Tempura in Tokyo is counter food. You sit a few feet from the fryer, and each piece — a prawn, a slice of sweet potato, a whole small fish — is passed to you seconds after it leaves the oil, while the batter is still crackling. Edomae tempura, the Tokyo style, uses a thin batter, seasonal seafood from Tokyo Bay and the surrounding coast, and oil blends that each chef guards carefully.
Our database holds 36 tempura restaurants in Tokyo recognised in the 百名店 (Hyakumeiten) awards. Ranked by rating, here are the ten highest — three of them Michelin-starred, several with fewer than ten seats.
1. Takiya (たきや) — 4.50
Azabu-juban · ¥40,000–49,999 · 10 seats
The highest-rated tempura restaurant in our entire Tokyo list, a short walk (about 150m) from Azabu-Juban Station. With only ten seats, reservations are required and hard to get — this is a counter you plan a trip around.
2. Tempura Asanuma (天ぷら浅沼) — 4.43
Nihonbashi · ¥15,000–19,999 · 8 seats
The best value in the top ten by a wide margin: a 4.43 rating at well under half the price of the restaurants around it. Open for both lunch (12:00–15:00) and dinner (18:00–21:00), closed Wednesdays, two minutes from Nihombashi Station.
3. Nihonbashi Kyonoji (日本橋 蕎ノ字) — 4.43
Ningyocho · ¥30,000–39,999 · 9 seats
A nine-seat counter in the old merchant streets of Ningyocho, tied with Asanuma on rating. Lunch from 12:00 and dinner from 18:30 make it one of the few top-rated counters you can try at midday.
4. Kusunoki Honten (くすのき 本店) — 4.30
Yotsuya · ¥40,000–49,999 · 6 seats
Just six seats, making it the most intimate restaurant on this list. Reservation required. Yotsuya sits away from the Ginza and Nihonbashi tempura cluster, which keeps it a name passed between regulars rather than one found in guidebooks.
5. Tempura Fukamachi (てんぷら 深町) — 4.09
Kyobashi · ¥20,000–29,999 · 14 seats · ★ Michelin 1 Star
A Michelin-starred counter 40m from Kyobashi Station, on the edge of Ginza. Fourteen seats make it easier to book than most of this list, and the budget sits mid-range for a starred restaurant.
6. Mikawa Zezankyo (みかわ 是山居) — 4.09
Monzen-Nakacho · ¥20,000–29,999 · 30 seats
The home of chef Tetsuya Saotome, one of the most respected tempura masters in Japan, in the old downtown of Monzen-Nakacho. Its 30 seats make it the largest restaurant here, but reservations are still required.
7. Tempura Motoyoshi (天ぷら 元吉) — 4.08
Daikanyama area · 8 seats
An eight-seat dinner-only counter (17:30–22:30), closed Sundays, about 400m from Daikanyama Station. A quieter alternative to the central-Tokyo names for anyone staying in Shibuya or Ebisu.
8. Edomae Shinsaku (江戸前晋作) — 4.07
Ningyocho · ¥40,000–49,999 · ★ Michelin 1 Star
The second Ningyocho entry and the second Michelin star on this list. Dinner only, from 19:00, Monday to Saturday; reservation required.
9. Tempura Kondo (てんぷら 近藤) — 4.04
Ginza · ¥20,000–29,999 · 20 seats · ★★ Michelin 2 Stars
The most decorated restaurant on the list. Chef Fumio Kondo is famous for his vegetables as much as his seafood — order the sweet potato, cooked slowly into something closer to dessert. Open for lunch and dinner, closed Sundays, two minutes from Ginza Station.
10. Tempura Aratamikawa (天ぷら あらたみかわ) — 4.02
Toranomon Hills · ¥15,000–19,999 · 8 seats
An eight-seat counter near Toranomon Hills Station, and the second of the two under-¥20,000 picks in the top ten. Lunch (12:00–14:30) and dinner (18:00–21:00); holidays are irregular, so check before going.
At a glance
| # | Restaurant | Area | Rating | Budget | Michelin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Takiya | Azabu-juban | 4.50 | ¥40,000–49,999 | — |
| 2 | Tempura Asanuma | Nihonbashi | 4.43 | ¥15,000–19,999 | — |
| 3 | Nihonbashi Kyonoji | Ningyocho | 4.43 | ¥30,000–39,999 | — |
| 4 | Kusunoki Honten | Yotsuya | 4.30 | ¥40,000–49,999 | — |
| 5 | Tempura Fukamachi | Kyobashi | 4.09 | ¥20,000–29,999 | 1 Star |
| 6 | Mikawa Zezankyo | Monzen-Nakacho | 4.09 | ¥20,000–29,999 | — |
| 7 | Tempura Motoyoshi | Daikanyama | 4.08 | — | — |
| 8 | Edomae Shinsaku | Ningyocho | 4.07 | ¥40,000–49,999 | 1 Star |
| 9 | Tempura Kondo | Ginza | 4.04 | ¥20,000–29,999 | 2 Stars |
| 10 | Tempura Aratamikawa | Toranomon | 4.02 | ¥15,000–19,999 | — |
Tips for booking a tempura counter
- Book early. Most of these counters have 6 to 14 seats. Popular dates fill weeks ahead.
- Lunch is the bargain. Asanuma, Kyonoji, Kondo and Aratamikawa all serve lunch, usually for less than dinner.
- Sit at the counter. Tempura is meant to be eaten the moment it's fried; a counter seat is the whole point.
- Budgets are per person, food only. Drinks are extra.
Want more? Browse every rated restaurant in Ginza, Nihonbashi and Azabu, or see the full Tokyo map and filter by Tempura.