Tokyo seems to have retained its crown as the fine dining capital of the world.
In the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2023, 200 restaurants in the Japanese capital were awarded stars, and a further 222 were given the Bib Gourmand award indicating eateries that serve exceptional food for more affordable prices.
There were no changes to Tokyo’s crop of 12 three-Michelin-starred restaurants, which include Kohaku and RyuGin. Two new names — Nishiazabu’s Myoujyaku and Marunouchi’s Sezanne — climbed the ladder from one to two stars for a total of 39, and 16 eateries earned their inaugural stars in the 2023 edition for a total of 149.
Overall, Tokyo’s fine dining scene received 263 stars.
“Once again this year, Tokyo's dining scene has been enriched by a diverse range of culinary categories and concepts,” Michelin Guide International Director Gwendal Poullenec said in a statement on Tuesday. “As a global cosmopolitan megalopolis, Tokyo is also known for its open-mindedness and its culinary contrasts, traditions rubbing shoulders with innovative food concepts and ancestral skills fusing with modern and international know-how.”
Not to be outdone, Kyoto and Osaka claimed 192 Michelin-starred restaurants between them in their respective 2023 guides.
With tourists set to return en masse and a limited number of seats, it might pay to get your reservations in now — or set your sights on some of Japan’s other deliciously noteworthy restaurants.