🥇🥈🥉 The Tabelog Award 2025 – Results

The Tabelog Award 2025 results were announced on Wednesday 29th January 2025.

The number of awards compared with 2024 is:

🥇 Gold: 35 (-)
🥈 Silver: 101 → 151 (+50)
🥉 Bronze: 320 → 466 (+126)

On my 2024 page I explained how the process works and it's the same for 2025.

There are no debut Gold restaurants this year.  Twelve restaurants make their debut with Silver while Chiune, il Aoyama and Makitori Shinkobe re-enter with Silver after relocation.  This makes for a total of 15 'new' Silver restaurants but only ten of these receive "Best New Entry".  It's not clear what the criteria are for Best New Entry (the only official information is "first-time nominees that made the biggest leap this year") and it's not clear that it's limited to 10 restaurants (it was 10 in 2024, but 14 in 2023) but it always seems silly that a restaurant can receive Best New Entry when it relocates.

Of the Gold promotees I recommend and would go back to Kitanozaka Kinoshita and Sawada.  If you haven't been to any of the Sasue Maeda affiliated restaurants in Shizuoka then Chisou Nishi Kenichi is worth a visit but I don't think it's worth a special trip.  Restaurant Naz I would not go back to.  Chez Inno I'm yet to visit.

As I've mentioned before, restaurants can flip/flop between categories from year to year so I don't normally think it significant when a place doesn't retain its status.  However, Quintessence losing Gold is a big deal.  Quintessence is the most iconic restaurant in Japan and was one of only a handful of restaurants to have held a Gold Award ever since the awards were started (Matsukawa, Sugita, Sushi Saito and Tenzushi Kyomachi are those which remain).  Again, it doesn't mean the restaurant is necessarily 'worse' but, by definition, it means it's less popular.

As always the full list is at https://award.tabelog.com/en?lang=en while below you'll find the changes from 2024.  🔥 indicates a restaurant that opened in 2023.  Ignoring relocations, according to Tabelog data there are no restaurants on the list that opened in 2024 though actually Niji Kichi did and it also happens to have the highest score of any debut restaurant.  (I suspect it simply didn't get enough votes to get Silver or Gold this year.)  🏠🚗💨 indicates a restaurant that relocated within the last 12 months.  ❌ marks a restaurant that has closed.

⬆️ 🥇 Silver to Gold

Shumoku Cho Shimizu (Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.51) Kitanozaka Kinoshita (Italian / Hyogo / 4.45) Restaurant Naz (Innovative, Italian / Nagano / 4.51) Uran (Unagi / Shiga / 4.43) Chisou Nishi Kenichi (French, Innovative / Shizuoka / 4.42) Chez Inno (French / Tokyo / 4.35) Sawada (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.55)

⬇️ 🥈 Gold to Silver

Seirin (Japanese Cuisine / Shizuoka / 4.48) CHIUnE (Innovative, French / Tokyo / 4.21) 🏠🚗💨 Gourmandise (Bistro / Tokyo / 4.48) Maki Tori Shin Kobe (Yakitori, Chicken dishes / Tokyo / 4.21) 🏠🚗💨 Makimura (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.44) Mitani (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.54) Quintessence (French / Tokyo / 4.53) Sushi Nanba Hibiya (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.53) Takiya (Tempura / Tokyo / 4.53)

🆕 🥈 Debut Silver

Sumibi Yakiniku Horumon Sawaishi (Horumon, Yakiniku / Kanagawa / 4.21) 🔥 Japanese cuisine Kenya (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.15) Toku Hamotonari (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.18) 🔥 NH (French, Innovative / Osaka / 4.21) 🔥 Numata (Tempura / Osaka / 4.2) SAWADA (Japanese Cuisine / Osaka / 4.12) 🔥 Tanaka Yoshihide (Chinese / Osaka / 4.12) 🔥 Tonkatsu Noguchi (Tonkatsu, Katsu-don / Osaka / 4.08) Myoujyaku (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.18) Sushi Meino (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.05) 🔥 Tempura Asanuma (Tempura / Tokyo / 4.11) Tori Chataro (Yakitori / Tokyo / 4.11)

🔁 🥈 Silver re-entry

Shun (Unagi, Donburi / Shizuoka / 4.23)

⬆️ 🥈 Bronze to Silver

Nozawa (Japanese Cuisine, Creative / Aichi / 4.37) Reminiscence (French, Innovative / Aichi / 4.38) Shin Zen Bi (Sichuan Cuisine, Chinese / Aichi / 4.36) Kotan (Sushi / Fukuoka / 4.15) Narayamachi Ao (Innovative, Japanese Cuisine / Fukuoka / 4.39) Sushi Gyoten (Sushi / Fukuoka / 4.42) bb9 (Spain / Hyogo / 4.32) Ca sento (Innovative, Spain / Hyogo / 4.32) Kushi Katsu A-bon (Kushi-age / Hyogo / 4.35) Ryoriya Uemura (Japanese Cuisine / Hyogo / 4.41) Sushi Josuke (Sushi / Hyogo / 4.19) Raamen Iida Shoten (Ramen, Tsukemen / Kanagawa / 4.1) Gion Sasaki (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.2) Higashiyama Yoshihisa (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.3) Hirosawa (Chinese / Kyoto / 4.32) 🔥 Kiu (Sushi, Creative / Kyoto / 4.43) Shokudo Ogawa (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.31) Shunseki Suzue (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.23) Soujiki Nakahigashi (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.29) Komada (Sushi / Mie / 4.4) akordu (Innovative, Spain / Nara / 4.28) Chinese Sai Naramachi Kuko (Chinese, Sichuan Cuisine / Nara / 4.39) RESTAURANT UOZEN (French / Niigata / 4.4) Tokiwa Sushi Shibata Honten (Sushi / Niigata / 4.33) Japanese cuisine Beppu Hirokado (Japanese Cuisine / Oita / 4.41) Sushi Dokoro Hisada (Sushi / Okayama / 4.36) Fujiya 1935 (Innovative, Spain / Osaka / 4.26) Gessen (Chinese / Osaka / 4.37) Hajime (Innovative, French / Osaka / 4.3) Sushi Kizuna (Sushi / Osaka / 4.28) Yonemasu (Japanese Cuisine / Osaka / 4.21) Hiyama (Japanese Cuisine / Saitama / 4.37) Mikadoya (Japanese Cuisine, Suppon / Shimane / 4.38) Aji Hiro (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.26) Hasegawa Minoru (Innovative, French, Italian / Tokyo / 4.39) Mitaka (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.39) Shimbashi Shimizu (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.25) Unagi Uomasa (Unagi / Tokyo / 4.25) Dewa Ya (Regional Cuisine, Soba, Ryokan / Yamagata / 4.37) ⬇️ 🥉 Silver to Bronze LA CASA DI Tetsuo Ota (Innovative / Nagano / 4.36) Cote d'Or (French / Tokyo / 4.25) Les Saisons (French / Tokyo / 4.3) OHKUSA (Yakitori / Tokyo / 4.37)

🆕 🥉 Debut Bronze

aru (French / Aichi / 4.11) Fujisawa (Sushi / Aichi / 3.97) GapricE (Italian / Aichi / 3.95) Hijikata (Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.09) Hirovanna (Italian / Aichi / 4.01) Kotowari o Hakaru Mise Bando (Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.01) Kyoaji Motoi (Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.09) Mochizuki (Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.0) Ootani (Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.06) Restaurant Honjin (French, Teppanyaki / Aichi / 4.01) Sushi Dokoro Mutsuki (Sushi, Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.07) Sushi Shimizu (Sushi / Aichi / 3.88) Tempura Kusunoki (Tempura / Aichi / 4.03) affetto akita (Italian / Akita / 4.16) N. (Izakaya, Japanese Cuisine / Akita / 3.91) Remede nikaho (French / Akita / 3.97) Kashu (French, Creative / Aomori / 4.09) BAMBOU (Tonkatsu, Katsu-don / Chiba / 3.98) Niji Kichi (Seafood / Ehime / 4.23) 🔥🔥 Shinoda (Japanese Cuisine / Ehime / 4.13) Sushi Ino (Sushi / Ehime / 4.08) Ryoriya Miyazaki (Japanese Cuisine, Creative / Fukui / 4.04) Akama Chaya Asago (Soba / Fukuoka / 4.03) Bekk (Italian, Pasta, Innovative / Fukuoka / 4.11) CUCCAGNA (Italian / Fukuoka / 4.1) Edomae Sushi Nikaku (Sushi / Fukuoka / 3.95) Imaishi Hanten Suzuka (Chinese, Dim sum / Fukuoka / 4.11) Ippongi Ishibashi (Japanese Cuisine / Fukuoka / 4.02) NONOKA RESTAURANT (Innovative, Creative, French / Fukuoka / 4.09) Restaurant SNOW (Innovative, French / Fukuoka / 4.02) Sushi Ryori Ichitaka (Sushi, Japanese Cuisine / Fukuoka / 3.87) Shosai Chuka hiro (Chinese, Dim sum / Gifu / 4.04) cepages (French / Gunma / 4.08) 🔥 Tempura Kuruma (Tempura / Gunma / 4.12) Eizan (Japanese Cuisine / Hiroshima / 4.16) Kozakana Ryori Tomisuke (Japanese Cuisine, Seafood / Hiroshima / 4.03) Soshi (Sushi / Hiroshima / 4.13) Wagyu Lab K (Yakiniku, Steak, Beef dishes / Hiroshima / 4.12) Fenetre (French / Hokkaido / 4.07) Sushi Shota (Sushi / Hokkaido / 4.06) Yakitori Higebozu (Yakitori / Hokkaido / 3.96) entre nous (French / Hyogo / 4.15) Eragon (Yakitori, Chicken dishes / Hyogo / 4.12) Fushin (Chinese / Hyogo / 3.96) Ninomae (Japanese Cuisine, Seafood / Hyogo / 4.03) Tanryu (Japanese Cuisine / Hyogo / 4.06) Yoshi Cho (Japanese Cuisine, Suppon, Monkfish / Ibaraki / 4.11) Hamaguri Zaka Maekawa (Yakitori / Ishikawa / 4.11) Ryori Komatsu (Japanese Cuisine / Ishikawa / 4.05) VILLA DELLA PACE (Italian, Auberge / Ishikawa / 4.09) Ristorante SHIKAZAWA (Italian, Innovative / Iwate / 4.08) Ryobo (Italian / Kagawa / 4.17) 1000 (Yakitori / Kanagawa / 4.0) Murakami (Sushi / Kumamoto / 4.15) Sushi Mimuro (Sushi / Kumamoto / 3.96) Yoshoku no Mise Hashimoto (Yoshoku, Curry / Kumamoto / 3.93) Chinese Sai guu (Chinese / Kyoto / 4.2) IL GARAGE (Italian / Kyoto / 4.05) Lurra ° (Innovative / Kyoto / 3.88) Shinmonzen Yonemura (Innovative, Creative, French / Kyoto / 4.13) Shinya Yakiniku Daichan (Yakiniku, Horumon / Kyoto / 4.08) 🔥 Shorenin Monzeki Mae Tsukioka (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.11) TAKAYAMA (Innovative, Creative, Italian / Kyoto / 4.04) Uozuya (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 3.96) Yassan (Beef dishes, Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.07) Matsuishi (Chinese / Miyagi / 4.03) Unagi no Matsu Ka (Unagi / Nagano / 4.0) Yamasei (Unagi / Nagano / 4.18) 🔥 Do Yama (Japanese Cuisine / Nagasaki / 3.88) 6 (Innovative, French / Okinawa / 4.04) AUBE (Chinese / Osaka / 3.89) Goichi (Yakitori / Osaka / 4.02) gucite (Italian / Osaka / 4.11) Hashimoto Ya (Curry, Soup Curry / Osaka / 4.0) Higashi Chaya Nakamura (Japanese Cuisine / Osaka / 4.14) Keiraku Yakiniku Pome (Yakiniku / Osaka / 4.07) mikami limited50 (Sushi / Osaka / 4.12) Niku Kappou Yamaguchi (Japanese Cuisine / Osaka / 4.0) Osaka Tenmangu Sushi Toyonaga (Sushi / Osaka / 4.1) Shimanami French Murakami (French, Innovative / Osaka / 3.95) Shunsai Ten Tsuchiya (Tempura, Japanese Cuisine, Seafood / Osaka / 4.13) Sushi Shizuku (Sushi, Seafood, Japanese Cuisine / Osaka / 4.01) TOM Curiosa (Italian / Osaka / 4.15) TOMONO (Chinese / Osaka / 4.02) Tsunechan (Yakiniku, Horumon / Osaka / 4.08) Wafu Motsu Ryori Arata (Beef dishes / Osaka / 4.08) Kyogoku Zushi (Sushi / Shiga / 4.1) Binchotan Yakitori Torishige (Yakitori / Shizuoka / 4.03) Nakamura (Tempura / Shizuoka / 4.07) 🔥 Yakitori Kohane (Yakitori / Shizuoka / 4.12) Aji Yuki (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.17) Azabu Muroi (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.12) 🏠🚗💨 Ebisu Endo (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.91) Edo Mae Shinsaku (Tempura / Tokyo / 4.06) Guchoku Ni (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.05) Hakuun (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.06) Hongshiki Ryori Koki (Chinese / Tokyo / 4.04) Japanese cuisine Kutan (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.04) Kanjou (Japanese Cuisine, Chicken dishes, Soba / Tokyo / 4.06) Kappo Muroi (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.06) Kiyota Hanare (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.13) Kizaki (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.02) Kurosaki (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.13) malca (Italian / Tokyo / 4.09) MAZ (Innovative / Tokyo / 3.97) Mori Fuji (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 3.99) Omino Kamiyacho (Yakitori, Chicken dishes / Tokyo / 3.94) Oniku Karyu (Beef dishes / Tokyo / 4.0) Restaurant Raffinage (French / Tokyo / 4.14) Setsugekka Ginza (Beef dishes, Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 3.97) Sharikimon Onozawa (Japanese Cuisine, Soba / Tokyo / 3.98) Shutei Tanaka (Yakitori, Chicken dishes, Izakaya / Tokyo / 4.03) 🔥 subin (Shabu shabu, Sukiyaki, Beef dishes / Tokyo / 4.2) 🔥 Sushi Ao (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.97) Sushi Masuda (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.03) Sushi Matsuura (Sushi, Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.05) Sushi Nishizaki (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.04) Sushi Takeru (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.99) Sushi Tsubomi (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.91) Sushi Zai (Sushi, Seafood / Tokyo / 3.89) Tomidokoro (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.0) Torisho Ishii Hina (Yakitori, Chicken dishes / Tokyo / 4.08) Tsushima (Chinese, Creative / Tokyo / 4.16) unis (French, Innovative / Tokyo / 4.08) YAKITORI Moe es (Yakitori / Tokyo / 3.98) YORONIKU TOKYO AZABUDAIHILLS (Yakiniku / Tokyo / 4.08) 🔥 restaurant takatsu (French / Yamaguchi / 4.14)

🔁 🥉 Bronze re-entry

HIRO NAGOYA (Yakiniku / Aichi / 4.12) Izumo (Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.06) La Floraison de TAKEUCHI (French / Aichi / 3.95) Mas de Lavande (French / Aichi / 4.1) Sushi Hijikata (Sushi / Aichi / 4.18) Yanagiya Nishiki (Regional Cuisine, Japanese Cuisine / Aichi / 4.02) Sushi Sho (Sushi / Akita / 3.99) Takara Zushi Bunten (Sushi / Akita / 4.17) Chisou Nakamura (Japanese Cuisine / Fukuoka / 3.91) Sushi Senpachi (Sushi / Fukuoka / 3.94) 🏠🚗💨 Sushi Tsubasa (Sushi / Fukuoka / 3.98) Sushi Yoshida (Sushi / Fukuoka / 4.06) Tamura (Korean, Yakiniku / Fukuoka / 3.96) Uotora (Izakaya, Japanese Cuisine, Seafood / Fukuoka / 4.07) Yakiniku Sudou Haruyoshi (Yakiniku / Fukuoka / 4.0) Yakitori Mizuki (Yakitori, Chicken dishes, Regional Cuisine / Gifu / 4.04) Susukino Sushi Kin (Sushi / Hokkaido / 4.01) Roan Matsuda Sasayama Ten (Soba, Japanese Cuisine / Hyogo / 4.06) Sushi Matsumoto (Sushi / Hyogo / 4.06) Gatagata Ya (Creative, Teppanyaki / Kanagawa / 3.99) Mikasa (Tempura / Kanagawa / 4.2) nakajyo (Sushi / Kanagawa / 4.07) Riba Tei (Yakitori / Kanagawa / 4.05) RISTORANTE IL NODO (Italian, Seafood / Kanagawa / 3.86) BARON (Steak / Kumamoto / 3.99) Ayanokoji Karatsu (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.01) cenci (Italian, Innovative / Kyoto / 4.02) Gion Endo (Japanese Cuisine / Kyoto / 4.02) Kyo Seika (Chinese / Kyoto / 4.07) Muromachi Wakuden (Japanese Cuisine, Crab / Kyoto / 4.14) RADICE (Italian / Kyoto / 4.01) ristorante nakamoto (Italian, French, Innovative / Kyoto / 4.03) La Mer The Classic (French / Mie / 4.05) Restaurant Ryu (French / Mie / 4.01) iwanaga (Yoshoku, Steak, Beef dishes / Miyazaki / 3.94) Breston Court Yukawatan (French / Nagano / 4.1) Ishiusuhiki Soba Kobo Yama no Mi (Soba / Nagano / 4.06) Alarde (Spain, European / Osaka / 4.01) BOTANI:CURRY (Curry, Indian curry / Osaka / 3.98) kamoshiya Kusumoto (Creative, Japanese Cuisine, Innovative / Osaka / 4.0) La Cime (French / Osaka / 4.11) La Kanro (Innovative, French / Osaka / 4.15) Sushi Dokoro Tada (Sushi / Osaka / 4.05) Tenjinbashi Aoki (Japanese Cuisine / Osaka / 4.11) caravan (Steak, Teppanyaki, Hamburger steak / Saga / 4.07) Akasaka Kikunoi (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.02) Akasaka Kitafuku (Crab / Tokyo / 4.08) AZUR et MASA UEKI (French / Tokyo / 4.1) Canton Ryori Sense (Chinese, Dim sum / Tokyo / 3.96) EdiTion Koji Shimomura (French, Innovative / Tokyo / 4.04) Eiki (Yakitori / Tokyo / 4.13) Equateur (Innovative, French / Tokyo / 4.21) Fugu Makino (Fugu, Hot Pot / Tokyo / 3.81) Hiro Saku (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 3.99) Kalpasi (Indian curry, Nepalese, Sri Lankan / Tokyo / 4.01) Kawada (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.01) Kioicho Mitani (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.09) l'algorithme (French / Tokyo / 4.01) L'ecrin (French / Tokyo / 4.14) La Blanche (French / Tokyo / 4.08) Onarimon Haru (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.03) PRISMA (Italian / Tokyo / 4.14) Ranmaru (Sushi / Tokyo / 3.99) Shimbashi Sasada (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 3.97) Shirokanedai Kobayashi (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 3.85) sio (Innovative, French, Italian / Tokyo / 3.95) Sushi Saeki (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.06) Sushi Shunji (Sushi / Tokyo / 4.14) Suzuta Shiki (Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo / 4.14) 🏠🚗💨 Tempura Kondo (Tempura / Tokyo / 4.05) Teuchi Soba Jiyu San (Soba / Tokyo / 4.03) Tomato (Curry / Tokyo / 4.03) Torisawa 22 (Yakitori / Tokyo / 3.96) Yakiniku Jumbo Shinozaki Honten (Yakiniku, Horumon / Tokyo / 3.85)

⬇️ ∅ Bronze to no award

Onyado Kawasemi (Fukushima) Toono Ya Yo (Iwate) Hyotei Hon Ten (Kyoto) ORTO (Kyoto) Beef Cook Kurazono (Miyazaki) Belle Epoque (Miyazaki) il Sorriso (Miyazaki) Kisen (Miyazaki) Tenichi (Miyazaki) QUINTOCANTO (Osaka) Chou You (Tokyo) ❌ Kiyota (Tokyo) Nishiazabu Yakiniku X (Tokyo) Renge (Tokyo) SATO BRIAN Sango (Tokyo) Satoburi DA (Tokyo) Sukiyabashi Jiro (Tokyo) Tori Ki (Tokyo) Tori Sawa (Tokyo) USHIGORO S. NISHIAZABU (Tokyo)