A Tokyo Station Food Tour: From Cafes to Izakaya at Yaechika

The Yaechika Shopping Mall beneath Tokyo Station is a blessing to travelers with a busy schedule, and in this three-part series, we started by looking at the overall facilities and some of the best shopping spots. Now, it’s finally time for the foodies to explore! With more than 60 restaurants and cafes, Yaechika is full of Tokyo’s dining highlights, and the convenient location makes it an easy choice. Take a short break from shopping, sit down for a satisfying full meal, or wrap up your day running around Tokyo with a nice strong drink!

To help hungry travelers find what they’re looking for at Yaechika, we’ve split our list of recommendations into three categories: relaxing cafes, Japanese food best enjoyed in Japan, and spots you’ll want to visit for a boozy drink or two. Whatever you’re looking to eat at Tokyo Station, you’ll find our favorites below.

Three Tokyo Coffee Shops for Cafe Lovers at Yaechika

Any trip to Japan is likely to include a lot of time on your feet, whether you’re walking through quiet Shinto shrines or waiting in line for the trendiest new street food, but one nice thing about Yaechika is all the cafes where you can sit down and take a break during your shopping trip.

Tully’s Coffee

Option number one is Tully’s Coffee, which was originally established as a specialty coffee shop in Seattle, and is now a go-to coffee shop in Japan. Tully’s is known for the deep flavor of its espresso, pulled by the baristas using beans carefully selected from around the world, making it popular even among coffee snobs. But the shop also offers a light food menu with baked goods and sandwiches that pair well with the coffee, so it’s a solid choice for brunch or a light meal.

Tully’s Coffee (タリーズコーヒー)
Hours: weekdays 6:45 – 22:00 / weekends & holidays 7:00 – 22:00
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Hoshino Coffee

Hoshino Coffee specializes in pour-over coffee, carefully brewed one cup at a time for a slow, laid-back cafe experience. The wood-toned interior and soft lighting gives it classic “kissa-ten” vibes, like an old-fashioned Japanese cafe, perfect for anyone who appreciates a retro interior. Hoshino Coffee also offers plenty of options to enjoy with the coffee, from fluffy souffle pancakes, to oven-baked pasta dishes, so whether you want a good cup of coffee or a simple meal, it’s a reliable place to sit back and relax.

Hoshino Coffee (星乃珈琲店)
Hours: 8:00 – 21:30 (last order 20:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Kanno Coffee

Kanno Coffee might be playfully translated as “Coffee of the Gods,” and this specialty coffee shop emphasizes Japanese-style hospitality for a sublime experience, expressed in each and every cup. The Japanese aesthetics of the interior decor is a fun touch, but many customers are more interested in visiting the cafe to taste and compare their three original blends. “Hi-iri (陽煎)” is lightly roasted, with jasmine-like floral notes and fresh acidity. “Kami-iri (神煎)” is the shop’s main blend, known for its balance of smooth sweetness and nutty flavor. Finally, “Tsuki-iri (月煎)” is deeply roasted, with a deep bitter-sweetness reminiscent of dark chocolate. Try all three, or choose whichever sounds best to you, and enjoy the heavenly service!

Kanno Coffee (神乃珈琲)
Hours: 7:00 – 22:00
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Restaurants Options for Eating at Tokyo Station

Wondering what to eat in Japan? Yaechika’s restaurant options include a wide range of Japanese restaurants specializing in all kinds of local cuisine, including a handful of big names you might already know.

Shabu-Shabu Tajimaya

Looking to fill an empty stomach? Shabu-Shabu Tajimaya is great for hungry travelers looking for a hearty meal and a great deal, because this reastaurant is all about the all-you-can-eat hot-pot – both shabu-shabu and sukiyaki. There are a few different menus to choose from, but every option includes unlimited refills of fresh vegetables, rice, curry, and ice cream (soft drinks are also included with dinner, but are an additional fee at lunchtime), making it an obvious choice if you’re hoping to fully recharge after using up your energy exploring Yaechika. Big groups of friends and families can also take advantage of the private rooms, which can fit 20 people or more.

Shabu-Shabu Tajimaya (しゃぶしゃぶ但馬屋)
Hours: 11:00 – 22:00 (final entry 21:00 / last order 21:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Tokyo Curry Quartet

It might not be the first food travelers think of, but anyone who’s spent any time in Japan will tell you that Japanese curry is absolutely worth trying during your trip! Japan has borrowed various curry spice blends from around the world to transform the dish into a local staple, enjoyed at home and at restaurants, with dozens of different variations. At Tokyo Curry Quartet you can taste a little of the diversity of Japanese curry thanks to the four different curry shops gathered in one spot! The Japankuru team has two recommendations in particular:

Okushiba Shoten makes “soup curry,” a brothier take on the dish, using shrimp stock as a (widely acknowledged) secret ingredient to add extra depth of flavor. Their Okushiburg Curry is especially popular, topping the curry with a tender hamburger steak, accentuated by the deep shrimp umami of the soup.

For a more novel approach to Japanese curry, head to Akihabara Caligari, which was established in Shibuya in 2005 as a tiny 10-seat shop. The shop was initially created to share a special curry recipe that had actually found a cult following as a secret menu item at a long-established club in Ginza. The shop has since grown into its own phenomenon, with 18 domestic and 2 overseas locations. At the Yaesu branch you’ll find chefs from the original location in the kitchen, cooking up the authentic Ginza curry flavors that have found such popularity around the world.

Okushiba Shoten (奥芝商店)
Hours: 11:00 – 22:00 (last order 21:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Akihabara Caligari (秋葉原カリガリ)
Hours: 11:00 – 22:00 (last order 21:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Tenya

Tenya is often bustling with locals on their lunch breaks or grabbing a quick meal after work thanks to their crispy, flavorful “ten-don” tempura rice bowls and soba. Each dish of golden-brown fried shrimp and vegetables over rice comes topped with a splash of sweet-and-salty soy-based sauce, for a balance of flavors that will have you tearing through the bowl at high speeds. The menu also includes both soba and udon noodles, as well as à la carte tempura, all of which are popular as side dishes as part of ten-don sets. And once you get hooked on Tenya’s ten-don, you’ll want to check back in whenever you’re in Japan to see what seasonal specials are on the menu. And if you’d rather eat in the peace and quiet of your hotel room, they offer takeout too.

Tenya (てんや)
Hours: weekdays 10:00 – 22:00 (last order 21:30) / weekends & holidays 10:00 – 21:00 (last order 20:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Sushiro

Always wanted to try conveyor-belt sushi in Japan? Sushiro is one of the country’s biggest chains, and you can find it at Yaechika. Even if your itinerary is packed with so much fun you barely have time for lunch, this is a great way to fit in a quick and tasty sushi meal. The conveyor belts will bring you all kinds of different sushi, including the kinds of toppings that you’re unlikely to find so easily outside of Japan, as well as a variety of sides and desserts, so everyone leaves satisfied. This may be a chain, but travelers often rave about the quality of Japanese conveyor belt sushi, especially for the price!

Sushiro Yaechika (スシローヤエチカ店)
Hours: weekdays 11:00 – 22:30 (last order 22:15) / weekends & holidays 10:30 – 22:30 (last order 22:15)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Tokyo Ramen Alley

Tokyo Ramen Alley is a must-see for the many ramen lovers visiting Japan, with seven popular ramen shops all in one place, and an atmosphere that feels like you cut and paste a local Tokyo alley into the depths of Yaechika. With counters full of diners huddled over bowls of fragrant broth and noodles, it’s hard to believe you’re inside a modern shopping complex. Among the seven options the Japankuru team has a few favorites.

Fuunji is a branch of a tsukemen (dipping noodle ramen) shop in Shinjuku that’s been selected as one of Tabelog’s Top 100 Ramen Shops for five years in a row, and now known for long lines of diners aiming for the Tokusei Tsukemen – chewy noodles combined with a rich chicken-based dipping broth. There’s a steady flow of customers at Fuunji’s Yaechika location, but customers tend to cycle through quicker, so you can often get your tsukemen without much of a wait. Aim for an early lunch, and you can really relax and enjoy the flavors.

Fuunji (風雲児)
Hours: 11:00 – 23:00 (last order 22:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

In Japan, ramen shops have a reputation for attracting more men than women, but Yaechika’s Ganso Aburado is popular among a broad range of diners thanks to the customizable abura soba (ramen-style noodles with sauce instead of soup) and the stylish atmosphere. The noodles are delicious as-is, but the real fun is playing with all the different sauces and toppings to make it your own, using sesame, curry powder, chili flakes, aonori seaweed, black pepper, or a variety of other options. We recommend starting with a bite of the abura soba just as it arrives on the counter, then switching things up with curry powder, and finally finishing with a spicy kick of chili – one bowl, multiple flavor experiences.

Ganso Aburado (元祖油堂)
Hours: 7:00 – 23:00 (last order 22:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

Yaechika’s Local Tokyo Izakaya Vibes

Uminchu Shubo

No matter what time of day you arrive at Yaechika, you’ll find tasty options from morning till night, and if you’re looking for a refreshing drink to end the night, we particularly recommend Uminchu Shubo. Despite being located in the heart of Tokyo, this lively Okinawan-style izakaya is more reminiscent of a cozy Okinawan kitchen, with a menu full of authentic Ryukyuan cuisine and traditional Okinawan drinks like awamori.

Uminchu Shubo (海人酒房)
Hours: weekdays 11:00 – 23:00 (last order 22:00) / weekends & holidays 11:00 – 22:00 (last order 21:00)
Shop Details & Directions
Tabelog Page (jp)

Motsuyaki Sakaba Teketeke

Our last stop in Yaechika is Motsuyaki Sakaba Teketeke, an izakaya with a focus on fresh ingredients and freshly prepared food. Their signature dish is “motsuyaki,” or grilled pork offal, which comes in generous pieces coated in a savory-sweet, and if you’ve never tried motsuyaki before, you might fall in love with the tender texture. Inside the shop, it feels a little like pulling up a seat at one of Japan’s outdoor street food stalls, but this spot has a much wider range of offerings. The fried bites, grilled meats, salads, hot pot, rice dishes, and even desserts make it a fun place to order for a group. Order a drink and toast another great day in Tokyo!

Motsuyaki Sakaba Teketeke (八重洲もつ焼酒場てけてけ)
Hours: 11:00 – 23:00 (last order 22:30)
Shop Details & Directions
Official Website (jp)

So Much to Eat Under Tokyo Station, So Little Time!

It all starts with a quick coffee break during your train transfer at Tokyo Station, before you succumb to the temptations of Yaechika’s ramen, Japanese curry, or tempura, or find yourself bar-hopping from one izakaya to another. Yaechika’s convenient location beneath the station makes it super convenient for a quick bite to eat, but there are enough delicious options that you could easily put together a food tour to last all day. Stop by for an efficient taste of Tokyo’s infinite food scene!

Did you miss our last guide with all our Yaechika shopping tips? To see which shops we recommend adding to even a busy Tokyo travel schedule, and score some great finds, check out our article on shopping at Yaechika.

▶ Find Tokyo Shopping Inspiration Using Our Yaechika Shopping Guide

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