SIX TABLES IN SHIBUYA
Skewers one night, a meat feast the next. A good detour needs a reason.
Some evenings call for a familiar izakaya; others for a change. Here are six choices, with the reasons I go and the dishes that work well together.
Yamaga — Main Branch
Can’t decide where to go in Shibuya? Start with the skewers.
Even in fast-moving Shibuya, a plate of yakitori simplifies things: how many skewers, and salt or sauce? My first pick is Yamaga’s main branch. Its yellow sign has the same unpretentious feel as the place itself. I recommend it for a casual get-together over skewers. Sometimes “Let’s get yakitori” is all the planning an evening needs.
Alongside the chicken, I’d consider the motsuyaki—pork and offal skewers. I like choosing a few cuts, such as cheek, and adding a bowl of stew. I prefer starting with a small selection and ordering more as we go instead of committing to a huge platter. If the last skewer sits untouched while everyone politely hesitates, someone should simply claim it.
This is the main branch, on the ground floor of The Renga Building in Dogenzaka 1-chome, close to the Keio Inokashira Line station. It’s useful to remember for a meeting on the Mark City side, rather than Center-gai. For an easy first stop with friends and no need to dress the evening up, this is where my list begins.
- Address
- 1F, The Renga Building, 1-5-9 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Getting here
- About 1 minute on foot from Shibuya Station on the Keio Inokashira Line
- Hours
- 9 am–11 pm, according to the restaurant listing
- Food highlights
- Yakitori, grilled pork and offal skewers & stew
- Smoking
- Listed as smoking allowed at all seats
Amore — Shibuya
For a change from skewers: meat, cheese and room for dessert.
Second is Amore in Shibuya. I don’t always want an old-school bar; sometimes I want a lively meal built around meat and cheese. Amore gives me that change of pace, with churrasco-style meat and Chicago-style pizza to share. The desserts have plenty of visual appeal too. I like that range when I’m eating with friends.
I can build the meal around meat and salad, adding pizza according to the group size. Having several dishes designed for sharing is useful. Multiple cheese dishes sound tempting, but I’d rather not leave everyone too full to enjoy the rest of the evening. Even with an all-you-can-eat course, I start with what we most want. My confidence at the door doesn’t always match my appetite later.
Amore is on the eighth floor of Takayama Land Building No. 15, at 28-1 Udagawacho. Hanakokko, the next restaurant, is in the same building, so send both the name and floor when arranging to meet. I choose a course for its food and the amount we want to eat, rather than the size of the advertised discount.
- Address
- 8F, Takayama Land Building No. 15, 28-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Getting here
- About 2–4 minutes on foot from Shibuya Station
- Hours
- 11 am–4 pm & 5 pm–midnight, as listed on the booking page
- Food highlights
- Churrasco-style meat, Chicago-style pizza & other meat dishes
- Smoking
- Cigarette smoking is allowed at the table
Tabemonoya Hanakokko — Shibuya
If fried rice is the finale, save some room for it.
Third is Tabemonoya Hanakokko. I like the easygoing feel of the wooden tables and the counter around the kitchen. It’s on the fourth floor in Center-gai, with a broad menu of bulgogi, shrimp in chili sauce, dumplings and fried rice. That range is useful when nobody has decided what they want before we arrive.
Being able to choose either bulgogi or chili shrimp is a strength. I can add handmade gyoza, then finish with the house Hanako fried rice. If I’m already looking forward to that final plate, I try not to get carried away with fried starters. For me, ordering gradually makes the whole meal more enjoyable.
With stir-fries, dumplings and rice dishes, it works for a group where some people want snacks and others want a proper dinner. I check everyone’s tolerance for spice at the start. Behind the cheerful name is a substantial choice of food. It’s a good place to catch up with friends and finish by sharing fried rice.
- Address
- 4F, Takayama Land Building No. 15, 28-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Getting here
- About 3 minutes on foot from JR Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Exit
- Hours
- 6 pm–3 am, as listed on the booking page
- Food highlights
- Bulgogi, shrimp in chili sauce, handmade gyoza & Hanako fried rice
- Smoking
- Listed as smoking allowed at all seats
The official site also lists a 5 am closing time. The hours above follow the restaurant’s booking page.
Tanjiro — Shibuya
An evening for beef tongue. That settles the main decision.
Fourth is Tanjiro in Shibuya. It helps when the name immediately tells me what I want to eat. There’s thick-cut grilled beef tongue, simmered tongue and tongue rolls on skewers. I choose it when I want a substantial meat-focused meal. Deciding between grilled and simmered is much more enjoyable than spending half an hour choosing a restaurant.
Hakata-style vegetable rolls give me something to add alongside the tongue, keeping the meal varied. Different preparations of the same ingredient make choosing each plate interesting. Clay-pot rice is also an option to finish, so I leave room if that’s part of the plan. Being able to order another dish isn’t quite the same as being able to eat it.
Tanjiro is on the sixth floor of the Parkside Kyodo Building at 1-25-6 Shibuya. The photograph includes prominent signs for other floors, so make the sixth-floor destination clear. The private-room focus works for sharing food and talking with friends. There are non-smoking areas as well as smoking private rooms; the rules depend on the seats you book.
- Address
- 6F, Parkside Kyodo Building, 1-25-6 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Getting here
- About 1 minute on foot from JR Shibuya Station
- Hours
- 12:00–23:30
- Food highlights
- Thick-cut grilled beef tongue, simmered tongue, vegetable rolls & clay-pot rice
- Smoking
- Smoking private rooms available; non-smoking areas also available
Katsuo — Shibuya Dogenzaka 1-chome
A dependable answer to a hungry evening.
Fifth is Katsuo in Dogenzaka 1-chome. Its full Japanese name is a mouthful, but the main thing to remember is the karaage. Nakatsu-style fried chicken from Oita and griddle-cooked dishes are the specialties. I choose it for an easy evening with friends: a hot plate in the middle, a drink, and no elaborate planning required.
I start with fried chicken thigh in an amount that suits the group, then a griddle dish and something lighter between bites. There are courses with all-you-can-eat options too, but I choose according to what we’ll enjoy rather than how much we can manage. This is a place where the most serious negotiation can be who gets the last piece of chicken.
The address is 1-6-3 Dogenzaka. Like Yamaga and Ogurayama, it’s convenient for meeting on the Mark City side. It opens in the evening and stays open until morning, which helps after a late finish at work. I look at the food and any seating charges as well as the headline drink price. The appeal is an easy evening around a table with friends.
- Address
- 1-6-3 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Getting here
- About 1 minute on foot from Shibuya Station on the Keio Inokashira Line
- Hours
- 5 pm–5 am, according to the restaurant website
- Food highlights
- Nakatsu-style fried chicken, griddle-cooked dishes & small plates
- Smoking
- Smoking allowed, according to the restaurant website
Sumiyaki Sakaba Ogurayama
Forget the latest opening for a moment. There’s stew on the table.
My sixth and final choice is Sumiyaki Sakaba Ogurayama. The red lantern and traditional entrance curtain put me in the mood for an uncomplicated evening of skewers and stew. Shibuya always has something new to try, but sometimes I want the comfort of familiar dishes. I like this place for a slower drink without a packed schedule.
I build an order around beef-tendon stew and a few skewers, including house-made chicken meatballs. Chicken skin with ponzu adds a lighter, tangier change of pace. Starting modestly leaves me the pleasure of ordering more if the conversation runs on. I’d rather keep a little room for another plate than regret filling up too soon.
It’s on the first floor of The Renga Building at 1-5-9 Dogenzaka, the same address as Yamaga’s main branch, so include the restaurant name when arranging to meet. It opens 24 hours, covering anything from a daytime meal to a very late drink. The compact room includes counter seating. I think of it as a place for a few people, not a large party—another side of Shibuya beneath the bright lights.
- Address
- 1F, The Renga Building, 1-5-9 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Getting here
- About 1 minute on foot from Shibuya Station on the Keio Inokashira Line
- Hours
- Open 24 hours
- Food highlights
- Grilled skewers, beef-tendon stew & house-made chicken meatballs
- Smoking
- Listed as smoking allowed at all seats
About this ranking
The order reflects my own selections, with comments on why I choose each restaurant and how the menu works for a meal. It is not a ranking by online review scores.
Hours, menus and seating arrangements may change. Signs in photos show prices and hours at the time they were taken.
