Ubuka

Who Should Book Ubuka

If crab and shellfish are your priority and you want a Michelin-starred meal in Tokyo that doesn't follow the standard kaiseki or omakase script, Ubuka in Shinjuku's Arakicho neighbourhood is the right call. This is the restaurant for diners who've already done the sushi counter circuit and want something with a sharper, more singular focus. At ¥¥¥, it sits a price tier below the ¥¥¥¥ heavyweights like RyuGin or L'Effervescence, which makes it one of the stronger value propositions for a one-star dinner in the city.

The Venue

Ubuka is chef Jerome Quilbeuf's shellfish-focused restaurant, driven by a menu built almost entirely around crab and prawns. The kitchen pulls from both French and kaiseki traditions — hair crab terrine borrows from classical French technique, while prawns appear in sauce américaine, and the meal closes with crab and vegetables cooked over rice in an earthenware pot. That closing dish is the most telling: it uses a kaiseki-style earthenware pot but frames the shellfish as the main event rather than the supporting ingredient. Portions are described as generous, which is worth noting for a Michelin-starred Tokyo restaurant where the opposite is often the case.

The approach here is clear from the first course: this is a chef who built a restaurant around what he genuinely cares about rather than around a format. Quilbeuf's menu doesn't hedge between Western and Japanese cuisines — it uses both where they serve the ingredient. The result is a menu that feels direct rather than experimental.

The Counter Experience

Ubuka's counter seating is where you'll get the most from the meal. Watching the preparation of crab-heavy dishes at close range adds context that a table removes , particularly for the earthenware pot course, where timing and heat management are visible from the counter. If you're returning for a second visit, or if you're booking with one or two people, request counter seats specifically. The counter format also gives you natural access to the kitchen team, which is useful for pacing questions or understanding the sourcing of specific shellfish. For a restaurant with this level of focus on a single ingredient category, that proximity matters.

First-timers sometimes default to tables, but at Ubuka the counter is the better seat. The restaurant's format rewards engagement with the cooking rather than a passive dining experience. If you've been before and sat at a table, the counter is what to try next.

Booking and Logistics

Ubuka holds a 2024 Michelin one star and is listed in the Opinionated About Dining leading restaurants in Japan (2023). It carries a Google rating of 4.4 across 114 reviews. With that combination of recognition and a single Shinjuku location, the booking window is tight. Treat this as a hard booking , plan at least three to four weeks out, and further in advance if you're visiting during peak Tokyo travel periods. Sunday is the one closed day; dinner service runs Monday through Saturday, 5:30 to 11 pm. There is no lunch service.

The absence of a website in the current record means booking likely requires a direct reservation channel , your hotel concierge in Tokyo will be the most reliable path if you're visiting from outside Japan. Japanese-language phone or walk-in approaches are the alternative, but given the restaurant's reputation and compact size, walk-in availability is unlikely on most nights.

How It Compares

FAQ

• What should a first-timer know about Ubuka?

  The menu is built around crab and prawns, with French technique and kaiseki influence used depending on the dish. This is not a broad Japanese restaurant with shellfish as an option , shellfish is the entire point. At ¥¥¥, it's more accessible than most Michelin-starred Tokyo dinners, but book well in advance: one-star recognition means demand consistently outpaces availability. Request counter seating if you can , it adds to the experience. For context on the wider Tokyo restaurant scene, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide.

• Can Ubuka accommodate groups?

  Venue's seat count isn't confirmed in available data, but a specialist counter restaurant in Arakicho is unlikely to run a large dining room. Groups of four or more should contact the restaurant directly to ask about table configuration. Smaller groups of two or three are better suited to this format. If you need a larger group booking in Tokyo, venues with confirmed private dining rooms like RyuGin may be a more practical choice.

• Is Ubuka good for solo dining?

  Yes , this is a strong solo choice. Counter seating at a shellfish-focused restaurant rewards solo diners who want to watch the kitchen and pace the meal on their own terms. The format doesn't rely on sharing dishes across a large group, and the generous portions noted in the Michelin citation mean you're not leaving hungry. For solo dining in Tokyo, Ubuka is a better fit than most ¥¥¥¥ omakase counters, which can feel isolating if you don't speak Japanese.

• Is the tasting menu worth it at Ubuka?

  Based on the Michelin one-star recognition and the OAD recommendation, the answer is yes for anyone with a strong preference for shellfish. The menu's arc , from crab terrine through to the earthenware pot closer , is coherent and purposeful rather than a generic tasting format padded with filler courses. If tasting menus with a single-ingredient focus appeal to you, this is well-constructed. If you prefer variety across protein types, look at Crony or Sézanne instead.

• Is Ubuka worth the price?

  At ¥¥¥, yes , particularly against the ¥¥¥¥ competition in Tokyo's Michelin bracket. You're getting one-star cooking at a price point that leaves room to spend elsewhere on your trip. The comparison that matters: Harutaka or L'Effervescence will cost more and deliver a different experience, not necessarily a better one. For shellfish specifically, Ubuka's value position is clear.

• Is lunch or dinner better at Ubuka?

  There is no lunch service , Ubuka operates dinner only, Monday through Saturday from 5:30 pm. Plan accordingly, and if you're building a full-day itinerary, use the lunch slot for something from our Tokyo restaurant guide. The dinner-only format is common for this type of specialist counter restaurant in Tokyo, so this isn't unusual, but it does limit scheduling flexibility.

Explore More in Japan

If you're planning broader travel around Tokyo, see our Tokyo hotels guide, our Tokyo bars guide, and our Tokyo experiences guide. Beyond Tokyo, notable restaurants with a similar level of focused culinary intent include HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa. For shellfish-forward dining at a comparable level internationally, Le Bernardin in New York City is the obvious benchmark, though with a very different format and price point.