There are many restaurants in the Asakusa area that have long been adored by the local population. In this article, we’ll introduce 10 premium establishments where you can enjoy such Asakusa specialties as unagi (eel) or soba (buckwheat noodles)! If you’re ever visiting Asakusa’s Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, why not stop by these places for a meal you’ll never forget?
1. [Unagi] Hitsumabushi Nagoya Bincho Tokyo Sky Tree Town Solamachi Location(Japanese Cuisine)
Located near Asakusa at SKYTREE, Hitsumabushi Nagoya Bincho offers Nagoya's signature dishes. As you lift the wooden lid, the enticing aroma of eel fills the spacious restaurant. Unlike the Edomae style, the eel is grilled without steaming, achieving a crispy exterior and tender inside. The flavorful eel is enhanced by broth and seasonings like wasabi and leek, which are soaked to reduce their sharpness. Families can appreciate the available kid's menu. In Tokyo, catch their authentic hitsumabushi (chopped grilled eel on rice).
Hitsumabushi Nagoya Bincho Tokyo Sky Tree Town Solamachi Location
Open:
11:00 am - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)Closed:
NoneAverage price:
[Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 3,000 JPYAccess:
1-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Oshiage Station / 1-minute walk from Tokyo Skytree Station on Tobu Skytree LineAddress:
6F, Tokyo Solamachi East Yard, 1-1-2, Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details Reservation
2. [Sukiyaki] Momonjiya (Shabu Shabu, Sukiyaki)
Exotic meats such as boar, bear, and venison headline the wild game cuisine at this well-established restaurant. The specialty [Wild Boar Stew] (4,000 JPY plus tax) is served as a sukiyaki-style hot pot dish with a miso-based soup, where the longer it's simmered, the more tender and flavorful the meat becomes. The lean boar meat, which is high in protein and low in calories, comes from the Tamba-Sasayama region in Hyogo Prefecture. Being situated just a 5-minute walk from Ryogoku Station, the restaurant makes the perfect stop on a sightseeing tour of Asakusa.
Momonjiya
Open:
[Weekdays, Saturday] 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:45 pm )Closed:
TuesdayAverage price:
[Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,350 JPYAccess:
5 minutes walk from the west exit of Ryogoku StationAddress:
1-10-2, Ryogoku , Sumida-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details Reservation
3. [Unagi] Unagi Komagata Maekawa Main Branch (Japanese Cuisine)
This unagi restaurant is an Asakusa mainstay that was established more than 200 years ago. Komagata Maekawa sources its main ingredient from the most high-end unagi farms in Japan, delivering a taste that’s as close to the natural thing as possible with none of the muddy odor sometimes found in regular unagi. Their signature [Unaju] (from 4,800 JPY), unagi on rice served in a lacquer box, is prepared with a special tare sauce, the recipe for which has been passed down since the restaurant was first founded. The end result is a fluffy-yet-filling eel dish with a fragrant, not-too-sweet sauce. There's also the [Eel Shirayaki] (from 4,300 JPY), a dish of lightly broiled unagi without the sauce for a milder, but equally satisfying experience. The windows from the zashiki (tatami floor) seating offer a view of the Sumida River and the Tokyo Skytree, allowing guests to enjoy the unique atmosphere of Asakusa.
Unagi Komagata Maekawa Main Branch
Open:
11:30 am - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:30 pm) Closed:
NoneAverage price:
[Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 4,000 JPYAccess:
1 minute walk from Exit A2 of Asakusa Station on Toei Asakusa Line, or 3 minutes walk from Exit 4 of Asakusa Station on Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.Address:
2-1-29, Komagata, Taito-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details Reservation
4. [Tonkatsu] Sugita (Japanese Cuisine)
Known for its cozy atmosphere, the family-run Sugita specializes in tonkatsu, a staple Japanese dish prepared by coating pork cutlets in breadcrumbs and frying them. Every step of the process is performed by veteran hands to produce a crisp outer coating and bring out the meat’s savory flavors as well as an appetizing fragrance, resulting in an extraordinarily delicious dish! The [Pork Loin Cutlet] (2,100 JPY) is made from a cut of pork with just the right amount of succulent fat while the [Pork Fillet Cutlet] (2,400 JPY) is made from a leaner, tender cut. Both come highly recommended!
Sugita
Open:
[Monday - Wednesday, Friday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm (L.O. 1:45 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm (L.O. 8:15 pm)Closed:
ThursdayAverage price:
[Dinner] 3,000 JPY / [Lunch] 3,000 JPYAccess:
2 minutes walk from Exit A5 of Kuramae Station on Toei Subway Oedo Line / Asakusa LineAddress:
3-8-3, Kotobuki, Taito-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details Reservation
5. [Soba] Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada (Soba)
Founded in 1854, Asada is currently run by its eighth-generation owner. The handmade soba is made entirely from scratch, including the kneading, stretching, and cutting of the noodles, using only pure domestic buckwheat flour and water. The [Seiro Soba] (680 JPY) is a specialty dish with a firm yet elastic texture that guests love slurping down. Another recommended pick is the [Anago Steamer] (1,360 JPY), consisting of soba and premium deep-fried conger eel tempura. A selection of seasonal a la carte dishes round out the menu.
Edo Soba Teuchidokoro Asada
Open:
[Weekdays] Lunch: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm / Dinner: 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm)[Saturday] Lunch: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm / Dinner: 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:00 pm)Closed:
SundaysAverage price:
[Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,300 JPYAccess:
3 minutes on foot from JR Sobu Line Asakusabashi Station East Exit/2 minutes on foot from Toei Asakusa Line Asakusabashi Station A4 Exit/on the left hand side on Edo-dori toward Asakusa Address:
2-29-11 Asakusabashi , Taito-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details
6. [Okonomiyaki, Monjayaki] Okonomiyaki Monjayaki Asakusa Tsurujiro (Okonomiyaki, Monjayaki)
Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes) is made with vegetables, meat, and seafood mixed into a batter of flour and water, which is then cooked on a teppan (iron griddle). On the other hand, monjayaki, while similar to okonomiyaki, is a local Asakusa specialty made with batter with more water in it, which is then also cooked on a teppan but eventually eaten with a spatula while the batter is still runny. Asakusa Tsurujiro specializes in both dishes, and their menu includes such treats as the [Pork and Green Onion Okonomiyaki] (1,340 JPY), made with a pork-filled batter cooked crispy and topped with a half-boiled egg. There’s also the [Pork, Spicy Cod Roe, and Cheese Okonomiyaki] (1,340 JPY), half of which is pork and egg, and the other half which is mentaiko (spicy cod roe). As for monjayaki, which is made with a liquid batter prepared with extra dashi (broth), you can’t go wrong with the [Special Monja] (1,590 JPY) stuffed with everything from pork to squid, octopus, scallops, shrimp, corn, beni-shoga (red pickled ginger), egg, and fu (bread-like pieces of wheat gluten)!
Okonomiyaki Monjayaki Asakusa Tsurujiro
Open:
[Weekdays, Saturdays, Days before holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm)[Sundays, Holidays] 11:30 am - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:00 pm)Closed:
TuesdaysAverage price:
[Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 980 JPYAccess:
A three minute walk from the number 1 exit of Tokyo Metro Asakusa Station. Head straight toward Asakusa Public Hall, on the right.Address:
1-20-8 Asakusa , Taito-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details
7. [Seafood Shabu Shabu] Enshuuya (Japanese Cuisine)
Enshuuya boasts a selection of nearly 30 different courses and around 200 seasonal seafood dishes. The most highly recommended dish is the seafood shabu-shabu (sliced meat parboiled with vegetables), prepared with an abundance of high-quality seafood submerged in dashi stock like the [Banquet Course with Wild-Caught Domestic Spiny Lobster and Cherry Sea Bream] (5,500 JPY). There’s also the [Jo-Maguro Tuna Shabu Shabu and Other Delicacies Course] (6,500 JPY) with fatty, high-end cuts of tuna!
Enshuuya
Open:
Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm / Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm Please enquire via email for reservations outside these hours. Lunch reservations for groups or parties are also available. 7 large and small private rooms available. Maximum capacity: 60 guests per floor, 120 guests total.Closed:
SundayAverage price:
[Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 700 JPYAccess:
Head along Kokusai-dori Street towards Kuramae from Tawaramachi Station for around 1 minute, then turn right at the corner where the first business hotel is situatedAddress:
2-2-7, Kotobuki, Taito-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details
8. [Sushi] Asakusa Sushi Ken (Sushi)
Asakusa Sushi Ken, situated alongside Kokusai Street, is a sushi restaurant that obtains their supply of fresh produce and seafood from all over the country. The carefully-selected ingredients include raw shiroebi (Japanese glass shrimp) from Toyama Prefecture, wild kue (longtooth grouper) and torafugu (tiger pufferfish) from Miyazaki Prefecture, and raw sea urchin from Hokkaido. The time of year is used as an important selection criterion for serving the most delicious sushi possible. With each piece priced starting at a very reasonable 100 JPY, Sushi Ken is an accessible restaurant for everyone! The restaurant is also famous as the first place in Tokyo to serve halal sushi, giving Muslim guests a chance to try dishes served in accordance with the tenets of their religion.
Asakusa Sushi Ken
Open:
[Weekdays, Saturday] Lunch: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm (L.O. 2:00 pm ) Dinner: 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (L.O. 00:00 am)[Sundays, National Holidays] Lunch: 11:30 pm - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:00 pm ) Dinner: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,300 JPY
Access: 5 minutes walk from Tawaramachi Station on the Tokyo Metro subway
Address: 1F, Pine Royal Bldg., 2-11-4, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
9. [Kaiseki Cuisine] Kappo Tonbo (Japanese Cuisine, Kaiseki Cuisine)
This old-fashioned Japanese-style restaurant was founded 86 years ago by the Sumida River where guests can now enjoy multi-course kaiseki (traditional Japanese course cuisine) meals served with Japanese alcohol, including the most popular [Seasonal Kaiseki Course] (7,500 JPY). During lunch hours, the [Kaiseki Full Course -Takumi-] (4,800 JPY) offers an opportunity to sample conventional kaiseki dishes like Kuroge Wagyu beef stew with Tokyo-style sushi, maple saikyo-yaki (red bream marinated in a special miso paste with maple syrup), sashimi, chawanmushi (savory egg custard), and even a kanmi (Japanese dessert) dish!
Kappo Tonbo
Open:
11:30 am - 10:00 pmClosed:
IrregularAverage price:
[Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,500 JPYAccess:
1 minute walk from Honjo-azumabashi Station Exit A4 on Toei Asakusa Line. 8 minuutes walk from Asakusa Station Exit 4 on Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.Address:
3-7-17, Azumabashi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
10. [Yakatabune Boat Dining] Yakatabune Amiko (Yakatabune, Cruise Cuisine)
The yakatabune were roofed home-style boats with ornate interiors to dine and entertain guests of Japan’s nobility in the olden days. Yakatabune Amiko is a modern-day successor of the practice, where people can enjoy parties and meals while cruising on open water. The boat restaurant’s lavish menu includes such dishes as [Assorted Crab], consisting of large amounts of boiled crab; [Assorted Tempura], full of seasonal ingredients fried to perfection aboard the boat; and a direct supply of fresh, seasonal seafood available with the [Sashimi Boat]. Great times are guaranteed as you enjoy the wholly new view of the Tokyo Skytree and the mesmerizing night scenery from aboard Yakatabune Amiko.
Yakatabune Amiko
Open:
8:00 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm)Closed:
NoneAverage price:
[Dinner] 12,000 JPY / [Lunch] 12,000 JPYAccess:
Free shuttle buses are available from each station (for 25 people or more)Address:
1-1, Imado, Taito-ku, Tokyo MapMore Details
This has been a presentation of the best restaurants in Asakusa, with a focus on establishments that have been held in high regard by the locals for a long time now. Every one of these locations has made their mark on the city with their timeless flavors, so please be sure to visit them if you’re ever in the area for sightseeing.
Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.