With its nondescript entrance and zero signage, top kaiseki restaurant Uchiyama is tricky to find, but well worth the effort. Go for the signature sea bream chazuke, and bargain lunches that won’t require you to sell a kidney.
Ginza Uchiyama - image © Florentyna Leow
Simplicity is the cornerstone of excellence. That’s certainly how it is at Ginza Uchiyama, where the sea bream-centric menu features dishes that sound like just anyone could whip them up, but in reality require high-level skills to really pull off.
Ginza Uchiyama - image © Florentyna Leow
This basement-level restaurant doesn’t look like a high-end kaiseki restaurant – the entrance is pretty nondescript too – but one taste of the food will have you correcting any such assumptions. You’ll see mainly women at lunch, while salarymen on expense accounts dominate the seats at dinnertime.
Ginza Uchiyama - image © Florentyna Leow
Chef Uchiyama’s signature dish alone, the sea bream chazuke, is worth the visit. It’s no ordinary bowl of tea rice. Thick slices of sweet sea bream rest in a rich, creamy, soy and fish-spiked sesame sauce. Eat with fine white rice, and finally with hot green tea. It’s a dish at once refined and homey, exquisite and comforting. We also love his homemade karasumi (salted mullet roe) which will transport you to the ocean in a single bite.
Luckily, kaiseki doesn’t have to mean inaccessible and unaffordable. Multi-course dinners at Ginza Uchiyama starts at around JPY10,500 per person, but lunch can be had for as little as JPY1,500 per person if it’s just the sea bream chazuke you’re after. It’s a real bargain, especially in a ritzy area like Ginza.
For more Tokyo kaiseki, kappo and other haute cuisine choices, see our Best Kaiseki, Kappo and Other Haute Cuisine in Tokyo page.
English name:
Ginza Uchiyama
Japanese name:
銀座うち山
English address:
B1 Light bldg., 2-12-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0061
Japanese address:
〒104-0061 東京都中央区銀座2-12-3 ライトビルB1
Opening hours:
noon-2pm, 6pm-10pm
Closed National holiday Monday and last Sunday
Price:
Non-smoking section:
Yes
Reservations:
Necessary
Nearest Transport:
Subway: 4-minute walk from exit A7 of Higashi-ginza Station on the Toei Asakusa line and Tokyo Metro Hibiya line.
Subway: 4-minute walk from exit 11 of Ginza-itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho line.
Telephone:
+81-3-3541-6720
Website:
Official website (Japanese)
Customer Reviews:
Read customer reviews of Ginza Uchiyama on TripAdvisor.
Near To Here:
Ginza Uchiyama is located in Tokyo's Ginza district. See our complete list of things to do in Ginza, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
More Tokyo Restaurant Recommendations:
See all Kaiseki & Kappo & Other Haute Cuisine we recommend on our Best Kaiseki & Kappo & Other Haute Cuisine in Tokyo page and get the complete list for all cuisines on our Best Tokyo Restaurants page.
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