Tokyo is a city where tradition and modern innovation seamlessly converge, particularly when it comes to gastronomy. Whether you are wandering through historic alleyways or exploring high-end shopping districts, every neighborhood offers an incredible variety of food. Here is a look at some of the standout spots and unforgettable culinary highlights from a week spent exploring Tokyo.

We took part in a Shinjuku Food Tour which was a trip through the energetic streets of Shinjuku isn’t complete without sampling street food. A key highlight is the warm, crisp sweet potato-filled taiyaki—a delightful twist on the traditional fish-shaped waffle pastry which we enjoyed towards the end of the tour.

In addition to experiencing Afternoon Tea at Hotel Edition Ginza and Breakfast at Tiffany’s other highlights included:

Yurayura Asakusa is tucked into the historic precinct of Asakusa, this spot is a favorite for grilled skewer lovers, offering a tasty selection of savory yakitori cooked over high heat along with traditional izakaya-style sides. Here we had a tasty selection of yakitori skewers and more.

Located nearShibuya’s trendy Miyashita Park we stopped in to Miyashita Café + Softcream for their Matcha soft serve as well as a Matcha latte. This café is known for its matcha creations, serving rich Matcha soft-serve ice cream alongside smooth, velvety Matcha lattes.

While walking through Shibuya we stopped in to Oreryu Shio Ramen Jingumae which is situated in the vibrant Jingumae area of Shibuya, this popular ramen joint delivers a comforting, flavor-packed bowl of Tantanmen Ramen alongside a dish of fragrant Shiso Gyoza.

I had a very good bowl of Tantanmen Ramen and their Shiso Gyoza.

We visited The Roastery by Nozy Coffee for a couple of Espresso Tonics. This café is asanctuary for specialty coffee enthusiasts located along Cat Street, renowned for its crisp and refreshing Espresso Tonics—the ultimate pick-me-up while neighborhood hopping.

We made our way to Risto Pizza which is known to be an esteemed part of Tokyo’s Neapolitan pizza scene and ranks among the best globally. Acclaimed by Gambero Rosso, named among the best in Asia, and ranked #13 on the 50 Top Pizza World list, this spot fuses authentic Italian pizza-making techniques with high-quality Japanese ingredients.

Lawrence and I shared some salad and focaccia and then had the tasty Napoli e Japan (red sauce pizza) and then had the unique Napoli Mia (broccoli cream pizza).

The next day we visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno, I had lunch in their restaurant and enjoyed the Buckwheat soba.

Afterwards on the way to TeamLab Planets we stopped in to Blue Bottle where I had a Matcha Latte and Lawrence had a Americano and we shared a cookie.

TeamLab Planets was very crowded and it seems it’s always like that, saw some wild displays.

We then enjoyed a delicious Edo-style sushi dinner at Nihonbashi Sushi Tetsu.

The next day after some sightseeing, we took the train back towards our hotel and then stopped into Tokyo Mix Curry where I had their Japanese curry with chicken.

Another night we had a Shabu Shabu dinner experience at Ginza Shabutsu.

We took the train to visit Yokohama one afternoon and I found a restaurant called Yokohama Takashima where I enjoyed a tasty bowl of Udon.

There are many more great restaurants and cafes and I look forward to discover more on a future visit.

By: Richard Wolak