tokyo world restaurant capital

There was a brilliant article in the week-end FT a few years debating which of the world's great cuisines was the best. The comparison was between French and Chinese. Although we believe that Japanese cuisine is a strong contender, it is really for its breadth and diversity of restaurants that Japan is in a league of its own: for long before the Michelin inspectors came to the shores Tokyo has held the undisputed title of restaurant capital of the world. There are so many restaurants here that it would be almost impossible to eat at them all even given an entire lifetime. On many levels Tokyo - and Japan more widely - is a gastronomic mecca; indeed the food alone makes a pilgrimage to Japan an utter revelation and more than worthwhile. An average quality level that would put many a "fine" dining establishment in Europe and America to shame, an eye for beautiful presentation and an attention to detail bordering on retentive are just three of the key ingredients that make Japan such a culinary idyll. See the next page for some of our favourite places to eat and drink in the city.