Ueno has a way of turning “let’s grab a quick bite” into a much longer plan. Around Ameyoko, skewers, seafood, and simmering stews all make a case for your next stop. An izakaya is a Japanese tavern where drinks and small dishes share the spotlight. These are seven of my picks for enjoying that side of the neighborhood.
FIND YOUR FIRST STOP
What are you in the mood for?
Start with the food, the company, or the time of day.
- Pork skewers & seafoodHorumon Sakaba Ueno →
- Seafood & sashimiUokichi Sakaba Ueno →
- Grilled offal & stew · Main branchMotsuyaki Daitoryo →
- Pork & chicken skewersYakiton Taisho Ueno →
- Seafood & group dinnersUeno Gyoko →
- Beef tongue & clay-pot riceShunzo Ueno →
- Chicken skewers & offal stewYakitori Ueno Bunraku →
Prices are in Japanese yen. Hours use Tokyo local time. Menus, prices and opening hours may change.
Pork skewers & seafood
Horumon Sakaba Ueno
ホルモン酒場
One table. No need to settle the meat-or-fish debate.
“What do you feel like eating?” “Anything.” One word that can bring dinner plans to a complete standstill. My first pick, Horumon Sakaba, gives an undecided group plenty to work with. Horumon means offal, but the menu stretches to yakiton—grilled pork skewers—yakitori, and sashimi. That range earns it a place at the top of my list.
Start with motsu nikomi, an offal stew (¥528), and the five-skewer yakiton assortment (¥715). Individual cuts include pork liver (¥88) and heart (¥121), with a two-skewer minimum for individual orders. Share a few different cuts and keep track of the count: “just a little of everything” has a way of turning into quite a collection.
For the seafood contingent, there’s a three-kind sashimi platter (¥1,298). I’d build the meal in stages: stew and skewers first, then sashimi if everyone still has room. You can keep ordering as the evening takes shape. Open from 10 a.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning, it works for an early lunch or a very late dinner.
A place to start
Start with the stew and five-skewer yakiton assortment. Those two dishes total ¥1,243 to share; drinks and any appetizer or seating charges are extra.
- Address
- 1F, 6-13-5 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
- Getting there
- About a 2-minute walk from Ueno or Keisei-Ueno Station
- Hours
- 10 a.m.–5 a.m. the next day
- Menu prices
- Offal stew ¥528; five-skewer yakiton assortment ¥715
Seafood & sashimi
Uokichi Sakaba Ueno
魚吉酒場 上野
Come for the sashimi. Leave room for the clay-pot rice.
If seafood is the plan, I like having options beyond the first plate. My second pick, Uokichi Sakaba, offers just that. The sign outside reads “Founded in Showa 42”—1967. Inside, the space is clean and well kept, with the character of an old-school Japanese tavern. It’s the kind of setting that suits an unhurried meal built around fish.
There’s tuna sashimi (¥858), a three-kind sashimi platter for two (¥1,518), straw-seared bonito (¥930), and amberjack with sesame sauce and plenty of garnishes (¥968). Moving from simple sashimi to a dish with a different dressing or preparation gives the meal a little variety without straying from the seafood theme.
Then there’s the salmon clay-pot rice (¥1,628). So much for “just a few snacks.” A five-skewer assortment gives anyone ready for a change from fish another option. Uokichi is open 24 hours, making it a flexible choice for a daytime meal or a late-night get-together. I’d come with friends and order a few dishes for the table.
A place to start
For two, start with the three-kind sashimi platter and add either the bonito or sesame-dressed amberjack. If you’re considering the clay-pot rice, ask about portion size and cooking time when you order.
- Address
- 1F, 6-13-7 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
- Getting there
- Approximately 150 m from Keisei-Ueno Station
- Hours
- Open 24 hours
- Menu prices
- Three-kind sashimi platter for two ¥1,518; salmon clay-pot rice ¥1,628
Grilled offal & stew · Main branch
Motsuyaki Daitoryo
もつ焼き大統領
A proper taste of Ueno’s tavern tradition.
Daitoryo belongs on my list of places that feel unmistakably Ueno. Founded in 1950, this long-running tavern specializes in motsuyaki: grilled skewers of offal and other meat cuts. This guide covers the main branch at 6-10-14 Ueno. The entrance curtains and seats out front are part of its easygoing appeal.
Build an order around skewers and a bowl of stew, choosing a few different cuts and adding more as you go. There’s no need to work through the entire menu in one sitting. Daitoryo means “president,” but the debate at your table can stay pleasantly low-stakes: another round of pork cheek, or try the heart?
The 10 a.m. opening makes it an option during a daytime walk around the neighborhood. The main branch doesn’t take reservations, so leave a little flexibility in your plans. There’s also another branch nearby. Send your friends the exact address rather than simply saying “meet at Daitoryo”—a useful bit of planning before anyone gets hungry.
A place to start
Try a bowl of stew and a few different skewers, adjusting the quantity to your appetite. For meetups, share “main branch, 6-10-14 Ueno.”
- Address
- Main branch, 6-10-14 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
- Getting there
- About 3 minutes on foot from JR Ueno Station’s Shinobazu Exit, or 2 minutes from Keisei-Ueno Station
- Hours
- 10 a.m.–11:30 p.m.
- Good to know
- No reservations; cash only
Pork & chicken skewers
Yakiton Taisho Ueno
やきとん 大将 上野
Meet for skewers. Figure out the rest over the menu.
In fourth place is Taisho, on the ground floor at 6-13-6 Ueno. Its busy frontage is full of signs advertising skewers and other dishes. This is one of my picks for a casual meal with friends. Put the work talk on hold for a moment: the first decision is how many skewers to start with.
Grilled skewers are the starting point, with dishes such as beef tongue giving the meal room to branch out. Taisho opens at 10 a.m. and serves until midnight, so it can work for an early get-together or dinner after work. Start with something everyone can share, then let each person choose a dish that catches their eye.
I’d order enough skewers for the group and add a shared side dish. Check everyone’s preferences first; it may save you the elaborate round of politeness over the last skewer. The location near the station makes it a convenient meeting spot for a lively meal. Be sure to specify the Ueno location when making plans—there’s a Taisho in Shibuya, too.
A place to start
Ask about the day’s skewer assortment and add a dish to share. If you’d like a private room, confirm the available seating when you book.
- Address
- 1F, 6-13-6 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
- Getting there
- About a 2-minute walk from Ueno Station
- Hours
- 10 a.m.–midnight
- Budget guide
- ¥2,000–¥2,999 per person; your total depends on what you order
Seafood & group dinners
Ueno Gyoko
上野漁港
A little taste of the harbor. No boat required.
Ueno Gyoko takes fifth place. Its name means “Ueno fishing port,” and the signs outside advertise sashimi, grilled seafood, tempura, and sake. It’s a stop I’d consider when fish is the focus of the meal. You can leave the boat ticket at home; just check how hungry everyone is.
The menu pairs seafood and robata-style grilling with sake. The ¥4,000 Ueno Gyoko set menu includes seven dishes—among them a three-kind sashimi platter, salt-grilled fatty mackerel, and seafood fried rice—plus a two-hour all-you-can-drink package. It’s a useful option if you like a meal that moves from raw fish to something grilled, then finishes with rice.
For a group, a set menu can make planning the bill easier. Check which drinks are included, when last orders are taken, and whether there’s a minimum party size. Ordering individually? Sashimi and a cooked seafood dish make a good starting point. Hours run from 10 a.m. until 5 a.m. the next day, leaving plenty of room for daytime meals and late-night plans.
A place to start
For a group, confirm the set menu and total price in advance. Otherwise, start with sashimi and grilled fish or tempura, then decide whether to add rice at the end.
- Address
- 6-9-16 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
- Getting there
- Approximately 200 m from Keisei-Ueno Station
- Budget guide
- ¥3,000–¥3,999 per person; the set menu described above is ¥4,000
- Hours
- 10 a.m.–5 a.m. the next day
Beef tongue & clay-pot rice
Shunzo Ueno
旬蔵 上野
Plan dinner around the rice. Future you will thank you.
My sixth pick, Shunzo, is a place to consider when you want a full meal, right through to the final rice dish. This is the restaurant on the third floor at 6-13-2 Ueno. Share the address and floor with anyone you’re meeting; following the name alone is an excellent way to turn dinner into an accidental walking tour.
The beef tongue dishes catch my attention, including clay-pot rice with beef tongue and Kujo scallions, and beef tongue yukhoe. If you’re planning to finish with rice, leave some room during the earlier rounds. Calling it a separate stomach doesn’t make it one. Deciding on the clay pot first gives the rest of the order a little direction.
Shunzo is also worth considering when you’d like a private room, though you should confirm that a suitable room is available for your group. Set menus change with the season, so check the dishes, drinks package, and any extra charges when booking. It makes my list as an option for a gathering where the meal is very much part of the occasion.
A place to start
Ask about the clay-pot options, portion sizes, and cooking time first. Then choose your appetizers and meat dishes around the rice you want to finish with.
- Address
- 3F-A, Watanabe Ueno Building, 6-13-2 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
- Getting there
- About a 3-minute walk from Ueno or Keisei-Ueno Station
- Hours
- Noon–midnight. Last orders: food 11 p.m.; drinks 11:30 p.m.
- Budget guide
- ¥3,000–¥3,999 per person. Ask about appetizer or seating charges when booking a table without a set menu.
Chicken skewers & offal stew
Yakitori Ueno Bunraku
文楽
Miso and garlic. Perhaps check tomorrow’s plans first.
Seventh on my list is Bunraku, a yakitori and stew specialist beneath the railway tracks in Ameyoko, founded in 1958. It closes out the ranking with a menu item that deserves a little attention: miso-garlic skewers. For an old-school Ueno stop, it’s firmly on my shortlist.
The miso-garlic option (¥400), beef offal stew (¥490), and chef’s choice of five skewers (¥1,150) offer a starting point. There’s room to explore flavors beyond the usual salt or tare, the savory-sweet sauce often used for yakitori. Bunraku uses chicken raised in Japan and prepares its skewers daily. Pick your skewers, then decide what you’d like alongside them.
I’d begin with yakitori and stew, then share another flavor if it takes your fancy. One practical detail: Bunraku is cash only. Even if you normally head out with nothing but your phone, give your wallet an invitation this time. The garlic decision can wait until you’re seated.
A place to start
Try miso-garlic skewers and beef offal stew, or start with the five-skewer selection. Confirm how many pieces are included in each order so there’s enough to share.
- Address
- 6-12-1 Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
- Getting there
- Under the railway tracks in the Ameyoko area of Ueno
- Hours
- Weekdays: noon–11 p.m. Weekends and Japanese public holidays: noon–10 p.m. Closed for some dates in summer and around New Year.
- Payment
- Cash only
About this ranking
This is my personal ranking of places I’ve visited, based on the food choices and occasions I’d recommend them for. The order reflects my own preferences, not founding dates or review-site scores.
Hours, prices, menus, and seating conditions can change. Confirm current details with each restaurant.
Street photograph: Stephen Kelly / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0; cropped and resized for display.
More Tokyo izakaya guides
