A wide selection of freshly made dim sum is available all day long; there's also a big a la carte menu plus assorted dinners and all-you-can-eat specials. The room won't win any interior decorating awards, but the cooking is solid, the service pleasant and professional.

Minami-Aoyama 3-1-30, Sumitomo Seimei Bldg., B1F. Open 11am-10pm daily.

American-style ribs, casual atmosphere.

Minami-Aoyama 3-1-30, Sumitomo Seimei Bldg., B1F. Open noon to 10:30pm (LO) daily.

This stylish design-centered cafe offers architecture magazines to browse through while you sip your coffee. They serve a small breakfast buffet (Y1200) from 7-10am.

Minami-Aoyama 2-27-18, Aoyama M's Tower 2F. Open 7am-11pm (Sun -6pm) daily.

A tofu and yuba specialty restaurant with branches throughout Japan. Full-course dinners range from Y3,600; lunch from Y1,900. This is definitely an old-school tofu shop - first you sip ume tea and listen to koto music in the waiting area, then you're led to a main dining room that might remind you of an upscale family restaurant. After the meal you can browse the "souvenir" section next to the cash register, which has packaged tofu items to take home. The customer demographic skews towards more mature Aoyama shoppers, and the menu notes the number of calories for each set meal. And the tofu is very good.

One of the specialties here is the "mineoka dofu" - sweet and very creamy, almost dessert-like in character. You can pick from a huge variety of set meals and side dishes, including seasonal specials, ranging upwards from Y3600 (Y1900 at lunchtime). Most sets have about a dozen dishes, and some highlights included tofu shumai dumplings, yuba (tofu-skin) soup, daikon-and-maguro sushi wrapped in yuba, and of course the soy-milk (tonyu) sherbet. There are a few premium sake choices - it's almost an afterthought - and they compete for your attention with offbeat plum-flavored drinks like the ume-champagne cocktail.

Ume no Hana is a nation-wide chain with 11 other Tokyo branches, including Harumi (03-5144-8235), Ginza (03-3538-2226), and Ueno (03-3834-7712). [Show more] [Show less]

Minami-Aoyama 2-27-18, Aoyama M's Tower Passage 2F. Open 11am-3, 5-9pm (LO) daily.

A convenient Gaienmae meeting spot, with music listening booths as well as a coffee and food menu.

Kita-Aoyama 2-7-18, Yamazaki Bldg. 1F. Open 11am-2am (LO) daily.

Modern Scandinavian cuisine and spiffy Swedish design from internationally renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson, known for his highly acclaimed Aquavit and Riingo restaurants in New York City. Lunches from Y1500 and dinners from Y6800; there's also a lounge area serving drinks and lighter food. Jackets are recommended for men in the dining room. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Kita-Aoyama 2-5-8, Aoyama OM Square 1F. Open 11:30am-2, 6-10pm (LO) daily.

Well-prepared Cantonese standards are served here in a very ordinary-looking Chinese-restaurant dining room. The Y2100 weekend lunch features good-sized portions of shrimp in chili sauce, sweet and sour pork, stir-fried vegetables, smoked-meat starters, egg-drop soup, and almond jelly for dessert - no real surprises, but everything is nicely put together. Weekday lunches start at Y1050, with full-course dinners from Y4200.

Kita-Aoyama 2-3-1, C.I. Plaza. Open 11am-10pm (LO 9:30) daily.

This spacious cafe offers typical cafe fare (pastas, sandwiches) during the day, along with fresh-baked breads and pastries from their in-store bakery. In the evening the menu widens to include grilled meats and fish and other Mediterranean-inspired fare. There's some outdoor terrace seating overlooking the Jingu Gaien promenade.

Kita-Aoyama 2-1-19. Open 11am-11pm daily.

Luxurious modern French cooking and warm service; the chef here was the former sous chef at the Michelin three-star restaurant Quintessence. Prix-fixe lunches are Y4,200, dinners are Y10,500 (+10% sc). Tables are in great demand, so you might need to book a month or two in advance.

Minami-Aoyama 4-9-9, Aoyama TMI 1F. Open noon-1:30, 6:30-9pm (LO). Closed Wednesdays.

As the name implies, tagine stews are the specialty here, but the kitchen also serves up a good selection of kebabs, cous cous dishes, salads and soups. The spacious dining room offers a nice view out over Gaien-Nishi-dori. There are nightly performances of traditional Moroccan music at 9:30pm, and belly dance performances on weekends - call for details. Prix-fixe dinners are Y2500-5500, or budget around Y3500 for dinner with a few drinks if you order a la carte.

Minami-Aoyama 3-2-3, Katorea Bldg 2F. Open 11am-2:30, 5:30-10:30pm (LO) daily.

Le Gaulois turns out impressively accomplished French cuisine, but despite the serious kitchen it maintains the warm, down-to-earth feel of a neighborhood restaurant. The food is creative but unpretentious, relying on impeccable ingredients and painstaking attention to detail. The four-course, Y6800 prix-fixe menu represents good value for money, and the wine list is well put together and reasonably priced. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Jingumae 2-3-18. Open noon-2:30, 6-9pm. Closed Mondays.

The menu here is French-influenced casual cafe fare - liver mousse, ratatouille, mussels and clams steamed in white wine, roast beets with Roquefort cheese. French wines start at around Y3000. Budget around Y2500 for food at dinnertime.

Jingumae 2-33-12, Villa Bianca 1F. Open 11:30am-midnight daily.

Having conquered the worlds of music and fashion, "A Bathing Ape" founder Nigo has turned his attention to curry rice. The small Curry Up shop on the northern edge of Harajuku was designed by Wonderwall and reportedly named by hiphop producer Pharrell Williams. Having conquered the worlds of music and fashion, "A Bathing Ape" founder Nigo has turned his attention to curry rice. The small Curry Up shop on the northern edge of Harajuku was designed by Wonderwall and reportedly named by hiphop producer Pharrell Williams. The look is simple but stylish - a white concrete storefront with a yellow neon sign, and lots of stainless steel and concrete on the interior. The modern style is tempered by subtly kitsch elements like the faux-wood-grained table and counter tops, old-fashioned white curtains in the window, and the gold-bordered shop logo with a smiling, mustachioed chef.

The music is old-school, mainstream reggae - we enjoyed both "You Don't Love Me (No No No)" by Dawn Penn and "One Love" by Bob Marley during our first ten minutes in the shop. The high point of our meal (from a design point of view) was the little dish of pickles that came with our curry. They've taken the vivid pink, green and white curry-shop standard pickle assortment, diced everything up very fine and mixed it all together in a pretty, bright swirl of colors. [Show more] [Show less]

Jingumae 2-35-9-105. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-8:30pm (LO) daily.

"Korean organic" is how Nabi bills itself, with a menu covering the usual bases of modern Korean cuisine (including yakiniku). The beautiful basement dining room, which looks like a cross between a cafe/lounge and a furniture showroom, was decorated by the Idee design shop, which also manages the restaurant.

Jingumae 2-31-20, Accorder Jingumae Bldg. B1F. (from Takeshita-dori and Meiji-dori walk to the second traffic light, then go down the little alleyway running parallel to Meji-dori on the right side of the street, and go to the end of the alley; it's on the right) Open 11am-2:30, 6-11:30pm (LO) daily.

Skillful Italian cooking in a casual but comfortable trattoria setting. Main courses include game in season, and the finest small-farm-raised meats and regional seafood year-round. There's a good selection of wines under Y7000, with at least a half dozen by the glass. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Jingumae 2-25-4. Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-10:30pm (LO). Closed Thursdays.

Kurkku's attractive and spacious dining room is tucked into the back of a trendy-looking design shop, and the main focus is on the wood-burning grill at the heart of the open kitchen. The menu is built around premium grilled meats but also includes hefty portions of vegetables and greens. Prix-fixe dinners of ample size start at Y5500, and they include a vegetable-centered chef's menu. A few decent wines can be found for under Y6000, but it's easy to spend more if you want to splurge. The Y2800 three-course lunch is an especially good deal.

Jingumae 2-18-21, Koti Bldg 1F. Open 11:30-2, 5-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays.

The decor of this cute little cafe is a mix of early-sixties batchelor-pad modern with African and Asian knick-knacks, while the soundtrack covers the range of Afro-pop and world music. There are plenty of cozy seating areas, including a couple of chairs perched in the tiny back garden. The menu features flavored teas, original cocktails, Singaporean chicken rice and Thai curries.

Jingumae 2-31-9. Open 11am-8pm daily.

Espresso beverages, teas, salads and other light cafe fare. Prices are a bit higher than average, but the dining area is stylish and spacious. Located inside the Ron Herman store.

Sendagaya 2-11-1. Open 9am-9pm daily.

Pancakes for breakfast, burgers, and simple dishes like pork chops and Moroccan chicken with rice. Eat in or take out.

Sendagaya 2-28-4. Open 10am-11pm daily.

This branch of Galali offers a big selection of shochu, mostly the kokuto (sugarcane) variety, and excellent food to go with it. The rustic interior is intimate and comfortable, although the building can be a bit shaky when large trucks rumble past. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Sendagaya 2-6-4. Open 11:30am-2, 5-11pm (LO) daily.

This spacious basement dining room offers a very popular Japanese natural-foods lunch service; last order is 3pm. It's set up cafeteria-style, so you can mix and match your pick of half a dozen mains (mostly grilled fish and meats) priced at around Y400 each, along with vegetable side dishes, soup and rice as you like - a full meal comes to about Y1000. In the evenings there's a full menu of Japanese and Asian-influenced dishes with biodynamic wines and organic-herb cocktails; budget around Y3500. Tea and cakes are served during the afternoon.

Sendagaya 1-13-11. Open 11:30am-3, 6-9pm (LO) daily.

Convenient to nearby baseball, soccer and rugby stadia, this unpretentious neighborhood counter-shop serves good, old-fashioned European-style Japanese curries in meat and seafood variations. Options include various cheese toppings.

Sendagaya 2-33-1. Open 11:30am-7pm (Sat, Sun -6pm). Closed Mondays.

Shanghai-style dim sum and other dishes.

Sendagaya 1-7-11. (past Sendagaya pool and Mos Burger) Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-10pm (LO) daily.

Breakfast is served from 6am here, either in the vast living-room-style indoor space, the sprawling back garden area, or up front where you can watch foot traffic heading to and from Sendagaya station. In the evenings there's a casual cafe menu plus a range of cocktails, herbal liqueurs, inexpensive wines and microbrew beers from Kona Brewery in Hawaii. Breakfast is served from 6am here, either in the vast living-room-style indoor space, the sprawling back garden area, or up front where you can watch foot traffic heading to and from Sendagaya station. In the evenings there's a casual cafe menu plus a range of cocktails, herbal liqueurs, inexpensive wines and microbrew beers from Kona Brewery in Hawaii.

The morning market menu veers towards the health-conscious end of the spectrum, with fruit and vegetable salads; mixed-grain okayu (rice porridge); granola, banana and yogurt bowls; French toast and lots of juice options. Or you can hit the ground running with one of their gourmet burger platters. The morning market salad (Y1100; served all day long) features exotic vegetables like turnips, beetroots and toasted lotus roots, plus a sausage and a fried egg for good measure.

There's also a take-out window up front where you can pick up burgers, salads and drinks to go. [Show more] [Show less]

Sendagaya 1-20-3. Open 6am-11pm daily.

A friendly Japanese-style steakhouse. The decor and menu are pretty old-school (they've been here since 1979), but the steaks are good, and fairly reasonable in price.

Sendagaya 1-7-12. Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm. Closed Mondays.

At night Jamaica Udon turns into a casual cafe-bar, with inexpensive cocktails and relatively late hours (for the neighborhood).

Sendagaya 1-7-12, 2F. Open 11am-1am (LO 10:30pm) daily.

Fresh seafood from Hakodate (Hokkaido) and a nice sake selection in this large, modern izakaya.

Sendagaya 1-30-8, B1F. Open 11:30am-2, 5-11pm daily.

A very pleasant garden-style cafe with decent food and drink.

Sendagaya 3-3-14. Open 11am-8pm daily.

Lots of good curries, great momo dumplings and "special nan" - potato, keema, coconut, etc. - at very affordable prices. The tiny basement dining space is enlivened by Nepalese music videos. Open all day long, with lunch served to 4pm.

Sendagaya 3-3-3, Executive Harajuku B1F. Open 11:30am-midnight daily.

While the decor is fairly ordinary for a neighborhood coffeeshop, the food, drinks and background music are all above average, and the whole room is non-smoking. Located next to Kita-Sando station on the Fukutoshin subway line.

Sendagaya 3-33-6.