2025 Tabelog Gold Award Winners: Complete List

Sugita is a restaurant listing in Tokyo.

A Yoyogi French bistro with à la carte and prix-fixe options, emphasising classical preparations (pâté, smoked salmon, roast lamb) and seasonal rotation. Mid-tier pricing (¥12,000 dinner, ¥2,500 lunch), 20 seats including a four-seat counter, and reservations that open two months out without the booking pressure of tasting-menu temples. Good for repeat visits if you value bistro consistency over cutting-edge technique.

A Tabelog Gold kaiseki counter in Gion that accepts only referrals, offering precise seasonal cooking at JPY 30,000–39,999 per head. The eight-seat format rewards diners who value quiet formality over warm hospitality, but the no-new-reservations policy and strict service philosophy make it a poor fit for first-timers.

Chez Inno is a restaurant in Kyobashi, Tokyo.

Matsukawa is one of Tokyo's most consistently decorated kaiseki restaurants; Tabelog Gold every year since 2017, a 4.63 score, and 99.5 points on La Liste 2025. Dinner runs JPY 80,000–99,999 per person, cash only, and access requires a referral. If you can arrange an introduction, book it; the critical case for doing so is unusually well-documented.

Sushi Sanshin is a restaurant in Chuo Ward, Osaka.

Ninshurou is an eight-seat Cantonese counter in Kyoto's Kita Ward, running a single omakase format (JPY 30,000–39,999) with traditional Guangdong preparations; braised abalone, roast suckling pig, double-boiled soups; using Japanese seasonal produce. Tabelog Gold 2024–2026 and La Liste 95pts signal consistent execution, but the reservation-only, dinner-only, counter-only setup suits diners seeking technique over flexibility.

Saito is a restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo.

Sushi Sakai is Fukuoka's strongest argument for a dedicated sushi booking: Tabelog Gold across six of the past eight years, a La Liste score of 97 in 2026, and a 12-seat counter with multilingual reservations that makes high-level Japanese omakase accessible to international visitors. Budget JPY 50,000–79,999 per head at dinner and book well in advance.

AO is a restaurant in Kita-Aoyama, Tokyo.

Doujin is a five-seat counter kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward, holding Tabelog Gold continuously since 2020 and ranked 19th in Japan by Opinionated About Dining in 2025. Dinner only, priced at JPY 50,000–59,999 per person before drinks, with an actual spend closer to JPY 100,000. Book by phone well in advance; the counter size makes availability tight without being impossible.

Onjaku holds a Tabelog Gold Award for four consecutive years (2023–2026) and a score of 4.57; placing it among Japan's most decorated kaiseki restaurants outside the major cities. The tea kaiseki format under chef Daigo Sugiyama runs JPY 20,000–29,999 per head, reservation-only, with private rooms for groups. Booking is easier than the credential stack suggests.

Ginza Shinohara is a restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo.

Shumoku Cho Shimizu holds a 4.59 Tabelog score and back-to-back Gold awards (2025, 2026); the strongest recognition trajectory of any Japanese cuisine restaurant in Nagoya in recent years. Dinner only, ¥50,000+ per person with service charge, online booking essential. The right call for a food-focused traveller who wants a serious kaiseki experience with a clear Gifu regional identity.

Tabelog Gold three years running and ranked among Japan's top 63 restaurants, Kasahara is the most credentialed yakitori counter in Tokyo. Ten seats, two sessions nightly, and a JPY 30,000–39,999 course make this a serious commitment; but for food-focused travellers who treat yakitori as a destination eat, it is the booking to make first.

Uran is the strongest case for unagi in the Kansai region outside Kyoto; a Tabelog Gold 2025 winner with a score of 4.54, operating out of an 18-seat tatami house restaurant in Hamaotsu. Reservations for new customers are currently suspended, cash only, and lunch hours close at 13:30. Worth the effort to get in, but plan well ahead.

Yukimoto is the strongest reason to route a Nagano itinerary through Iida. Chef Takayuki Hagiwara's kaiseki restaurant holds a Tabelog score of 4.61, three consecutive Gold Awards, and ranks #46 in Opinionated About Dining's Japan list for 2025. With 20 seats across four private rooms, it's a serious, seasonally-driven meal at JPY 30,000–39,999 per person; worth building a trip around.

Shimbashi Hoshino is one of Tokyo's most consistently decorated kaiseki restaurants, holding Tabelog Gold every year since 2017 and ranked #7 in Japan by Opinionated About Dining (2025). Dinner runs JPY 60,000–79,999 per person. Reservations are by referral only, so secure access before you plan your trip.

Restaurant Naz holds Tabelog Gold awards for both 2025 and 2026, a La Liste score of 95, and a rapid climb to #120 on Opinionated About Dining Japan; all within its first year of operation. Reservation-only, with dinner running JPY 60,000–79,999 per head, it is the most credentialed innovative tasting-menu destination in the Karuizawa area. Private rooms for four or eight make it a practical choice for group occasions.

Against Tokyo sushi peers, Higashiazabu Amamoto is the pick for a serious chef-led counter meal with a strong sake angle, not for a flexible group dinner. Book it for a date, client meal, or small celebration where sushi is the point of the night; compare Fujisushi if a visible ¥¥¥ price tier matters more upfront.

Tenzushi Kyomachi is a six-seat counter in Kitakyushu ranked #3 in all of Japan by Opinionated About Dining (2025) and a Tabelog Gold winner for eight consecutive years. Expect to spend JPY 50,000–59,999 per head for chef Isao Amano's Kyushu-mae sushi with kaiseki-influenced construction. Book well in advance; capacity is tiny and the national reputation fills seats fast.

Arai is a restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo.

L'évo is an auberge with a restaurant and lodging in Togamura, Nanto, Toyama.

PRESENTE Sugi is a seven-seat Italian-Japanese counter in Sakura, Chiba, with Tabelog Gold awards in 2024 and 2025, a La Liste score of 94 points (2026), and a Tabelog score of 4.51. Dinner and lunch run JPY 40,000–49,999 per head. Booking is phone-only, and the 40-minute trip from Tokyo is worth making.

Nine-seat counter sushi in Fukuoka's Yakuin district, accessible by introduction only. Chef Nobuhiro Sakanishi earned Tabelog Gold 2026 and OAD Japan #12 for omakase at JPY 30,000–39,999, delivering Tokyo-level precision without the capital's price premium. Serious format, no children, referral required.

Tempura Naruse is a tempura restaurant in Aoi Ward, Shizuoka.

Pellegrino is a six-seat Italian omakase in Ebisu with a fish-focused kitchen, Tabelog Gold awards in 2017–2019 and 2021–2025, and a price of JPY 100,000 per head. It is the right booking for a serious celebration dinner where intimacy and sourcing quality matter more than flexibility. Reserve through Omakase well in advance; availability is tight.

A Tabelog Gold-winning French counter in Yaizu, built around Suruga Bay seafood and running just eight seats. Two consecutive Gold awards (2025, 2026) and a score of 4.56 make this the strongest case for a deliberate stop in Shizuoka. At JPY 15,000–19,999 per head, it delivers award-level French cooking at a price well below comparable Tokyo venues.

Seizan is a restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo.

Sazenka is a Chinese restaurant in Minamiazabu, Tokyo.

A ten-seat kaiseki counter in Nakagyo Ward with Tabelog Gold recognition every year from 2018 to 2026 and a 4.60 score. Dinner only, 6–8 pm, seven days a week. At JPY 50,000–59,999 per head, cash only, reservation required. One of Kyoto's most consistently awarded kaiseki rooms for the price tier.

Kataori is a restaurant on Namikimachi in Kanazawa.