’s Sasashige draws a fun crowd into its modern interior for some of the best bang-for-your-buck teppanyaki in town. The irresistible smell of juicy, fragrant meat sizzling on a hot plate makes Sasashige’s Kuroge beef the “hottest” thing on the menu (available in sirloin and tenderloin, both ¥2,200/50g). Some delicious aquatic friends are up for enjoyment as well. Our first recommendation would be the seared tuna steak served with fresh wasabi and aged soy sauce, ¥1,500), but there’s also a fantastic selection of fresh scallops, salmon and lobster for environmentally conscious diners. The course menus can’t be beat, either, with three “omakase” courses (¥5,000-¥9,000) and the ¥12,000 Sasashige course. The “Omakase Course C” comes highly recommended, with 100g of beef steak, carpaccio, grilled veggies and abalone, topped off with okonomiyaki.

Sasashige’s midday service is one of the best deals in town—four different menus for just ¥1,000, including all the ten-grain rice you can eat. Don’t miss the salmon à la meunière, a thick, perfectly done salmon fillet accompanied by a dollop of housemade tartar sauce, buttery mashed potatoes, grilled cabbage, pickles and miso soup. Sasashige is just up the road from Metropolis HQ, so during lunch time hours you’re bound to see a few familiar characters.

2F, 2-13-15 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5774-4439. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm and 5pm-midnight, Sat-Sun 5-11pm. Nearest stn: Hiroo or Roppongi. www.sasashige.com

Itabashi

Yoshimura

A first-time visit to Yoshimura is quite an eye-opener, even for those who frequent the high-class kaiseki eateries in hotels and the city center. Located on the Mita line about 20 minutes out of the fray, Yoshimura is simply one of Tokyo’s most stunning places to eat. This restaurant resembles an enormous house with all the architectural signatures of classic Japanese design, including antique decor and textured walls made of washi. Each spacious dining area has simple, clean lines, and looks out onto a vast, immaculate Japanese garden.

Though it’s difficult to stop gawking at the building, Yoshimura’s menu is worth a glance as well. The restaurant uses the finest domestic ingredients in a massive menu of ryokan favorites, ranging from fresh sushi (from ¥1,800) and tempura (¥2,000) to kaisen-don (rice topped with slices of fresh sashimi, ¥2,500) and grilled crab (¥3,000). A seasonal menu is also available, featuring a variety of inventive dishes that fuse traditional and contemporary ideas. For special occasions, enormous private tatami rooms are available at ¥5,000 per room, and course meals start at ¥6,800 per person.

Surprisingly enough, Yoshimura is a kid-friendly space with ample parking and even a children’s menu, making it a wonderful spot for a weekend dinner with the family. Impress business clients with some authentic Japanese hospitality, or surprise that special someone with an out-of-the-ordinary elegant dining experience.

2-19-12 Hasune, Itabashi-ku. Tel: 03-3968-1301. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm (L.O.) and 5-10pm (L.O. 9:30pm), Sat-Sun & hols 11:30am-9:30pm (L.O. 9pm). Nearest stn: Hasune. www.yoshimura-hasune.com

Ebisu

Bamboo Grassy

Some restaurant names need a little explaining. Bamboo Grassy comes from a chant at the Tohka Ebisu festival, celebrated in Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe soon after New Year: Shobai hanjo de sasa mottekoi! (“Business is thriving, fetch the bamboo grass!”) Both the name and location—in Ebisu, neighborhood of the god of commerce—would appear to bode well for business, and sure enough, on any given evening Bamboo Grassy’s earthy interior is bustling with local businessmen and shoppers from nearby Ebisu Garden Place.

Superstition aside, it might just be the food that keeps people coming back. Chef Asao Naganuma is a master of the teppan—which is a relief when you’re cooking expensive items like abalone (¥3,300), foie gras (¥1,500) and wagyu sirloin (¥2,200/50g). Pescatarians will enjoy the tender sea bream with a dash of plum sauce (¥1,200), and no teppanyaki meal would be complete without grilled vegetables (¥500), cooked just enough to get the juices flowing, then dipped in white sesame and salt or one of three sauces—miso, mustard and soy, or ponzu with radish.
The okonomiyaki (¥900) is a treat: unlike most varieties of this savory “pancake,” Bamboo Grassy’s version is more like a crepe, with thin dough wrapped around yakisoba and cabbage, coated with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and served in a square shape like a galette.

A daring wine selection matching Japanese and international flavors complements an elegant meal (from ¥5,000), though visitors to Bamboo Grassy might want to toast to the discovery of another great dining haunt with a cool glass of the local brew—Yebisu.

B1F Pia House Ebisu, 3-9-29 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-5739-0527. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm, daily 5pm-1am. Nearest stn: Ebisu (east exit). www.bamboograssy.com

Roppongi

Lovenet

Warm up your vocal cords! Just when you thought you’d completed your list of must-do Tokyo amusements, Roppongi’s Lovenet has arrived to add another checkbox. Located on the third and fourth floor of the Hotel Ibis just a few minutes from both Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown, this venue welcomes guests into an alternative reality of luxury dining and karaoke in themed rooms.

And themed they are. Head to the Morocco Suite for some romantic Middle Eastern fun for two, mix things up in the DJ booth in the Ibiza Suite, or get the gang together and host a pool party—and sing in your swimwear (or less)—in the Aqua Suite. A total of 33 rooms are available, seating 2 to 120 revelers, making them perfect for a colorful night out with friends, a funky gokon, or a company party to remember.

To power up your marathon karaoke session, Lovenet offers both a course menu (starting from ¥4,000 including all-you-can-drink) and a hefty à la carte menu stuffed with all kinds of Italian fare, from appetizers to main dishes to desserts. Lovenet doesn’t skimp on beverages, either, with a long list of champagne cocktails (¥1,600), aperitifs (from ¥800) and wine (from ¥3,500 per bottle), together with the standard tipples to lubricate those vocal cords.

Lovenet wants Tokyoites to say bye-bye in style, and is offering up a going-away party plan that includes three types of munchies and two-and-a-half hours of all-you-can-drink karaoke madness for only ¥4,500 per person, including room fee.

If you’re planning to visit on a weekend or hoping to snag a particular room, be smart and make reservations well in advance.

3-4F Hotel Ibis, 7-14-4 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5771-5511. Open daily 6pm-5am. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.lovenet-jp.com

Mifune

With all the recent talk of herbivorous men, manbags and men’s facials, sometimes it’s hard to imagine that manliness was once actually commonplace (and even celebrated!). Roppongi’s newest Japanese eatery, Mifune, harks back to the days of old, when impeccably masculine samurai, the cowboys of the East, ruled the land.

Named after Toshiro Mifune, the movie legend of Seven Samurai and Stray Dog fame, the izakaya was created in cooperation with Toho Studios, and the end result looks like the Japanese version of a Wild West saloon—like something out of an Akira Kurosawa flick, in fact. The interior is steeped in classic manly atmosphere; everything inside, from tables to walls to ceilings, is made of solid, aged wood, and banners adorned with family seals hang alongside katanas on the walls.
Rest assured that the food is every bit as manly as the atmosphere—Mifune doesn’t skimp on volume when it comes to izakaya staples. The yakitori is thick, with large juicy chunks of chicken strung on skewers as large as chopsticks. The menu also boasts more unusual fare like yakishabu, which ditches the boiling water used in typical shabu shabu in favor of a sizzling hot stone.

Modern samurai parched after a day of corporate showdowns can slake their thirst with a few samplings from the impressive selection of fine sake and shochu. For make no mistake: a visit to Mifune is enough to inject some frontier spirit into even the dowdiest of salarymen. It’s a great stop for any movie buff, tourist or Roppongi veteran.

7-18-7 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-6804-5548. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-2pm (L.O. 1:30pm) and 5pm-midnight (L.O. 11pm), closed Sun. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.mifune-project.com

Sabatini

The owners of Sabatini know that fine Italian cooking plus fantastic city views add up to a romantic date. That’s why they’ve placed "couple" seats against the windows. But this restaurant doesn’t rely on the scenery to impress. The kitchen is headed up by Yukihiro Noda, an Iron Chef alumnus, while the sommelier is Saburo Kashiwazaki, one of the finest Italian wine connoisseurs in Japan—and, like Noda, a former trainee of Sabatini in Rome.

This year, Sabatini is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its original restaurant in Rome, and Noda has whipped up a celebratory course (¥5,000) to mark the occasion. The sumptuous meal includes Spaghetti al Pescatora and Piccatina al Limone, thin slices of lamb seasoned with lemon. Vegetarians now also have their own five-course meal (¥5,250), which includes such delights as Penne al Pomodoro con Funghi, penne with mushroom and tomato sauce, and Cotoletta di Cecci alla Milanese, Milan-style chickpea cutlets. A party course is also available.

When you need a drink to accompany your meal, Kashiwazaki will guide you through Sabatini’s cellar of over 100 bottles to select the perfect vino for your piatto. With “Canzone Napoletana” music playing live in the restaurant, this is as authentically Italian as Roppongi gets. You’ll find it hidden away on the 13th floor of the iconic Hotel Ibis.

13F Hotel Ibis, 7-14-4 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5411-2975. Open daily 11:30am-3pm (L.O. 2pm) and 5:30-11pm. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.sabatini-roppongi.com

Shibuya

Arossa Shibuya

“Sophistication” and “Australia” don’t usually go together in the same sentence, but Arossa in Shibuya makes them seem like bosom buddies. Located in a Soho-ish brick building in a residential area just a stone’s throw from Tokyo’s busiest neighborhood, Arossa boasts a warm, welcoming, modern wood interior that makes it a perfect place to settle down and get acquainted with a side of the land Down Under that you probably never knew existed.
Originally opened in 2000 as a portal for Australian wine, Arossa claims over 400 different types of reds, whites and sparkling, including some that are difficult to find even in Australia itself. Sample a glass or a bottle from several regions until you find your favorite.

On the cuisine side, Arossa takes pride in its fresh oysters, imported directly from Tasmania. Its seasoned lamb and juicy Aussie beef are grilled, and only grilled—letting customers enjoy the real essence of high-quality meat. Indeed, those with carnivorous tendencies are sure to delight in the selection of meaty dishes, with ingredients running the gamut of two- and four-legged, feathered, furred and finned.

A far cry from your typical “Outback” kitsch, Arossa is worth a visit for both a full-on Aussie meal and the chance to sit back and relax with a few glasses of wine while savoring a hidden gem of Australian elegance.

1-26-22 Shoto, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3469-0125. Open daily 6pm-2am (L.O. 1am). Nearest stn: Shibuya or Shinsen. www.pjgroup.jp/arossa/

Shiodome/Ginza

Arossa Ginza

Offering a slice of New Zealand in the heart of Ginza, Arossa serves up the kind of authentic Kiwi kai that you’d be hard pressed to find within 8,000km of Tokyo. High-quality ingredients are imported directly from New Zealand to create the simple and homely flavors for which the country is renowned.
The 1lb New Zealand grass-fed beef steak is not to be missed: mouth-wateringly juicy, couldn’t be further removed from the fatty, “well marbled” beef found in Japan. Arossa also boasts authentic hangi, a traditional Maori style of cooking that involves wrapping thick slices of meat and veggies in banana leaves and placing them on hot stones to sizzle beneath the earth. Herbivores needn’t feel left out, either: the restaurant’s menu is stocked with a number of veggie dishes, created by a chef with years of vegetarian experience under his belt.
While New Zealand has always been known for its high-quality beef, lamb and seafood, recently the country’s wines have been enjoying their spot in the limelight. Arossa carries over 250 types of reds and whites from the tip of the north island to the tail of the south. Fans of Australian wine are encouraged to come for a taste test to make some comparisons!

The cuisine at Arossa may be 100 percent New Zealand, but the atmosphere goes beyond anything to be found in even the most modern Auckland eatery. The space is cool and modern without being cold, with high ceilings and an openness that invite a longer, more leisurely stay than most Ginza restaurants. Books and paintings of New Zealand line the walls—a finishing touch that’s enough to make any Kiwi long to return to Aotearoa.

8F, 2-4-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-5524-1146. Open daily 11:30am-3:30pm (L.O. 2:30pm) and 6pm-2am (L.O. 1am). Nearest stn: Yurakucho or Ginza. www.pjgroup.jp/arossa/

BiCE Tokyo

One of the great things about Tokyo is just how easy it is to find a dining spot right in front of a massive window, perched high above the rooftops. Nearly half of the 37 tables in BiCE’s massive 600m2 premises are near the floor-to-ceiling glass, offering an eagle-eye view over the cityscape from the 47th floor of the Caretta Shiodome building.

BiCE welcomes a sophisticated and discerning crowd from all around the world, but dining here is like being entertained in the lounge of your wealthy Italian relatives: comfortable and welcoming while maintaining a sensual edge of style.

BiCE’s story began at a small trattoria in Milan, which opened as a little local joint in 1921. The ensuing decades have seen the restaurant expand into several countries, and while it has definitely gone up in the world, BiCE’s concept is still founded on the combination of homely atmosphere and delicious food. The menu puts a modern spin on the simple elegance of traditional Northern Italian dishes, playing with fresh and seasonal ingredients to create authentic yet original Italian flavors.

The four-course “Bianco” set at lunchtime (¥3,675) currently features hand-made herbed tagliatelle pasta with pork ragout and parmesan cheese, and a choice of pan-fried sea bass or chicken fillet served with grilled zucchini. Dinner courses start at ¥9,450 for “La Cusina a Milan,” a six-course feast that includes saffron and red wine risotto, hand-made maltagliati pasta and traditional Milanese “Cassoeula” pork ribs. An à la carte menu is also available, as is a list of fine Italian wines suitable for anything from a casual romantic dinner to an all-out Italian-style celebration.

47F Caretta Shiodome, 1-8-1 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5537-1926. Open daily 11:30am-3:30pm (L.O. 2pm), Mon-Fri 5:30-11:30pm (L.O. 10pm), Sat-Sun & hols 5:00-11:30pm (L.O. 10pm). Nearest stn: Shiodome or Shimbashi. www.bicetokyo.com