Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan

Raimon

Name: Raimon
Address: 3 Chome-9-12 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan, Tokyo, JP
Telephone: +81 3-3583-7012

690Pearl Points

13-seat counter, reservation-only, cash only.

Rate on Pearl Save

Website Call

About Raimon

Raimon is Tokyo's most consistently decorated yakiniku counter — a 13-seat, reservation-only room in Akasaka with a Tabelog Gold award (4.56 score) and seven consecutive years on the Tokyo Yakiniku Top 100. Budget JPY 20,000–29,999, bring cash only, and book by phone well in advance. Best for two people treating a meal as an occasion rather than a night out.

Who Should Book Raimon

Raimon is the right call if you want Tokyo's most awarded yakiniku counter experience and you are prepared to pay for it. At JPY 15,000–20,000 per head (with actual spend closer to JPY 20,000–29,999 based on diner reviews), this is not a casual grill night — it is a 13-seat counter in Akasaka where the format demands focus and the awards record justifies the price. If you want yakiniku without the ceremony, Jumbo Hanare or Kiraku-Tei will cost you less and ask less of you. But if you have been once and are asking what to do on a return visit, the answer is to book early and eat slowly.

Akasaka Raimon: A Counter Worth Returning To

Thirteen seats, counter-only, reservation-only, cash-only. The format at Raimon removes every variable that dilutes a great meal. You are on the fourth floor of a low-key Akasaka building, 90 metres from Akasaka-Mitsuke station, in a room that is deliberately quiet and unhurried. The energy here is focused rather than convivial — this is not the place for a noisy group celebration. The atmosphere rewards diners who arrive ready to pay attention.

The awards record is the clearest signal of what you are buying. Raimon has held a Tabelog score of 4.52–4.56, won the Tabelog Award Gold in 2023 and again in 2026, and has appeared on the Tabelog Yakiniku Tokyo Top 100 every year since 2019. That is seven consecutive years on the list, which puts it in a small group of yakiniku restaurants in Tokyo with genuine staying power. Among the peer set at Nikusho Horikoshi and Cossott'e, Raimon sits at the leading of the Tabelog ranking by score.

The categories listed , yakiniku and tripe , signal that offal is a serious part of the offering here, not an afterthought. If you came on a first visit and stayed with the safer cuts, a return trip is the right moment to lean into the tripe and offal program. That is where the kitchen's point of difference sits, and it is what separates Raimon from broader yakiniku operators like Kinryuzan.

Lunch vs Dinner at Raimon

Dinner is the primary format here , service runs 18:00 to approximately 20:11 every day of the week, closing time not fixed. Lunch is a different proposition entirely: it is held approximately once a month, with dates announced on the restaurant's Instagram. The dinner-to-lunch ratio tells you what this place is built for. If your goal is to eat at Raimon during a Tokyo trip and you are not monitoring the Instagram account in advance, dinner is the only reliable option. The monthly lunch is worth pursuing if you are a regular who tracks it , seats at a 13-cover counter will go fast on any format, and the lunch format may offer a different price-to-experience ratio that is worth comparing. But do not plan your trip around it without confirming the schedule first.

For the regular diner deciding between lunch and dinner as a strategic question: dinner is the safer bet, the longer experience, and the format the kitchen has built around. Chase the lunch only if you have confirmed availability.

Practical Details

Reservations: Reservation only , walk-ins are not an option at a 13-seat counter of this profile. Book by phone (+81-3-3583-7012); no official website exists for online booking. Payment: Cash only , credit cards, electronic money, and QR code payments are all declined. Come prepared. Budget: Listed at JPY 15,000–19,999 per head; diner reviews suggest real spend runs JPY 20,000–29,999. Bring cash accordingly. Hours: 18:00 daily; closing time variable (approximately 20:11). Smoking: Non-smoking throughout. Groups: Private room unavailable, but the full venue (13 seats) can be reserved for private use. Access: Fourth floor, Metro Building, 3-9-12 Akasaka, Minato , 90 metres from Akasaka-Mitsuke station.

Awards and Recognition

Tabelog Award Gold , 2026 (score: 4.56)
Tabelog Award Gold , 2023
Tabelog Award Silver , 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
Tabelog Yakiniku Tokyo Top 100 , every year 2019–2025
Google rating: 4.7 (119 reviews)
Opinionated About Dining , Leading Restaurants in Japan, ranked #135 (2025)

Tokyo Context

Raimon is one reason to anchor a dining night in Akasaka rather than Shibuya or Shinjuku. If you are building a wider Tokyo itinerary around serious restaurant meals, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide, our Tokyo hotels guide, and our Tokyo bars guide for before or after. For those travelling beyond the capital, comparable ambition in the dining room can be found at HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa. For yakiniku outside Japan, Nikushou in Hong Kong and Gyu-Kaku in Los Angeles represent the format in other markets. See also Tokyo wineries and Tokyo experiences for the full picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Raimon good for a special occasion?

Yes, provided the format suits you. A 13-seat counter with Tabelog Gold 2026 recognition and a 4.56 score positions Raimon among the most serious yakiniku experiences in Tokyo. At JPY 15,000–20,000 per head (often higher in practice, per reviews), it delivers the kind of deliberate, focused meal that works well for a birthday or celebratory dinner — as long as you are not expecting a private room, because there are none.

What should I wear to Raimon?

No dress code is documented for Raimon. That said, a 13-seat counter with Tabelog Gold status and dinner prices of JPY 15,000–20,000+ per head draws a clientele that dresses accordingly. Smart casual is a safe read, but avoid anything you would mind carrying the scent of a charcoal grill.

How far ahead should I book Raimon?

Book as early as possible — Raimon is reservation-only with just 13 seats, no walk-ins, and no online booking system. Reservations go through the phone (+81-3-3583-7012) only. For a Gold-rated Tabelog counter of this size, several weeks out is realistic minimum; popular dates will go faster.

What are alternatives to Raimon in Tokyo?

For comparable prestige dining in Tokyo with more flexibility on format, RyuGin offers a high-end kaiseki experience that accommodates groups better. If you want another counter-focused, reservation-only experience at the top of its category, Harutaka (sushi) is the nearest analogue in terms of seat count and booking difficulty, though the cuisine is entirely different.

Can Raimon accommodate groups?

Only up to 13 people total, since that is the full seat count — and private room hire is unavailable. The venue does allow full private use, so a small party could theoretically take the entire counter. Parties larger than 6 or 8 should confirm availability directly by phone before planning around it.

Is lunch or dinner better at Raimon?

Dinner is the core experience — service runs 18:00 nightly and is available every day of the week. Lunch is a separate proposition: it is held roughly once a month, with dates announced via Instagram. Unless you are actively tracking the Instagram schedule, plan for dinner.

What should a first-timer know about Raimon?

Three things before you go: cash only (no credit cards, no electronic payment), reservation-only with phone booking (+81-3-3583-7012), and closing times are approximate rather than fixed. Budget JPY 20,000–29,000 per head based on actual reviewer spend, which runs higher than the listed JPY 15,000–20,000 range.

Location

3 Chome-9-12 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan

Tokyo, Japan

Also Consider

Harutaka — Sushi, ¥¥¥¥
L'Effervescence — French, ¥¥¥¥
RyuGin — Kaiseki, Japanese, ¥¥¥¥
HOMMAGE — Innovtive French, French, ¥¥¥¥
Crony — Innovative, French, ¥¥¥¥

Raimon sits in a different category from most of Tokyo's high-end dining comparison set. Against RyuGin (kaiseki) or Harutaka (sushi), the spend is similar — JPY 20,000–30,000 per head — but the format is more physical and interactive. If you want to be served a progression of composed courses with minimal involvement, RyuGin is the call. If you want to participate in the cooking and the pacing is yours to control, Raimon wins on that dimension at a comparable price.

Against L'Effervescence, HOMMAGE, or Crony in the French-influenced Tokyo fine dining tier, Raimon is easier to book, more casual in atmosphere, and more direct in its pleasure. Those three restaurants deliver more technical complexity and greater service formality. Raimon delivers a focused, award-backed yakiniku counter with a proven offal program — a narrower but deeply executed proposition.

For value within the yakiniku category specifically, Nikusho Horikoshi and Cossott'e are the closest peers by format and ambition. Raimon's advantage is its Tabelog score (4.56 Gold versus the field) and its unbroken run on the Top 100 since 2019 — a track record that makes it the lower-risk booking if yakiniku is your priority and you only have one night for it in Tokyo.