Tokyo Food Page

A lot of upscale Aoyama shops seem to have an obligatory cafe area tucked into a corner somewhere, but the combination works especially well at this Copenhagen-based designer flower shop. While the food and drink aren't so very different from a dozen other area cafes, the lovely, plant-filled setting and the lively atmosphere set it apart.

The funky basement space and sixties-jazz soundtrack give this cozy little izakaya the relaxed atmosphere of a neighborhood drinking spot. The food menu offers good, solid fare - down-to-earth rather than fancy, and especially strong in daily fish specials, seasonal vegetables and grilled pork dishes.

This is the third Tokyo-area outlet from Australian celeb chef Bill Granger, known in particular for his gourmet breakfast menus. Breakfast is served every day from 9am-3pm, and choices include signature dishes such as potato-feta fritters with gravlax, and ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter. The Full Aussie Breakfast - scrambled eggs, bacon and chipolata sausage, mushrooms, roast tomato and rye toast - is well prepared but still feels just a bit pricey at Y1800.

Craft Beer Market offers thirty different brews on draft, including a good number of seasonal specials. Prices are noticeably less expensive than the average Tokyo microbrew bar, with pints priced at just Y780 and glasses at Y480. (There's also a Y300 table charge.)

The Egyptian fare at this tiny deli-style shop is tasty and impressively inexpensive. Well-seasoned mutton and chicken-spinach curries run Y500-600, and come with rice or pita bread. Chicken and lamb shawarma sandwiches (Y500) make a nice take-out snack along with simple but delectable side dishes like tabouli salad and fuul (mashed fava beans with peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic).

Run by a New Zealand meat company, Wakanui was set up to introduce Tokyo gourmets to premium beef, lamb and wines from New Zealand, and they succeed quite admirably at that mission. The dining room is attractive but not overly fussy, with an open kitchen and a glass-enclosed aging room at one end to literally showcase the beef. The off-the-beaten-track location was chosen for its proximity to Nissin, an international market where patrons can pick up the same meats and wines that are served here and bring them home.

This casual bistro offers value-priced wines and meaty Mediterranean snacks late into the night. The spacious basement dining room has a warm feel to it - heavy on the wood and brick, with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with wine bottles surrounding the tables.

Decanter is an international steakhouse with a distinctly modern sensibility. Chef David Ueno's menu is smart and engaging, with entertaining appetizers and first-rate steaks and chops. The gorgeous setting feels more like a stylish lounge or club than a tradtional stuffy dining room - there's sophisticated lighting, cool music on a professional sound system, and a very impressive city view.

Reviews of Yebisu Kohaku beer and Craft Beer Market in Toranomon, and news of upcoming events in Tokyo and Yokohama in the December/January issue of our Japan beer newsletter.

This charming little cafe is located in an old office building that's now filled with art galleries. Relax on comfortable sofas and listen to mellow lounge music on the stereo while you admire the cat-themed artwork on the walls. Browse through their collection of magazines and cat picture books while you sip on a cappucino (Y750) or cocktail.

Billing itself as a traditional Texas smokehouse, White Smoke offers a good selection of Texas barbecue-style dishes - beef brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, turkey breast, pork chops, chicken and burgers. Owner-pitmaster Craig White was born in Texas, and learned his craft at Louie Mueller's BBQ in Taylor, Texas. A former engineer, he designed for himself a serious, 1.8-ton upright smoker that was custom-built in the US and shipped to Tokyo.

Perhaps this isn't the narrowest bar in Tokyo, but it's certainly the narrowest bar offering such an impressive class of craft beers, both domestic and imported. Cleverly, the tiny space is fashioned to resemble a yacht, with porthole windows and nautical decor throughout. Three small tables fill the upper deck, while the lower deck is standing-room only, with space for maybe seven or eight along the port-side bar.

A change of pace from the down-home Korean restaurants and boisterous makkoli bars surrounding it, Festina Lente has ambitions to be a proper cocktail bar. The barman operates his shaker with just the right degree of vigor, and he understands the importance of pre-icing your glass before the pour. On the downside, a very simple drink might take five minutes to arrive even when it's not busy.

Now here's something you don't expect to find in the middle of Roppongi Hills - an old-fashioned down-to-earth izakaya. The specialty at Sakanaya Rokuzo is fish and seafood from around Japan, served raw, basket-steamed or charcoal-grilled. The grill menu also offers a good selection of tempting, meatier items like miso-marinated pork belly, tsukune with yuzu-kosho oroshi, and heirloom Iwate chicken.

Whether you're here for a dessert break, a casual evening meal, or an afternoon working on your laptop, Brooklyn Parlor supplies a fun, bustling backdrop. Unlike Tokyo's many quiet, hidden-away cafes, here it feels like you've stumbled onto the hub of a social scene. Of course all the standard cafe needs are provided for - free wifi; hip background music; tons of magazines and books on art, design and fashion; good espresso beverages, interesting cocktails and very affordable wines.

You'll find exceptionally good regional cuisine from Shimane Prefecture and very reasonable prices at this old-fashioned izakaya. The menu showcases fish and seafood flown in from the region as well as local-style dishes prepared from heirloom breeds of pork and chicken. There's also a good selection of Shimane craft sake, with a friendly staff who are happy to advise you on your selection.