Take a deep breath and smell the coffee!
It’s virtually a rite of passage to get lost in Tokyo and build up an inexplicable bar tab. The next thing you know, you’re waking up with a terrible headache and hazy memories of awful karaoke.
Where do you go after a night of heavy drinking in Tokyo and you need some sustenance to bring you back to life?
Even if you aren’t hungover, the places on this list will satisfy your appetite for Western-style breakfast.
7) Dexee Diner
Mimosas, in a nutshell. This traditional alcoholic orange juice is a brunch staple across the United States. The key to getting rid of a hangover is to just keep drinking until you forget you were ever hungover in the first place. Take your vitamin C and B supplements on a daily basis.
In terms of cuisine, think crispy bacon strips (yes, actual bacon), buttery pancakes, and whipped cream-topped French toast. Burgers, salads, and sirloin steak on the menu put the lunch in brunch. The menu changes every location, but at the Ebisu branch, you can always count on mimosas and pancakes.
Hours of operation: 11:30 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Locations: Ebisu, Nerima, Shinjuku, Odaiba
Best menu dish: Crispy maple French toast
6) Matsuya
Sometimes you simply need to get back to fundamentals, and as the Japanese say, “simple is best.” This isn’t so much for hangovers as it is for when you’re still inebriated. Matsuya, with its salty beef bowls, curries, and miso soup, is open when nothing else is.
Not only is it open 24 hours a day for drunken salarymen and foreigners alike, but you also don’t have to speak to anyone—just use the English-language vending machine to choose what you want and hand your ticket to the counter staff. For when you’re too buzzed to operate properly yet still lucid enough to recognize that you’re hungry.
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Locations: almost everywhere
Best menu dish: Premium beef bowl with additional green onions and a soft boiled egg
5) Blu Jam Cafe
BluJam is another Los Angeles-based brunch establishment that caters to vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores alike. Imagine breakfast hash with rosemary potatoes, omelets galore, and steak and eggs. Tofu scrambles, mushroom risotto, and more are available to vegans and vegetarians. Mimosas and bloody marys are always on the menu, and straws have been phased out in the sake of ecological sustainability.
Hours of operation: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; at the Azabu Juban site, till 11 p.m.; Closed on Tuesdays
Locations: Daikanyama, Azabu Juban
Best menu dish: Vegan spicy tofu tex mex
4) Bills
At this Australian establishment, a hefty platter of garlic and herb mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and sausage hit the spot. Bills’ famous ricotta pancakes are the ideal sweet-savory mix. Fresh juices such as turmeric, pineapple, and coconut potion are available for the health-conscious. Alternatively, get a bloody mary and claim that the tomato juice is making it healthy.
You’ll be sober by the time you get a table, as one reader pointed out. On weekends, the Harajuku location might get crowded, so be prepared to wait. Fortunately, there are various additional options in the Tokyo area.
Hours of operation: 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (varies slightly depending on the location)
Locations: Harajuku, Odaiba, Ginza, Futakotamagawa
Best menu dish: Full Aussie
3) Eggslut
Let’s face it, most people come here because of the intriguing name. Get the restaurant’s specialty dish, “the slut,” if you can keep from laughing too much about it—or even if you can’t. It comes with a side of crispy sourdough toast and a tall goblet of buttery mashed potatoes topped with a gooey sunny-side-up egg.
Another nice option is the “Fairfax” sandwich, which has creamy, delicate eggs bursting from between two soft brioche buns. This Los Angeles-based eatery is owned by the same people who own Luke’s Lobster, which is also in the same building.
Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Locations: Shinjuku
Best menu dish: The slut
2) Jade 5
The ideal way to start the day is with fluffy, eggy French toast and a warm cup of coffee. This teeny-tiny restaurant, which seats only about ten people, has just that. They also sell American-style breakfast sausage patties, which if you’ve spent enough time in Japan will tell you are quite difficult to come by. There are no worries about ordering because the entire menu is written in English.
This location reminds us of one of those fancy brunch spots where American females go in all of the movies. Except it’s not at all pretentious or trendy; it’s simply a low-key spot for a decent breakfast.
Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays are closed.
Locations: Hiroo
Best menu dish: Breakfast burrito with sausage.
1) World Breakfast All Day
Breakfast from around the world is served all day, every day. This small café just has one table—a big family-style table in the middle—so take a seat and relax. The platters here re-create traditional breakfasts from all across the world, from Mexico to Switzerland. Choose from a traditional English breakfast of baked beans and toast or a Swiss rösti with gruyere cheese.
Every two months, they offer a different country on their unique menu, allowing you to sample the delicacies of the world. Give us all the carb-heavy, delicious, and oily dishes we can get our hands on.
Hours of operation: 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Locations: Harajuku and Gaienmae
Best menu dish: English breakfast
