Best Hamburgers in Tokyo

Hip and upscale

Tokyo surely leads the world in stylish, imaginatively elevated takes on the burger restaurant. McLean in Kuramae, Shinjuku’s Burger Kitchen Chatty Chatty, Rainbow Kitchen in Sendagi, and Nakameguro’s Golden Brown are all acclaimed gourmet burger spots with the kind of worn-in patina appealing to hipster tastes.

At the chic end of the spectrum, Kagurazaka’s Martini Burger has a cocktail bar-like interior and is claimed by some Tokyo burger aficionados to make the city’s very best. More upmarket still, Bebu Cafe & Bar, located within the Toranomon Hills development, offers both classic and seasonal burgers that can be enjoyed on a tranquil outdoor terrace.

MCLEAN -old burger stand-

東京都台東区駒形2-2-10 1・2F

0368028232

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burger kitchen CHATTY CHATTY

4.5

121 Reviews

Tokyo Shinjuku-ku Shinjuku 1-12-11F

0364577262

11:00-22:00(L.O.21:30)

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RainbowKitchen

4.0

5 Reviews

Tokyo Bunkyo-ku Sendagi 2-28-7 Kitagawa Building 1F

0338225767

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GOLDEN BROWN

4.0

28 Reviews

Tokyo Meguro-ku Higashiyama 2-3-1 Ogi Building 1F

0366618560

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Dormy Inn EXPRESS Meguro Aobadai Hot Spring

3-21-8 Aobadai, Meguro Tokyo

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MARTINIBURGER

Tokyo Shinjuku-ku Nakazato Cho 31

0362808920

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J.S. Burgers Cafe is a spin-off of the fashion chain Journal Standard, and its restaurant on top of the boutique’s Shinjuku location is the one to visit for its semi-covered roof terrace overlooked by the landmark Docomo Tower. Also at roof level but in more relaxed Jiyugaoka, Jiyugaoka Burger offers fast food for the health conscious and has a cosy roof terrace that is kid and baby friendly. Over in Harajuku, Cafe Hohokam is a gourmet burger restaurant that aims for an “Arizona-style” vibe and has a secluded, cactus-bedecked roof terrace.

At ground level, the first Tokyo opening of NYC’s Shake Shack remains our favorite for its terrace seating at one of Tokyo’s most popular koyo (red fall leaves) viewing spots, Gaien Icho Namiki north of Aoyama. To enjoy a premium burger al fresco and by the water, head to Shinagawa’s T.Y. Harbor.

J.S. Burgers Cafe (Shinjuku Shop)

3.5

145 Reviews

Tokyo Shinjuku-ku Shinjuku 4-1-73F

0353670185

[Monday-Friday]11:00-23:00(L…

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walk to JR Shinjuku sta-DSoE-3

4 Chome-3-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022日本

cafeHohokam

Tokyo Shibuya-ku Jingu-mae 3-22-14 Orix Jingu-mae 3-chome Building B Building 2F

05054565571

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Shake Shack

4.0

267 Reviews

Tokyo Minato-ku Kitaoyama 2-1-15

0364555409

11:00-22:30(L.O.22:00)

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Japan’s postwar infatuation with classic American pop culture is well known, and the Tokyo burger scene is very much part of this phenomenon. Harajuku’s The Great Burger, tucked away between Cat Street and Meiji-dori, nicely balances contemporary design with US-sourced vintage fixtures including a row of Eames-style seats outside.

Burger Americana

Village Vanguard Diner’s Shimokitazawa location is a basement chock-full of vintage Americana and offering gourmet-grade burgers at realistic prices, plus bottled beers from across the globe. Brozer’s in Ginza, known for its signature “Lot Burger” containing a myriad of fillings, has a deep red-flooded interior that wouldn’t look out of place in a David Lynch movie. Akihabara’s Chelsea Market, meanwhile, offers a cool retro respite from the area’s otaku culture overload.

Japanese-style

Popular domestic chain MOS Burger is known for its unique meat-based sauce which was concocted for Japanese palates but also wins over foreigners. Its MOS Cafe location in Omotesando boasts a roof terrace. Reg-On Diner, between Shibuya and Ebisu, offers a gourmet-level upgrade of the teriyaki burger offered by most Japanese chains: here it is made with additive-free 100% Aussie beef.

Third Burger in Shinjuku acknowledges its Japanese roots with an avocado wasabi burger, while Harakara in Aoyama offers several varieties of burger containing daikon oroshi, a type of grated radish used in Japanese cooking. Likely Japan’s most original take on the burger is Nakameguro’s Deli fu cious, which, employing the concept of “burgers by a sushi chef,” has come up with such original offerings as a deep-fried aji (horse mackerel) burger.

ヴィレッジヴァンガードダイナー 下北沢店

東京都世田谷区代田6-3-1 リバブル下北沢B1階

0334815620

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Hawaiian-style

Tokyoites have the option of pineapple-filled Hawaiian burgers when they can’t make it to what is a favorite Japanese holiday destination. Kua`Aina, established on Hawaii’s North Shore, boasts numerous locations across the Japanese capital, including one in the popular date spot Odaiba. Teddy’s Bigger Burger in Omotesando is another genuinely Hawaiian-born restaurant that has taken the island’s Best Burger Award for the past 17 years straight. Two locally-born spots are Laule'a Taste of Hawaii in Azabu-Juban, and Unchain Diner close to the Tokyo Skytree.

TEDDY'S BIGGER BURGERS 原宿表参道店

東京都渋谷区神宮前6-28-5 宮崎ビル 2F

0357742288

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