18 Awesome Vegan Restaurants to Visit in Tokyo
Ask any vegan visiting this country, and they’ll say the same thing – “Plant-based food isn’t as easy to find in Japan”.
It translates to “devotion cuisine” and refers to a vegetarian style of cookery that was introduced to Japan with the arrival of Buddhism in the 6th century. It was rated the number one vegan restaurant in the world by Happy Cow in 2020.
Located in Asakusa, just a 5-minute walk from Senso-ji, Veganic Monkey Magic is a reservation-only vegan restaurant offering 10-14 course tasting menus prepared by the one and only Chef Monkey-san. Pictured below is one of the courses from my visit to the restaurant – tempeh from Nagano and vegan yakiniku made with konjac. Address: Japan, 〒111-0032 Tokyo, Asakusa, 2 Chome−27−16 お宿 松むら 1階 Operating Hours: 7-10:30PM, Thurs / 12NN-3:30PM, 7-10:30PM, Fri-Sat (closed Sun-Wed) Coret is one of my favorite vegan restaurants in Tokyo, located in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo – Koenji.
Address: Japan, 〒166-0002 Tokyo, Suginami City, Koenjikita, 4 Chome−1−7 高円寺アパートメント テラス棟 I had heard great things about this popular vegan restaurant in Harajuku – including from a plant-based chef who couldn’t stop singing its praises – so I was happy to find that the hype was well deserved. Address: 3 Chome-11-17 Negishi, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0003, Japan Operating Hours: 12NN-9PM, Wed-Sun (shut down Mon-Tue) Brown Rice is a more upscale plant-based restaurant in the luxurious Omotesando neighborhood.
It’s pricier than some of the other plant-based restaurants on this list, but you’d expect that from a stylish place like this in Omotesando. Address: 5 Chome-1-8 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan Alongside sushi and ramen, Japanese curry is regarded by many as one of Japan’s national dishes.
The problem is, the base of Japanese curry is often made with animal products like meat- or fish-based stock, so you’ll need to find a restaurant that offers fully vegan versions of this beloved Japanese dish. Address: Japan, 〒155-0033 Tokyo, Setagaya City, Daita, 2 Chome−36−15 BONUS TRACK 2F If it’s your first time in Tokyo, then you’ll undoubtedly find yourself at some point in chaotic Senso-ji, the city’s oldest temple and one of its busiest attractions.
Marugoto is just a 5-minute walk from Senso-ji, but the difference in atmosphere is like night and day. Address: CHABARA 内, 8-2 Kanda Neribeicho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0022, Japan Operating Hours: 11AM-4PM, 5-7:30PM, Mon-Fri / 11AM-7:30PM, Sat-Sun Ramen is such an weighty (and delicious) dish in Japanese cuisine that you’ll probably want to have it a few times on your next visit to Tokyo.
If the type of vegan meals served at Coret (#4), Gopinatha (#9), and Marugoto (#12) appeals to you, then you may want to pin this next restaurant as well. Address: 2 Chome-5-7 Higashiyama, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0043, Japan Loca Kitchen is a small restaurant in Koenji that serves a motley mix of simple plant-based dishes like ratatouille, falafel, Japanese curry, brown rice risotto, and baguette pizzas.
Like Rojiura Curry Samurai (#8), it isn’t a fully vegan restaurant, but they do have something tasty for plant-based eaters on their menu. Two women were walking out of the restaurant as I was entering, and they stopped to tell me just how good the curry at this restaurant was.
Planet of Curry is one of several curry restaurants – and one of just two I know of with vegan options – in trendy Shimokitazawa. Address: Japan, 〒155-0031 Tokyo, Setagaya City, Kitazawa, 2 Chome−33−11 SY-I ビル 1階 To help you navigate, I’ve pinned the plant-based restaurants recommended in this guide on this map. I just googled it, and there are an reckoned 160,000+ restaurants in the Tokyo area, more than any other city on earth.
Vegan restaurants can be few and far between in this city, but with this vegan restaurant guide, I hope you’ll never be too far from a delicious plant-based meal in Tokyo.
VEGAN FOOD IN TOKYO QUICK LINKS
To help you make the most of your trip to Tokyo, we’ve compiled links to top-rated hotels, tours, and other activities here.
HOTELS
Recommended hotels in Shibuya, one of the best areas to stay for first-time visitors to Tokyo.
TOURS & ACTIVITIES
OTHER SERVICES
TOKYO TRAVEL GUIDE
If you’re in the midst of planning your first trip to Tokyo, be sure to check out this detailed Tokyo travel guide . It’ll tell you everything you need to know – like where to stay, what to do, how to get around, etc. – to help you make the most of your stay.
Save This on Pinterest!
No time now to read this guide on the best vegan restaurants in Tokyo? Click on the save button and pin it for later!
THE BEST PLANT-BASED RESTAURANTS IN TOKYO
1. Sougo
Are you familiar with the term shojin ryori? It translates to “devotion cuisine” and refers to a vegetarian style of preparation that was introduced to Japan with the arrival of Buddhism in the 6th century. There’s no better place than a Koyasan temple to experience authentic shojin ryori, but if you can’t make the pilgrimage to Wakayama, then you can enjoy a more modern version at Sougo in Roppongi. Sougo is an upscale shojin kaiseki restaurant helmed by leading plant-based chef Daisuke Nomura. In traditional shojin ryori, all the dishes are served together, but Chef Nomura offers them one after the other in a kasieki-style course meal. Pictured below is a dish of fried taro served with walnuts, shishito peppers, and puffed rice stalks. It was the first of seven artfully plated dishes we enjoyed tonight. Sougo offers two types of shojin kaiseki at night – Hasu (aperitif, 9 dishes, 2 dessert
TRAVELEATER DEALS
Going on a trip soon? Enjoy up to 50% off on selected experiences and activities with Klook and Get Your Guide . Click on the links for a list of discounts, promo codes, and limited-time offers. You can learn more about this unique experience in my article on shojin kaiseki at Sougo . Invisible to passers-by, Sougo is located on the third floor of the Roppongi Green Building.
Sougo
Address: Japan, 〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 6 Chome−1−8 3F Operating Hours: 11:30AM-3PM, 5:30-11PM, Mon-Sat (shut down Sundays)
2. Saido
Speaking of highly acclaimed plant-based restaurants, Saido is another restaurant vegans should visit in Tokyo. It was rated the number one vegan restaurant in the world by Happy Cow in 2020. Saido offers set meals with soup, salad, your choice of main dish, your choice of dessert, and any two drinks. A great transaction to begin with, it’s made even better by the unexpectedly high quality of the food. Take this garden salad, for example. Not only is it artfully arranged, it was also served in a small glass cloche filled with vapor. How beautiful is that? And yes, it was every bit as delicious as it looks. For my main dish, I went with the katsuju . It’s a plant-based version of katsu or deep-fried cutlet coated with panko bread crumbs. Similar to the garden salad, the main dishes are served in these lacquered boxes filled with vapor. Mrs Traveleater went with the unaju or plant-based version o
Saido
Address: 2 Chome-15-10 Jiyugaoka, Meguro City, Tokyo 152-0035, Japan Operating Hours: 12NN-2PM, 6-8PM, Thurs-Tue (ceased trading Wednesdays)
3. Veganic Monkey Magic
As mentioned, vegan restaurants are still relatively rare in Tokyo – but do you know what’s even rarer? A vegan restaurant that serves plant-based tasting menus. And if that’s not uncommon enough, they’re all prepared by a chef wearing a full-body monkey costume and kooky face paint. Oh Japan. Located in Asakusa, just a 5-minute walk from Senso-ji, Veganic Monkey Magic is a reservation-only vegan restaurant offering 10-14 course tasting menus prepared by the one and only Chef Monkey-san. The monkey costume may seem gimmicky and over the top, but as many reviewers have remarked, the food is not. Pictured below is one of the courses from my visit to the restaurant – tempeh from Nagano and vegan yakiniku made with konjac . Pretty inventive, right? There’s no a la carte menu at the restaurant – only tasting menus that I believe change week to week. You can see more of Chef Monkey-san’s dishe
Veganic Monkey Magic
Address: Japan, 〒111-0032 Tokyo, Asakusa, 2 Chome−27−16 お宿 松むら 1階 Operating Hours: 7-10:30PM, Thurs / 12NN-3:30PM, 7-10:30PM, Fri-Sat (shut down Sun-Wed)
4. Coret
Coret is one of my favorite vegan restaurants in Tokyo, located in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo – Koenji. They offer a variety of vegan set meals consisting of a main dish, rice or bread, salad, and your choice of side dishes from a daily buffet. Pictured below is the veggie katsu and dry curry . It consists of vegan wheat cutlets and veggie dry curry served with fermented brown rice (or rice flour bread), a leafy green salad, pickles, and four side dishes, which I selected myself from their buffet. Here’s a look at Coret’s side dish buffet – I love being able to pick out whichever dishes catch my eye on that day. Coret is a warm and welcoming vegan restaurant with friendly staff and a seemingly loyal Japanese clientele, which is surprising since veganism still feels very much like a niche pursuit in Japan. Over time, I hope more restaurants like Coret pop up throughout To
Coret
Address: Japan, 〒166-0002 Tokyo, Suginami City, Koenjikita, 4 Chome−1−7 高円寺アパートメント テラス棟 Operating Hours: 11AM-7PM, daily
5. Vegan Bistro Jangara
I had heard great things about this popular vegan restaurant in Harajuku – including from a plant-based chef who couldn’t stop singing its praises – so I was happy to find that the hype was well deserved. Vegan Bistro Jangara offers a selection of plant-based dishes, from burgers and tacos to Massaman curry and vegan mentaiko. Where they really shine, though, is in their ramen and noodle dishes. They offer a tasty selection of Asian noodle soups – including Singaporean laksa and Taiwanese spicy noodles – but their signature bowls are the vegan karabon and vegan kobonshan, both of which are plant-based versions of Hakata ramen . I love spicy food, so I tried the vegan karabon , a spicy rendition of tonkotsu ramen. Topped with grilled soy meat, kikurage (wood ear mushroom), onions, and scallions, this supremely tasty ramen will have you sweating and sniffling from your first slurp to your
Vegan Bistro Jangara
Address: シャンゼール原宿２, 号館 ２Ｆ, 1 Chome-13-21 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan Operating Hours: 11AM-9PM, daily
