Visitors to Ueno will have no trouble finding something to eat. As Ueno is a center of both high culture and downtown street life it should be no surprise that it has a great mix of restaurants, bars and cafes, offering every style of Japanese cuisine. Your only problem will be deciding what to eat! To help you, we have narrowed down the options to our top 10 recommended Japanese restaurants. From sushi and shabu-shabu to Japanese sweets, check out the lip-smacking selection below.

Hyakumangoku – a traditional Edo sushi restaurant with a 45-year history
1. Hyakumangoku (Sushi)
Hidden away on a quiet side street a few blocks east of Showa-dori Avenue, this traditional sushi restaurant offers exquisite cuts of fresh seafood on rice served up at an elegant cypress counter. In addition to the subtle flavors of the Edo-style sushi why not try some of the specialty snacks, crafted carefully to match the restaurant’s stock of aromatic sake varieties? Cod and salmon roe in a sake lees relish, or dried mullet roe preserved in miso paste, make for delicious appetizers.
Location: Hyakumangoku is a 4 minute walk from Ueno Subway Station, 7 minutes from JR Ueno Station, and 8 minutes from Keisei Ueno Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 2-11-5, Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0015
Tel: 03-3835-0487
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday: 11.00 – 14.00 (Last orders: 13.30), 16.00 – 22.00 (Last orders: 21.00)
Saturdays: 11.00 – 14.00 (Last orders: 13.30), 16.00 – 21.00 (Last orders: 20.00)
Closed on Sundays and national holidays.

Shabu-shabu specialist, Kisoji Ueno
2. Kisoji Ueno (Shabu-shabu)
For the best shabu-shabu hot-pot and sukiyaki head to Kisoji. Kisoji’s shabu-shabu uses the highest grade cuts of marbled kuroge wagyu beef served with a special sesame-flavored dipping sauce. The shabu-shabu is served with lots of healthy seasonal vegetables, chewy mochi rice cakes, and delicious kishimen noodles. The sukiyaki which consists of beef, and fresh vegetables slowly simmered in soy sauce is also an excellent option. Private rooms and multi-course kaiseki meals are also available.
Location: Kisoji is located on the west side of Chuo-dori Avenue. It is a 3 minute walk south of Keisei Ueno Station, 6 minutes from JR Ueno Station, and 5 minutes from Ueno Subway Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 2-7-13 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0005
Tel: 03-3832-8810
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 11.30 – 15.00 (Last order: 14.30), 17.00 – 22.00 (Last orders: 21.30)
Sundays & national holidays: 11.30 – 21.30 (Last orders: 21.00)

Tonkatsu Yamabe is located just off the Ameyoko street market
3. Tonkatsu Yamabe (Tonkatsu)
Tonkatsu Yamabe specializes in tonkatsu: deep-fried pork cutlets in a crispy breadcrumb batter. This cozy little eatery is renowned for its tasty yet cheap set meals which will fill you up for as little as 750 yen. A standard meal consists of a juicy cutlet served with a dipping sauce and mustard, rice, pickles, miso soup, and plenty of shredded cabbage. An English menu is available.
Location: Tonkatsu Yamabe is a 4 minute walk from Keisei Ueno Station, 5 minutes from Ueno Subway Station, and 6 minutes from JR Ueno Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 4–5-1 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-5817-7045
Opening Hours: 11.00 – 15.00, 17.00 – 21.00

Izuei Honten serves braised eel
4. Izuei Honten (Unagi)
Izuei Honten is a 300 year-old restaurant specializing in meals featuring unagi: freshwater eel. A variety of set meals are available which feature unagi as a main dish served with other items such as sashimi, pickles, and other side dishes. Unagi that is char-grilled and glazed with a caramelized soy-based sauce before being served on a bed of white rice is called unaju. Served without rice it is called kabayaki. Served without rice and without sauce it is called shirayaki. If you try shirayaki you can appreciate the full flavor of the eel without any seasoning. There are three branches of Izuei in Ueno, but Izuei Honten is the original restaurant that first served unagi here 300 years ago.
Location: Izuei Honten is located directly across from the south side of Ueno Park. It is 3 minutes from Keisei Ueno Station, 5 minutes from Ueno Subway Station, and 6 minutes from JR Ueno Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 2-12-22 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-3831-0954
Opening Hours: 11.00 – 22.00 (Last orders: 21.30)

Yabu Soba: a historic buckwheat noodle restaurant
5. Yabu Soba (Soba Noodles)
Yabu Soba is a famous soba noodle restaurant which was first established here in 1892. The handmade buckwheat noodles can be had in a hot broth, or served cold with a dipping sauce. A variety of toppings can be had with your noodles including tempura, cuts of duck meat, oysters (in season), and wakame seaweed. The extensive drinks menu includes beer, shochu (distilled spirits), umeshu (plum liqueur), and sake,
Location: Yabu Soba is a 3 minute walk from Keisei Ueno Station, 2 minutes from Ueno Subway Station, and 3 minutes from JR Ueno Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 6-9-16 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-3831-4728
Opening Hours: 11.30 – 21.00 (Last orders: 20.30)
Closed on Wednesdays

Menya Musashi Bukotsu Souden is the place of choice for ramen lovers
6. Menya Musashi Bukotsu Souden (Ramen)
Menya Musashi Bukotsu Souden is the Ueno branch of this popular chain of ramen noodle restaurants. The wheat flour noodles are served in a rich, nourishing broth of chicken, pork bone, and bonito and topped with green onions and thick slices of braised pork belly. However, the Ueno store’s specialty dish is tsukemen; cold ramen noodles which are served with a sweet dipping sauce.
Location: Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 6-11-15 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-6803-0634
Opening Hours: 11.15 – 22.00

Inshotei is your best choice for a truly traditional experience of Japanese cuisine
7. Inshotei (Kaiseki)
Located deep inside Ueno Park and established in 1875, this traditional Japanese restaurant serves high grade kaiseki multi-course meals in a delightful setting. The core ingredients of fresh seafood, seasonal vegetables, and tofu, are combined in beautifully arranged dishes that please the eye and amaze the palate with their exquisite flavors. With garden views, old-fashioned charm, and a bounty of authentic Japanese cuisine, dining at Inshotei is an unforgettable experience.
Location: Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 4-59 Ueno park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
Tel: 03-3821-8126
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 11.00 – 15.00, 17.00 – 23.00 (Last orders: 21.30)
Sundays & national holidays: 17.00 – 22.00 (Last orders: 20.30)

Seafood barbecue restaurant Isomaru Suisan
8. Isomaru Suisan Ueno (Seafood barbecue)
Isomaru Suisan is a fun, casual izakaya style seafood restaurant with several branches in the Ueno and Okachimachi area. On the menu is a great variety of fresh fish and shellfish which are scooped straight from the on-site fish tanks. At Isomaru Suisan you can enjoy cooking your own food on a little grill at your table in a “hamayaki” or “beach barbecue” style. The restaurant has a lively, cheerful atmosphere with colorful retro décor and friendly staff. Isomaru Suisan is also open 24 hours a day which makes it a very convenient late-night option for travelers. Prices are reasonable and English menus are available.
Location: The main Ueno branch of Isomaru Suisan is a 3 minute walk south of JR Ueno Station, 2 minutes from Ueno Subway Station, and 3 minutes from Keisei Ueno Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 6-8-13 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-5818-8931
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours a day

The original Usagiya shop
9. Usagiya (Sweets)
Usagiya is a famous confectionery store in Ueno which specializes in a type of sweet bean-filled cake called Dorayaki. Dorayaki consists of two light patties of sponge-cake enclosing a sweet red adzuki bean paste filling. A family business now in its 4th generation, Usagiya has been selling Dorayaki at this location since 1913, so they really are the expert makers of this delicious Japanese sweet. Usagiya now has a café too, which is located a 1 minute walk from the original Usagiya shop, where you can sit down to enjoy fresh dorayaki, and other specialty sweets such as anmitsu and yokan jellies, and pancakes.
Location: The original Usagiya store and Usagiya Café are located about 5 minutes from JR Okachimachi Station, 9 minutes from Keisei Ueno Station, and 12 minutes from JR Ueno Station and Ueno Subway Station.
Here is a map showing the location of the store, and another map showing the location of the cafe.
Store Address: 1-10-10 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-3831-6195
Opening Hours: 9.00 – 18.00
Closed on Wednesdays
Café Address: 1-17-5 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-6240-1561
Opening Hours: 9.00 – 18.00
Closed on Wednesdays

Go to Mihashi Honten for Japanese style parfaits
10. Mihashi Honten (Desserts)
Mihashi is an old-fashioned Japanese sweets parlour which specializes in desserts featuring anmitsu. Anmitsu is a jelly made from agar, and it is usually served in various combinations with adzuki bean paste, a variety of fruits, honeyed syrup, and ice cream. The main branch of this store, Mihashi Honten, first opened here 70 years ago and has been serving this style of quality Japanese parfait ever since.
Location: Mihashi Honten is a 4 minute walk from JR Ueno Station, 3 minutes from Ueno Subway Station, and 1 minute from Keisei Ueno Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Address: 4-9-7 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-3831-0384
Opening Hours: 10.30 – 21.30 (Last orders: 21.00)
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.