SHIBUY.A. × WATCH
Recommended lunch spots in the Oku-Shibuya area! Introducing 5 restaurants carefully selected by Kago-san, who works in Shibuya
2025-06-13
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: "Oku-Shibuya Area"
"Oku-Shibu" is an area that spreads out on the west side of Yoyogi Park, just beyond the hustle and bustle around Shibuya Station. Along the road that runs straight from the former Tokyu Department Store main store to Yoyogi Hachiman, there are traditional shopping streets and unique restaurants, cafes, and galleries scattered throughout the area, creating a unique atmosphere.
Although the area is surrounded by major roads, Inokashira Street to the east and Yamate Street to the west, the area centered around Kamiyamacho and Tomigaya has a peaceful and comfortable streetscape. If you go further west, up the hill, you will reach the Shoto area, known as one of the most luxurious residential areas in Tokyo, where you will find an international corner dotted with embassies, including the New Zealand Embassy.
Oku-Shibuya area (red boxed area is the area covered this time)
The charm of this area is the tranquility of nature and city coexisting, and the atmosphere where unique cultures intersect. There are more privately owned shops than chain stores, and the restaurants and general stores lined up are full of the owners' passion, so you'll find something new just by strolling around. Many sensitive creators and cultural types, including startups, also gather here, and on weekends the area is bustling with people enjoying strolls.
This time, Kago-san will introduce us to five restaurants in this area, packed with the charm of Oku-Shibuya, where you can enjoy a leisurely lunchtime.
A serious burger created by a chef from a French background / Chillmatic
About a 10-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station. From the former Tokyu Department Store main store site (currently under construction), proceed along Orchard Road and after passing the Kamiyamacho Higashi intersection, it is on your right. The entrance is along the Udagawa Promenade one block behind, and the Sushi Korin sign is the landmark.
Store name: Chillmatic
Address: Umezawa Building 1F, 11-10 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya-ku
This popular burger restaurant moved from Shibuya Bridge to Udagawacho and reopened in December 2024. The chef, who honed his skills at a famous French restaurant, has earned a reputation for his solid technique and sense, such as preparing pastrami (beef) for over a week.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The signature "Chillmatic Burger" is a burger made with moderately salty pastrami and a juicy, satisfying aged meat patty. The sourness and crunchy texture of the whole grain mustard sauce add an accent to the burger, which is simply sandwiched between a sweet, fluffy, and crunchy bun.
This burger, which allows you to directly taste the umami and sweet-salty flavors of the meat, is a masterpiece that combines strength and elegance. What's more, the live feeling that only an open kitchen can provide adds to its appeal.
"Is this horse meat?!" Enjoy the surprising softness and deliciousness / Gourmet Ai
About a 13-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station. Walk along Kamiyama Shopping Street, past the Hakuyosha Building, and just before entering Tomigaya 1-chome Shopping Street. Look for this round sign.
Store name: Gourmet Ai
Address: 2F, 3-8 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya-ku
This steakhouse focuses on horse meat. Although it only opened in March 2025, it has already garnered high praise from many gourmets. Using carefully selected horse meat, you can enjoy its mild flavor and surprisingly soft texture.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The recommended dish is the "Gourmet Ai Set," a luxurious set menu that includes the signature horse fillet steak, horse meat hamburger steak, and beef skirt steak.
The horse fillet steak is softer than you would imagine from its appearance, and has no particular horse meat smell, making it very easy to eat. It has no peculiar taste, so you will be surprised and wonder, "Is this really horse meat?" On the other hand, the horse meat hamburger is so juicy you would never believe it is horse meat. And its high-quality flavor goes well with the Chaliapin sauce. Each steak is 120g, for a total of 360g, but it is healthy, which is unique to horse meat, and it is a highly satisfying set that you can eat until the very end.
It's not spicy, but the deliciousness will have you hooked. "New sensation mapo tofu" from Kamakura / Kamakura
This light blue tiled shop is located about a 16 minute walk from JR Shibuya Station, diagonally across from the popular cafe "FUGLEN TOKYO" along the Udagawa Promenade. It is in a tranquil location with Yoyogi Park right next to it.
Store name: Kakan Tomigaya store
Address: 1-17-3 Tomigaya, Shibuya
Kakan, a popular mapo tofu specialty restaurant in Kamakura that always has a constant line, will open a store in Okushibu in April 2022. The restaurant is known for its unique dish that makes use of Sichuan techniques, but does not rely on spiciness or numbness, but instead relies on umami and richness.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The recommended dish is the "Mapo Tofu Set Meal." It has just the right amount of spiciness and the rich flavor of the doubanjiang, and although it has a strong chili oil flavor, it still has a gentle taste. You can adjust the flavor with three types of spices: the fruity-scented Sichuan peppercorns, the numbing Sichuan peppercorns, and the chili peppers, but it's so delicious that you'll want to keep eating it as is.
The fragrant ginger soup and deep-flavored pickled mustard greens are also popular, and after the meal, the fragrant almond tofu leaves your mouth feeling refreshed. The stylish interior and cute tableware are also attractive, so it's no wonder there are long lines.
Aroma, sweetness, and texture: Enjoy handmade soba noodles in the inner sanctum of Shibuya / Kamiyama
About a 10-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station, this restaurant is located a little away from the center of the hustle and bustle, behind the Shibuya Creston Hotel. The cool, cobbled road lined with bamboo grass will draw you in with the aroma of soba noodles.
Store name: Kamiyama
Address: 10-8 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya-ku
It opened in April 2006. Every morning, the owner carefully grinds domestically grown buckwheat in a millstone and hand-makes it. This time-consuming process brings out the original aroma and sweetness of the buckwheat, and combined with its smooth texture, it has captivated many customers.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
I ordered a large serving of the popular "Soba Lunch." The soba had a strong aroma and natural sweetness, and while it retained a slightly gritty, wild flavor, it still had a somewhat elegant finish. The soba sauce was on the thick side, so it was good to just dip it in a little, but the simplicity of the dish made it so delicious that I wanted to keep eating it. The bamboo shoot rice that came with it was softly cooked, and the gentle flavor of the broth filled my mouth.
The interior of the store is a calm space with a black motif. JAZZY background music plays softly, and the atmosphere is comfortable and quiet, making it hard to believe that you are just a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya.
A set meal that shows off the discerning eye of a long-established fishmonger: a must-try for fish lovers / Uo-riki
It's about a 12-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station. Just past the fashionable bookstore "Shibuya Publishing & Booksellers," and across from the Hakuyosha Building on your right. The shop retains the atmosphere of an old-fashioned local fish shop.
Store name: Uoriki
Address: 40-4 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya-ku
This is a directly managed store of "Uoriki," a long-established fish store founded in the Meiji era. You can enjoy dishes that make the most of the appeal of the ingredients, using seafood carefully selected with a keen eye.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The recommended dish is the "Grilled salted mackerel and horse mackerel namero set meal." One of the main dishes, the grilled salted mackerel, is rich in fat and has an exquisite saltiness that goes well with rice. The other dish, horse mackerel namero, is characterized by its sticky, authentic texture, and the fatty horse mackerel is firmly entwined with the homemade "secret miso," making it truly exquisite. Another great thing is the large bowl full of sweet clam miso soup. Both the miso soup and the rice are generously served, allowing you to have as many refills as you like.
The ordering method is a bit unique: instead of a menu, you pick up a strip of paper and take it to the register. If you match the number on the back of the strip of paper, you get a free small bowl of food, which is a bit of fun.
What did you think of the five stores we introduced above? In addition to lunch, the Oku-Shibuya area is also characterized by the large number of stylish cafes, such as the cafe "FUGLEN TOKYO" from Oslo, Norway, and the cafe "Coffee Supreme Tokyo" from New Zealand. Finally, we will introduce one more store, a unique cafe that is recommended after lunch as an "extra edition".
[Extra Edition] A hidden gem! A famous coffee shop at the back of a stationery store / Fukamachi Endo Stationery & Fukamachi Coffee
It's about a 15-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station and about a 4-minute walk from Yoyogi Park Station. Yoyogi Park is within a few minutes' walk, making it a perfect location to stop by while out for a stroll. Look for the "stationery store" instead of the cafe.
Store name: Fukamachi Endo Stationery & Fukamachi Coffee
Address: 1F, Fukamachi Endo Stationery Store, 1-43-8 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku
This cafe is located inside the stationery store "Fukamachi Endo Stationery," where you can enjoy the aroma of coffee wafting through the store while browsing for stationery items. This unique combination is its greatest attraction.
Image from Kagosan's Instagram
The recommended coffee is "Colombia." It is carefully hand-dripped after an order is placed, and it is a generous two-cup serving. It is medium-dark roasted, but has a subtle bitterness and a rich aroma. It is not too light, but not too heavy, and the clear flavor seeps into your body. It is so delicious that it makes you want to take a deep breath and relax.
At first glance, it looks like any other stationery store on a traditional shopping street. However, if you look closely, you'll see the word "coffee" written on the front of the store. When you open the door, you'll find that it really is a stationery store... and behind it lies a full-scale coffee specialty space equipped with a roaster. It's truly a hidden gem.
The shop is compact with only counter seats, but the atmosphere is strangely relaxing. The cups are pre-warmed with hot water, and the polite gesture is soothing. There is nothing flashy, but each cup is filled with sincerity. This is a quiet, cozy shop where you can enjoy such an "honest cup of coffee."
The Oku-Shibuya area has a calm atmosphere and is close to the greenery of Yoyogi Park. A little away from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya, this area attracts fashionable people and is home to a number of unique restaurants. Recently, new cafes and restaurants have been popping up, but traditional coffee shops and long-loved local restaurants are still going strong. The cuisine ranges from Japanese to spicy curry and natural Italian, and each restaurant is unique in its own way. Some restaurants don't even want to tell anyone about them (lol).
You can visit on a weekend stroll or spend a quiet moment during lunch on a weekday. Take this opportunity to discover the unknown world of "Oku-Shibuya gourmet."
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
