Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Credentialled kaiseki for serious occasion dinners.
Isoda earned a Tabelog 4.38 score and 2026 Silver Award within its first year of operation — an unusually fast rise for Japanese cuisine in Tokyo. Dinner runs JPY 40,000–49,999 per head via omakase reservation only. Book here if you want a credentialled, Ningyocho Japanese cuisine experience at the top price tier; look to RyuGin or Harutaka if you need a longer track record behind the meal.
A Tabelog score of 4.38, a 2026 Silver Award, and selection for the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine Tokyo Top 100 in 2025 — those three credentials, earned in just over a year of operation (opened November 2024), make Isoda one of the fastest-credentialled Japanese cuisine restaurants in Ningyocho. At JPY 40,000–49,999 per head at dinner, this is a serious financial commitment. The question is whether the service and experience justify it. Based on the available evidence, the answer for the right diner is yes — but read the conditions below before booking.
Isoda sits on the third floor of the Nihonbashi Geisha Shinmichi Building in Ningyocho, Chuo, a neighbourhood with a quieter residential and merchant-quarter character compared to the showier dining districts of Ginza or Shinjuku. The address itself signals something about the restaurant's positioning: this is not a venue built for tourist foot traffic or walk-in curiosity. Reservations are accepted exclusively through the OMAKASE reservation platform, and the restaurant operates Monday through Friday from 18:00 to 23:00, with Saturday service beginning an hour earlier at 17:00. There is no lunch service. That means every table, every night, is a dinner-only omakase commitment.
For a restaurant that opened in November 2024, accumulating a Tabelog score of 4.38 within its first operating year is a meaningful signal. Tabelog scores at this level , particularly in the Japanese cuisine category in Tokyo, where competition is dense , reflect consistent, high-quality execution rather than novelty. The Silver Award for 2026 and the Top 100 selection confirm that Isoda is not riding an opening buzz; it is delivering at a level that peer reviewers are taking seriously.
At JPY 40,000–49,999 per head, Isoda occupies the same spend tier as some of Tokyo's most established kaiseki and Japanese cuisine rooms. At this price point, service is not a complement to the food , it is part of what you are paying for. The omakase-only reservation system, the evening-only format, and the availability of private use of the venue all point to an operation designed around deliberate, controlled hospitality rather than throughput. Credit cards are accepted, which removes one logistical friction point that catches visitors off guard at some traditional Japanese restaurants. Electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted, so plan accordingly.
The absence of private rooms is worth noting for groups considering confidential business dinners or intimate celebrations that require physical separation. However, the venue is available for private hire in full, which makes it a viable option for an exclusive group booking. For solo diners or couples on a special occasion, the omakase format is well-suited: it removes the burden of menu navigation and places the experience entirely in the kitchen's hands.
Book Isoda if you are: looking for a credentialled Japanese cuisine dinner at the JPY 40,000–50,000 tier; celebrating a milestone where the gravity of the evening matters; or seeking a Ningyocho dining option with verified peer recognition rather than Michelin-adjacent hype. The omakase format rewards guests who want to be guided rather than those who prefer to order selectively.
Skip Isoda if you need lunch availability, require dietary accommodation flexibility typical of more tourist-facing restaurants, or prefer a venue with established years of operation behind it. Being open less than two years, Isoda carries slightly more uncertainty than a decade-old institution , though its Tabelog trajectory suggests that uncertainty is narrowing quickly.
See the comparison section below for how Isoda stacks up against RyuGin, Harutaka, and other peers in the same price tier.
| Detail | Isoda | RyuGin | Harutaka |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per head (dinner) | JPY 40,000–49,999 | ¥¥¥¥ | ¥¥¥¥ |
| Cuisine | Japanese | Kaiseki / Japanese | Sushi |
| Dinner hours | 18:00–23:00 (Mon–Fri); 17:00–23:00 (Sat) | Dinner service | Dinner service |
| Lunch available | No | Yes (seasonal) | No |
| Reservation method | OMAKASE platform only | Direct / concierge | Direct / concierge |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Moderate–Hard | Hard |
| Private rooms | No (full venue hire available) | Available | Not standard |
| Credit cards | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tabelog score | 4.38 (2026 Silver) | High | High |
| Opened | November 2024 | Established | Established |
Isoda is approximately 98 metres from Ningyocho Station, making it one of the most accessible high-end Japanese cuisine venues in central Tokyo by public transport. The Hibiya and Asakusa subway lines both serve Ningyocho directly. No parking is available at the venue, so arriving by train or taxi is the practical approach.
If Isoda is part of a broader Tokyo trip, use Pearl's guides to plan around it: full Tokyo restaurants guide, Tokyo hotels, Tokyo bars, Tokyo wineries, and Tokyo experiences. For Japanese cuisine outside Tokyo, consider Gion Sasaki in Kyoto or HAJIME in Osaka. For a different format entirely, Atomix in New York City offers a useful international reference point for what the omakase-style tasting menu experience can look like at a comparable price tier.
No dietary restriction policy is listed in Isoda's Tabelog record. Given the price tier (JPY 40,000–49,999) and reservation-only format, the practical move is to communicate any restrictions at the time of booking through the OMAKASE platform. Japanese cuisine at this level often relies on dashi, shellfish, and seasonal proteins, so the earlier you raise restrictions, the better the kitchen can plan.
Isoda is reservation-only with a chef-directed format, so ordering is not a decision you make at the table. At JPY 40,000–49,999 per head, the kitchen sets the menu. If you have strong preferences or ingredients you avoid, flag them when you reserve through the OMAKASE platform — that is the point in the process where your input counts.
Private rooms are listed as unavailable, but the venue is available for full private hire. If you are planning a group dinner, private use is the format to request — contact via the OMAKASE reservation platform when booking. There is no listed maximum party size, so confirm capacity directly when you enquire.
Dinner is your only option. Isoda does not offer lunch service — the Tabelog record shows no lunch budget and hours beginning at 18:00 Monday through Friday, 17:00 on Saturday. All spend data (JPY 40,000–49,999) refers to the dinner sitting.
Nothing in the venue data rules it out: there are no minimum party requirements listed and the reservation-only format via OMAKASE applies to all guests. At JPY 40,000–49,999 and a chef-directed format, solo dining is a reasonable fit — you are not ordering from a menu, so there is no shared-dishes dynamic to miss. Confirm a single-seat booking is accepted when you reserve, as some Tokyo rooms at this tier fill the counter with pairs first.
Book through the OMAKASE reservation platform before you do anything else — Isoda is reservation-only and opened in November 2024, so demand is high relative to its short track record. Budget JPY 40,000–49,999 per head for dinner. The venue holds a Tabelog 4.38 score and a 2026 Silver Award, which puts it among Tokyo's most scrutinised new Japanese cuisine openings. Come with no fixed agenda: the format is chef-led, not à la carte.
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri 18:00 - 23:00
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