Foodies, take note!! The Top 50 must-visit restaurants in Tokyo you’ll regret missing

Taiwan and Japan are geographically close, and with numerous low-cost airlines frequently offering promotions, many Taiwanese people have become more interested in traveling to Japan. According to data, Taiwanese visitors account for 45.26% of all tourists in Tokyo. When traveling abroad, food is often a key highlight, and according to statistics from the travel website "Travel Bar," the top 50 restaurants most visited by Taiwanese people in Tokyo were ranked. Surprisingly, the most popular types of restaurants turned out to be "ramen shops" and "dessert shops," while "yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurants" were much less frequently listed.

Rankings 50th to 42nd

Rankings 50th to 42nd. (Photo / Travel Bar)

Among them, the 49th place “Starbucks Ueno Imperial Gift Park Store” is hailed by many netizens as the most beautiful Starbucks in Tokyo. Thanks to its prime location, it attracts large numbers of tourists during the annual cherry blossom season. It is also the only Starbucks branch to make the list. The 48th and 47th places are different branches of “Ichiran Ramen.” This ramen chain has now opened a branch in Taipei’s Xinyi District, so those in Taiwan can also enjoy it locally.

Rankings 41st to 33rd

Rankings 41st to 33rd (Photo / Travel Bar)

At 39th place is “Daiwa Sushi,” a famous queue-worthy spot located within Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market. To eat there, you’ll have to line up. Ranked 36th is “bills,” which was once named the world’s best breakfast by The New York Times. With branches worldwide, it has four locations in Tokyo alone and is a must-visit dessert shop for many tourists.

Rankings 31st to 24th

Rankings 31st to 24th (Photo / Travel Bar)

At 31st place is “Hanatsuki-do,” which is definitely not your ordinary melon bread. Aside from its face-sized portions, it’s also a staple on many lazy-eater guides to must-try snacks in Asakusa. Ranked 27th is “Rikyu Beef Tongue Skytree Store,” which gained fame starting in Sendai and then became popular in Tokyo—it’s a favorite among yakiniku lovers. At 25th is “Nenrin-ya Daimaru Tokyo Store,” which stood out among the highly competitive Tokyo souvenir scene and became the only souvenir shop to rank within the top 30.

Rankings 23rd to 15th

Rankings 23rd to 15th (Photo / Travel Bar)

While many people want to try authentic matcha, 22nd place goes to “Matcha Daikokuya Daimaru Tokyo Store,” a famous matcha dessert shop from Kyoto that many also list as a must-visit eatery. Ranked 19th is “Rokurinsha TOKYO Sky Street Store” and 18th is “Fuuunji.” These two are said to convert even those who don’t usually like tsukemen into fans. Ranked 17th is “Ginza Hinaiya Honpo,” which focuses on using one of Japan’s three famous chicken breeds—the Akita Hinai-jidori.

Rankings 14th to 9th

Rankings 14th to 9th (Photo / Travel Bar)

Notably, 14th place goes to “Tengoku Udon Taishi Tokyo Men Tori,” which stays open until 2 a.m. and is a favorite late-night option for night owls. The 13th and 14th spots are both “Ichiran Ramen” locations in Ueno and Shibuya—showing just how popular this chain is among tourists. These two branches are also the ones most frequented by visitors to Tokyo, so you might face the longest wait times. At 9th place is “Umezaka Sushi no Midori Main Store Shibuya Branch,” which many travelers praise as a high-value revolving sushi spot.

Rankings 8th to 5th

Rankings 8th to 5th (Photo / Travel Bar)

At 6th place is “Cafe Crepe (Angels Heart Branch),” a super famous must-try dessert in Harajuku that even non-dessert lovers find hard to resist. Crêpe fans shouldn’t miss 5th place, “HARBS Roppongi Hills Store.”

Rankings 4th to 2nd

Rankings 4th to 2nd (Photo / Travel Bar)

In 3rd place is “bills Odaiba.” Not only is it highly reputed, but thousands of Tokyo travel itineraries also prove it’s the most added dessert shop to visitors’ Tokyo plans. In 2nd place is “Sushi Dai,” an extremely popular sushi restaurant in Tsukiji Market, which far outshines its neighboring queue-worthy eateries on the list.

1st place – Okosho Tempura (Main Store)

1st place – Okosho Tempura (Main Store) (Photo / Travel Bar)

Many visitors have commented: “The taste of old-school Tokyo is seriously delicious!!!”, “It’s got that local old-shop flavor—the tempura batter texture is noticeably different.”, “I’m a fan of Okosho—I had four huge shrimp tempura pieces that pretty much covered my rice. The sesame oil aroma is amazing. I didn’t find the sauce overly salty at all, thought it was quite well-balanced. The sauce soaked right into the rice, making it super savory. I finished it all in no time. I’d totally recommend it to others, though whether it’s worth lining up for hours during the day is another question. Based on my evening visit without waiting, I’d give it a full five stars.”