The railway arches make a compelling case for taking the long way home. Photographed in 2023 · Photo credit
I’ve known Yurakucho for years, and I’ve visited all five places in this guide. These are my personal picks for classic izakaya where skewers make a good starting point for dinner. An izakaya is a casual Japanese pub serving food to share; yakitori means grilled chicken skewers. Here is where I would start, whether it is your first night in Tokyo or simply time to eat.
For the friend who wants skewers. And the friend who wants fish.
Private dining rooms at Meibutsuya YurakuchoA fish dish at Meibutsuya Yurakucho
Start with the skewers. Leave room for a detour.
Meibutsuya takes the first spot in my ranking. Of these five places I have visited, it is the one I would suggest first when someone asks where to go for yakitori in Yurakucho. Charcoal-grilled skewers are the starting point, but the menu gives the rest of the table plenty of room to wander.
Assorted skewers come in sets of five, seven or ten. Start with a platter, then add whichever cuts catch your eye: negima (chicken and leek), kawa (chicken skin), bonjiri (chicken tail) or tsukune (chicken meatballs). Salt or sauce? The working day may be over, but apparently there is still one meeting left.
Sashimi is another reason to keep this address handy. A group can order chicken, fish and a few extras without turning dinner into a negotiation. With private rooms available, it is a useful choice when the conversation deserves as much attention as the food.
A suggested orderFive-skewer platter → extra skewers of your choice → a plate of sashimi. Larger groups can consider the seven- or ten-skewer sets.
Menu guide
Five-skewer set ¥1,078; seven-skewer set ¥1,518; negima, chicken skin and tsukune ¥209 each.
Booking sites use several name variants, including 名物家, 名物屋 and 有楽町本店. Match the address and the fourth floor when booking.
02YURAKUCHO / MY NO. 2
Motsuyaki Fuji
もつ焼き ふじ
Chicken skewers, grilled offal and a seat beneath the railway.
The sign and seating area at Motsuyaki Fuji
The name says motsuyaki. The chicken deserves a look, too.
Fuji comes second on my list. I have visited this spot beneath the railway, and I would include it even if chicken is the main reason for your evening out. The menu covers tori (chicken), sunagimo (gizzard), tsukune, chicken skin and bonjiri.
Motsuyaki means grilled offal; it is not simply another name for chicken yakitori. Fuji also lists kashira (head meat), tongue, heart, shiro (intestine) and liver. Stay with chicken if that is your preference, or mix a few different cuts. Choosing a skewer lineup can start to feel like picking a sports team. Fortunately, you can usually find room for another player.
Motsu nikomi, a simmered offal dish, and potato salad offer a change from the grill. This is one of the places I would put on a Yurakucho skewer shortlist. Its published menu does not show a clear update date, so treat the prices below as a guide and confirm them at the restaurant.
A suggested orderChicken and tsukune → kashira or shiro if you enjoy offal → motsu nikomi. A chicken-only selection works as a starting point, too.
Menu guide
Published menu: chicken and motsuyaki skewers from ¥180; chicken wing ¥280; motsu nikomi ¥400. Current prices need confirmation.
Listed opening hours differ between sources. Phone: 03-3591-2295 (from overseas: +81 3 3591 2295). The published menu prices may have changed.
03YURAKUCHO / MY NO. 3
Tori no Rikyu Yurakucho
鳥の利休 有楽町店
Charcoal-grilled chicken, with time for a proper catch-up.
Chicken and leek skewers at Tori no Rikyu Yurakucho
Let the skewers arrive. Keep the conversation going.
Third is Tori no Rikyu, another of the places I have visited. I chose it for the combination of charcoal-grilled yakitori and private rooms. The familiar cuts are here: momo (thigh), negima, chicken skin, gizzard and tsukune.
For a first order, I would build around negima and add skin or gizzard for variety. There is no need to tackle the entire menu at once. Dinner should not require a project manager. Start with a few skewers, enjoy the conversation, and see what you feel like adding.
The restaurant listing also features oden, ingredients simmered in broth, and obanzai-style small dishes. They give you options between rounds of skewers. Rikyu is on the third floor of the TS Hibiya Building. Teppei, next on this list, is in the same building, so include the floor when sending the meeting point to your friends.
A suggested orderNegima, chicken skin and gizzard → a small dish that catches your eye → another round if you are still hungry.
Menu guide
Charcoal-grilled thigh, negima, chicken skin, gizzard and tsukune. Check the restaurant listing or the menu on arrival for prices.
Some booking sites write the name as 鳥の利久 rather than 鳥の利休. Check the address and third-floor location.
04YURAKUCHO / MY NO. 4
Sumibi Kushiyaki Teppei Yurakucho
炭火串焼 鉄兵 有楽町店
A seven-skewer opening move. The rest is up to you.
The grill counter at Sumibi Kushiyaki Teppei Yurakucho
A good evening can begin with a platter.
Teppei is fourth among these five places I have visited. It is a choice I would suggest when you want to build dinner around yakitori. Negima, tsukune, liver, gizzard, heart, chicken tail and wings all feature in the published menu.
The seven-skewer assortment offers a straightforward place to start. Follow it with your favourite cuts, or change direction with sasami (chicken tenderloin) topped with ume and shiso, spicy cod roe or wasabi. Deciding what to do tomorrow can take hours. Deciding to add another skewer is often considerably easier.
There are other dishes, including basashi (horse sashimi), but yakitori is why I have included Teppei here. Find it on the first and second floors of the TS Hibiya Building. Rikyu shares the address upstairs, so make sure the restaurant name travels with the map pin.
A suggested orderSeven-skewer assortment → extra cuts of your choice → sasami with ume and shiso for a different flavour.
Menu guide
Negima, tsukune, liver, tenderloin with different toppings and a seven-skewer assortment. Confirm current prices at the restaurant.
Within walking distance of Yurakucho, Hibiya and Ginza. Confirm opening hours when booking.
05YURAKUCHO / MY NO. 5
Hinomaru Shokudo Yurakucho
ヒノマル食堂 有楽町店
Start with chicken meatballs. Keep an eye on the noodles.
The lantern-lit entrance to Hinomaru Shokudo Yurakucho
There is a whole second dinner hiding in this menu.
Hinomaru Shokudo rounds out my five picks. I have visited this restaurant beneath the railway near the Tokyo International Forum, where binchotan-charcoal yakitori sits alongside dishes from Kyushu. Its official history dates the Yurakucho opening to 2011 and a relocation and renewal to 2018.
Tsukune and chicken skin are good places to begin. The published menu lists the signature chicken meatball skewer at ¥418, with egg yolk for an extra ¥110, and five chicken-skin skewers at ¥1,209. Sharing the skin skewers and adding sumotsu, offal dressed with vinegar, is one way to vary the meal.
Then there is Hita-style yakisoba and hot-stone offal. This is where dinner can quietly develop a sequel. I would start with the skewers and decide on a final dish later. There are entrances on the International Forum side and the shopping-street side, so agree on which one you are meeting at.
A suggested orderSignature tsukune, with optional egg yolk → chicken-skin skewers to share → Hita-style yakisoba if you have room.
Holiday closures may apply, including around New Year and Obon. Check hours and prices before visiting.
About this ranking
I selected and ranked these five restaurants based on my own visits and experience of Yurakucho. “Classic” reflects my selection of established local favourites; it is not a claim that every restaurant dates from the same era. This is my personal ranking, not a public-vote score.
Menu examples, prices and opening hours come from the restaurant information and menu pages linked under each entry. They can change after a visit. Prices are guides based on the tax-inclusive amounts in those listings; Fuji’s menu does not have a clear update date. Check with the restaurant for current details. The linked restaurant pages are in Japanese; this guide does not confirm English-speaking staff or English menus.
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