Both in Japan and worldwide, Ginza is a place synonymous with material luxury, discerning artistic taste and culinary delights. While people today flock to Ginza’s upscale department stores, art galleries and fashionable boutiques, it has also historically been a place where Tokyo’s artisans, painters, and noh and kabuki actors go to experience its refined international atmosphere and cafe-lined streets. Avenues close to vehicle traffic on weekends so that shoppers and artistic types alike can amble through the promenade at a leisurely pace.
Just as world-renowned designer brands and fashion houses select Ginza as the location for their flagship stores in Japan, discerning restaurateurs choose Ginza when they’re looking for an equally stunning location to match their stunning food. From Japanese-French fusion to a high-end izakaya bar and everything in between, here are 15 fabulous Ginza restaurants.
15 Fabulous Ginza Restaurants
French
When deciding where to eat in Ginza, the only trouble will be narrowing your choices. As Ginza is home to the greatest concentration of Western shops in Tokyo, it should come as no surprise that some of the finest international cuisine in all of Japan can be found here.
At , enjoy Japanese-French fusion in a luxurious atmosphere. ISHIDA features top-tier ingredients including authentic Matsuzaka beef, black abalone, and succulent tilefish prepared with the finest Japanese and French culinary techniques. Be sure to try the Boshu Black Abalone Steak with Liver Sauce, a dish that exudes the flavorful fragrance of the sea. Plump black abalone is steamed then roasted and paired with a sublime sauce of liver, nori seaweed, balsamic vinegar, and butter.
Whether the occasion is an intimate date or business entertainment, is a prime choice for authentic Parisian cuisine and a memorable dining experience. The menu is founded on traditional French heritage foods evolved to suit contemporary tastes. No dish demonstrates this progression better than the Blue Homard Parmentier with Oscietra Caviar Sauce, their signature dish of blue lobster in a rich ikura salmon caviar and beurre blanc sauce. The tranquil restaurant interior features a brick wine cellar at the center of the room with an extensive selection of aperitifs and digestifs.
Teppanyaki
For a Japanese twist on a high-end Western steakhouse, teppanyaki is sure to delight—but Ginza restaurants make the experience, a blend of perfect grilling and performance art, all the more special.
At Teppan-yaki Miyachi, enjoy a lavish dining experience where the dishes are skillfully prepared on an open teppan grill before guests. Miyachi uses only the most tender heifer cuts of dry-aged Matsunaga Japanese beef from Shimane prefecture and Kitasatsuma beef from Kagoshima, two premiere brands of wagyu Japanese beef. Their Seared Sushi with Beef Tongue and Skirt Steak Grilled Skewer features an opulent wagyu sushi dish of rare center-cut beef, paired with grilled skewers of beef tongue and skirt steak. Enjoy it with aromatic Himalayan rock salt.
Italian
Any reputable survey of the best Ginza restaurants would not be complete without touching upon the superb Italian dining to be found here, each establishment the perfect complement to the leading Italian fashion houses also dotting the district.
offers exquisite seafood, fine aromatic herbs, and a delightful spread of fresh vegetables prepared in an inviting open kitchen. They source high-quality sea bream and sawara Spanish mackerel directly from the Oita, Ishikawa, and Yamaguchi areas. Enjoy their GIAG GIOLO’s specialty pasta dish Black Pepper and Cayenne Tagliatelle in a sauce of Manila clam and cuttlefish. The savory flavor of the seafood is enhanced by bright spices and fresh herbs sourced directly from Mahoroba specialty farm.
Of course, choosing where to eat in Ginza is not just about gastronomical preferences; it is also about who you are with. On a romantic date, Aroma Fresca is the perfect option for elegant Italian dining in a luxurious atmosphere. Their specialty dish is Conger Eel and Herbs with Fresh Tomato, a fragrant dish of steamed conger eel and aromatic herbs served with tart fresh tomato and Japanese pepper. The exquisite aroma of the herbs and steamed conger eel is impossible to ignore from the moment the dish arrives at the table. Be sure to also try their excellent roast beef, made with aged A4-rank beef chosen for its exquisite marbling.
Spanish
Restaurants in Ginza run the culinary gamut, even stretching as far as the Mediterranean. For a taste of Spain in the heart of Tokyo, Ginza offers several Spanish restaurants of the highest caliber.
IL DELIZIOSO brings the best out of Spanish cuisine with their delightful eight-item tapas platters featuring natural ingredients served in a cheerful atmosphere. Enjoy fresh seafood procured directly from Tsukiji fish market nearby, as well as a top fishmonger at the Toyama fishing port. Depending on the season, their tapas platter may feature seafood like botan shrimp (a Toyama specialty), fresh oysters, and succulent whelk. The handmade house sausages of meaty minced pork are another excellent option. For the main course, the Squid Ink Caldoso, made with fresh squid cooked in a flavorful seafood broth and served in an authentic Spanish caldera pot, comes highly recommended.
The intimate environment and authentic meat dishes served at Spain Club Ginza keep the regular patrons coming back time and time again. Their Stew of Iberian Pork Cheek and Vegetables features Iberian pork from Spain carefully stewed over an open flame with sherry and vegetables for three to four hours until the pork jowl becomes extremely tender and rich in flavor. Be sure to also try their Mediterranean-style Stewed Seafood, a fragrant saffron-infused stew that evokes the flavors and aroma of the Catalonian sea.
Kaiseki
As international as they are, many restaurants in Ginza also guard some of Japan’s most coveted culinary treasures. This is certainly the case when it comes to Kaiseki dining, Japan’s original haute cuisine, which finds perfect expression in Japan’s modern capital.
At Ginza Ishizuka, savor a tasting course of the day’s freshest fish and finest seafood sourced directly from skilled fishers in the Seto inland sea. Dishes like Lightly Simmered Tonguefish feature tonguefish lightly grilled before simmering and served with seasonal vegetables, such as tender young mountain vegetables in the spring, and hearty root vegetables in the winter, evoking the flavor of every season. Ishizuka uses high-grade Japanese koshihikari rice in its Claypot Sea Bream Rice, which draws out the fragrance of fresh sea bream using kelp stock to infuse the fish and rice with a rich aroma.
Ginza Koju captures the essence of Japanese minimalism and applies it to everything from their sparsely elegant restaurant interior to their exquisite food, which avoids any unnecessary seasoning or sauces that could mask the true flavor. Each dish is served with a medley of of high-quality ingredients served at the peak of their seasonal freshness, a culinary ethos epitomized by their Fried Abalone. This shellfish Overflows with a natural savoriness and is seasoned very simply with salt and sudachi, allowing the luxurious fragrance of the sea to permeate every bite.Yakitori
One of the simple pleasures offered by some Ginza restaurants is yakitori, a Japanese dish of bite-sized pieces of chicken skewered and grilled to perfection over a charcoal flame.
For a yakitori restaurant with a long history visit Miyashin, which has been serving sizzling skewers of grilled chicken with passion for more than 50 years. Miyashin uses only free-range Date chicken, which offers fine flavor and the only highest-quality meat. The nankotsu (crunchy chicken cartilage), chochin (grilled unlaid eggs), and creamy grilled reba (chicken liver) are all highly recommended for their exquisite flavor and texture. Be sure to request counter seating to watch the chef prepare each skewer with exceptional culinary skill.
Sushi
Given the Ginza district’s close proximity to Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji fish market, many Ginza restaurants make it their culinary mission to serve sushi that is second-to-none.
At Sushi Fujita, the chef prioritizes using fresh and seasonal ingredients for their sushi and other exquisite delicacies. Their incredible course meal features dishes like Boiled Clams with Kyoto Heirloom Vegetables and Wakame Garnish steeped in a seasonal aroma, Steamed Nishigai (sea snail), a flavorful mollusk caught fresh from the Seto Inland Sea; and Stewed Octopus cooked until incredibly tender and easy to eat. Their conger eel sushi with tsume (sweet eel sauce) and flavorful sushi rice, also comes highly recommended.
Or enjoy supreme sushi craftsmanship in the traditional Edo style at Ginza Sushi Aoki, whose visually appealing sushi allows guests to savor food made for all five senses. The chef’s expert skill is best displayed in the preparation of gizzard shad, which may change subtly depending on the catch of the day or even the weather. Yet the result always leaves a refreshing taste lingering on the palate. Ginza Sushi Aoki sources their ingredients from a Tsukiji wholesaler, which provide fish of the highest quality all year-round.
Tempura
Tempura is a Japanese dish of vegetables and seafood dipped in a specially made batter and deep-fried. Although often regarded as less high-brow than some of Japan’s other epicurean delights, restaurants in Ginza can turn it into a work of art.
The Higashi Ginza branch of Kuzushi Kappo Tempura Take No An offers exquisite wild-caught seafood and organic farm-to-table produce, coated in a wonderfully aromatic tempura batter. Every piece is timed carefully as it cooks so that the tempura is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Enjoy it with unsweetened tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce), Amami coral salt, or Hiroshima seaweed salt. Don’t miss the rare varieties of shrimp they offer, from Kuruma shrimp and “Coonstripe shrimp” to Humpback shrimp, a true delicacy.
Izakaya
When contemplating what to eat in Ginza, consider izakaya, Japanese gastropubs known as the place to go for gourmet food and excellent drinks.
Visit Izakaya Wanowa for an epicurean izakaya offering Japanese beer and sake paired with highly personalized service. Their sashimi features the best catch from Tsukiji fish market, garnished with organic daikon radish and freshly-ground wasabi horseradish from a grower in Shizuoka. Be sure to try their Wanowa Special Chawanmushi, a dish of steamed egg custard made with fresh eggs and fragrant dashi broth. Japanese-style fried chicken is another izakaya staple, and Wanowa’s Fresh Daisen Jidori Karaage is made with plump and juicy jidori chicken from Tottori prefecture that’s never frozen.
Restaurants in Ginza offer Unparalleled Culinary Opportunities
Whether it’s Western or Japanese cuisine, Ginza restaurants offers an unforgettable luxury experience that’s second to none. For a fine meal in Tokyo, browse Savor Japan's list of Ginza's top restaurants or find out about other delicious nooks and culinary crannies in the heart of the city.
Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.
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Update-date: Apr 17 2024