The Ultimate Guide to Jimbocho Restaurants: 12 Best Places to Eat in Tokyo's Book District (2025)
Tokyo is the center of Japan where approximately 14 million people live. Tokyo has various neighborhoods, each with its own unique culture, from cutting-edge areas lined with modern buildings to traditional downtown districts.
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Jimbocho is an academic district where secondhand bookstores, publishing companies, and universities gather.
With its unique history, Jimbocho is also a true gourmet district that has been beloved by Tokyo's cultural figures. From retro coffee shops and curry restaurants to Japanese cuisine and authentic Edomae sushi, there are renowned establishments across various genres.
This time, we will introduce the famous Jimbocho restaurants in this district truly loved by gourmets. If you're looking for gourmet food and hidden gems in Tokyo, please use this as a reference.
The True Gourmet District "Jimbocho" Beloved by Tokyo's Cultural Figures and Foodies
Jimbocho is famous as a "book town" where many secondhand bookstores selling valuable used books are concentrated.
Book lovers visit from far and wide to browse secondhand bookstores in search of precious books. Historically, many cultural figures such as literary figures and editors have also gathered here and loved this district.
In Jimbocho, a unique food culture developed. Classic coffee shops were used by book lovers for breaks and reading.
Also, from the late 20th century, the opening of curry specialty shops like "Body" (which is also introduced in this article) triggered a curry boom where curry restaurants gathered in Jimbocho.
Famous coffee shops and curry restaurants were born one after another in Jimbocho, and now many famous establishments and long-established stores that attract gourmets from all over Tokyo are operating.
In "Jimbocho," Tokyo's Premier Food Battleground, You Can Enjoy Authentic Japanese Dishes
Jimbocho, a gourmet district, is Tokyo's premier food battleground where many famous establishments gather. In addition to curry and coffee shops, you can enjoy various types of Authentic Japanese Dishes at Jimbocho restaurants. What I especially recommend in Jimbocho are Edomae sushi restaurants.
Jimbocho, like the neighboring Kanda area, is the birthplace of Edomae sushi. Edomae sushi refers to the style of nigiri sushi that was born in Tokyo. Many restaurants in Jimbocho serve simple yet authentic Edomae sushi.
These sushi restaurants also offer reasonably priced seafood bowls during lunch time, making them popular with students, office workers, and overseas tourists alike.
Author's Personal Recommendations! Must-Visit Renowned Food Establishments in Jimbocho, Explained by Genre
Sushi Restaurants
Jimbocho has long-supported Edomae sushi establishments, Michelin-listed restaurants, and traditional sushi restaurants with nearly 300 years of history.
All these shops offer not only dinner but also abundant lunch menus that you can enjoy casually, so please be sure to check them out.
Tsuruhachi (Sushi)
Source:Tabelog
Tsuruhachi is a representative sushi establishment in Jimbocho. The restaurant has 6 counter seats and small table seats. Though small and simple, it's a place where you can eat exquisite Edomae sushi, attracting gourmets from all over Tokyo.
The signature menu item is a tuna roll called "Tenkamaki." It contains various parts of tuna including lean meat, medium fatty tuna, and fatty tuna, making it voluminous and extremely satisfying. The red tuna was sparkling and very beautiful in appearance, which was impressive, and I often visit there.
The master, a skilled sushi chef, faces each guest properly and flexibly listens to their requests while preparing sushi. If you want to visit a famous Edomae sushi restaurant in the Jimbocho area, please try visiting Tsuruhachi.
Address: 2-4-1 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3265-6533
Business Hours: 17:00-21:30, 12:00-13:30 / 17:00-21:30 (Saturday)
Closed: Wednesday, Sunday, Holidays
Official Website: None
Hishitani
Source:Official site
Hishitani is a Japanese restaurant beloved by locals who say "if you want to eat fish in Jimbocho, this is the place." They serve first-class sushi and various Japanese dishes including seafood bowls.
Hishitani is a restaurant where you can eat Japanese food at reasonable prices using only the finest carefully selected ingredients. I ordered "Teriyaki Yellowtail" for lunch. It was grilled until the skin was crispy, and when eaten together with the juicy, fatty flesh, it was the perfect combination.
It came with rice, miso soup, and even sashimi. I was able to eat my fill of healthy and delicious Japanese lunch, which made me very happy.
All fish dishes are exquisite, with grilled fish dishes being especially popular. If you want to eat delicious Japanese-style fish dishes, please try using the hidden gem, Hishitani.
Address: 1-54-16 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5577-4191
Business Hours: 11:30-13:30 (until sold out) / 17:00-21:30, 17:00-21:00 (Saturday)
Closed: Sunday, Holidays
Official Website: https://hisihitani-jinboucho.com/index.html
Sasamaki Kenuki Sushi
Souce：VISIT CHIYODA
Sasamaki Kenuki Sushi is Tokyo's oldest sushi restaurant, established in the 18th century. Rather than ordinary sushi, they serve traditional sushi wrapped in bamboo leaves. This sushi is called "Kenuki Sushi" and can be purchased for eat-in or takeout.
I ordered "Kenuki Sushi" and soup for eat-in. Kenuki Sushi has vivid green bamboo leaves and looks very refreshing. The rice was well-infused with vinegar and salt, and despite being bite-sized, just eating a few pieces provided solid satisfaction.
Bamboo leaves have high bactericidal effects, and wrapping with bamboo enables long-term preservation. Bamboo-wrapped sushi doesn't lose its shape easily, so it's also recommended for takeout.
If you want to try unusual sushi or are looking for takeout sushi, please give it a try.
Address: Udagawa Building, 2-12 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3291-2570
Business Hours: 10:00-18:30, 11:00-17:00 (Saturday)
Closed: Sunday, Holidays
Official Website: None
Sakari
Source:Official website
Sakari has been a beloved sushi institution among Jimbocho restaurants since its establishment in 1925. This small-scale restaurant features counter seating on the first floor and table seating on the second floor. Located just steps from Subway Jimbocho Station, it's also popular for lunch.
As one of the premier Jimbocho restaurants, Sakari offers delicious sushi, cuisine, and sake at relatively reasonable prices even during dinner time. The horse mackerel and octopus sushi I tried were surprisingly fresh with a refreshing taste.
They offer an extensive selection of sake and shochu that pairs beautifully with the sushi. There are also many izakaya-style menu items like "Geso-yaki" (grilled squid legs with salt) that make the alcohol even more enjoyable. The grilled nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), a premium fish, is also popular.
For those who want to enjoy delicious sushi with alcohol, definitely try Sakari when exploring Jimbocho restaurants.
- Address: 1-35 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Business Hours: 11:30-14:00 / 17:00-22:30
- Closed: Saturdays and Sundays
- Phone: 0332918844
- Official Website: https://sakari-tokyo.com/
Sushi Kiraku
Source:Official website
Sushi Kiraku is a long-established restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Edomae-style sushi, making it one of the standout Jimbocho restaurants. It earned a Michelin one-star rating in 2025. The lunch options, which are relatively affordable for people working in Jimbocho, are extremely popular.
The most popular lunch item is "Barachirashi," which uses plenty of high-quality tuna at an affordable price. When I tried it, the fatty tuna was so tender it melted on my chopsticks, with an amazingly delicious richness that was truly moving.
Other dishes like tuna "naka-ochi-don" and the luxurious "hon-tuna chutoro-don" attract many customers daily who come specifically for the exquisite tuna. During dinner time, they also stock a rich selection of French wines, earning high praise from foreign tourists, cementing its reputation among international visitors seeking quality Jimbocho restaurants.
For those who want to experience first-class authentic sushi, definitely visit Sushi Kiraku at your preferred time when exploring Jimbocho restaurants.
- Address: 1-11 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Business Hours: 12:00-13:30 / 18:00-21:00
- Closed: Saturdays and Sundays
- Phone: 0362737000
- Official Website: https://sushikiraku.com/
For those who want to not only eat delicious sushi but also deeply understand and enjoy sushi's food culture and philosophy, REONA's Sushi Tour is highly recommended. This unique experience complements your exploration of Jimbocho restaurants perfectly.
This tour takes place at sushi restaurant REONA, located in Kanda, a neighborhood very close to Jimbocho. While enjoying a sushi course, you can listen to enjoyable, content-rich lectures about sushi ingredients and culture.
During the tour, you don't just receive detailed lectures. You can ask questions directly to the craftsmen and actually compare the tastes of seafood that are considered to have "different flavors" in Japan, providing various experiences that deepen your understanding of sushi.
Small children can also participate and even touch the unique cooking tools used in sushi preparation. Participate in this tour to make your future sushi experiences in Japan more profound, especially when visiting the renowned Jimbocho restaurants.
- Meeting Point: 1F Ibu Building, 3-3-6 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Tour Area: Kanda
- Start Times: 11:30, 18:00, 18:30 (varies by day)
Curry
Jimbocho is known as the holy land of curry in Tokyo, with many nationally famous curry restaurants. Among the exceptional Jimbocho restaurants specializing in curry, I'd like to introduce two establishments I particularly recommend.
Bondy
Source:Official site
Bondy is a long-established curry restaurant serving European-style curry, representing one of the most celebrated Jimbocho restaurants in this category. It's an extremely popular restaurant that won first place at the local gourmet event Kanda Curry Grand Prix, where famous curry restaurants compete.
Bondy's curry features a sweet roux made by blending vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, finished with special spices. There are 12 different curry menu items in total. I ordered the beef curry.
The roux had sweetness, a solid richness, and a subtle butter flavor, with plenty of large pieces of beef making it very satisfying. An exquisite side dish of boiled potatoes with butter is also served.
The restaurant is located in a back alley and might be difficult for first-time visitors to find. Since it's on the second floor of a mixed-use building, look for the red store logo sign as your landmark.
- Address: 2F Kanda Kosho Center Building, 2-3-3 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Phone: 03-3234-2080
- Business Hours: 11:00-21:30 (Mon-Fri) / 10:00-21:30 (Sat, Sun, Holidays)
- Closed: None
- Official Website: https://bondy.co.jp/web/
Curry Rice Senmon Ten Ethiopia Hon Ten
Source:Tabelog
Curry Rice Senmon Ten Ethiopia Hon Ten is a curry specialty restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Indian curry, standing out among Jimbocho restaurants for its unique approach. It's a long-established restaurant famous for curry made by slowly simmering many vegetables and Ethiopian coffee, which inspired the restaurant's name.
Ethiopia Hon Ten's curry roux is characterized by its healthy quality from simmered vegetables. The roux uses 12 different spices, all of which have high health benefits as they're also used as medicinal herbs.
You can choose between regular or large portions of rice, and select the spiciness level of the roux. I challenged myself with the signature menu item "Chicken curry" at an intense 70x spiciness level.
The spiciness didn't overwhelm the roux's flavor or umami, but gradually created a pleasant spicy sensation that built up toward the end of the meal. Please challenge yourself according to your preferences when visiting this unique establishment among Jimbocho restaurants.
- Address: 3-10-6 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Business Hours: 10:10-22:00 / 10:00-21:00 (Sundays)
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 0332954310
- Official Website: http://www.ethiopia-curry.com/
Japanese Western Food
Western cuisine that entered Japan from the late 19th century has a history of being arranged for Japanese tastes and evolving into a unique style. We introduce long-established restaurants where you can enjoy classic Japanese Western Food such as ketchup-flavored Spaghetti Neapolitan and Omelette rice made by wrapping ketchup rice in eggs.
Beer Hall Luncheon
Source:Official site
Beer Hall Luncheon is a beer hall that was established in Jimbocho in 1909. Currently, it serves beer and retro Japanese-style Western cuisine. The spacious interior with 110 seats is roomy and comfortable, and you can look down at the Jimbocho streetscape through large windows.
At Beer Hall Luncheon, you can enjoy standard Western dishes that were uniquely arranged in Japan from the 19th to 20th centuries, such as omelette rice, Neapolitan, and fried shrimp. Among the Jimbocho restaurants, this establishment stands out for its authentic atmosphere.
Luncheon's "Omelette rice" has the classic appearance and taste that anyone thinks of when they hear "Omelette rice" in Japan. It's thoroughly covered with thick egg, and the rice has a strongly sweet flavor with a solid ketchup taste.
There are also various other standard Japanese Western Food items such as Hayashi rice and Beef stew. If you're interested, please try any menu items that catch your attention.
Address: 1-6 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3233-0866
Business Hours: 11:30～21:30 (Mon-Fri) / 11:30～20:30 (Sat)
Closed: Sundays and holidays
Official Website: https://www.luncheon.jp/
Kitchen Viva
source:Tabelog
Kitchen Viva is a small set meal restaurant in Jimbocho. This shop is extremely popular during lunch time and reopened in June 2025 right next to the beloved old location after renovation. It's a small-scale shop with about 10 seats total, where the owner handles everything from cooking to customer service alone.
The charm of Kitchen Viva is its hearty lunch portions that haven't changed since the old location days. The "Ginger pork set meal" comes with plenty of pork and ketchup-flavored spaghetti as well. I was also surprised by the speed - it arrived just a few minutes after ordering. This is definitely one of the notable Jimbocho restaurants for quick, satisfying meals.
It's a satisfying dish with meat that has a rich, sweet and savory soy sauce flavor and spaghetti. For those who want to eat even more, there are also sets that add hamburger or minced cutlet to the "Ginger pork set meal" contents.
Address: 1F Suidobashi Nikka Building, 2-24 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: None
Business Hours: 11:30～15:00 / 18:00～20:00
Closed: Sundays and holidays
Official Website: None
Coffee Shops
Jimbocho has several historically significant coffee shops that have been operating for over 50 years, among the most famous in Japan. Particularly famous are Sabouru and Ladrio.
Note that coffee shops serve Japanese Western Food, original dishes, and desserts. We recommend using them not only for restaurant dining but also for taking a break when you're feeling a bit hungry during snack time.
Sabouru
Source：Official X
Sabouru is a long-established coffee shop that has been operating in Jimbocho since 1955. This shop is famous for the retro atmosphere of its interior and menu, and stepping inside feels like time-slipping back to pre-1980s Japan.
What's popular at Sabouru is the "Cream Soda" - a soda drink topped with ice cream.
Cream Soda is a drink that has gained popularity as a retro menu item symbolizing 20th-century Japanese coffee shops. Sabouru's Cream Soda can be ordered in a choice of seven colorful varieties.
The "Blue Ray" that I ordered had a beautiful, transparent bright blue color, with a very sweet taste that made me feel very nostalgic just drinking it. This is certainly among the most atmospheric Jimbocho restaurants for experiencing vintage Japan.
Next door is the second location "Sabouru 2" where you can enjoy proper meals. If you want to take a break with drinks, go to Sabouru; if you want to eat lunch, try the second location.
Address: 1-9-1 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3291-8405
Business Hours: 11:00～20:00
Closed: Irregular holidays
Official Website: https://x.com/sabor_jimbocho
Ladrio
source:Tabelog
Ladrio is also a shop that was founded in 1949 and has been beloved in Jimbocho for many years. It's an attractive shop with a brick exterior, retro interior that hasn't changed for decades, and well-worn tables, chairs, and other furnishings.
It's also known as the first shop in Japan to sell "Vienna Coffee" with plenty of cream. When I ordered it, the cream was piled so high it was overflowing from the cup. It's very sweet on its own, so when you mix it well with the bitter coffee, it becomes just the right sweetness and is delicious.
When strolling through Jimbocho, definitely take a break at the classic Ladrio where chanson and jazz music play. Please note that payment is cash only.
Address: 1-3 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3295-4788
Business Hours: 11:30～22:30 (weekdays) / 12:00～19:00 (weekends and holidays)
Closed: Tuesdays
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladrio_staff/
If you want to enjoy spots truly loved by locals, participating in a local tour is best!
If you want to enjoy spots beloved by locals in Tokyo, try using Magical Trip's local tours.
With local tours, you can learn about the true charm of a town from the same perspective as locals. Tour guides are local residents who know the city well and will guide you through their beloved city with abundant knowledge.
Like Jimbocho introduced today, in strolling tours of cities where back alleys are charming, they'll guide you to retro alleys where you can experience the real history of the city. Also, in food tours, they'll take you to local famous restaurants that tourists couldn't find on their own - perfect for discovering hidden Jimbocho restaurants and other local gems.
Please participate in Magical Trip's local tours and experience travel that lets you feel the real Tokyo, not just touring famous tourist spots.