Tempura Kondo

Should You Book Tempura Kondo?

Yes — if tempura is on your Tokyo agenda at all, Tempura Kondo is the benchmark against which every other option gets measured. With two Michelin stars held consecutively, a Tabelog score of 4.07, Tabelog Bronze Award recognition every year from 2018 through 2026, and consistent placement in the Opinionated About Dining Japan rankings (reaching #360 in 2024), this is not a venue you visit casually. Dinner runs JPY 20,000–29,999 per head; lunch is more accessible at JPY 10,000–14,999. The case for booking is strong. The case for skipping it is essentially nonexistent if you care about the format at all.

The Venue

Tempura Kondo sits on the 9th floor of the Sakaguchi Building in Ginza, three minutes on foot from Ginza Station (Exit B5). The room holds 20 seats arranged around a counter, which is the only format on offer — no private rooms. That counter orientation is deliberate: at a restaurant built around watching a craftsman work, proximity to the fryer is the entire point. The atmosphere is calm rather than hushed, precise rather than performative. There is no background noise to manage because the room is small enough, and the energy focused enough, that distraction is not really a factor. This is a working counter, not a dining room dressed up to look like one.

Chef Fumio Kondo has been refining his approach to tempura for more than 50 years. His central argument , documented across La Liste (85 points in 2026, 86.5 in 2025) and the Michelin guide , is that tempura is primarily a vehicle for vegetables, not seafood. Fish is present, but vegetables take the lead, and the technical foundation behind that choice is substantial: Kondo prepares ingredients immediately before frying, so that the moisture trapped inside the batter steams the produce from within rather than simply cooking it in oil. The result is that coating and ingredient finish as a single coherent thing rather than two separate components. It is a precise philosophy executed at a high level, and it has been consistent for decades.

The Drinks Program

The drinks program at Tempura Kondo is built around sake and shochu, and the kitchen's sourcing notes indicate a deliberate focus on both. The venue is listed as being particularly attentive to its sake and shochu selection , not a perfunctory list added for completeness, but a considered pairing framework that matches the precision of the food. Sake is the natural companion for tempura at this level: its clean umami and relatively low tannin profile does not compete with delicate batter or the intrinsic flavours of seasonal vegetables and fish. A well-curated nihonshu list in a Ginza counter of this calibre will typically include junmai daiginjo pours suited to the course progression, though the specific selections are not confirmed in our data. Credit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners, UnionPay); electronic money and QR code payments are not.

Booking Reality

Getting a table here is genuinely difficult. With 20 seats, two lunch sittings (12:00 and 13:30), and evening sessions running in two-hour blocks from 17:00 to 20:00, the available covers per service are limited. The restaurant is closed Sundays, occasionally closes on Wednesdays roughly once a month, and is also closed on Mondays that follow a public holiday. Reservation changes or cancellations trigger a fee based on how far out the request is made , so treat your booking as fixed once confirmed. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, call ahead. Perfume is actively discouraged given the sensitivity of the food environment. Plan to book as far in advance as your travel schedule allows; last-minute availability at this level in Ginza is not realistic.

Who This Is For

Tempura Kondo suits a food-focused traveller who wants to understand the format at its most serious, not someone looking for a casual Ginza dinner. The lunch price point (JPY 10,000–14,999) makes it the more accessible entry, and it is the logical starting point for a first visit. Dinner at JPY 20,000–29,999 is justified if you want the full course progression and more time at the counter. Groups up to 20 can use the space for private hire. Smaller parties , two to four people , work well at the counter format. The occasion most frequently cited by diners is a meal with friends, which tracks: this is a shared-experience setting rather than a romantic dinner destination.

Know Before You Go

Awards and Recognition

• Michelin 2 Stars (2024, 2025)
• Tabelog Bronze Award: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2025, 2026
• Tabelog score: 4.07
• Tabelog Tempura 100 selection: 2022, 2023, 2025
• La Liste: 86.5 points (2025), 85 points (2026)
• Opinionated About Dining Japan: #360 (2024), #416 (2025)
• Google rating: 4.4 (848 reviews)

Explore More in Tokyo and Japan

For other serious tempura counters in Tokyo, consider Tempura Ginya, Tempura Motoyoshi, Fukamachi, Seiju, and Edomae Shinsaku. For tempura beyond Tokyo, Numata in Osaka and Mudan Tempura in Taipei are worth tracking. Elsewhere in Japan, the broader fine-dining circuit includes HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa. See our full guides for Tokyo restaurants, Tokyo hotels, Tokyo bars, Tokyo wineries, and Tokyo experiences.