Tokyo, the very capital of Japan, offers a range of restaurants for every kind of appetite. But what if you’re on a budget but want to experience the very best of Tokyo in an affordable manner?
No big deal, because Tokyo is commonly known to have extremely budget-friendly restaurants, since everyone in this busy city is always out and about and it’s often more convenient to eat out than to cook at home.
Here are some cheap Tokyo restaurants for your next wallet-friendly, food adventure.
Yoshinoya (吉野家)
Gyūdon (beef on rice) is a signature dish in the Japanese fast food cuisine, and Yoshinoya is one of the most famous places that offers it.
There is often seasonal signature bowls offered (most recently it was the Sukiyaki bowl that is all the hype) and they present quite a variety of regular options, from fried chicken bowls, curry and Hayashi rice to even grilled eel, at the very affordable cost of 500 to 900 yen.
You can spend 1,000 to 1,300 yen if you want to spoil yourself with some extras (which you can always choose from the side menu).
2-5-7 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, 150-0043 Tokyo, right in front of Shibuya 109 (multiple locations)
Gansozushi (元祖寿司)
Now we all crave sushi every now and then, and when you need a quick and cheap fix, this kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi restaurant is your best bet.
Gansozushi comes in to greet you with their famous red gates (look out for them in the streets).
One plate usually contains 2 nigiri pieces and the cheapest are priced at around 108 yen.
You’ll want to splurge occasionally and go a little over with the ones that are 130-180 yen because those will have the really good toppings.
Altogether you will still get excellent sushi at a very affordable price.
Be prepared to pay around 1,000 to 1,800 yen to eat your way into sushi heaven.
29-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya City, 150-0042 Tokyo
CoCo Ichibanya (壱番屋)
For an authentic Japanese curry experience, CoCo Ichibanya, famously dubbed CoCo Ichi, will welcome you with open arms.
The curry house is famous for letting you choose how much rice you want and how spicy you want the curry.
You can even go with a non-spicy option if you just don’t like spicy food.
Besides that, they offer healthier options such as vegetable curry, eggplant curry or spinach curry and there is a variety of small side dishes (including desserts!) to choose from as well.
One portion of curry will usually cost from 600 to 1,300 yen here.
4 Kanda Hirakawacho, Chiyoda City, 101-0027 Tokyo, Watanabe building, right next to Akihabara station
Katsuya (かつや)
Worthy of mentioning on this list of Cheap Tokyo Restaurants is Katsuya. They offer katsudon also known as rice bowls with deep fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu) on top.
The price range for your meal will be between 580 and 1,100 yen, so even with a full set, you’ll be on the cheaper side here.
2-9-14 Asakusa, Taito City, 111-0032 Tokyo
Tendon Tenya (天丼てんや)
Next up on this round of Cheap Tokyo Restaurants is Tendon Tenya, a tendon (tempura + rice) focused restaurant for a delicious and budget-friendly meal.
They have options for vegetable only bowls, or bowls with a good amount of deep-fried seafood if you are on a pescatarian diet.
A single bowl will cost around 600 to 900 yen, while a set might be slightly over 1,000 yen.
3-9-4 Ginza, Chuo City, 104-0061 Tokyo, Kusano Building
Hakata Ippudo (博多 一風堂)
What would Japan be without a big comforting bowl of warming ramen?
And whether you are craving it after a hot summer night out or during a cold winter day, Ippudo has you covered.
They serve ramen in the traditional Hakata style but they also have all sorts of variations.
Dan dan noodles (tantan men in Japanese) are very popular and Hakata Ippudo of course did not miss this chance to create their version of this mouth-watering savoury-spicy noodle soup.
Their ramen aren’t exactly the cheapest you can get, but since the dish itself is usually priced considerably low, they are still cheap at around 800 to 1,200 yen per bowl.
A bit more than that if you want to get additional toppings or a set menu.
4-9-11 Roppongi, Minato City, 106-0032 Tokyo, 2nd Odagiri Building