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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/halfcastdota on 2024-11-16 00:21:17+00:00.
I would like to preface this post with the fact I speak VERY basic Japanese so my experience with service might be different to yours. At any restaurant that isn’t catered towards foreigners, the way staff and chefs treat you completely changes if you speak even basic Japanese as a foreigner. I have eaten at high end restaurants in many different countries and the only country that matches Japan, in my opinion, is Spain. The food here is absolutely amazing and while I focused on fine dining on my trip, even the casual late night food I ate was amazing. All of the restaurants on this list are easily bookable except for Meino and Takiya.
Tokyo:
Meino (pictures) : Tabelog 4.0( however this is a relatively new restaurant and the score distributions except for cost performance are all above 4.5; this is easily at the level of a Tabelog silver if not gold). Mei-san is an alum of Sushi Arai and she makes absolutely amazing sushi. There is also an excellent wine list and the service is excellent - Mei-san speaks excellent English and the restaurant atmosphere is upscale without being stuffy or overly quiet. This was easily the best sushi of my life and one of the best meals of my life. Reservations are members only.
Takiya (pictures) : Tabelog Gold and regarded as the best tempura restaurant in Japan, this was one of the best meals of my life. I would put it on the level of El Celler can de Roca and Mosu. Absolutely amazing what Tatsuaki-san is able to accomplish purely with tempura and the sake recommendations are excellent. Chef is the only one who can speak English here - the waitstaff all speak very limited English. This is a very difficult reservation, most reservations are to members but from what I have heard it is possible through Tableall if done well in advance.
Ginza Ooishi (pictures) : Tabelog Silver. This is French/Japanese fusion tasting menu that is absolutely amazing. This would be an amazing first fine dining experience for anyone interested - the food is very approachable for being fine dining. The chef is also extremely entertaining and the entire restaurant is super lighthearted - you can tell the staff are all having fun cooking. There is only one waiter/sommelier and he speaks decent English. Reservation is very easy through Omakase.
L’Effervescence (pictures) : 3 Michelin Stars and a Green star. Funnily enough, I dined here a day after that post on talking about how it does not deserve three stars and I could not disagree more. This was an amazing meal focused on vegetables - IMO better than Noma’s vegetable season. Service is absolutely amazing as well - I was even offered a tour of the kitchen at the end of my meal when I expressed interest. I would like to say this is absolutely not French food - this is Japanese food with French influences. If you go in expecting rich French dishes you will be very disappointed. My best description would be imagine you are going through the best farmer’s market in the world eating dishes that show off their produce in the best ways possible.
Sushi Marufuku (pictures) : Tabelog 3.65 (note that all the categories except drinks and cost performance are above a 4.0). Very solid sushi that focuses on aged fish. The staff all also speaks excellent English and managed to accommodate for me running 30 minutes late. Would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a very good Omakase experience that comes with excellent English service.
Yakitori Shinohara (pictures) : Tabelog 3.84. This is a yakitori restaurant that serves Takasaka chicken which is the only chicken in the world that can safely be eaten raw. The only reason I booked this restaurant was so I can try this chicken - and honestly it’s pretty good. The yakitori is extremely tender while still having a great char due to not having to overcook the chicken. However, the drinks here are very very overpriced and honestly the meal itself is very expensive for being yakitori. Sadly all the top end yakitori places are extremely hard to get reservations at so you are pretty much relegated to the second tier of restaurants which include places like Shinohara. This is still a solid meal, just overpriced. I would really only recommend it if you want to try raw chicken safely.
Notable non fine dining:
L’epicurien (pictures) : amazing bakery in Kichijoji, it is cash only and there is no dine-in option so you will have to find somewhere to eat the pastries quickly. I had to just jump into a random ramen restaurant to eat them.
Mamezou (pictures) : great curry with a lot of vegetables mixed in. Apparently there can be a pretty long wait sometimes but I went at opening time for dinner and was seated instantly.
Kyoto:
Gion Nishi (pictures) : Tabelog Bronze kaiseki. Compared to other high end kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto, this was much cheaper which is why I went with it and I do not regret it at all. Food, service and drinks are all excellent and the ingredients are all still very high quality. They also used to run a cafe and you can definitely tell with the excellent tea and dessert course. This was an extremely easy reservation - their counter is also only 6 seats so you will get an excellent view of the chefs at work. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a high end kaiseki.
Takayama (pictures) : 1 Michelin star. Amazing Italian tasting menu with Japanese influences. If you dine here, make sure you have a very light lunch - this is a VERY large meal. The chef and staff all speak excellent English and there is also Mandarin speaking staff as well. This is peak 1 star cuisine - its great tasting food that is great value for the price and a great atmosphere that isn’t stuffy. This would be a great introduction to fine dining.
Velrosier (pictures) : 2 Michelin stars. Chinese tasting menu with western influences. Extremely great value for a 2 star restaurant with very solid food. Service is amazing. I do think this restaurant is overrated by but I have seen posts saying this place is awful - I very much disagree and think it is still very good food. This is literally opposite Takayama but the atmosphere is much more formal - personally I preferred both the food and atmosphere at Takayama but I would still say this is good food. This is also another restaurant that I think would make a great introduction to fine dining especially if you prefer a more upscale atmosphere.
Sushi Saeki (pictures) : Tabelog 3.7. I really only booked this because I saw a post on this sub and it was right by my hotel (The Mitsui which is the best hotel I have ever stayed at) and was very much craving sushi. This was the most disappointing meal of my trip. The service is amazing and the garden view is beautiful but the sushi was just not worth the price. I think I was being served by the sous chef however?? so this might be much better when served by the main chef. That being said, I cannot recommend a lunch booking here in good faith.
Sakana to Yakitori to Kappo to Tototo (pictures) : Tabelog 3.24 but a relatively new restaurant. I booked this restaurant on a whim, and ended up with such a great meal. The sushi is solid but the star of the show is the sake - the sake recommendations here are AMAZING. The place was also only manned by one chef when I visited late at night and he was extremely nice to talk to. Great value for the price - would recommend for anyone looking for a great late night meal.
Gibier Miyama (pictures) : Tabelog 3.92. If you do not like game meat, do not bother eating here. Everything on the menu is either game meat or extremely fishy fish. Service here also completely changed when they found out I could speak basic Japanese. That being said, as someone who loves game meat, fishy fish and has a SO who loves hunting this meal was amazing. The venison and boar here are AMAZING. This was also my first time having bear meat - it is VERY fatty which I am not a fan of but if you enjoy fatty meats you will enjoy the bear meat here. Great value for the price as well - go here with an empty stomach/light lunch as there is a lot of food. Highly recommend this if you are a fan of game meat.
Non fine dining:
Pizzeria da Ciro (pictures) : This is on the list of best pizzerias in Asia. I am not a pizza expert or connoisseur by any means but this was a very very good pizza. There is pretty much always a line outside the place throughout lunch time.
Bossche (pictures) : This is a cafe that serves tofu pancakes and is apparently popular with celebrities. Excellent pancakes and it is right opposite the aquarium as well which was very convenient.
Osaka:
Katsuya Charcoal Grill Steakhouse (pictures) : Tabelog 3.62. I was looking for a…
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