Assorted wines and "fresh herb cuisine" in a colorfully decorated setting. There's a Y2500 buffet dinner Friday and Saturday nights (7-10pm), and many private parties during the week. [feedback]

Shibuya 1-3-18, Villa Moderna. (directly across from Aoyama Park Tower) Open 5-11pm. Closed Mondays.

The large menu features unusual meats like rabbit, boar, deer, horse and frog as well as more common ones. You'll find a nice sake selection and over fifty kinds of shochu. Budget around Y5500. [feedback]

Shibuya 1-5-6. Open 6pm-1am (LO; 10pm Sun) daily.

A small, friendly little bar that offers lots of live music and art events, including belly dancing. [feedback]

Shibuya 1-6-3. Open 11:30am-11pm. Closed Sundays.

The smart interior here is a very Tokyo-exotic mix of baked-mud walls, heavy wooden furniture, and organic-looking extra-terrestrial lighting fixtures like something from the set of "Alien". But you're really here for the wine - over 100 different varieties, from all regions of Australia and New Zealand. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Shibuya 2-9-11, Aoyama City Bldg. B1F. Open 6pm-2am. Closed Sundays.

This swank dining spot from chef David Chiddo (Cicada, TY Harbor) bills itself as an "urban chop house" - basically a steak house, but with more seafood choices. The kitchen uses only top-class ingredients - long-grain-fed Angus beef, wild Aussie jumbo prawns, organic Scottish salmon - and the menu offers good value for money (budget around Y8500 for dinner and drinks). The wine list focuses on smaller New World vineyards, with some 20 choices by the glass. [feedback]

Shibuya 1-2-5. Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm (LO) 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.

Hawaiian-style burgers and deli sandwiches, plus Kona microbrew beers from Hawaii. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-10-21. (on the corner of Kotto-dori and Aoyama-dori, across from Max Mara) Open 11:30am-10pm (LO) daily.

The hito-kuchi gyoza (bite-size dumplings) here come in a variety of flavors, but don't miss the shiso and garlic specials. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-12-4. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-10:55pm (LO) daily.

Chef Kenji Sugawara was one of Japan's pioneers in the art of California cuisine, and his "Tokyo international" style is unique and exciting. Menu descriptions include plenty of exotic Asian ingredients and spices, but they're handled delicately, adding subtle flavors that are skillfully balanced. The glassed-in open kitchen adds some energy and liveliness to the cozy dining room, which seats just 14. The wine list is small but diverse and reasonably priced; budget around Y6-7000 for dinner with drinks. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-12-6, Dai-ni Wada Bldg B1F. Open noon-2, 6-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

This elegant, very relaxed bar features gigantic fishtanks filled with exotic tropical fish from Okinawa and environs. The menu includes tasty original cocktails and light food items. There's a Y700 per person table charge. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-13-3. Open 6pm-2am daily.

Lauburu is dedicated to the art of serious eating - specifically, the serious consumption of pork. Billed as a French/Basque country-style bistro, the food here is prepared simply - no rich, complicated sauces or sculptural statements on the plate, just good honest country cooking. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 6-8-18. Open 6-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

Critically acclaimed curries in a pleasant little shop located on the little street parallel to Kotto-dori. The food is authentic and good, and Ghungroo even caters events at the Indian Embassy. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-6-19. Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.

Those with a fondness for cartoon-character dolls and action figures will find a kindred spirit in Yoshitomo Nara, whose paintings and sculptures of devilish children are as disconcerting as they are cute. A joint project with the Graf design firm, A to Z Cafe, with its original artwork, mismatched furniture, and liberal use of worn wood and corrugated iron, is a cool place to spend the afternoon. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-8-3, Equbo Bldg 5F. Open 11:30am-11:30pm (to 4am weekends) daily.

A relaxing, quiet space inside a museum devoted to the whimsical works of sculptor Taro Okamoto. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 6-1-19. Open 11am-7pm. Closed Tuesdays.

The excellent French kitchen attached to the Blue Note jazz club. Full-course dinners from Y5000 upstairs; tapas and lighter snacks down on the first floor. (If you're going to a show at the club, you can coordinate your dinner here with starting time for the performance.) [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 6-3-16. Open 5:30-11pm (LO). Closed Sundays.

Traditional Thai and Laotian cuisine; Cay also doubles as a nightclub and performance space. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-6-23, Spiral Building B1F. Open 11:30am-2, 6pm-midnight. Closed Sundays.

One of Tokyo's older French wine bars (now relocated to newer quarters), with a decent selection of French dishes to go with your chosen bottle. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-1-25, Kitamura Bldg B1F. (on Aoyama-dori a few doors down from Andersen) Open 11:30am-2, 6-9:30pm. Closed Sundays.

This branch of the ubiquitous budget Thai chain has a larger-than-average menu, good food and take-out service. The decor is also a cut above average. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-1-25, Kitamura Bldg B1F. (on Aoyama-dori a few doors down from Andersen) Open 11am-9pm (lunch to 2) daily.

Prime-grade tuna and affordable Australian and New Zealand wines in a gorgeous modern dining room. Highlights include the tuna sushi and the charcoal-grill menu. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-1-3, La Mia Bldg. 2F. Open 5pm-1am daily.

Spectacular chicken wings and other chicken specialties, and a tasteful, traditional Japanese interior. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 3-18-16, Behind exit A4 Omotesando station. (across from El Torito) Open 5pm-4:30am daily.

Spectacular, creative, fun French haute cuisine from the famous Michelin three-starred chef. Dinner starts at Y17,450, and the market lunch is Y7,350 (+12% service); wines cover the full range, starting around Y5000. [feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 5-3-2, Aoyama Square Bldg 4F. Open 11:30am-2, 6-10pm. Closed Sundays.

The basement of Crayon House has an organic vegetable shop and two separate natural-food restaurants: "Hiroba", serving Japanese food, and "Home", with French cuisine. "Hiroba" offers an interesting buffet lunch for Y1,200. [feedback]

Kita-Aoyama 3-8-15. (walk down Omotesando towards Harajuku, turn left at the Hanae Mori Building and walk one block) Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily.

A very entertaining dining space, with intimate little cubbyhole seating areas on two levels. The menu is modern Japanese "dining bar" style, with a big selection of cocktails. [feedback]

Jingumae 5-2-14. Open 11:30am-11pm daily.

The pace of life here is relaxed, with most cooking done over a simple charcoal hibachi at your table. The menu is practically an agricultural tour of Japan - Kumamoto venison; Nagoya pheasant; and sake and shochu from selected small breweries throughout the country. Bamboo trees and lanterns set the mood out front, and the interior is wood-and-stone Japanese modern. [See FULL REVIEW.][feedback]

Minami-Aoyama 3-12-4. Open 6pm-2am (LO; Sundays 10pm) daily.

Authentic Hong Kong-style desserts straight from the source, plus plenty of good dim sum, noodle dishes and other a la carte items at this very popular shop. [feedback]

Kita-Aoyama 3-5-14. Open 11am-10pm daily.

Modern Spanish cuisine and a good wine list; dinner is around Y5000 per person. [feedback]

Jingumae 4-2-17 B1F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-11pm (LO). Closed Mondays.

Sweet and savory Breton-style crepes, with hard cider to wash them down, in a rustic French farmhouse-style dining room. [feedback]

Jingumae 4-9-8. Open 10am-11pm LO (-12 Fri,Sat.; -10 Sun.). Closed Mondays.

Tokyo's second-most-famous tonkatsu restaurant, located in an unusually decorated former bathhouse. In addition to pork cutlets there's also a full menu of set meals and seasonal a la carte items. [feedback]

Jingumae 4-8-5. Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily.

This stylish little izakaya offers excellent food, a good sake selection, and an entire menu page devoted to different varieties of salt - 12 of them in all. Charcoal-grilled seafood and vegetables are among the food highlights. Budget around Y2500 without drinks. [See branch review] [feedback]

Jingumae 3-6-5. Open 6pm-3am daily.