13 Best Restaurants in Roppongi, Tokyo

The style here is robatayaki, a dining experience that segues into pure theater. Inside a large U-shape counter, two cooks in traditional garb sit on cushions behind a grill, with a cornucopia of food spread out in front of them: fresh vegetables, seafood, and skewers of beef and chicken. You point to what you want, and your server shouts out the order. The cook in back plucks your selection up out of the pit, prepares it, and hands it across on an 8-foot wooden paddle. Inakaya is open from 5 pm and fills up fast after 7. If you can't get a seat here, there is another branch, Inakaya West, on the other side of Roppongi Crossing.

Smoky, noisy, and cluttered, Ganchan is exactly what the Japanese expect of their yakitori joints—restaurants that specialize in bits of charcoal-broiled chicken and vegetables. The counter here seats barely 15, and you have to squeeze to get to the chairs in back. Festival masks, paper kites, lanterns, and greeting cards from celebrity patrons adorn the walls. The cooks yell at each other, fan the grill, and serve up enormous schooners of beer. Try the tsukune (balls of minced chicken) and the fresh asparagus wrapped in bacon. Otherwise opt for a mixed eight-skewer set that also comes with several small side dishes. The place stays open until 1:30 am (midnight on Sunday).

For his Michelin-starred contemporary French creations, chef de cuisine Shintaro Miyazaki sources the finest Japanese beef, poultry, seafood, and vegetables from around the country. Served on the 45th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, the resulting prix-fixe lunch courses (from ¥5,800) come with a choice of four or five dishes from a changing monthly menu. For dinner there are chef's tasting menus, which are paired with wine selected by the hotel's sommelier. The dining room, decorated in soft beige, white, and black, and crowned with a city skyline view, provides the appropriate tony setting.

No surprise that eggs are the thing at this convenient diner on the first basement floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. Eggs are organic and available every which way, including in egg tarts, eggs benedict, pancakes, and a fried breakfast.

Every so often, even on foreign shores, you've got to have a burger. When the urge strikes, the Swiss-and-bacon special at Homework's is an incomparably better choice than anything you can get at one of the global chains. Hamburgers come in three sizes on white or wheat buns, with a variety of toppings. You also find hot teriyaki chicken sandwiches, pastrami sandwiches, and vegetarian options like a soybean veggie burger or a grilled eggplant sandwich. With its hardwood banquettes and French doors open to the street in good weather, Homework's is a pleasant place to linger over lunch. There is also a branch in Hiro.

Open from 11 am to 11 pm, this ever-busy ramen joint, now an international chain with almost 30 locations in Tokyo alone, is an ideal quick stop on or after a night out. The classic ramen is the Shiromaru, which features a creamy pork-based stock, thin yet slightly firm noodles, and a topping of chashu pork slices. Other options include the Akamaru, which has a little red miso mixed in the soup, and side dishes such as gyoza dumplings.

The concept of brunch is fairly new in Tokyo but thankfully it's starting to take off. By day, this pleasant café offers outdoor seating and brioche French toast with great coffee just minutes from Tokyo Midtown and the art museums of the “Roppongi Art Triangle.” From 5 pm, the menu changes to more expensive grilled meats and pastas.

In a neighborhood thick with Korean-barbecue joints, Sankoen stands out as the best of the lot. Korean barbecue is a smoky affair; you cook your own food, usually thin slices of beef and vegetables, on a gas grill at your table. The karubi (brisket), which is accompanied by a great salad, is the best choice on the menu. If you like kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage), Sankoen's is considered by some to be the best in town. Customers from all over agree, including those from the South Korean embassy a few blocks away. And they line up at all hours (from 11:30 am to midnight) to get in.

Diners here need a dose of luck—there are only seven counter seats and reservations fill up fast (ask your hotel concierge to make a reservation for you). You also need a full wallet, as high-end sushi comes at a pretty price. But for the few that manage to cross those two hurdles, Sushiso Masa gives a sublime experience. The interior is unpretentious, putting the focus squarely on the gorgeous presentations for each course. But what really sets this apart from other upscale sushi spots is the extreme quality of the cuts of fish, and the garnishes that use incredibly rare ingredients, such as zha cai (pickled stem of the mustard plant).

This casual American chain is world-famous for its barbecued ribs. It also serves kid-size (and much larger) portions of burgers, chicken strips, and fried shrimp. The chain, which started in Miami in the 1970s, is dwindling in the U.S., but it's still going strong overseas. There's another branch in the Hanzomon area.

When you're looking for a break from all the ramen, tempura, and yakitori, this restaurant on the 45th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel serves a mix of international flavors that range from American to Southeast Asian to Mediterranean. The prix-fixe lunches include a three-course business lunch (¥6,500), and there are dinners with four and five courses, including one that focuses on produce from Hokkaido (¥13,000). A plush brunch (¥9,500) is also available weekends and holidays. Best of all, the dining room overlooks a panorama of the Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower, which is where the eatery gets its name.

For a quick caffeine break, Verve serves up single-origin beans from around the world in fashionable, but laidback surrounds. They also have herb teas, sandwiches, and sweet treats like carrot cake and vegan cookies.