If you’ve been to Japan, you will notice babies and small children are rarely spotted in fine dining restaurants and cafés. Ever so considerate, Japanese parents often opt for restaurants clearly labelled kid-friendly, or chains targeting families if they are with their children, so as to avoid disruption of the dining atmosphere.
Restaurants without such a label are unlikely to carry infant-catering facilities. If you decide to go ahead with your children, bring along utensils and toys they are familiar with to keep them occupied. Otherwise, kid-friendly options are abundant across the country. Most of them serve food that are delicious too. Discover our top picks below to plan in advance.
Top Five Healthy Dining Restaurants in Tokyo
In the following kid-friendly restaurants, your children will not only enjoy the nutritious meals prepared from seasonal, organic produce, but also thoughtful services and a space dedicated to playing and reading.
Restaurants without such a label are unlikely to carry infant-catering facilities. If you decide to go ahead with your children, bring along utensils and toys they are familiar with to keep them occupied. Otherwise, kid-friendly options are abundant across the country. Most of them serve food that are delicious too. Discover our top picks below to plan in advance.
Top Five Healthy Dining Restaurants in Tokyo
In the following kid-friendly restaurants, your children will not only enjoy the nutritious meals prepared from seasonal, organic produce, but also thoughtful services and a space dedicated to playing and reading.
Straw Hat Café, Ghibli Museum
Straw Hat Café, Ghibli Museum
Address: 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka 181-0013, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: 10am to 6pm
This airy little house located in a leafy park exudes a magical vibe, as if coming alive from Hayao Miyazaki’s fantasy world. It complements the on-going exhibition highlighting the food in Studio Ghibli’s animation films, a new menu recreates double egg and bacon on toast, pork shoyu ramen, lemon cake and other light delicacies eaten by the characters.
Freshness is another element defining the joint, with almost all ingredients coming from organic farms. If you’re planning to visit the museum, all tickets must be pre-booked. Choose the earliest time slot available, and when you get there, enjoy a carefree breakfast first before entrance to save time in the queue.
Daylight Kitchen
Address: 23-18 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya 150-0031, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: 11am to 6pm (last order 5pm)
Daylight Kitchen is one of the most popular destinations for families in the bustling Shibuya district. Its name says it all: the restaurant is bathed in sunlight, with a laid-back vibe and healthy dishes to match. Pesticide-free vegetables and fruits, fish from trusted origins, and traditionally made condiment make up the backbone of its menu, which changes according to the 24 solar terms. Don’t miss the organic, freshly brewed tea from Nara while enjoying the feast.
Address: 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka 181-0013, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: 10am to 6pm
This airy little house located in a leafy park exudes a magical vibe, as if coming alive from Hayao Miyazaki’s fantasy world. It complements the on-going exhibition highlighting the food in Studio Ghibli’s animation films, a new menu recreates double egg and bacon on toast, pork shoyu ramen, lemon cake and other light delicacies eaten by the characters.
Freshness is another element defining the joint, with almost all ingredients coming from organic farms. If you’re planning to visit the museum, all tickets must be pre-booked. Choose the earliest time slot available, and when you get there, enjoy a carefree breakfast first before entrance to save time in the queue.
Daylight Kitchen
Address: 23-18 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya 150-0031, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: 11am to 6pm (last order 5pm)
Daylight Kitchen is one of the most popular destinations for families in the bustling Shibuya district. Its name says it all: the restaurant is bathed in sunlight, with a laid-back vibe and healthy dishes to match. Pesticide-free vegetables and fruits, fish from trusted origins, and traditionally made condiment make up the backbone of its menu, which changes according to the 24 solar terms. Don’t miss the organic, freshly brewed tea from Nara while enjoying the feast.
Minoru restaurant in Mitsukoshi department store
Minoru, Ginza Mitsukoshi
Address: 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: 11am to 11pm (last order 10pm)
Located on the rooftop garden of the iconic Mitsukoshi department store, Minoru is a perfect hangout for stylish mums and their children. Set menu and yōshoku are their specialties, but those under seven are obsessed with its kid’s menu (756 yen), featuring beef burger, blanched seasonal vegetables, French fries, rice and dessert. All ingredients are taken from domestic farms, therefore the menu gets seasonal updates. 100% pure juices are the drinks of choice there. Highlights include Aomori apple juice, Yamagata nectarine juice, Yamaguchi tangerine juice and the sweet aragoshi tomato juice from Osaka.
Chano-ma
Address: 1-34-17 Ebisu Nishi | 2F, Shibuya 150-0021, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: varies (last order: an hour before closing)
This Ebisu location explores the kid-friendly concept to the fullest extent. It’s designed with ample space and large sofas to let young children roam freely. There is also breastfeeding room, and diaper changing facilities in the lavatory. The restaurant even hosts parenting talks regularly, and these give Japanese mums enough reasons to spend quality time there with their babies and friends. Chano-ma serves light, bistro-style cuisine. You’ll find pizza, pasta and other herb-heavy dishes on the dining tables. Vegetable-based desserts are just as well-liked. Some items, including burdock chocolate ice cream, chestnut, pumpkin and cherry cake, as well as sweet potato hotcakes, can’t be found elsewhere.
Organic Café Lulu
Address: 5-6-30 Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Opening time: varies (last order: an hour before closing)
Dairy- and egg-free meals designed by nutritionists make Lulu popular among health-conscious parents. The balanced meal is one of its bestsellers, placing a choice of meat alongside unlimited brown rice, miso soup, both produced organically. Stocking English and Japanese books and wooden toys, the kid’s corner caters to children of different personalities. Make the day extra fruitful for the little one by showing them the Kiba Park or the contemporary museum nearby.
Address: 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: 11am to 11pm (last order 10pm)
Located on the rooftop garden of the iconic Mitsukoshi department store, Minoru is a perfect hangout for stylish mums and their children. Set menu and yōshoku are their specialties, but those under seven are obsessed with its kid’s menu (756 yen), featuring beef burger, blanched seasonal vegetables, French fries, rice and dessert. All ingredients are taken from domestic farms, therefore the menu gets seasonal updates. 100% pure juices are the drinks of choice there. Highlights include Aomori apple juice, Yamagata nectarine juice, Yamaguchi tangerine juice and the sweet aragoshi tomato juice from Osaka.
Chano-ma
Address: 1-34-17 Ebisu Nishi | 2F, Shibuya 150-0021, Tokyo Prefecture
Opening time: varies (last order: an hour before closing)
This Ebisu location explores the kid-friendly concept to the fullest extent. It’s designed with ample space and large sofas to let young children roam freely. There is also breastfeeding room, and diaper changing facilities in the lavatory. The restaurant even hosts parenting talks regularly, and these give Japanese mums enough reasons to spend quality time there with their babies and friends. Chano-ma serves light, bistro-style cuisine. You’ll find pizza, pasta and other herb-heavy dishes on the dining tables. Vegetable-based desserts are just as well-liked. Some items, including burdock chocolate ice cream, chestnut, pumpkin and cherry cake, as well as sweet potato hotcakes, can’t be found elsewhere.
Organic Café Lulu
Address: 5-6-30 Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Opening time: varies (last order: an hour before closing)
Dairy- and egg-free meals designed by nutritionists make Lulu popular among health-conscious parents. The balanced meal is one of its bestsellers, placing a choice of meat alongside unlimited brown rice, miso soup, both produced organically. Stocking English and Japanese books and wooden toys, the kid’s corner caters to children of different personalities. Make the day extra fruitful for the little one by showing them the Kiba Park or the contemporary museum nearby.
The food at Denny's is tasty and affordable, and the chain restaurants are also spacious which makes it easy to have an unhurried meal with your kids
Top Five Family Restaurant Chains across Japan
The entire Japan is dotted with chain family restaurants, or fami-resu as they are known locally. They usually serve an elaborate menu over a vast dining area. Combined with carparks nearby, reasonable prices and long opening hours, convenience is the biggest selling point for these outlets. While chain family restaurants might not use organic produce, they often list the sources of the ingredients and the calories of the dishes on the menu and website. Seasonal themed dishes, from spring strawberry, shaved ice dessert during summer, to chestnut just harvested in autumn are another draw for them.
Denny’s
Number of branches: over 400
Though originating from America, the Japanese version of Denny’s is now a separate franchise selling totally different dishes. It focuses on Japanese food with seasonal choices and desserts. Breakfast service starts from 6am. Toast with boiled egg comes with unlimited coffee for just 235 yen. The best part of tourists: its menu is available in English, Chinese and Korean.
Gusto
Number of branches: over 1,300
How widespread Gusto is speaks for its dominance. Its shorter menu is compensated by a lower price point. For instance, the Sunday lunch set costs merely 499 yen (varies among branches). The four daily options are served with rice and hot soup. Adults can also benefit from the happy hour from 3pm to 6pm every Sunday, when they can get a glass of Asahi for 199 yen.
Joyfull
Number of branches: over 770
Kyushu-based Joyfull was one of the chain family restaurants that kick-started the 24-hour service. Served between Monday and Saturday, its lunch set includes beef burger, salad and a daily special snack (fried fish, eggplant, croquette are the most common varieties) with a wallet-friendly price tag at 399 yen. Diners looking to limit their energy intake can go for one of the healthy meals, with options ranging from salad, salmon and egg congee, to mentaiko pasta.
Coco’s
Number of branches: over 560
The breakfast buffet launched in a part of this chain is the biggest point of interest. Keep an eye on fresh-out-the-oven croissant, salad with up to 10 vegetables and fruits of your choice, and the fun-filled DIY waffle station. It is usually available from 7:30am to 10am and priced from 680 yen (Sundays) to 780 yen (Saturdays and public holidays). Coco’s gets extra points for the gluten-free options. It offers rice flour bread and pasta besides non-milk based strawberry ice cream.
Saizeriya
Number of branches: over 1,000
An Italian-inspired concept crossing over to Hong Kong, Singapore and China. The branches in Japan boast the largest collection of offerings – there are nine options in lunch set alone. Among them are pasta and risotto which don’t show up in many Japanese locations. Creative inventions on the special menu, such as poached egg on peas, and milk ice cream on cinnamon flatbread, extend the meal into a full-on European experience.
The entire Japan is dotted with chain family restaurants, or fami-resu as they are known locally. They usually serve an elaborate menu over a vast dining area. Combined with carparks nearby, reasonable prices and long opening hours, convenience is the biggest selling point for these outlets. While chain family restaurants might not use organic produce, they often list the sources of the ingredients and the calories of the dishes on the menu and website. Seasonal themed dishes, from spring strawberry, shaved ice dessert during summer, to chestnut just harvested in autumn are another draw for them.
Denny’s
Number of branches: over 400
Though originating from America, the Japanese version of Denny’s is now a separate franchise selling totally different dishes. It focuses on Japanese food with seasonal choices and desserts. Breakfast service starts from 6am. Toast with boiled egg comes with unlimited coffee for just 235 yen. The best part of tourists: its menu is available in English, Chinese and Korean.
Gusto
Number of branches: over 1,300
How widespread Gusto is speaks for its dominance. Its shorter menu is compensated by a lower price point. For instance, the Sunday lunch set costs merely 499 yen (varies among branches). The four daily options are served with rice and hot soup. Adults can also benefit from the happy hour from 3pm to 6pm every Sunday, when they can get a glass of Asahi for 199 yen.
Joyfull
Number of branches: over 770
Kyushu-based Joyfull was one of the chain family restaurants that kick-started the 24-hour service. Served between Monday and Saturday, its lunch set includes beef burger, salad and a daily special snack (fried fish, eggplant, croquette are the most common varieties) with a wallet-friendly price tag at 399 yen. Diners looking to limit their energy intake can go for one of the healthy meals, with options ranging from salad, salmon and egg congee, to mentaiko pasta.
Coco’s
Number of branches: over 560
The breakfast buffet launched in a part of this chain is the biggest point of interest. Keep an eye on fresh-out-the-oven croissant, salad with up to 10 vegetables and fruits of your choice, and the fun-filled DIY waffle station. It is usually available from 7:30am to 10am and priced from 680 yen (Sundays) to 780 yen (Saturdays and public holidays). Coco’s gets extra points for the gluten-free options. It offers rice flour bread and pasta besides non-milk based strawberry ice cream.
Saizeriya
Number of branches: over 1,000
An Italian-inspired concept crossing over to Hong Kong, Singapore and China. The branches in Japan boast the largest collection of offerings – there are nine options in lunch set alone. Among them are pasta and risotto which don’t show up in many Japanese locations. Creative inventions on the special menu, such as poached egg on peas, and milk ice cream on cinnamon flatbread, extend the meal into a full-on European experience.
This article was written by Xiaoshan. Click here to read the original version of this story.
