Solid, authentic Italian food in a pleasant setting. There's also a casual "dining bar" called Shiori on the ground floor.[feedback]

Nishi-Ikebukuro 3-25-2. Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm (LO). Closed third Monday.

A "market restaurant" with delicious grilled fish and meat and brick-oven-baked pizzas.[feedback]

Higashi-Ikebukuro 3-1-2, Sunshine City Alpa 3F. Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily.

Well-prepared Roman-style food at budget-friendly prices. Start off dinner with three selections from the extensive tapas display, then explore the pastas and main entrees, which include several good veal dishes. There's also an above-average dessert menu that includes several tasty homemade sherbets. Seating is mostly at the large wrap-around counter.[feedback]

Takadanobaba 2-15-10. Open 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

A big, spacious branch of this late-night budget Italian restaurant, open all afternoon and convenient to visitors to Shinjuku Gyoen.[feedback]

Shinjuku 1-1-7. (along the park, near the northeast (Okido) entrance) Open 11:30am-3am (LO) daily.

Venetian-style specialties, with a casual Venice-style wine and tapas stand-up bar in front. There are usually a few dozen tiny "cichetti" appetizers to nibble on, ranging from single spears of asparagus to mussels and sardines. Wines at the bar range from Y200-580 per glass, with some very interesting choices. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Shinjuku 3-4-8, Saison Plaza B1F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-10pm (LO) daily.

Choose from a huge a la carte menu of reasonably priced dishes, including a big selection of pizzas. The 12-item hot and cold appetizer selection is a good place to start.[feedback]

Shinjuku 3-15-17, Isetan Kaikan 5F. Open 11am-3, 6-11pm. Closed Wednesdays.

You'll find some of Shinjuku's best Italian cooking here, along with a wide selection of wines. The trattoria is under corporate management (Isetan), so you won't find too many surprises, just solid, by-the-book Tuscan fare - nice pastas and pizzas and excellent main dishes. Full-course dinners start at Y3,800, or you can order a la carte, including many daily specials.[feedback]

Shinjuku 3-16-13. Open 11:30am-3 (LO), 5:30-9:30pm (LO) daily.

Reasonably priced pizzas and pastas from the XEX group (Salvatore Cuomo, The Kitchen) in a lively and stylish trattoria. You can sit at the spacious counter if you just want a glass of wine and a snack. [feedback]

Jingumae 4-12-4, Omotesando Hills 3F. Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily.

The basement room may be unexciting, but the food and wine are first-rate. Great value for money.[feedback]

Kita-Aoyama 1-2-3, Aoyama Bldg. B1F. (diagonally across from Aoyama Twin Towers) Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.

This newest venture from the popular budget Italian chain promises to serve "an Italian mama's home-cooked meals." [feedback]

Udagawacho 20-11, Shibuya Mitsuba Bldg B1/B2F. (across from HMV, between Seibu A and B) Open 11:30am-2am daily.

A pleasant, casual Italian kitchen with culinary ambitions that aren't always fulfilled. The assorted appetizers (Y3400 for five items) were outstanding, but the main dishes and pastas didn't quite live up to expectations or to their high price tags. The wine list is geared toward big spenders, with very little in the under-Y5,000 range. The interior is comfortable, though, and the counter would make a nice setting for a quick pasta and glass of wine, or for a weekday lunch.[feedback]

Udagawacho 33-13. Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-10:15pm (LO). Closed third Monday.

One of Tokyo's first Australian-only wine bars, with one of the largest selections of rare and expensive wines from that country. The food is mainly Italian, and consistently good. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Shoto 1-26-22. Open 6pm-2am daily.

Simple, expertly prepared "seasonal dishes and Italian wines" in a casual setting. Lunch is Y700 and Y1450; full-course dinners from Y3800. Pizzas start at Y1400. [feedback]

Higashi 3-17-14, 2F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

The food is nicely prepared but a bit more expensive than expected. The large, comfortable dining room has been known to become rather raucus at times.[feedback]

Ebisu 1-15-9. Open 5:30-11pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

Former Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe's tiny restaurant has just 10 tables, so reservations are essential. Full-course dinners are Y6000 and Y8000; lunch is Y2000.[feedback]

Ebisu 1-23-22. Open 11:30am-1:30, 6:30-9:30pm (LO). Closed Wednesdays, 1st Tue.

Lots of Naples-style pizzas and grilled dishes, and even a few vegetarian items are on the menu.[feedback]

Ebisu 1-22-20. Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-11pm daily.

One of the better Italian joints in the neighborhood, although there's lots of competition.[feedback]

Ebisu 4-27-17. Open noon-1:30, 5:30-11pm (LO) daily.

This venture from the well-known Italian company De'Longhi offers reliable, traditional Italian cuisine in a spacious and gorgeously decorated dining room. Prices are less expensive than you might expect from the posh decor, and there are nice touches like three different olive oils to dip your bread in. Upstairs is a showroom where you can check out the latest espresso machine models, plus a "bruscetta bar" with terrace and indoor seating. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Sarugakucho 24-7, Daikanyama Plaza 1F/2F. Open 11:30am-2, 6-10:30pm (LO). Closed Tuesdays.

Lunch from Y3500, dinner from Y8000.[feedback]

Sarugakucho 29-3. Open noon-2, 6-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays.

Serious, modern Italian dining in a very tasteful setting. The extensive pasta section includes items like home-made pici with duck ragout and home-made tagliolini with anchovies and mushrooms. Starters average around Y2000; pastas Y2500, mains Y3000. The extensive wine list covers all of Italy and includes a handful of bottles for Y6800 and under, with most in the Y8000-15,000 range. Prix-fixe lunches (starting at Y1800) are an especially good deal. [feedback]

Minami-Azabu 4-2-42. Open 11:30am-2, 6-10pm. Closed Sundays.

The dramatic entrance to this spacious wine bar takes you through a tunnel of wine, with bottles displayed behind plexiglass panels on the ceiling, walls and floor. The interior is chic and casual, with seating at two long, undulating counters running the length of the dining room. The wine list showcases some 25 different varieties from Francis Ford Coppola's boutique vineyard in Napa Valley, with a menu of Italian small-plate dishes to go with them. Budget from Y3000 at lunch, Y10,000 at dinner. [feedback]

Akasaka 9-7-5, Tokyo Midtown Garden Terrace 2F. Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily.

Nestled in a corner of the Tadao Ando-designed musuem building, this Tokyo branch of an excellent Italian restaurant in Kyoto has one of the more impressive architectural settings in Tokyo Midtown. The food is first-rate modern Italian; budget around Y5000 for lunch and Y10,000 at dinnertime. Open from 8am weekends. [feedback]

Akasaka 9-7-5, Tokyo Midtown Plaza 1F. Open 10am-9:30pm (LO; from 8am weekends) daily.

An expensive (and very good) Italian restaurant downstairs, and a cafe upstairs serving drinks, coffee and desserts.[feedback]

Azabudai 3-1-7. Open noon-2:30am (LO) daily.

Fine Italian dining in a casual atmosphere, from the Michelin-starred Sadler restaurant in Milan. Full-course dinners are Y8500, while pizzas and pastas are in the Y2200-2800 range. There's also a very impressive wine cellar. Terrace seating is available in the warmer months of the year.[feedback]

Roppongi Hills, Keyakizaka-dori, Gate Tower 3F. Open 11am-1am daily.

Inexpensive pastas and Italian wines by the glass, with convenient late-night hours.[feedback]

Azabu-Juban 2-3-7. Open 11:30am-5am daily.

This cozy, inviting restaurant serves up authentic Italian fare in an atmosphere reminiscent of a Tuscan trattoria. The walls are a warm terracotta color, decorated with posters of Siena's main piazza, and the floors are terrazzo. Couples as well as families with young children and grandparents sit at tables covered with cheerful yellow tablecloths. The atmosphere is one of communal dining, and the noise level upstairs can rival that of an Italian bar at the height of the World Cup. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Azabu-Juban 3-7-2. Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-10:30pm (LO). Closed Tuesdays.

An old Akasaka standby, Granata has been serving good, upscale Italian cuisine for decades. Prix-fixe lunches are Y1600-4500 and dinners are Y7,000-Y10,000. Wines are fairly reasonable: Y5000-16,000 per bottle, from Y600 by the glass. [feedback]

Akasaka 5-3-1, Akasaka Biz Tower 2F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-9:30pm (LO) daily.

Inexpensive pastas, cheap Italian wines, late-night hours.[feedback]

Ginza 1-2-3. (under the highway, across from Seiyo Hotel) Open 11:30am-3am (LO) daily.

Pizza from custom-made wood-burning ovens, from this upscale chain of Italian eateries.[feedback]

Ginza 1-13-8. (Ginza 1-chome station exit 10) Open 11:30am-3, 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.

A cheap and cheerful Italian spot with friendly service. The menu focuses on pastas and appetizers, with just a handful of grilled seafood and meat main dishes. The Italian wine list is very reasonable, starting at Y3000. [feedback]

Ginza 2-2-14, Marronnier Gate 10F. Open 11am-3, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.

Inexpensive pastas and Italian wines by the glass, with convenient late-night service.[feedback]

Ginza 6-4-1, Tokaido Ginza Bldg B1F. Open 11:30am-5am daily.

A very relaxed Italian trattoria, with full-course dinners from Y2835. There are plenty of pastas and salads, mixed prosciutto platters and so on; they even have a take-out deli counter. The Y1000 lunch includes three deli-style appetizers as well as a panini sandwich, lasagna, pasta or risotto of the day. [feedback]

Marunouchi 2-1-1, Marunouchi MY Plaza B2F. Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.

This first Tokyo branch of one of Kyoto's best Italian restaurants occupies a small, minimal but elegant dining room facing the street. Dinner is either Y7500 or Y10,000 - chef's omakase menu only - with reasonably priced bottles and half-bottles of Italian wines. Lunch from Y2000. [feedback]

Marunouchi 2-7-3, Tokyo Bldg Tokia 1F. Open 11am-2, 6-9pm (LO) daily.

This branch of the very luxurious Luxor in Shirogane (from veteran Tokyo restaurateur Mario Fritolli) has a nice view of the plaza across from Tokyo International Forum. Budget around Y7000-10,000 for dinner; lunch from Y1300. [feedback]

Marunouchi 2-7-3, Tokyo Bldg Tokia 2F. Open 11am-2, 5-10:30pm (LO; 2am Thu/Fri) daily.

The original branch in Shirogane is famous for their wood-burning pizza oven, which is duplicated here.[feedback]

Marunouchi 2-4-1, Marunouchi Bldg. 5F. Open 11am-2, 5-11:30pm (LO) daily.

Budget Italian food and wine.[feedback]

Otemachi 1-5-1, First Square Garden B1F. Open 11am-10pm (LO). Closed weekends.

First-rate, creative Italian cooking in a small and unpretentious dining room. The menu is ever-changing, but some favorite dishes have included cauliflower panna cotta topped with sea urchin; crayfish terrine with caviar; souffle-style lobster and leek in a lobster bisque; foie gras and quail stuffed with porcini mushrooms; and pasta with wild-boar ragu. Budget around Y7000 for dinner; wines start at Y3000. [feedback]

Tomihisacho 8-27. Open noon-2, 6-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays.

Serious Southern Italian cooking for special occasions or weekend splurges. The food is simple but flawless, the service is friendly and professional, and the room is comfortably rustic. Dinner Y8,000-15,000 per person.[feedback]

Kojimachi 2-5-2. Open 11:45am-2:15, 5:45-10:15pm(LO). Closed Sundays.

Creative Italian cooking from talented young chef Stefano Fastro, a veteran of the Carmine restaurant group. The menu focuses on the food of the Veneto region, inland from Venice. The five-course prix-fixe dinner is Y6000, but a la carte offers a wider choice; lunch starts at Y1200.[feedback]

Kagurazaka 6-47, Terui Bldg. 1F. (on Kagurazaka-dori, about 1 min. from Kagurazaka station) Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-11pm (LO). Closed Mondays.

Cafes with scenic settings are a rarity in Tokyo, so this lovely spot looking out over the rowboats on the moat is worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood. After 5pm it's a proper restaurant, with surprisingly good upper-level Italian fare, including a nice assortment of small appetizers and lots of good-value wines. Budget around Y6000-9000 for dinner. There's also a separate self-service section of the cafe next to the boat docks; they're open for coffee a little later in the evening.[feedback]

Kagurazaka 1-9. Open 11am-10:30pm (LO). Closed Mondays.

Inexpensive pizzas and pastas in a very casual setting around big central tables. The attached NYK Cafe serves up coffee and drinks, including several French wines by the glass.[feedback]

Konan 2-18-1, Atre Shinagawa 2F. Open 7am-10:30pm (LO) daily.

There's no need for an elaborate meal if you're not in the mood; here you can settle in with a simple pizza margherita, a sampling of their fifteen different hams and salamis, and a nice bottle or two of Italian wine. The cellar stocks around 300-400 different bottles, so it may take awhile to choose. Open late Thursday and Friday evenings; budget from Y4000 at dinnertime with drinks. [feedback]

Kaigan 1-2-20, Shiodome Building 1F. Open 11am-4, 5-10:30pm (LO; 3am Thu/Fri). Closed daily.

Savory and sweet buckwheat pancakes are the specialty at this cheery bistrot-style spot, with toppings like shrimp and avocado, smoked salmon and sour cream, and gorgonzola and honey. The pancakes are thicker than Bretagne-style galettes - more like American breakfast pancakes. You'll also find various starters, pastas, and excellent Roman-style thin-crust pizzas, all at reasonable prices. [feedback]

Uehara 1-36-14. Open 11:45am-2, 5:30-9:30pm (LO) daily.

An upscale Italian venture from the diverse Jackpot chain, with excellent food and more spacious seating arrangements than average.[feedback]

Kitazawa 2-19-13. Open noon-2, 5:30-10:30pm daily.

From French celeb chef Alain Ducasse, a Mediterranean restaurant covering the cuisines of Italy, Spain, North Africa and Greece. The dining room is comfortable and attractively laid out, with nice views of Aoyama-dori, Shibuya and Shinjuku. Service is professional without being stiff. The wine list has some nice choices for under Y9000, and wine by the glass is fairly reasonable. Prix-fixe dinners from Y8,000, lunches from Y4500. [feedback]

Jingumae 5-51-8, La Porte Aoyama 10F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.

Creative "mukokuseki" ("no-nationality") dishes from the Mediterranean and Asia.[feedback]

Ebisu-Nishi 1-13-2. Open 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.

A pleasant "Mediterranean Rim" restaurant with a very casual cafe area up front (including outdoor seating) and a more formal dining room in back. The food is serviceable but not spectacular, and includes Spanish, French and Italian main dishes and starters, pizzas, paellas and pastas. There's also an extensive (and not very expensive) wine selection.[feedback]

Ebisu-Minami 3-1-24, City Square Ebisu 1F. (on Komazawa-dori) Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.

Mediterranean-inspired foods and drink from Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco, from TY Harbor chef David Chiddo. Enjoy one of Tokyo's friendliest wine lists; the bar is open late. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Minami-Azabu 5-2-40. Open noon-3, 6pm-2am (LO) daily.

The large counter at this tapas bar, with its clean white stools and gleaming rows of wine bottles, beckons one in for a quick snack. The menu features tempting Mediterranean dishes like Greek cabbage rolls, fried cauliflower salad, and rice croquettes. Wines from Argentina, Spain and Greece start at Y3900 per bottle, but unfortunately by-the-glass options are limited. Open late on weeknights only; earlier hours on Saturdays and Sundays. [feedback]

Akasaka 5-3-1, Akasaka Biz Tower 1F. Open 11am-3am (LO; Sat 10:30, Sun 8:30 LO) daily.

Some of the best cooking in this part of town - magnificent French, Italian, Middle Eastern dishes from the former chef of Grape Gumbo. There's also a very nice wine selection, and a small bar area up front. Around Y4000 plus drinks.[feedback]

Ginza 8-6-19, Nodaya Bldg. B1F. Open 6-11pm. Closed Sundays.

Produced by the Tokyo Dome Hotel, this inexpensive Spanish-Italian restaurant offers typical tapas dishes like shrimp in garlic oil, stewed tripe and chickpeas, plus paella, pastas, and heirloom pork dishes. Wines start at Y2625/bottle. [feedback]

Koraku 1-3-61, Tokyo Dome City Meets Port 2F. Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.