Tokyo Tabelog! 10 Recommended Curry Restaurants [2019 Edition]

10 Recommended Restaurants from Tabelog's Top 100 Curry Restaurants for 2019

1. Tomato

Tomato, located just under 5 minutes from Ogikubo Station on foot, is a cozy curry restaurant with about 15 seats available. It may exude the vibe of a cafe that is located in a residential area, but it is actually a restaurant that offers curry with wonderful flavors unlike anything you have ever tasted in all of Tokyo.

Recommended at this restaurant is the Japanese-style Beef Java Curry, a dish that perfectly balances deliciousness, spiciness and bitterness. It uses wagyu (Japanese beef) that is so delicious that a single bite will flood your mouth with its superb flavors of beef. The curry here is priced between 1,950 yen and 3,400 yen, which may give you the impression that this restaurant is about two price-points higher than regular curry restaurants, but the taste of their famous curry is worth it.

2. SPICY CURRY ROKA

Located around a 2-minute walk from the South Exit of Okubo Station, SPICY CURRY ROKA is a small restaurant with only nine seats. It is a very accommodating curry joint for all of its customers, so even if you’re alone, you will not have to feel awkward about eating here.

The charm of this restaurant is that you will get to taste a different limited quantity curry every time you visit. One of them is the kocha-buta spareribs curry with salad, reasonably priced at 900 yen. Kocha-buta spareribs curry is a kind of curry in which pork spareribs bought directly from a butcher shop are slowly boiled in tea until it is tender. It is quite a healthy dish, as it is cooked with just the tea and juice of tomatoes and onions.

3. Delhi - Ueno Branch

Delhi is a popular restaurant located within walking distance from Okachimachi Station. Founded in 1956, it is a curry restaurant loved by office workers from nearby offices, as well as locals. They serve a kind of curry you won’t get tired of eating every day, so it’s no wonder that it is constantly packed with customers. This restaurant also offers chicken and Pakistani dishes.

Their Kashmir Curry is highly recommended. It may not look spicy at a first glance, but the spiciness will hit you the moment you take a bite. The curry has a complex and rich taste, but strangely enough, you can eat it even without drinking water. Customers also love the all-you-can-eat cucumbers and onions.

4. Dharmasagara

Dharmasagara, located on the second floor of the Ginza Eight Building, is just a minute’s walk from the No.5 Exit of Ginza Station. The restaurant offers beautiful views and a spectacular nightscape, making it a perfect place to go for a night out.

This restaurant offers South Indian-style curry with strong flavors, however, the coconut milk used in the curry is subtly sweet and mild, so it can be enjoyed by children as well. For weekday lunchtime reservations only the Dharmasagara Meals are available, which are popular with solo diners.

5. Katchar Batchar

Katchar Batchar, which is approximately a 3-minute walk from Shin-Otsuka Station, is a famous restaurant that has not only ranked on the Tabelog Top 100 Curry Restaurants for three consecutive years but has also been awarded the Tabelog Award’s Bronze Prize. They have a steady stream of fans who are hooked on the delicious flavors of the curry ingredients, drawn out by the power of spices used in the curry.

This restaurant is a highly regarded spot that some customers claim serves the best Indian curry in the entire Tokyo area. The recommended dishes here are the Butter Chicken and Cheese Kulcha. Their Butter Chicken, with its tomato-based sweet-and-sour flavor, is a truly delicious and unique dish.

6. Curry Rice Dylan

Located in a spot about a 2-minute walk from the B3 Exit of Ogawamachi Station, Curry Rice Dylan is a cozy restaurant with just around 14 seats on the counter and tables. This restaurant is almost always crowded with office workers during lunchtime.

Recommended here is the Half & Half - Chicken & Chicken Keema (with egg and Japanese mustard spinach). Chicken Keema is curry-flavored scrambled eggs that pair really well with Japanese mustard spinach. The Chicken Keema is a little spicy, but since it is eaten with eggs, the flavor becomes mild in your mouth. It is also topped with cilantro, so the curry will leave you with a refreshing aftertaste.

7. mo mo no mi - Suidobashi Branch

Mo mo no mi is about a 5-minute walk from Suidobashi Station. It is a rather small restaurant with just around 16 seats available, but it has a welcoming atmosphere for its customers, whether solo or in a group.

The Keema Curry is highly recommended here. It is a rich and delicious curry characterized by its tasty ground meat that has no bitter taste and just the right thickness of sauce. The spices used are also not too spicy and have a very rich taste. As for toppings, this restaurant offers some of the most popular toppings in Japan like red pickled ginger, so it has enjoyed a steady influx of returning customers.

8. Sunanomisaki

Sunanomisaki, about a 5-minute walk from Sakura-Shinmachi Station, may be a tiny restaurant with just around 12 seats, but it also offers a private room that provides a relaxing time for an outing with friends and family. The restaurant closes as soon as the curry runs out, so it is recommended to check before visiting.

This restaurant is so committed to what it does that it is closed for three days to prepare the spices for the curry. Because of that, it’s impossible for the curry to be anything but delicious. The chana masala (a dish made from chickpeas) on top of the butter chicken and vegetable curry is exquisite. They also offer chilled curry that combines onions, ginger and chickpeas. It’s definitely worth a try.

9. Shiva Curry Wara

Located approximately 3 minutes from Sangen-Jaya Station on foot, Shiva Curry Wara is a small restaurant with around 11 seats and a cute interior design. Be prepared to wait in line when you visit, as it can get quite crowded depending on the time of day.

This is quite a high-level restaurant in terms of creative Indian cuisine. The dishes here have the kind of flavors and seasonings that are exquisitely prepared to satisfy the Japanese taste. The Pork Chili Keema has a robust taste with perfectly ground meat, for example, and Meen Varutharacha is a curry that uses toasted masala (a mix of Indian spices). The flavor of the coconut in the curry is subtle in order to draw out the flavors of the spices.

10. beet eat

Beet eat, which is a short distance away from the North Exit of Kitami Station, may be a tiny restaurant with only seven counter seats, but it offers a long list of specialty dishes that you won’t find in other restaurants, including the Black Bear Biryani. The owner of this restaurant is a powerful huntswoman who goes hunting for ingredients herself.

Here, you can enjoy their special Gibier Curry (wild game curry) and dishes that are considerate of macrobiotics. Their rare dishes also include squid curry, Hokkaido sika (deer) keema curry, and pork vindaloo. The rice serving is quite small, so upgrade it to a large portion if possible. If you enjoy gibier, this restaurant is definitely recommended.

There are Many More Curry Restaurants to Visit!

Did this list make you crave for curry even more? Curry, considered a comfort food in Japan, comes in many different flavors and styles. This list features only ten restaurants and there are many more that should be checked out! There are European, Indian, Japanese and other styles of curry out there, so why not visit the famous restaurants on the list with your family or friends in tow, or even by yourself?

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Header Image: AS Food Studio / Shutterstock


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



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