The Top 20 Lunch Spots in Tokyo Station Perfect for Family Meals or Dates

The Top 10 Spots for a Great Lunch in the Tokyo Station Underground

1. Chaya Yaesu Branch

Chaya is a restaurant famous for its pasta, with such a wealth of choice that you will struggle to decide what to order. However, this level of choice on the menu means that you could eat here every day and never tire of the range of options on offer. If you love pasta, then this is the place for you. 

While the pasta comes highly recommended, the garlic bread is also a popular choice. You can of course combine both items together, however, another popular dish served at Chaya is the traditional Napolitan, that somehow seems to match with the more retro Showa (1926-1989) inspired atmosphere that flows through the establishment. The prices are also reasonable, so you don't need to worry about the strain on your wallet. 

2. Miroku Yaesu Branch

The set meal option headlined by dote nikomi (beef sinew stewed in mirin and miso) is popular at Miroku. During the afternoon, they offer a low-price lunch menu. Beyond the usual lunch options, there is also the option to sample tsukemen (a dish of cold noodles with a dipping sauce). If you choose to dine at Miroku, you can have the chance to pick your favorite meal from a varied and diverse menu. Other options include, tori no karaage (fried chicken) and buta no seikyo yaki (grilled pork that was pickled in white bean paste prior to cooking). 

There are also many customers that come to Miroku at night to have a drink. It is the kind of place that is easy to come to on your own, so there are many people who stop by for a quick meal on their way home from the office. While there are also kushi-yaki (grilled dishes on skewers) and motsu nabe (hotpot made with offal and vegetables), the daikon tempura comes most highly recommended. It makes for a great drinking snack and frying it in tempura brings out the flavor more than stewing it in soy flavored dashi, a traditional way of eating it in winter.  

3. Erick South Yaesu Branch

Erick South offers Indian food at a comparatively cheap price when compared to other similar restaurants. If you are looking to drink a beer with your meal, then you can't go wrong with fish and chips. Because this is Indian food, it is quite spicy, so you won't be able to stop yourself reaching for the next drink. 

If you order a curry at Erick South, it will be served as it would be in India, with rice in the middle of a large plate surrounded by bowls of the curry. If you would like to eat it with your hands then this is possible, but if you wouldn't be comfortable doing so then there are also spoons available. The naan that comes included with your order is also a particular treat. 

4. Daruma Yaesu Chikagai Branch

If you want to eat delicious seafood then you should check out Daruma. At this restaurant you can eat sashimi made by master chefs that is so fresh and delicious that it will almost make you want to start drinking from lunch time. Daruma boasts a rich and varied selection of other options as well, such as grilled fish and fish simmered in soy sauce.  

One other reason to visit is that depending on the season there can be as many as 100 different types of sake available. The price will vary according to the volume of sake ordered, so it is recommended to give it a try even if you would just like to have a small drink with your meal. Moreover, there are semi-private booths available at Daruma, so it is the perfect spot for a ladies night out. 

5. Qumonrangma Tavern Yaesu Chikagai Branch

While it may have the word tavern in its name, rest assured that you can eat lunch at this restaurant as well. Of course, as the name suggests, you can also have a drink if the feeling takes you. The best accompaniments to a light meal are the gyoza (dumplings). This restaurant is part of the well-known Benitora Chinese food chain, so you can be assured of the taste of the Chinese cuisine on sale here. 

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The dishes served here are known for their large portions. If you are dining alone, you might not be able to eat everything on your own, so keep this in mind when placing your order. Of course, if you are visiting in a group for a drinking party, the generous servings at this izakaya can only be seen as a plus. 

6. Siam Orchid Yaesu Chikagai Branch

Siam Orchid offers up a range of Asian cuisines. If you are looking to drink some beer, then this restaurant serves beer from Thailand. They also stock Asahi Super Dry, so it might be fun to compare the two.

The food at Siam Orchid is spicy, meaning it goes perfectly with a beer. After you are finished drinking, you can't beat the feeling of topping it all off with a green curry. If you like cilantro, you have to try the bumchigae (Korean savory pancake) and tom yum goong, both of which are packed with it. Get your fill of the taste of Thailand at Siam Orchid. 

7. Yaesu Tohachi

Patrons of "Yaesu Tohachi" can enjoy the finest in ingredients in the meals served there. It specializes in chicken and prides itself on serving the nationally protected chicken breed known as jitori. The skewered chicken grilled over high-grade charcoal is particularly irresistible.  The inside of the store has a great and relaxed atmosphere that makes for a great spot for a date. 

Tohachi is also open for lunch and offers set meals featuring items like fried chicken and grilled fish, which you can eat at a cheap price. While the restaurant tends to fill up at lunch time, there is a wealth of food on offer that is so delicious that you won't mind waiting. So get yourself down to Yaesu Tohachi and sample the delicious chicken. 

8. Kushiage BANZAI

This restaurant deals in fried skewers and offers patrons the chance to eat them as part of set meals. The Jumbo Chicken Cutlet course meal comes highly recommended. While you will be impressed with the volume on offer, the perfectly crunchy fried cutlets will have you reaching for the rice. 

One unique feature of Banzai is that it also offers a healthy lunch option. This option features rice with mixed grains and your choice of two side dishes. This restaurant is popular during lunch but these types of fried skewers are recommended outside of lunchtime also. If you enjoy your lunch then its common to come back at night time for a spot of solo drinking with your fried skewers. 

9. Kaihintei Yaesu Branch

If you are looking for fresh seafood then Kaihintei is a top pick. The restaurant features a live tank with squid and red sea bream. When an order is received, the fish are prepared. The reason that you can taste such delicious sashimi at this restaurant is surely down to the professionalism of the skilled craftspeople on staff. 

Kaihintei stocks a vast range of sake that perfectly accompanies the delicious cuisine on offer. They also stock limited edition varieties of sake that change depending on the season, so you could enjoy coming to this restaurant whether it is just occasionally or indeed every day. If you are looking to get your fill of fresh seafood then Kaihintei is the place for you. 

10. Ko no Tori

This famous restaurant specializes in chicken. Japanese people may guess this from the name as 'tori' refers to chicken. As Ko no Tori opens for lunch as well as dinner, why not try out the cheaper lunch menu to see if you like it? As you would expect, their most famous dish is the fried chicken. 

Besides the fried chicken, the oyako don (rice bowl topped with chicken and egg) is not to be missed. You can order it as a course meal with fried chicken, so chicken fanatics will feel right at home with this option. If you enjoy your lunch here then it is recommended to come back at night for your drinking party. If you are visiting at night then the Ko no Tori course with an all-you-can-drink option and the popular yakitori (grilled chicken) course come recommended.  

The Top 5 Lunch Destinations in the Tokyo Station Underground Great for Solo Visitors Too

1. Rokurinsha

Rokurinsha offers up a unique ramen soup to its customers, with noodles are tasty all on their own and an incredibly rich broth. The soup and noodles are such a good combination that from the first time you eat this ramen you are sure to be hooked. A popular item at this restaurant is the specially made morning tsukemen (cold noodles with a dipping sauce). This item is only available in the morning time.

This popular restaurant is located in the Tokyo Ramen Street area of the station underground. This offer allows you to eat ramen in the morning with no hassle. It is so popular that you will see lines forming outside the restaurant from early in the morning. If you have never tasted these noodles then be sure to make a stop here. 

2. Sandog Inn Kobe Ya Yaesu Branch

Somewhat uniquely, the Sandog Inn offers an all-you-can-eat bread service. For 1,080 JPY you can eat any of the varieties of bread on offer and eat them to your heart's content. If you love bread then you are sure to be happy here. Drinks are included in this deal, so you can drink your favorite beverage while tucking in to some delicious breads. 

The price, at just 1,080 JPY, is very cheap for an all-you-can-eat option, so you will agree that most patrons are likely to eat more than the price would suggest. One item that you simply must eat at Sandog Inn is the katsu sando (fried cutlet sandwich).  

3. The Cave de Oyster

If you are looking to eat delicious oysters in Tokyo Station then look no further than The Cave de Oyster. While the quality is assured, because of the unique creativity of the restaurant, you can taste a different type of oyster at The Cave de Oyster. The restaurant is also home to a wine cask, full of the kind of wine that goes perfectly with the oysters.  

If you are looking to enjoy both wine and oysters then this restaurant comes highly recommended. You can also enjoy comparing the taste of different fresh oysters as they are served and prepared in a wealth of different dishes. This restaurant is not just recommended for devout oyster lovers, it is also a place that those who are not very fond of oysters should also give a try. Why not visit this restaurant to get your fill of truly delicious oysters? 

4. Bubby's American Cookery Yaechika Branch

This eatery offers up a taste of real American home cooking. You will find homemade pies and hamburgers on the menu. Surely, some of you have longed for a traditional homemade American pie at least once in your life. Bubby's is the kind of place where you can finally satisfy this longing. 

The sound system in the restaurant plays a retro American track listing that will take you back in time.  Because it offers up a true taste of America, it will be familiar to those who have studied or lived there at one time in their lives. However, the restaurant is also recommended to those who have no knowledge of American food as you can easily get your hands on staple tastes of America like Eggs Benedict as well as gumbo and cherry pies.  

5. ANCLAR

ANCLAR is the kind of restaurant that you can enter even on your own. It offers you the chance to taste Black Iberian dry cured ham, something that you can usually only get your hands on in an authentic Spanish bar. Regarding desserts, you can also purchase churros at ANCLAR, so make sure to sample it with the authentic chocolate sauce on offer.

ANCLAR also offers a rich and varied cocktail menu. There are many items on this menu that go perfectly with the Spanish cuisine on offer, so be careful that you don't end up drinking too much. The tapas and paella come highly recommended. This has a welcoming atmosphere, even for the solo traveler. 

The 5 Most Popular Lunches in the Tokyo Station Underground that are Great for the Whole Family

1. Ginza Lion Yaesu Underground Branch

If you are struggling to make a decision, you can be sure of great food at a cheap price at Ginza Lion. If you are visiting with your family, you will find a varied menu meaning that there will be no need for squabbling about what to eat. Of course, this is also a great place to visit if you are looking for a quiet drink alone on a weekday evening.

Ginza Lion is particularly suited to those looking for hearty meat-based dishes. One highlight from the menu is the Eisbein, a tasty whole slab of meat that looks extremely appealing. Because of the portion size, it is also good for sharing. Moreover, it goes great with a beer!

2. Tamago to Watashi Yaesu Branch

"Tamago to Watashi" (Eggs and me) is, as you might expect from the name, an omurice (Japanese omelette filled with fried rice) restaurant. From the standard omurice dish to slightly more unique variants on the classic, there are a wealth of options on offer for you to try here. If you have never had a taste of a fluffy omurice then you simply must make a stop at Tamago to Watashi. You can get your teeth into delicious omurice made with thick and rich egg. 

One very novel dish served at Tamago to Watashi is the curry with an egg on top. One secret to its popularity is that you can crack the egg yourself. This is usually carried out by the staff upon serving it to customers. One unique selling point is that you can break the egg at the time of your choosing. 

3. Tamacho Honten Yaesu Branch

This restaurant is recommended for days when you are looking to eat something a little light and refreshing. There are seasonal dishes as well as popular and classic standards, so you are sure to find something you will like. For those times when you feel as though you have had too much rich and heavy food, Tamacho is your go to stop for something light and easy on the stomach. 

At Tamacho Honten you can eat the local delicacies of Nagoya City. The Miso Komi Udon (Udon and miso stew) comes highly recommended but you can also enjoy other Nagoyan delights such as Ten Musu (Onigiri with shrimp tempura filling), Dote-ni (beef sinew stewed in miso and mirin​) and Tebasaki (chicken wings). You can also cut costs by dining here by coming with your family and sharing a number of dishes together. 

4. Italian Tomato Cafe Jr., Yaesu Chikagai

Italian Tomato Cafe Jr. is the type of restaurant where you order at the counter and then bring it with you to the table to eat. It is recommended for both families and also customers visiting on their own. This is the kind of restaurant that is frequented by those looking for food but also by those looking for just a drink. 

If you are visiting for lunch, you can choose from a set lunch meal or a set cake meal. Italian Tomato is the kind of place that adapts to many different moods and occasions. It is also recommended for those times when you want to enjoy a piece of cake on your own. Early risers will be happy to hear that it is open from early in the morning. 

5. Fukuju, Tokyo Eki Yaesu Chikagai

This classic restaurant was established 46 years ago. If you order a set course meal it will come with rice included, but if you order the okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury cake) there will be noodles included also, so patrons from the Kanto region may be slightly perplexed. This restaurant is recommended to those looking to drink from the afternoon. They don't use any teppan grills at Fukushu, so it is safe to bring the little ones with you. 

If you are looking to pop into a restaurant during a lunch break, you will find many of the restaurants in the Tokyo Station underground packed with customers. At these times, it is recommended to visit a restaurant that allows you to buy a take-out bento box. At Fukushu, their Fukushu Bento headlines their varied range of bento lunch boxes. These are perfect for those who do not have the time to enjoy a relaxed meal. 

The Culinary Treasures of the Tokyo Station Underground

There are many delicious wares in the malls of the Tokyo Station underground so no matter how often you visit you will find plenty of restaurants to enjoy. Of course, if you find a store that you like, it is great to return time and again, however, why not try something new every once in a while? All of the stores introduced here can act as your guide, so if one of them piqued your interest, why not pay it a visit?  

Translated and republished with permission from: SPIRA (formerly known as Relux Magazine)

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