Enjoy a Tokyo night out in Shimbashi, an oasis for businessmen
Pretend you’re a Japanese ‘salaryman’ for the evening on this tour to the hidden drinking dens, ‘Izakaya’ (Japanese style food pubs) and ramen restaurants of Tokyo’s Shimbashi area.
The first restaurant we visit, Sato, is a small Japanese izakaya. At Sato, quality is more important than quantity, both in terms of food and alcohol. The tuna is bluefin tuna and the pickled mackerel is fresh enough to be eaten raw and lightly vinegared. The seasonings are carefully selected so that you can feel the quality of Japanese ingredients: the soy sauce for sashimi comes from Kagoshima, the ponzu from Kyoto and the salt from Ishikawa. The tour includes six different items from the menu (appetizers, hot dishes, sashimi, fried dishes, Japanese delicacies and grilled fish) and an all-you-can-drink bar with a selection of Japanese sake, beer and other alcohol. Your izakaya-loving guide will explain the contents of the menu as appropriate.
Next, your guide will take you to a ramen shop that offers pork, seafood, soy sauce, salt, vegetable or other types of ramen according to your preferences. Shimbashi is one of the most popular areas in all of Tokyo with extremely high-level ramen shops. In Japan, there is a culture of ending a drinking party with a bowl of ramen noodles, so enjoy an evening unique to Tokyo in Shimbashi, where local Japanese people frequent after work.
Sato offers a seven-course izakaya menu unique to Japan, using a variety of seasonal ingredients purchased by the owner. Please note that the menu is subject to change depending on availability and the time of year. The following is a sample menu.
Examples of dishes served at Sato:
① Appetizer: Asparagus, Bitter gourd with miso paste, Deep-fried and soaked eggplant
②Nimono: Deep-fried fresh onion
③ Sashimi: bonito, tuna, vinegared mackerel, etc.
④ Deep-fried snow crab croquette
⑤ Deep-fried octopus
⑥ Sake snack: firefly squid with vinegared miso, iburigakko cheese, dashimaki tamago (rolled egg)
⑦ Hot dish: grilled Spanish mackerel
Please note that the menu is subject to change depending on availability and season.
Possible ramen shops you may visit:
A. Ramen Horiuchi Shimbashi
Ramen Horiuchi is particular about its noodles, with the boiling time adjusted according to temperature and humidity to give them a sticky, firm texture. The restaurant also features a light, traditional soy sauce-flavoured soup made from chicken and pork bones, and thick, juicy pork chashu (pork cutlet). For those who want to try a slightly different ramen, zaru ramen and natto ramen are also recommended.
Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 7:00-27:00 / Fri: 7:00-28:30 / Sat: 11:00-27:00 / Sun & holidays: 11:00-23:00
B. Ramen Tanise-ya
At Ramen Tanise-ya, you can enjoy the classic Iekei-ramen (a style of ramen with fatty pork-soy-sauce flavored soup with thick flat noodles). The pork bone broth simmered for a day, which matches the slippery noodles, is very rich but not boring. So, it is easy for everyone to eat, and many people queue day and night to get a taste. The service is also attractive: you can choose the firmness of the noodles, the amount of oil and the intensity of the flavor to your liking, and rice and refills are free of charge.
Opening hours: 11:00-26:00
・Get off the beaten path and explore the Shimbashi district, an area still popular with locals only
・Fresh and picky Japanese cuisine served by popular Japanese izakayas in Shimbashi
・Delicious local sake purchased by the owner who is particular about sake
・Talking with regular Japanese customers through a guide
・Delicious ramen enjoyed at a popular ramen restaurant
・A guide explains in English the characteristics of each dish and drink
・The restaurant is small and smoking is allowed, so there may be customers smoking. We kindly ask for your understanding.
・Reservations are confirmed 2 days prior to the scheduled arrival date due to the preparation of ingredients. No refunds will be made after the reservation has been confirmed.
・If you have any food allergies or cannot eat any foodstuffs, please contact us at least 7 days before the tour date.
・Please note that the menu is subject to change depending on availability and season.
| Price | ¥22,000 / person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 hours (approx.) |
| Hours of availability | 18:00-22:00 (Monday to Saturday) ※Tours do not run on Sundays |
| Inclusions | ・A course meal at an izakaya (6 dishes and all-you-can-drink set) with free drink *You can choose freely like beer, sake on your choice. |
| Exclusions | ・Other foods not included in the set menu |
| Participants | From 2 people |
SUSIE（Australia）★★★★★
Be escorted by a delightful English speaking Guide to a Tokyo dining experience you will always remember.
Evening Ramen and Izakaya Tour - fabulous tour to take where a delightful English speaking guide, we were fortunate to have Hana, escorted us by train to a wonderful little restaurant. We would never have found on our own, to a tiny 15 seated restaurant, downstairs off the street. We enjoyed a magnificent seven course dinner accompanied by as much as you wished to drink of beer, saki, or non-our alcoholic beverages. The chef owner cooked the meal in front of us. Hana then escorted us through streets to a little Ramen bar, where we finished the evening with a bowl of delicious chicken and vegetables, Ramen. We were then taken by train again, back to our hotel. Highly recommend particularly when you first arrive in Tokyo to experience the train system, the night life and the most fantastic dinner.
Roland Matters（Australia）★★★★★
Fabulous experience
What a fabulous experience with Mutsuko as our guide through Shimbashi; the people, the food, the sake and our visit to the shrine were utter perfection. My partner and I have no Japanese so Mutsuko conversed fluently with us in English, she is a beautiful lady and a wonderful guide, Please favour yourself by using her and her company's services when in Tokyo.
SALLY HEADING（USA）★★★★★
Wonderful evening on the Shimbashi Night Tour!
We had a wonderful evening on the Shimbashi Night Tour. Mutsuko was an amazing host and we enjoyed great food and many laughs with her. Highly recommend! Arigato Mutsuko!
Howard Husock（USA）★★★★★
Great food and great experience.
The night food tour was exceptionally good and not only for the exquisite traditional Japanese cuisine. We went to an out of the way place down an alley way that tourists did not frequent. Great food and great experience. Good conversation as well!
GARTH ANDREW DRINKWATER（Australia）★★★★★
Shimbasi Night Foodie Tour
Amazing local food in Tokyo and Mutsuko was a fantastic knowledgable guide who enhanced the whole experience! The food was amazing as was the experience!
Oksana Harris（Australia）★★★★★
Great Tour and a friendly guide
We had the Shimbashi Night Food Tour, visiting izakayas and ramen shops favored by locals, guided by Keita Mizuki, in October 2024. It was a wonderful evening with an incredibly interesting person who speaks perfect English. Keita showed us very authentic places, provided tasty food, and explained each dish with engaging stories. We enjoyed traditional Japanese dishes like sashimi, well-cooked fried octopus, and fried fish. This experience was complemented by refreshing Akasaka beer. At the end, we had a stylish and well-organized dessert experience with tea and cake, which was delicious! Thank you to our fantastic guide Keita for this colorful excursion! From your Australian and Ukrainian guests, Oksana and Oleksandra.
Azzurra Cusenza（Italy）★★★★★
Best food tour in Tokyo!
We did a wonderful food tour in Tokyo, Shimbashi quarter with the guide Mutsuko who was excellent and brought us to two typical Japanese restaurants that we would have never found if we were alone. It was a great evening!
