Long lines in Tokyo

The viral places people queue for, what to get when you reach the front, how long the wait usually is, and how to beat it. Waits are typical, not live.

11 places in Tokyo · by Chef Amazing · updated October 23, 2026
Photo: Wiiii, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

1. 1

   Fuunji

   Tsukemen · Shinjuku

   Get: Tsukemen (dipping ramen) in a fish and chicken broth

   A tsukemen shop with a permanent line. Expect: 30 to 60 min. Beat it: go mid-afternoon.

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2. 2

   Ginza Kagari

   Ginza

   Get: Tori paitan ramen (creamy chicken broth)

   A small ramen counter with a long line in Ginza. Expect: 45 min to over an hour. Beat it: go at opening on a weekday.

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3. 3

   Tsujihan

   Nihonbashi

   Get: Zeitaku-don (rice bowl piled with chopped seafood); ask for the sea bream broth at the end

   A seafood bowl that shows up on every Tokyo food reel. Expect: 30 to 60 min. Beat it: go at opening.

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4. 4

   I'm donut?

   Omotesando and Nakameguro

   Get: Pillowy brioche doughnuts

   Doughnuts that went viral as soon as they opened. Expect: an hour or more on weekends. Beat it: go on a weekday morning.

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5. 5

   Tonkatsu Marugo

   Tonkatsu · Akihabara

   Get: Tokujo rosu (premium pork loin) katsu

   Some of the best tonkatsu in Tokyo. Expect: 30 to 60 min. Beat it: go at opening.

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6. 6

   Kaneko Hannosuke

   Nihonbashi

   Get: The tendon (tempura rice bowl) with a whole conger eel

   The tempura bowl line in Nihonbashi. Expect: 1 to 2 hours at lunch. Beat it: be there 30 minutes before the 11am opening.

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7. 7

   Gyukatsu Motomura

   Shibuya

   Get: Gyukatsu (rare fried beef) you finish on a little hot stone

   The fried beef cutlet chain with lines in every branch. Expect: 45 to 90 min. Beat it: use their online queue, or go late at night.

   Also on the list: New and hot in Tokyo.

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8. 8

   Hikiniku to Come

   Shibuya

   Get: Three grilled hamburg steaks, one at a time, with rice

   A hamburg-steak counter that hands out time tickets. Expect: ticket slots taken by mid-morning. Beat it: get a time slot ticket when they open, then come back.

   3F, 2-28-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0043 · Map · Add to Chef Amazing
9. 9

   Sushi Dai

   Toyosu Market

   Get: The chef's omakase set

   The fish market's most famous sushi counter. Expect: up to 3 to 4 hours in the early morning. Beat it: arrive before 5am, on a weekday.

   Also on the list: Breakfast and sandwiches in Tokyo.

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10. 10

    Tonkatsu Maisen

    Omotesando

    Get: The kurobuta (black pork) loin katsu

    Tonkatsu in a former bathhouse. Expect: 30 to 60 min at peak. Beat it: go at 3 or 4pm.

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11. 11

    Iruca Tokyo

    Roppongi

    Get: The shoyu or the yuzu shio ramen

    A Bib Gourmand ramen shop known for its yuzu-salt bowl. Expect: 45 to 90 min. Beat it: go at opening.

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