🥇🥈🥉 The Tabelog Award 2021

The Tabelog Award 2021 was announced on Wednesday 27th January.  Inevitably, instead of a lavish award ceremony this year's awards were announced online.  According to the site, restaurants in order for consideration are those which have scored over 4.0 during 2020 with voting decided by Tabelog users who have visited the restaurants and voting taking place 30th Oct to 9th Nov 2020.  Unlike Michelin, the Tabelog Award covers the whole of Japan. You can view the full list at https://award.tabelog.com/en?lang=en including Best New Entry at https://award.tabelog.com/en/restaurants/new so not going to repeat them here.  Below I list the changes from 2020 awards.  In a first, "The Tabelog Award Official Book 2021" was published in March.

There are no restaurants that have debuted with a Gold award this year.  Note that the recipients of "Best New Entry" are not simply the list of restaurants that have debuted with Silver.  There are 4 restaurants that debuted at Silver that haven't won Best New Entry (Maruyasu, CAINOYA, Aca 1° and Sushi Hashimoto) but 3 restaurants that have debuted at Bronze that did win Best New Entry (Ishii, Ryujiro, Seiryuen).  Without much transparency into the process it's hard to explain this.

Unless there's a known change at a restaurant (e.g. change of chef, price increase) I wouldn't assume that a restaurant that did not retain its award from the previous year is a definite indicator of a drop in quality or value - it can be just down to a difference of reviewers' opinion from year to year and if you look at the award history of some restaurants you can see the awards going up and down, unlike in Michelin where you don't get that type of fluctuation.  By the same token, you should expect some restaurants that have got a higher award this year to drop next year.   Anyway, hopefully this list helps you to see what the top hot restaurants of 2020 were in Japan. Happy dining 2021!

🥇 Silver to Gold

Sushi Ikko (Sushi / Hokkaido / 4.54) Sawada (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.56) L'OSIER (French / Tokyo / 4.53) PELLEGRINO (Italian / Tokyo / 4.68) Restaurant l'equateur (Innovative / Tokyo / 4.57) Sazenka (Chinese / Tokyo / 4.59) Kataori (Kaiseki / Ishikawa / 4.59) Shun (Unagi / Shizuoka / 4.54) Kiyama (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 4.5) Chikamatsu (Sushi / Fukuoka / 4.55)

🥈 New Silver

Shimoyamite Naeizuru (Innovative / Hokkaido / 4.08) PRESENTE Sugi (Italian / Chiba / 4.15) Nikuya Tanaka (Beef dishes / Tokyo / 3.39) Sushi Hashimoto (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.14) Ginza Oishi (French / Tokyo / 4.13) ShinoiS (Chinese / Tokyo / 4.08) Ao (Innovative / Tokyo / 4.11) Sushi Shunji (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.12) Aca 1° (Spain / Tokyo / 4.16) CAINOYA (Innovative / Kyoto / 4.13) Renshin (Chinese / Osaka / 4.13) Maruyasu (Fugu / Hyogo / 4.15) Pesceco (Innovative / Nagasaki / 4.14)

🥈 Gold to Silver 

L'Effervescence (French / Tokyo / 4.64) Hirasansou (Kaiseki / Shiga / 4.63) Soujiki Nakahigashi (Kyoto Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.53) Miyoshi (Beef dishes / Kyoto / 4.58) Suzue (Kappo / Kyoto / 4.6) Kyotenjin Noguchi (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 4.5) Yamaguchi (Italian / Kyoto / 4.64) Yamagishi (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 4.65) Sakai (Sushi / Fukuoka / 4.66) Takamura (Kaiseki / Akita / 4.64)

🥈 Bronze to Silver

Sushisai Wakichi (Sushi / Hokkaido / 4.31) Takaoka (Sushi / Chiba / 4.29) Tomato (European-style Curry / Tokyo / 4.12) Les Saisons (French / Tokyo / 4.28) Takajo Kotobuki (Fowl / Tokyo / 4.4) Iyuki (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 4.47) Harutaka (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.29) Hashiguchi (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.41) Tsunokamizaka Koshiba (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 4.23) Mitaka (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 4.39) Onjaku (Kaiseki / Shizuoka / 4.37) Hanaichi (Kaiseki / Aichi / 4.17) Yoshii (Kappo / Aichi / 4.36) Ogawa (Kappo / Kyoto / 4.32) Tada (Sushi / Osaka / 4.21) Uemura (Kaiseki / Hyogo / 4.36) Yakitori Kasahara (Yakitori / Hyogo / 4.33) akordu (Innovative / Nara / 4.26) Kaniyoshi (Crab / Tottori / 4.44) Mikadoya (Kappo / Shimane / 4.43) Gyoten (Sushi / Fukuoka / 4.29)

🥉 New Bronze

Tazawa (Tempura / Hokkaido / 4.15) Tempura Araki (Tempura / Hokkaido / 3.94) Yoichi SAGRA (Italian / Hokkaido / 4.11) Suyama (Kyoto Cuisine / Hokkaido / 4.06) Unagi Musashino (Unagi / Saitama / 4.04) Hiyama (Kaiseki / Saitama / 4.14) Shitaru (Indian curry / Chiba / 3.96) RyuGin (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 3.92) Maison de YULONG (Shanghai Cuisine / Tokyo / 3.94) VIA Brianza (Italian / Tokyo / 3.86) patisserie Paris S'eveille (Cake / Tokyo / 3.99) MASA'S KITCHEN47 (Chinese / Tokyo / 3.9) Zaichi (Horumon (BBQ Offel) / Tokyo / 3.96) Sunanomisaki (Indian curry / Tokyo / 3.91) Rokkan (Kappo / Tokyo / 4.05) Menan Chitose (Ramen / Tokyo / 3.98) Ebisu Kuroiwa (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 4.02) Kalpasi (Indian curry / Tokyo / 4.07) Teuchi-shiki choutakasuimen no no kura (Ramen / Tokyo / 4.13) Kasumicho Yamagami (Kappo / Tokyo / 3.98) Mendokoro kinari (Ramen / Tokyo / 3.93) Yakiniku Ibusana (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 4.06) ASAHINA Gastronome (French / Tokyo / 4.02) Sushi Sugaya (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.1) Eiki (Yakitori / Tokyo / 4.0) Takagaki no Sushi (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.95) Kawada (Kappo / Tokyo / 4.1) TexturA (Spain / Tokyo / 3.87) Tonkatsu Narikura (Tonkatsu / Tokyo / 4.03) broc Hasegawa Minoru Lab (French / Tokyo / 4.06) Yakiniku Seiryuen (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 4.05) Kaoru HIROO (Innovative / Tokyo / 4.16) Sushi saeki (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.08) Sushi Ryujiro (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.12) OHKUSA (Yakitori / Tokyo / 4.11) Sakurai Chuka Soba-ten (Ramen / Kanagawa / 4.09) RISTORANTE IL NODO (Italian / Kanagawa / 3.93) Takada Hassho (Kaiseki / Gifu / 3.81) Izumo (Japanese food / Aichi / 3.98) Hijikata (Sushi / Aichi / 4.07) HIRO NAGOYA (Yakiniku / Aichi / 4.01) Yanagiya Nishiki (Regional Cuisine / Aichi / 3.97) Awai Joun (Kaiseki / Aichi / 3.83) Sushi Michi Sakurada (Sushi / Aichi / 3.99) Daiichi (Suppon / Kyoto / 3.92) Les Champs Dor (French / Kyoto / 3.96) Kikunoi Honten (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 3.99) Kyoboshi (Tempura / Kyoto / 4.02) Kyo Seika (Chinese / Kyoto / 3.94) Gion Ichido (Teppanyaki / Kyoto / 3.92) Kaoru Okamoto (Kyoto Cuisine / Kyoto / 3.95) Ayanokoji Karatsu (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 3.98) Sen (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 3.98) Wayo Shusai Hide (Izakaya/ Osaka / 3.93) Gyu Ho (Beef dishes / Osaka / 3.95) Takoyasu (Fugu / Osaka / 3.81) Gessen (Chinese / Osaka / 4.0) Alarde (Modern Spanish / Osaka / 3.88) Sushi Sanshin (Sushi / Osaka / 4.07) Ono (Kaiseki / Osaka / 3.98) SUGALABO V (Modern French / Osaka / 4.15) Tori-sho Ishii (Yakitori / Osaka / 4.1) ARAGAWA (Steak / Hyogo / 3.92) Sushi Matsumoto (Sushi / Hyogo / 3.97) Nii (Chinese / Hyogo / 3.9) Kimiya (Yakiniku / Nara / 4.04) acca (Italian / Okayama / 4.01) Tanaka Ryokan (Ryokan / Yamaguchi / 3.78) Gamo (Udon / Kagawa / 4.05) Tamura (Yakiniku / Fukuoka / 3.88) torila (Yakitori / Fukuoka / 4.14) Sushi Mino (Sushi / Miyagi / 3.9) Tempura Takeuchi (Tempura / Fukuoka / 4.0) Robatayaki Sanroku (Fowl / Kumamoto / 4.07) Sushi Sempachi (Sushi / Kumamoto / 3.98) Ramputei (Yoshoku / Miyazaki / 3.98) CERCA TROVA (Italian / Miyazaki / 4.0) giueme (Italian / Akita / 4.1) Hagi French Cuisine (French / Fukushima / 4.12) Jikyuan (Soba / Ibaraki / 4.07)

🥉 Silver to Bronze

Inomata (Sushi / Saitama / 4.45) Torishige (Grilled pork / Tokyo / 4.26) Ajiman (Fugu / Tokyo / 4.48) Shimizu (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.35) Fukamachi (Tempura / Tokyo / 4.36) Tomura (Kyoto Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.5) Koho (Chinese / Tokyo / 4.39) SHOKUDO YArn (Innovative / Ishikawa / 4.31) Katatsumuri (Regional Cuisine / Gifu / 4.35) Hachisen (Kaiseki / Aichi / 4.44) Amaki (Sushi / Aichi / 4.23) Hinode (Seafood / Mie / 4.47) Kodaiji Wakuden (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 4.37) Kuishinobo Yamanaka (Steak / Kyoto / 4.4) Hassun (Kyoto Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.3) ORTO (Innovative / Kyoto / 4.2) Ifuki (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 4.38) Ankyu (Kappo / Kyoto / 4.35) Maeda (Kaiseki / Kyoto / 4.39) RYORIYA Stephan Pantel (French / Kyoto / 4.36) Rakuraku (Udon / Osaka / 3.99) Kizuna (Sushi / Osaka / 4.3) Hisada (Sushi / Okayama / 4.5) Sushi En (Sushi / Okayama / 4.27)

Gold to no award

Aca 1° (Relocated to Tokyo) Houba (Closed) 

Silver to no award

Tsugumi-an (Was on hiatus) été (Relocated) La Kanro (Relocated) F (Relocated)

Bronze to no award

Ajidokoro (Kappo / Hokkaido / 3.94) Le Manoir D'HASTINGS (French / Tokyo / 3.88) La Tourelle (French / Tokyo / 3.84) Shima (Steak / Tokyo / 3.76) Shigeyoshi (Kappo / Tokyo / 3.8) Tsujitome (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 3.86) Manoir d'Inno (French / Tokyo / 3.83) Chemins (French / Tokyo / 3.91) Yokota (Tempura / Tokyo / 3.9) RESTAURANT CRESCENT (Closed) APPIA (Italian / Tokyo / 3.81) Szechwan Restaurant Chen (Sichuan Cuisine / Tokyo / 3.82) Le Acacie (Italian / Tokyo / 3.65) RISTORANTE HiRo (Italian / Tokyo / 3.81) Bouquet de France (French / Tokyo / 3.81) Daisan Harumi Sushi (Closed) GORIO (Steak / Tokyo / 3.72) GINZA Ukai-tei (Teppanyaki / Tokyo / 3.91) Hokake (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.73) Yamanochaya (Unagi / Tokyo / 3.8) ARAGAWA (Steak / Tokyo / 3.88) Restaurant Kobayashi (French / Tokyo / 3.78) Jambo Shinozaki Honten (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 3.93) Gimpachi-tei Yazawa (Soba / Tokyo / 3.85) Nakamura (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.82) RISTORANTE ASO (Italian / Tokyo / 3.79) Fiocchi (Italian / Tokyo / 3.89) Obana (Unagi / Tokyo / 3.89) Ishibashi (Unagi / Tokyo / 3.86) Shotaien (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 3.86) Tonta (Tonkatsu / Tokyo / 3.93) L'Assiette Blanche (French / Tokyo / 3.96) Kondo (Tempura / Tokyo / 3.83) GINZA COBAU (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 3.8) LE BOURGUIGNON (French / Tokyo / 3.87) Suzuki (Unagi / Tokyo / 3.77) Sanchokuya Taka (Izakaya/ Tokyo / 3.83) Casa VINITALIA (Italian / Tokyo / 3.82) Yakiniku Uguisudani-en (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 3.91) BONA FESTA (Russian / Tokyo / 3.83) Maruichi (Tonkatsu / Tokyo / 3.81) Izumi (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.89) Miyaba (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.85) Kira Ginza (Teppanyaki / Tokyo / 3.75) Ishibashi (Sukiyaki / Tokyo / 3.88) Romantico (Italian / Tokyo / 3.9) Suzu (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.8) SADAYA (Steak / Tokyo / 3.81) Recte (French / Tokyo / 3.91) Unagi Akasaka Sekine (Unagi / Tokyo / 3.66) EdiTion Koji Shimomura (French / Tokyo / 3.89) OMOTESANDO Ukai-tei (Teppanyaki / Tokyo / 3.74) Ristorante La Barrique Tokyo (Italian / Tokyo / 3.86) Kudo no sora (Grilled pork / Tokyo / 3.72) Kirakutei (Relocated) Uzumaki (Closed) Dame-Jeanne (Bistro / Tokyo / 3.75) L'Odorante par Minoru Nakijin (French / Tokyo / 3.81) Restaurant tateru yoshino Ginza (Closed) Gentil H (French / Tokyo / 3.83) Seiju (Tempura / Tokyo / 3.83) Kato Gyuniku-ten Ginza (Steak / Tokyo / 3.82) Seisoka (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 3.72) Lart et la maniere (French / Tokyo / 3.84) Imamura (Relocated) OSTERIA OLIERA (Italian / Tokyo / 3.85) Itto (Ramen / Tokyo / 3.89) COMPTOIR MISSAGO (French / Tokyo / 3.87) Kasumi-tei Matsubara (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 3.81) Kotaro (Izakaya/ Tokyo / 3.93) Les Chanterelles (French / Tokyo / 3.8) Toku Uchiyama (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 3.79) Restaurant MANOIR (French / Tokyo / 3.88) GINZA HABSBURG VEILCHEN (Yoshoku/ Tokyo / 3.78) La Strada (Soba / Tokyo / 3.86) Ardoak (Spain / Tokyo / 3.71) Principio (Italian / Tokyo / 3.87) Remerciements OKAMOTO (French / Tokyo / 3.85) Cantonese en KEN TAKASE (Cantonese / Tokyo / 3.78) Gri-gri (French / Tokyo / 3.74) Convivio (Italian / Tokyo / 3.83) sio (French / Tokyo / 3.87) Kondo (Kappo / Tokyo / 3.84) SALLE A MANGER de Hisashi WAKISAKA (French / Tokyo / 3.82) Hirayama (Steak / Tokyo / 3.85) Nakasei Uchimise (Steak / Tokyo / 3.85) La facon koga (French / Tokyo / 3.89) Lyla (French / Tokyo / 3.86) Curry Rice Diran (Indian curry / Tokyo / 3.79) Prevenance (French / Tokyo / 3.89) Namaiki (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 3.89) PONTE DEL PIATTO (Italian / Tokyo / 3.82) sel sal sale (Italian / Tokyo / 3.92) Sushi Take (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.84) Murase (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.84) Lien (French / Tokyo / 3.75) Celaravird (Innovative / Tokyo / 3.82) Air (Modern French / Tokyo / 3.9) CRAFTALE (Modern French / Tokyo / 3.92) FURUYA augastronome (French / Tokyo / 3.84) Teppanyaki iwakura (Kappo / Tokyo / 3.85) Erba da nakahigashi (Italian / Tokyo / 3.71) ALLIE (French / Tokyo / 3.89) L'orgueil (French / Tokyo / 3.91) Ristorante Senso (Closed) Fudomae Sushi Iwasawa (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.93) Homemade Ramen Muginae (Ramen / Tokyo / 4.02) Le Ciel (French / Tokyo / 3.64) THIERRY MARX salon (Closed) Alternative (French / Tokyo / 3.8) Edomae Shinsaku (Tempura / Tokyo / 3.86) Shinsen Kappo Sanoya (Kappo / Tokyo / 3.67) Sushi Satake (Closed) Takumi (French / Tokyo / 3.86) Akasaka Gosen (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 3.62) Ginza Kudo (Kaiseki / Tokyo / 3.82) ENEKO Tokyo (Modern Spanish / Tokyo / 3.83) L'algorithme (French / Tokyo / 3.89) SECRETO (Innovative / Tokyo / 3.94) B (French / Tokyo / 3.81) SALONE TOKYO (Italian / Tokyo / 3.9) revoru (Closed) Libre (French / Tokyo / 3.87) INUA (Innovative / Tokyo / 3.7) Yakiniku Ushigoro (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 3.96) YOKOHAMA Ukai-tei (Teppanyaki / Kanagawa / 3.82) Mikasa (Tempura / Kanagawa / 4.39) Sekiyo (Ryokan / Kanagawa / 3.71) Koan (Kaiseki / Kanagawa / 3.86) été (French / Kanagawa / 3.75) Variante (Relocated) Daimon (Sushi / Toyama / 3.87) Takechiyo (Kappo / Ishikawa / 3.89) Shinosuke (Sushi / Ishikawa / 3.89) Sushi Kibatani (Sushi / Ishikawa / 3.93) Sushi Ichi (Sushi / Aomori / 3.94) Kamisono (Kappo / Aichi / 3.83) ENOTECA PINCHIORRI NAGOYA (Italian / Aichi / 3.73) Osteria LIU (Italian / Aichi / 3.73) BACIO (Italian / Aichi / 3.87) Vicino (Italian / Aichi / 3.92) RESTAU K YAMAUCHI (French / Aichi / 3.71) Héritage (French / Aichi / 3.7) Mas de Lavande (French / Aichi / 3.81) ONZA (Fowl / Shiga / 3.96) Tsurukikyo (Kappo / Shiga / 3.91) Kogetsu (Kaiseki / Shiga / 3.77) Chiso Toshifuji (Kaiseki / Shiga / 3.49) Kyoshumi Hisaiwa (Bento (Lunch box) / Kyoto / 3.94) La Biographie (French / Kyoto / 3.86) Muromachi Kaji (Izakaya/ Kyoto / 3.85) Endo (Kappo / Kyoto / 3.82) Aji Fukushima (Kyoto Cuisine / Kyoto / 3.91) MAVO (Relocated) Takezaki (Kappo / Kyoto / 3.69) Yosuke YAMAJI (French / Kyoto / 3.9) Masaru (Sushi / Osaka / 3.75) Tatemoto (Fugu / Osaka / 3.49) Grand champs (French / Osaka / 3.75) BOTANI:CURRY (Indian curry / Osaka / 3.94) énye (Spain / Osaka / 3.84) Ramen Senmon Kazumi (Nagomi) (Ramen / Hyogo / 3.9) Bec (Bistro / Hyogo / 3.86) Seino (Ramen / Wakayama / 3.85) Tanikawa Beikokuten (Udon / Kagawa / 3.96) Sushi Tomo (Sushi / Kagawa / 3.88) Morita (Sushi / Fukuoka / 3.81) Hirozushi (Sushi / Miyagi / 3.75) Yoshida (Sushi / Fukuoka / 3.68) Sushi Tsubasa (Sushi / Fukuoka / 3.92) Miugaya (Yakiniku / Miyazaki / 3.75) Myoken Ishiharaso Shokusai Ishikura (Kaiseki / Kagoshima / 4.0) Mukashi no kiri tanpoya (Hot Pot / Akita / 3.82) Onyado Kawasemi (Ryokan / Fukushima / 4.05) Kawasemi (Unagi / Tochigi / 3.89)