Tokyo’s best food & drink

The succession of artistically presented dishes that comprise a kaiseki-ryori dinner has come to represent the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine.

Featuring anywhere up to 12 fixed courses that focus on in-season produce, kaiseki will include some familiar elements, with sashimi early in the dinner, delicate tempura later, and maybe a few mouthfuls of wagyu as a centrepiece. The rest, however, can be wonderfully indecipherable.

Being such an exalted cuisine, kaiseki dinners don’t come cheap – expect to pay at least £100 a head. Or, go for lunch, when many restaurants offer taster sets at a fraction of the price.

Just reserve well ahead – even though Japan has plenty of kaiseki restaurants, they always book up quickly.

They are often served at ryokans (traditional Japanese inns). For a real flavour of traditional Japan, book in for a night at one, and tick off both bucket list experiences at once.

One of Ryogoku’s chanko nabe specialists, this restaurant was once a sumo training stable and still has a practice ring at its centre.

The restaurant that invented gunkan maki (seaweed wrapped) sushi in the 1940s – has courses from 75 pounds.

Every neighbourhood has its ramen joints – some that people will queue hours for. Ramen Street in Tokyo station, however, has a collection of shops selling different ramen styles.

The Michelin-3-star restaurant, featured in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, only has one thing on the menu – a 200-pound omakase course.

A classical expression of Japanese hospitality that can last for hours in its most elaborate form, the tea ceremony has been practised for centuries. Every aspect, from where the most important guest is seated to how the host wipes the utensils, has significance. Every movement is choreographed, and for kimono-dressed practitioners, the nuances take years to perfect.

Full versions (around 4 hours) are only for die-hards; shorter versions are available down to a mere 30 minutes, but the shorter it is, the less traditional. There are usually special options for children, and some will include sweet-making.

Even the shortest versions, though, are a great way to experience traditional Japanese culture and formality.

Most of the ‘inner’ part of this famous wholesale fish market – where massive tunas are lined up for sale – has moved to Toyosu island, but much of it still gets delivered back to Tsukiji and the ‘outdoor’ part remains a bustling and vibrant food market.

With its narrow lanes filled with stalls and shops, the market offers a wide variety of fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, and traditional Japanese delicacies. Sample sushi, sashimi, street food, and local snacks as you browse – perhaps even take a sushi breakfast.

Under the rail tracks in the Yurakucho district is the place to go for a bite at a traditional izakaya. Try char-grilled chicken skewers (yakitori) washed down with beer and sake – a classic combination.