Day-by-day eating plans for Tokyo. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Tokyo weekend: the classics, done right ★ 4.8

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend built around the dishes Tokyo invented (sushi, ramen, yakitori), the markets that anchor them and one starred dinner. Stay near Ginza or Shibuya for the easiest geography.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: Tsukiji morning, casual ramen lunch, Ginza sushi dinner

    Morning
    Tsukiji Outer Market from 07:30 for standing-sushi nigiri, tamagoyaki sticks and the Namiyoke shrine corner. Coffee at Cafe de l'Ambre on Ginza Suzuran-dori after.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta in Yoyogi-Uehara, the first ramen with a Michelin star. Closed Tuesdays. Afternoon at Onibus Coffee Nakameguro by the train tracks.
    Evening
    Sushi dinner at Ginza Kyubey Honten, the 1935 counter on Suzuran-dori (book six weeks ahead). Nightcap at Bar High Five.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: shokupan toast, depachika, Shinjuku yakitori, late ramen

    Morning
    Centre The Bakery in Ginza for the shokupan toast flight; arrive by 10:30 for the three-style tasting. Then coffee at Glitch Coffee in Jimbocho (Sunday hours 09:00-19:00).
    Afternoon
    Walk Isetan Shinjuku's depachika basement food hall for bento, wagashi, and seasonal Japanese sweets. Save room.
    Evening
    Yakitori dinner at Omoide Yokocho stalls behind Shinjuku station from 18:00. Late-night ramen at Afuri Ebisu (open until 05:00).

Tokyo modern tasting: five days at the new orthodoxy ★ 4.9

Return visitor, food-led5 days

A five-day deep dive across the chef-led modern Japanese rooms (Den, Narisawa, Florilege, Sazenka), the third-wave coffee axis, and one Hakone overnight for the kaiseki ryokan.

  1. Day 1: Monday: Aoyama-Omotesando coffee crawl, casual lunch, Den dinner

    Morning
    Coffee at Koffee Mameya in Omotesando: ask the barista to walk you through three pour-overs. Walk Cat Street to Aoyama.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama Honten in the former public bathhouse. Kurobuta hire set with cabbage refills.
    Evening
    Dinner at Den in Jingumae (book one month ahead). DFC fried chicken parcel, donabe rice, the city's most playful kaiseki.

  2. Day 2: Tuesday: Tsukiji walk, soba lunch, Sazenka dinner

    Morning
    Arigato Travel's Classic Tsukiji Breakfast Tour from 08:30: six tastings across the Outer Market with a guide.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Kanda Yabu Soba, the 1880 Edomae soba room. Cold seiro and a side of anago tempura. Afternoon in Jimbocho bookshops.
    Evening
    Dinner at Sazenka in Minami-Azabu (book 60 days ahead via byFood). Japan's first three-star Chinese, in a former German ambassador's residence.

  3. Day 3: Wednesday: bakery morning, depachika lunch, Florilege dinner

    Morning
    Centre The Bakery in Ginza for the shokupan toast flight at 10:30; then walk to Mitsukoshi Nihombashi's depachika basement for wagashi.
    Afternoon
    Lunch out of the depachika: pick a bento, take it to the Hibiya gardens. Coffee at Cafe de l'Ambre to close.
    Evening
    Dinner at Florilege in Azabudai Hills (book exactly one month ahead online at 10:00 JST). Communal-counter vegetable-forward French.

  4. Day 4: Thursday: Hakone day trip with kaiseki dinner overnight

    Morning
    Romance Car from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto (85 minutes). Check into a ryokan with two-meal package; lunch en route at Hakone-Yumoto station.
    Afternoon
    Open-air museum and a ropeway ride for Mount Fuji views in clear weather. Onsen bath before dinner.
    Evening
    Kaiseki dinner in the ryokan, ten to twelve courses in yukata. Sleep on tatami.

  5. Day 5: Friday: back to Tokyo, Narisawa lunch, Ahiru Store wind-down

    Morning
    Return to Tokyo by Romance Car. Coffee at Onibus Coffee Nakameguro by the train tracks.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Narisawa in Minami-Aoyama (book six weeks ahead via Tableall). Innovative satoyama cuisine through European technique.
    Evening
    Pre-dinner natural wine and house pates at Ahiru Store in Tomigaya (queue from 18:00). Late ramen at Afuri Ebisu if still hungry.

Tokyo vegan weekend: plant-based dining mapped ★ 4.5

Vegan visitor, two to three days2 days

A weekend on the surprisingly deep Tokyo vegan map: T's Tantan inside Tokyo Station, Ain Soph in Ginza and Shinjuku, Chagohan shojin cuisine in Asakusa.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: vegan ramen, Ginza shopping, Shinjuku brunch dinner

    Morning
    Vegan tantanmen at T's Tantan inside Tokyo Station Keiyo Street (buy a platform ticket). Coffee at Blue Bottle Kiyosumi after.
    Afternoon
    Walk Ginza and stop at Centre The Bakery for the shokupan toast flight (most varieties are vegan-friendly). Wagashi from Mitsukoshi depachika.
    Evening
    Dinner at Ain Soph Ginza (4 floors of plant-based fusion). Cocktails at Bar High Five which has zero-proof options on the spec menu.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: shojin cooking class, vegan pancakes, late coffee

    Morning
    Chagohan Tokyo shojin Buddhist cooking class in Nishi-Asakusa: a hands-on three-hour session ending in lunch.
    Afternoon
    Walk Asakusa: Senso-ji temple and the Nakamise-dori snack street (skip non-vegan items), then ride out to Onibus Coffee Nakameguro for an Ethiopia hand-drip on the second-floor bench.
    Evening
    Vegan souffle pancakes at Ain Soph Journey in Shinjuku-Sanchome. Wind down at Fuglen Tokyo's evening hours in Tomigaya.

Itineraries in Tokyo, FAQ

When is the best time to eat in Tokyo?

Peak food season in Tokyo is year-round.

What time do people eat in Tokyo?

Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.

How does tipping work in Tokyo?

service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.

What is the one dish to try in Tokyo?

Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Tokyo rewards trust.

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