SHIBUY.A. × WATCH
Recommended lunch spots in the "Shibuyi area"! Introducing 5 restaurants carefully selected by Kago-san, who works in Shibuya
2025-04-30
SHARE
Kago, who works for a major company in Shibuya, has been eating his way around Shibuya's restaurants every day for over 10 years, and has visited over 2,000 restaurants, making him "Shibuya's No. 1 Lunch Navigator." Each episode features Kago's recommended restaurants, which are based on a theme. He will secretly tell you about restaurants that are a little different from those found on gourmet review sites.
Basket
Shibuya's best lunch navigator
He usually works for a major company in Shibuya. In 2012, he started going around eating lunch and posting about it on his blog and social media. Now, he visits restaurants not only in Shibuya, but all over Tokyo and the country.
This time's theme: "Shibuji Area"
Shibuya 2-Chome (hereafter abbreviated as "Shibu 2") is a calm area that spreads out to the east of Shibuya Station, in contrast to the bustling Hachiko Square side. It borders Roppongi-dori to the south, Miyamasuzaka and Aoyama-dori to the north, and at its eastern end it stretches all the way to the Aoyama Gakuin University campus. As it is a little away from the hustle and bustle of the station, it maintains a quiet environment while still offering good access to the Omotesando and Aoyama areas. The area is dotted with sophisticated shops and offices. Also, with universities nearby, there are many cafes that are popular with students, and restaurants where you can enjoy hearty rice bowls.
On the other hand, SHIBUYA AXSH, adjacent to Shibuya Hikarie, is a 23-story complex that integrates four buildings and opened in full swing in July last year. Furthermore, there are many aging buildings in the surrounding area, and several redevelopment projects are currently underway.
Shibuji area (red area is the area we visited)
This time, Kago-san will introduce us to five recommended restaurants for lunch in the Shibuji area, which is at the junction of Shibuya and Aoyama and is set to see major changes to its streetscape due to future redevelopment.
Crispy, chewy oven-baked pizza is delicious! / Napoli Mania
About a 10-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station. Go up Miyamasuzaka and you'll find it in a corner of a back alley lined with hideaway restaurants near Theater Image Forum. The entrance is reminiscent of Europe.
Store name: Napolimania
Address: 2-7-13 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
The original owner, originally from Naples, opened the restaurant with a Japanese friend in 2011. It is certified by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MOI) International Hospitality Certification Mark.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
As one of the few "MOI certified stores" in Japan, the atmosphere inside the store is strongly Italian. The "Margherita" I ordered has a crispy, chewy texture and a subtle smoky flavor.
The combination of plenty of cheese and the mildly sour tomato sauce is exquisite and very delicious. It's delicious as is, but we also recommend adding a little spicy oil to your taste. It's also fun to eat while watching the pizza oven in front of you.
A nutritious soup curry with a fragrant spice and plenty of vegetables / The HappymAn CHEAKS Shibuya
It's located near Theater Image Forum, and the landmark is a staircase leading into a cavernous basement.
Store name: The HappymAn CHEAKS Shibuya
Address: Shibuya-ku, Shibuya 2-11-14 Main Stage Aoyama B1F
At night, the bar operates as a music bar, with a DJ booth set up inside. This is a place where you can enjoy a wide range of music genres, including jazz and hip hop, paired with alcoholic beverages. They also serve soup curry at lunchtime.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The "Mushroom Vegetable Curry" I ordered is a soup curry based on chicken and vegetable stock with a strong spice. The ingredients are maitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, carrots, eggplant, bell peppers, broccoli, potatoes, lotus root, quail eggs, and many more. It's a dish full of vegetables, with a strong mushroom aroma. The crispy texture of the deep-fried vegetables adds a pleasant accent.
You can really taste the umami of the curry itself, and the powerful spices will have you sweating. It's the best taste ever!
A relaxing Japanese lunch in a Japanese hideaway, close to the station yet in a different world / Aogaki
About 3 minutes walk from JR Shibuya Station. It is located on the basement floor of the building with the Docomo shop, across from Miyamasuzaka Shibuya Post Office. Look for the green sign.
Store name: Green Persimmon
Address: Wako Miyamasuzaka Building B1F, 2-19-19 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
This Japanese restaurant has all seating in Japanese-style rooms with tatami flooring. While you can enjoy authentic kaiseki cuisine in the evening, you can also enjoy reasonably priced meals during the day.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The "seasonal meal" I ordered that day was conger eel and vegetable tempura. The freshly fried, crisp batter was light and elegantly delicious. The vegetables included eggplant, green beans, maitake mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. The large, meaty, plump conger eel was a delight. The small bowl of boiled spinach was also delicious, with a strong dashi flavor. The umami of the kelp made the rice go down smoothly, and it was nice to have seconds.
The attentive waitresses are one of the charms of this small restaurant. In the tatami room with tokonoma alcove, you can enjoy a relaxing time with a cup of hot tea after the meal. Not only was the meal delicious, it was also a pleasant change of pace.
Crispy, delicious meat dishes / BOUCHERIE AmiaBras
It's located in the same backstreet restaurant district as Napolimania and HappymAn CHEAKS Shibuya. Look for the cute yellow tent and tricolor flag.
Store name: BOUCHERIE AmiaBras
Address: 1F Towa Aoyama Building, 2-8-4 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
A casual French restaurant that opened in 2016, specializing in meat dishes. You can enjoy your meal with carefully selected wines.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The recommended dish is the "Daily Lunch." On this day, it was the teriyaki chicken plate. The crispy chicken skin goes well with the slightly sweet and mild teriyaki sauce, and the mustard mayo sauce adds depth to the flavor. The generous servings of vegetables, such as salad and pot-au-feu, are also a nice touch. In addition to the daily lunch, the hamburger steak is also popular at lunch.
In addition to counter seats facing the kitchen, there are a variety of seating options available, including table seats and terrace seats. The terrace seats are comfortable in the warmer months, but the counter seats, where a gentle breeze can pass through, are also very pleasant.
Fish set meal provided by a delicatessen store in Toyoko Norengai / Aji no Hamato
It is located in Toyoko Norengai, on the third basement floor of Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs, among a row of delicatessens and fresh food stores.
Name of restaurant: Aji no Hamato Restaurant Toyoko Norengai
Address: Shibuya-ku, Shibuya 2-21-1 Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs Toyoko Norengai B3F
It opened in 1951 (Showa 26) when "Toyoko Norengai" opened inside the Toyoko Tokyu Department Store, and moved to its current location in 2020 (Reiwa 2). The restaurant is known for its fish dishes such as Saikyoyaki, and also has an eat-in space. It's a great lunch spot "super close to the station" that's convenient for rainy days.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The recommended "Daily Special" was the "Mackerel and Dried Soy Sauce Set" on this day. The plump grilled mackerel has a strong soy sauce flavor and the fatty meat is packed with umami, making it a delicious dish.
In addition to the delightful grated daikon radish garnish, I chose boiled vegetables and boiled hijiki from the side dishes available. I chose 16-grain rice and had it with miso soup containing aonori seaweed. It was a very satisfying lunch at this eat-in restaurant where you can enjoy authentic set meals.
The Shibuji area is lined with complex buildings such as Shibuya Hikarie and SHIBUYA AXSH, but is also close to offices and universities. In this area, you can see not only business people but also many students, and casual cafes where young people can easily drop in are opening one after another.
Another attraction of this area is the large number of long-established restaurants that have been loved by people who work in Shibuya for many years. In particular, the backstreets around Image Forum, a little distance from both Shibuya and Omotesando, are home to a collection of hidden gems serving delicious Japanese, Italian, French, and curry restaurants, allowing you to choose according to your mood and the occasion. If there are any restaurants you haven't visited yet, why not try them out as a way to explore new places for lunch?
Oyamada Takioto
Started writing and editing in 2014. Mainly covers and writes about "food" and "city things", and works on local news and free papers in Akasaka, Minato-ku, Roppongi, Toranomon, etc. Recently, he has also expanded his reach to Shibuya and Tamachi. Every day, he searches for stories and news that can only be found by visiting the area in person. His favorite food is katsudon.
Genres within watch
Articles in the same genre
2025-06-13〜
Recommended lunch spots in the Oku-Shibuya area! Introducing 5 restaurants carefully selected by Kago-san, who works in Shibuya
2025-04-30〜
Recommended lunch spots in the "Shibuyi area"! Introducing 5 restaurants carefully selected by Kago-san, who works in Shibuya
2025-04-11〜
Shibuya Dreams Come True Theater opens as a cultural hub for film screenings and events
2025-02-19〜
Recommended lunch spots in the Udagawacho area! Introducing 5 restaurants carefully selected by Kago-san, who works in Shibuya
Featured articles on the site
[Report] A journey through urban and architectural thought - Hiroshi Naito exhibition opens in Shibuya
The annual summer "Shibuya Bon Odori" festival will be held on August 2nd. Traffic restrictions will be put into place in front of the station, and more than 60,000 people are expected to attend.
Recommended lunch spots in the Oku-Shibuya area! Introducing 5 restaurants carefully selected by Kago-san, who works in Shibuya
