In 1998, when the first towers of the Shinagawa Intercity complex rose on the east side of the station, they looked out over a massive, multi-acre construction site. In the intervening years a new high-rise mini-city has sprung up, and in mid-April much of it began opening to the public. In the middle of all the new office and hotel buildings is an impressive restaurant complex called Grand Passage, designed to serve the after-hours dining needs of this new city's office workers.

This new batch of restaurants is very flashy - collectively they serve as an stunning example of the rising standards of restaurant decor that have emerged over the past few years. It's especially dramatic when you compare them to the restaurants just across the plaza in the older part of the complex, which look positively dowdy by comparison, like leftovers from a previous century.

The culinary offering are more conservative than the interiors - lots of crowd-pleasing izakayas and upscale Italian joints, and not too many exotic discoveries - but there are still some worthwhile choices if you're in the area. Here are a few highlights.

Via Partenope (03-6718-2825).
This is a branch of a popular Italian place in Hiroo and Ebisu, and it sports a nicely tiled wood-burning pizza oven and a pleasant ground-floor view looking out onto the plaza.

Kanou-ya (03-6718-2835).
Country-style fare - soba, natto, and tofu dishes, and an intriguing sansai (mountain vegetable) full-course dinner at Y3500, along with sake from Niigata (six different kinds of Kubota!).

Tsuki no Shizuku (03-6718-2890).
They specialize in home-made tofu, Kyoto-style yuba (tofu skin) dishes, and sashimi, all served in a beautiful rustic-themed setting.

Aroma Classico (03-6718-2822).


A branch of the famous Aroma Fresca in Hiroo, they offer an excellent wine selection and a fairly upmarket menu (full-course dinners from Y6500).

Rojin (03-6718-2841).
An "Oriental Kitchen" with a bamboo and hanging-bead interior theme. Oriental here means Korean side dishes and Chinese dimsum, ramen and gyoza, Jinro cocktails and 7 kinds of Chinese tea, all at budget-friendly prices.

Yuan (03-6718-2809).


Another tofu specialty restaurant, this one with a bright, modern Japanese interior, and sushi and seasonal dishes to supplement the tofu.

Dubliners' Cafe (03-6718-2834).
Guinness on tap from this popular chain of pubs.

Mimiu (03-6718-1707).
Hearty Osaka-style udon sukiyaki is the specialty of the house.

Grand Passage is part of the new Shinagawa Grand Commons complex, about a 5-minute walk from Shinagawa station east exit.

by Robb Satterwhite