Makino

Who Should Book Makino — and When

Makino is the right choice for the food-focused traveller who wants a serious tempura dinner in central Tokyo without the months-long wait that defines the city's most decorated counters. If you are visiting Taito City, planning a post-museum evening near Asakusa, or looking for a dependable special-occasion dinner that rewards repeat visits, this is a strong pick. It is not a splurge-or-skip proposition — Makino sits in a practical middle register where quality and accessibility align well.

Makino in Context

Under chef Toshiyuki Suzuki, Makino has earned a Tabelog Bronze Award for 2025 with a score of 3.84, alongside an Opinionated About Dining Highly Recommended listing for Japan (2023) , two trust signals that place it credibly above the neighbourhood-restaurant tier without positioning it alongside the Michelin three-star circuit. Google reviewers back this up with a 4.5 rating across 238 reviews, which is a meaningful sample for a dinner-only counter in Taito Ward. These credentials together suggest a venue where the kitchen is consistent, not occasionally brilliant.

The format is dinner-only, Monday through Sunday, 5 pm to 10 pm. That evening-only rhythm shapes how you should plan around it: Makino is not a quick lunch stop but a considered dinner that fits naturally into a Taito or Asakusa evening. For travellers staying in the area, it removes the need to cross the city for a high-quality tempura meal. For those coming from further afield, pairing it with the neighbourhood's other draws makes the trip efficient.

A Multi-Visit Strategy

Makino rewards more than one visit, and planning across two or three evenings tells you more about the kitchen than a single sitting. On a first visit, the priority is understanding the chef's approach to the core tempura sequence , how batter weight shifts across proteins and vegetables, and how seasoning choices are made. Tempura at this level is a study in restraint, and Makino's Tabelog standing suggests Suzuki applies that discipline consistently.

A second visit is where a returning diner should probe the seasonal dimension. Tempura is one of Japanese cuisine's most ingredient-dependent formats: what is available in the market on a given week materially changes what appears on the counter. Coming back at a different point in the season , or across seasons if your travel schedule allows , gives a more complete picture of what Makino can do. The Opinionated About Dining recognition specifically acknowledges restaurants where seasonal sourcing is integral to the offer, so there is reason to expect the menu evolves meaningfully.

A third visit, for those who can manage it, is leading used to explore the edges of the menu: less familiar seafood choices, vegetable preparations that might be skipped on a cautious first order, and any additions that arrive outside the standard sequence. By this point you have a baseline for comparison and can read the kitchen's decisions with more confidence.

For context on how Tokyo's tempura counter scene works more broadly, Tempura Kondo and Tempura Motoyoshi represent the upper end of the format , both harder to book and priced higher. Tempura Ginya and Fukamachi are worth considering if you want to map the broader tempura range during a longer Tokyo stay. Edomae Shinsaku offers a different angle on Tokyo's traditional seafood dining if you want a contrast session between visits.

Atmosphere and Practical Feel

Makino's address in Matsugaya, Taito City, puts it in a quieter residential-commercial pocket of Tokyo, away from the high-traffic dining corridors of Ginza or Roppongi. The energy at this kind of counter , a serious but unfussy tempura specialist operating a dinner-only service , tends to run at a lower volume than destination-restaurant rooms in more central districts. Expect focused attention on the counter experience rather than a loud, high-energy room. This is a good match for a conversation-centred dinner or a solo counter experience where watching the kitchen matters as much as the food itself.

Booking

Booking difficulty is rated Easy. For a venue with a Tabelog Bronze Award and OAD recognition, this is a meaningful advantage. You do not need to plan weeks in advance the way you would for Tokyo's hardest tables. The dinner-only format (5–10 pm daily) keeps availability more manageable. If you want a specific date, booking ahead is still sensible, but last-minute availability is plausible in a way it simply is not at comparably credentialed venues. Contact via phone: 03-3844-6659.

For broader planning across Tokyo's dining scene, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide. If you are building a wider Japan itinerary, HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, and Goh in Fukuoka are Pearl-tracked destinations worth adding to the route. For tempura specialists outside Tokyo, Numata and Shunsaiten Tsuchiya in Osaka offer useful comparison points. You can also explore our Tokyo hotels guide, Tokyo bars guide, Tokyo wineries guide, and Tokyo experiences guide to round out your trip. For dining elsewhere in Japan, akordu in Nara, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa are all worth knowing.

Quick reference: Dinner only, 5–10 pm daily, Taito City. Booking: Easy. Phone: 03-3844-6659. Awards: Tabelog Bronze 2025 (3.84), OAD Highly Recommended Japan 2023.

FAQ

• What should I order at Makino? The kitchen is built around tempura, so the counter sequence is where to focus , work through the chef's selection rather than editing it heavily on a first visit. Makino's Tabelog score of 3.84 and OAD recognition both point to a kitchen where the full progression is the point. Let the chef lead, particularly on seafood selections.
• Is Makino good for a special occasion? Yes, with the right expectations. The Tabelog Bronze Award and OAD Highly Recommended status give it the credential weight to feel appropriate for a milestone dinner. It is not in the same price bracket as a Michelin three-star evening, which may actually make it the smarter choice if you want to mark an occasion without the full formal-dining apparatus. For a more theatrical celebration, RyuGin would be a step up in ceremony.
• How far ahead should I book Makino? Pearl rates booking difficulty as Easy, which is unusual for a venue at this award level. A few days' notice should be sufficient in most cases; for a specific date during peak travel periods, a week ahead is a sensible buffer. Call directly on 03-3844-6659 to confirm.
• What are alternatives to Makino in Tokyo? For tempura specifically, Tempura Kondo and Tempura Motoyoshi are the harder-to-book, higher-priced options for those who want to push further. Tempura Ginya and Fukamachi are worth comparing on price and format. If you want to step outside tempura entirely, Harutaka is the sushi counter most likely to satisfy a similar quality appetite.
• Can I eat at the bar at Makino? Tempura specialists of this type in Tokyo typically operate with a counter format where watching the fryer is central to the experience. Based on the venue type and category, counter seating is the expected format , confirm when booking whether individual counter seats are available for solo diners.
• Is lunch or dinner better at Makino? Dinner only , Makino does not serve lunch. Hours are 5–10 pm across all seven days, so your only option is an evening sitting. Plan accordingly if you are building a full-day itinerary in Taito.
• Can Makino accommodate groups? Seat count is not confirmed in available data. For groups larger than four, call 03-3844-6659 directly to check capacity and whether a private arrangement is possible. Counter-format tempura restaurants in Tokyo often have limited group flexibility, so early contact is advisable.
• What should a first-timer know about Makino? It is a dinner-only tempura counter in a quieter part of Taito City , not a tourist-facing, high-footfall venue. The Tabelog Bronze Award (3.84) and OAD Highly Recommended Japan 2023 listing mean standards are demonstrably above the neighbourhood average. Booking is easy relative to its credential level. Go with an appetite for a full sequence, dress neatly but without formality, and arrive on time given the counter format.