There should be more to the choice than permission to smoke.
Being able to stay at the table for a cigarette matters to me. So does the food. Yakitori one night, seafood another, Chinese food the next: I let my appetite help choose the place.
Tori no Rikyu — Yurakucho
The meeting is over. Now we can discuss salt or sauce.
There’s something reassuring about starting an evening with yakitori. I don’t need to plan an elaborate meal, and I can add another skewer or two if I’m still hungry. My first choice, Tori no Rikyu, suits that approach. Chicken and scallion, skin, gizzard and chicken meatballs cover the familiar favorites. I like being able to start with just a few of the cuts I want. With a shared platter, I find it’s worth agreeing who wants what before everyone reaches for the same skewer.
I also appreciate that the menu doesn’t stop at chicken. There’s oden simmered in Kyoto-style broth and obanzai, small homestyle dishes, to break up the skewers. Sometimes I want a whole evening of yakitori; other times I want a little of several things. A place that lets me change direction mid-meal is useful. Choosing dinner should be enjoyable, not another task to manage.
The restaurant is on the third floor of the TS Hibiya Building. Private rooms are available, so specify the seating you want when booking. Alongside the choice of food, I value being able to keep a conversation going without repeated interruptions. I sort out whether cigarettes are allowed at our table first; after that, the next skewer can be the only decision left.
- Address
- 3F, TS Hibiya Building, 1-2-9 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Food highlights
- Yakitori, chicken dishes, Kyoto-style oden & homestyle small plates
The Japanese name appears with different spellings of “Rikyu.” Match the address and the third floor of the TS Hibiya Building.
Restaurant information checked September 22, 2026. Supplied photos show conditions at the time they were taken.
Meibutsuya — Yurakucho
One person wants meat, another wants fish. Here, we can have both.
Someone says they’ll eat anything, then suddenly develops a strong preference for fish just as we choose a restaurant. It happens. Meibutsuya is useful for a group with different appetites. There’s sashimi, straw-seared bonito, beef tongue, sushi and meat-topped sushi. I like a place where I don’t have to talk everyone into wanting the same thing.
We can share sashimi, then add a warm dish. That balance works well for me. Do we stay with fish and order bonito, or switch to beef tongue? Deciding is part of the pleasure of a drink together. The broad menu can tempt me into ordering too much at once, but neither the table nor my appetite is unlimited. If I want sushi at the end, I start a little lighter.
Meibutsuya is on the fourth floor of Orchid Square. Warayaki Dojo Bettei, my fourth pick, is in the same building on the second floor, so include the floor when arranging to meet. Private rooms are available here. If I want to smoke, I ask specifically whether cigarettes are allowed in the room I’m booking. Once that’s settled, we can get back to deciding between meat and fish.
- Address
- 4F, Orchid Square, 1-2-11 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Food highlights
- Sashimi, straw-seared bonito, beef tongue, sushi & meat-topped sushi
The name appears as Meibutsuya with different Japanese characters and sometimes “Yurakucho Main Branch.” Check the address and fourth floor.
Restaurant information checked September 22, 2026. Supplied photos show conditions at the time they were taken.
Sake & Private Rooms Kuranosuke — Yurakucho Hibiya
A long sake list is a good reason to take your time.
Choosing sake is part of the meal for me. Kuranosuke advertises more than 60 varieties from around Japan and private-room seating throughout. I like it for evenings when I want to consider what to drink with the next dish rather than stop after a quick first round. You don’t need to know every label. Saying you prefer something dry is a perfectly good starting point, and you can ask for help finding a bottle that suits your taste.
One dish that catches my eye is octopus shabu-shabu, with thin slices briefly cooked in hot broth. Moving from sashimi or lightly seared cured mackerel to a shared pot changes the pace of the meal. I enjoy thinking about the food and sake together, rather than simply trying to tick off more labels. The seafood focus also makes a welcome change from a skewer-centered evening. If you choose an all-you-can-drink plan, check which sake labels it includes.
Kuranosuke is on the fourth floor of the Narumi Building, with private rooms throughout. I enjoy settling into the Japanese-style seating and discussing the menu with whoever I’m with. Confirm whether cigarettes are allowed in the room you’re booking. Getting the sake options and the room arrangements straight beforehand makes the evening simpler.
- Address
- 4F, Narumi Building, 1-3-7 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Food highlights
- Octopus shabu-shabu, seafood & an advertised selection of more than 60 sakes
Sake labels and dishes vary with supply and season. Check which drinks are included in any all-you-can-drink plan.
Restaurant information checked September 22, 2026. Supplied photos show conditions at the time they were taken.
Warayaki Dojo Bettei — Yurakucho Hibiya
A place to come with a particular dish in mind.
Warayaki Dojo Bettei suits an evening planned around a specific craving. Its signature is warayaki: fish or meat seared over burning straw. Bonito, beef and free-range chicken are among the choices. I enjoy changing the routine by choosing a place for one particular style of cooking. Even with the same friends, a different menu gives the evening a different feel.
One practical point matters here: some straw-seared dishes must be reserved in advance and are served as part of a set course. I don’t want to choose a restaurant for its signature food and then find I can’t order it. Tell the restaurant whether you want bonito or a selection that includes meat, and check the course and serving conditions at the same time.
The restaurant advertises private rooms with doors for parties from two, along with smoking at the table. It works as somewhere to settle in and share dishes. It’s on the second floor of Orchid Square, the same building as Meibutsuya. Include the restaurant name and the floor in your meeting message. Once the food reservation and cigarette-smoking arrangements are clear, you can relax.
- Address
- 2F, Orchid Square, 1-2-11 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Food highlights
- Straw-seared bonito and beef, free-range chicken & meat-topped sushi
Some straw-seared dishes are available only with advance reservation as part of a course. Check your intended dishes beforehand.
Restaurant information checked September 22, 2026. Supplied photos show conditions at the time they were taken.
Washoku Iburi Bettei — Yurakucho
For an evening that deserves a proper dinner.
Sometimes I want to choose a full meal carefully rather than drop in for a quick drink and a snack. Iburi Bettei fits that mood. This Japanese restaurant has private rooms throughout and courses featuring fish such as blackthroat seaperch and splendid alfonsino, as well as Japanese Black wagyu. I’m quite happy when “a few bites” turns into dinner. If that’s the plan from the start, I like having a menu like this to work with.
The blackthroat seaperch shabu-shabu stands out. A shared pot shifts the conversation from what to order next to how to share what’s in front of us. I can keep the focus on fish or choose a course that includes wagyu cooked on a ceramic plate, depending on who I’m with. This is somewhere I approach differently from a night of chasing the largest number of dishes for the lowest price. Agreeing a budget that includes drinks helps everyone relax.
Iburi Bettei is on the third floor of the Kokonoe Kaikan Building. It’s separate from Niku to Nihonshu Iburi on the fifth floor, so simply arranging to meet “at Iburi” isn’t enough. Head for Bettei on the third floor and confirm cigarettes are allowed in the room you want. I also check that the people joining me are comfortable dining in a room where smoking is allowed.
- Address
- 3F, Kokonoe Kaikan Building, 2-3-6 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Food highlights
- Seasonal fish including blackthroat seaperch and splendid alfonsino, shabu-shabu & Japanese Black wagyu courses
This article covers Washoku Iburi Bettei on the third floor, not Niku to Nihonshu Iburi on the fifth.
Restaurant information checked September 22, 2026. Supplied photos show conditions at the time they were taken.
Sankyu Chubo — Yurakucho
A few shared Chinese dishes can turn into quite a feast.
I like yakitori and seafood, but some nights I want Chinese food. Sankyu Chubo fills that role. Alongside Sichuan dishes such as mapo tofu, there are lamb and pork-belly skewers. I can start spicy or begin with skewers and work up to the larger plates. Sharing opens up the choices. I love the kind of Chinese meal where everyone picks a dish and suddenly the table looks like a celebration.
Of course, everyone choosing a plate isn’t the same as everyone needing a whole plate to themselves. Enthusiasm can fill the table quickly. I’d start with mapo tofu and a few skewers, then add more if needed. If the group has different tolerances for chili, agree on the heat level when ordering. Nobody needs to prove anything over dinner.
The restaurant is beneath the railway tracks in Marunouchi 3-chome. Both cigarettes and heated tobacco are allowed at all seats, so there’s no need to leave the table each time. I like being able to keep the conversation going over the food. Private rooms carry an extra charge; check the capacity and price if you want one. Include that room charge when working out the budget.
- Address
- 3-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Food highlights
- Sichuan food, mapo tofu, lamb skewers & pork-belly skewers
Private rooms carry an additional charge. Check the course price, room charge and seating conditions together.
Restaurant information checked September 22, 2026. Supplied photos show conditions at the time they were taken.
About this ranking
I chose these six from places I’ve personally visited, considering the food and how the seating works. The order reflects my own recommendations. Hours, menus and smoking rules may change; confirm the conditions for your particular table when booking.
Smoking rules, menus, prices, hours and private-room charges may change. Ask specifically about cigarettes at your table, rather than relying solely on an “all seats smoking” label.
