The idea of picking out the best restaurants and cafes in Chofu, Tokyo, seems faintly absurd given the myriad of dining options on offer here. Diners in Chofu are spoiled with a choice of restaurants and cafes that reflect the diversity of the area, and the fact that every day an army of mouths arrives fresh off trains from nearby Shinjuku in need of feeding.  

In fact, restaurant and cafe exploration rewards in this part of Tokyo, which will not only turn up plenty of great places to eat but also maybe a chance to meet with some of the interesting and friendly locals who bring the food from the kitchen to table. Meanwhile, with Chofu delivering on a progressive “non-smoking restaurants” program, finding a place to eat in the city that meets the diner’s comfort as well as their taste-bud needs is made even easier.

It’s still difficult to pick out the best though, but we've got to start somewhere so in this collection of just some of the best restaurants and cafes in Chofu we spent a day tasting our way around areas of the city that reflect its key influences and give a good sense of its variety.

Starting with lunch in quietly sophisticated Sengawa we ate our way through to some fuel for exploration of the serene Jindaiji Temple area and its nod to local and celebrated manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, and ended in the bustle around Chofu Station for dinner and drinks with the locals.

Let’s hope you’ve got an appetite that can keep up with ours then!

Sengawa - lunch, coffee and cake

Keep your eyes on Sengawa. In this area in the eastern reaches of Chofu well-heeled families keep quiet about the relative calm, convenience and variety of shopping that the area offers. But the word is dripping out and Sengawa is a few trendy boutiques and lifestyle stores away from being the next Jiyugaoka, a handful of vintage shops short of a Shimokitazawa.

In fact, Sengawa already has a quiet cafe and coffee shop scene cloistered in the streets south of the train station. In an area that has a growing association with the arts thanks to the presence of the Tokyo Art Museum -- designed by Ando Tadao, the default answer to “name that Japanese architect” pub quiz questions -- visitors can get their lunch, coffee and cake fix from an increasing number of characterful and colorful establishments. Tokyo coffee-shop chain Sarutahiko opened its first branch store here (and also has its Roasting Hall in Chofu).

Cafe Anmar

(Healthy and nutritious lunch special at Cafe Anmar, Sengawa, Chofu)

Just a couple of blocks west of the Tokyo Art Museum, on a quiet residential Sengawa street, diners will find Cafe Anmar, a space that is almost as charming as English-speaking owner-chef-nutritionist Akiko Kanna, a Sengawa native.

“So that people can come here and share meals with their kids I try to create dishes with a light flavor,” Kanna told us as we finished up one of Anmar’s daily specials -- a clam chowder pot pie (with suitably fluffy pastry) and a slice of spinach and bacon quiche, served with bread, pickles and a green leaf salad (1,000 yen, exc. tax).

Ours was one of a handful of healthy lunch items at Cafe Anmar which change with the seasons -- Singapore chicken & rice, and a chicken salad sandwich among them (at the time of visiting) -- all for around the 1,000-yen mark. The curry (Japanese beef) and rice also catches the eye. “It takes a really, really long time to make,” said Kanna with a laugh. Well, it is stewed for three days, according to the menu!

A mother herself, Kanna has made Cafe Anmar into a welcome environment for parents with young children, addressing what she felt to be a lack of such restaurants in Sengawa.

Toddlers in tow or not though, the vibe at Kanna’s Sengawa cafe appears relaxed, mellow and friendly, so pull up a chair, slump on a sofa, or cosy-up to the corner stove and choose from a menu at Cafe Anmar that reflects and combines two of Kanna’s key influences, nutrition and Okinawa (“anmar” is an Okinawan term meaning “mother).

Those looking to power-up on something fluid might want to wash their lunch down with a Euglena drink, based on the recent superfood-discovery coming out of the Okinawa island chain. A Euglena latte might offer an easier alternative for some.

Coffee-lovers are also well-served at Cafe Anmar, with some people coming from far and wide in order to sup on cups of 35Coffee, the Okinawa brand which uses coral as the fuel to roast its coffee -- 35, “san” (three) and “go” (five), “sango,” the Japanese word for coral. Cafe Anmar is perhaps one of only a handful of places in Tokyo to serve it.

Cake sets and meals for the kids round out the menu.

For details on Cafe Anmar and more great restaurants and cafes in Chofu

cafe VANNIER

Diners with a sweet tooth will find much to enjoy at cafe VANNIER where the menu mixes French sophistication with a refreshing sense of humor in this bright second-floor cafe just two blocks south of Sengawa Station.

The cafe owner spent a year in France honing their skills in the cake-making trade and it tastes like a year well spent!

A menu of decorative and delicious sweets based on seasonal fruits are the order of the day for many of cafe VANNIER's customers with seasonal-strawberry dishes delivering on the instabae. We tried the ichigo tappuri special shortcake, which tasted as good as it looks, while at the time of visiting a cheesecake, parfait and crème au chocolat rounded out VANNIER's Hyper Hardboiled Menu.

(Ichigo tappuri special shortcake at cafe VANNIER, Sengawa, Tokyo)

Yes, you read that right. "Hyper hardboiled" might not sound like terminology one would ordinarily associate with the fineries of French cuisine but perhaps it reflects the sense of fun here -- VANNIER's menu is seriously delicious, but it doesn't appear to take itself too seriously, and the cafe atmosphere is all the better for it.

For an extra special treat the Vannier Dinner offers diners an evening of luxury and a chance to escape from the everyday over original Japanese washoku cuisine based on seasonal vegetables.

In fact much of what is on offer at cafe VANNIER is based on seasonal fruits and other ingredients, as well as the creative whims of the humorous owner. Come with a sophisticated palate and an open mind then, and be prepared for a surprise.

For details on cafe VANNIER and more great restaurants and cafes in Chofu

Jindaiji Temple area - afternoon tea, Jindaiji noodles

There's plenty of ground to cover in taking in Chofu's Jindaiji Temple complex and the neighboring Jindai Botanical Gardens. Fortunately then visitors to this serene part of Tokyo have no shortage of quaint and cultured Chofu restaurants and cafes in which to refuel.

One of Tokyo's finest temples, the area around Jindaiji Temple is cut through with the sound of trickling clear-water streams that have helped supply the area with its rich nature and some of the most famous soba noodles in Tokyo -- Jindaiji Soba.

In a land that favored the cultivation of buckwheat over rice, Jindaiji Temple became synonymous with its namesake noodles and today there are around 30 great restaurants to choose from serving their own take on the famous soba.

Jindaiji Yaoki

(Jindaiji Yaoki's classic zaru soba, Chofu, Tokyo)

Jindaiji Yaoki occupies a beautiful spot near to the temple's main gate where diners can enjoy their soba indoors on a mix of tatami and Western-style seating, or under the trees on a fantastic outdoor terrace.

Yaoki dates back around 65 years and in Daisuke Okubo is in the hands of a third-generation owner who learned the soba trade from his father and grandfather. For Okubo, the number of soba restaurants in the area is a healthy thing.

"In a good way we are all rivals. If there was only one (restaurant), people might not come all this way to eat Jindaiji soba," he explained.  "For us, we want to serve delicious soba and show people how it might be different from other stores here."

(Talking Jindaiji soba with Jindaiji Yaoki's Daisuke Okubo, Chofu, Tokyo)

Whatever the difference Yaoki's zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles topped with seaweed) offers diners a classic entry into the scene while the tenzaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles served with pieces of tempura) is a store favorite.

Okubo selects store ingredients based on the seasons and perhaps one of the best ways to sample this is with Yaoki's vegetable tempura combination (yasou tempura moriawase) which uses unique ingredients from around Japan available only at the specific time of year.

Reflecting Yaoki's original guise as a confectioner diners here can also get a taste of some homemade dango (sweet balls of mochi) as well as a selection of desserts.

Foreign diners shouldn't feel intimidated by the traditional menu though -- it's available in English and even comes with instruction on how to eat soba like a local.

In whatever guise diners order their Jindaiji soba and however like-a-local they can eat it though, the spirit of the dish remains the same.

"Going to the temple to pay your respects and cleanse the spirit and then listening to the sound of the temple bell while you eat your noodles surrounded by all this nature. That's Jindaiji soba," said Okubo.

For details on Jindaiji Yaoki and more great restaurants and cafes in Chofu

Kitaro Chaya Jindaiji Store

©Mizuki Productions

(Ittanmomen no Chaya Sundae and GeGeGe Latte at Kitaro Chaya Jindaiji Store, Chofu, Tokyo)

It’s perhaps a testament to Chofu’s ability to combine cultures apparently worlds apart that a cafe / store like Kitaro Chaya blends in so seamlessly into the Jindaiji landscape.

Inspired by the manga series GeGeGe no Kitaro from artist and local hero Shigeru Mizuki (Chofu being known by fans as "Mizuki Manga's birthplace”), Kitaro Chaya Jindaiji Store is surely a “must” for fans of manga, and at the very least a charming delight for everyone else.

Visitors who can prize their eyes away from the store’s collection of Kitaro-themed souvenirs (possibly among some of the most creative and unique in Tokyo) will find a cozy cafe space at the back of the store.

The fun starts before you even order, with seating and ordering guidance displayed in manga-style.

Settle into a table surrounded by accoutrements from the world of GeGeGe no Kitaro and try to make a decision on which of the themed dishes to order - they all look too cute to eat. Ittanmomen no Chaya Sundae, with its choice of kuromitsu black honey or matcha syrup and a surprise cookie, is a long-time customer favorite and will definitely satisfy those with a sweet tooth. Nurikabe no Miso Oden has also proven to be popular of late, according to store staff.

Decorative latte are on the menu here, too, made using milk from the Daisen region of Tottori Prefecture and offered in a choice of four characters from the manga, Kitaro among them.

A rights of passage for the Mizuki manga fan or a fun entry into Japanese-style sweets, the cafe at Kitaro Chaya Jindaiji Store is a great way to start or end a visit to this most magical area of Chofu. (On the left as you enter the Sando approach to Jindaiji Temple.)

©Mizuki Productions

For details on Kitaro Chaya Jindaiji Store and more great restaurants and cafes in Chofu

Chofu Station area - dinner and drinks

In the evenings, Chofu Station fair bustles with the comings and goings of the Tokyo commuter, many pouring out of trains arrived from nearby Shinjuku and into Chofu’s broad city square with an appetite for dinner and drinks.

Shinjuku's maddening crowds, though close by, are conspicuous by their absence here, but there is no lack in this part of Chofu of great restaurants and bars, and settings for a good time over drinks with friends.

Here hungry appetites can be satiated in restaurants, bars and cafes that run the gamut from shiny shopping mall chains, through trendy, sophisticated independent operations, to delightfully down-to-earth spots where outsiders rub shoulders with the locals.

A block north of Chofu Station, Tenjin Dori grabs the lion's share of Chofu's nightlife spotlight for its collection of friendly, no-frills bars and eateries that line-up under the old skool lamps on a street furnished with depictions of characters from GeGeGe no Kitaro, the beloved manga creation of local legend Shigeru Mizuki.

Exploration further rewards in this part of town though, and strolls both north and south of the station can turn up some unexpected treats for dinner …

… perhaps none more so than at Sky Restaurant Prestige.

Sky Restaurant Prestige

(Ankake yakisoba and other treats at Sky Restaurant Prestige, Chofu, Tokyo)

Now, the local city office probably doesn't spell out "exciting dining." Bare with us though because chef Hideaki Kondo and the team at Sky Restaurant Prestige offer a dining experience in their location next to Chofu City Hall that sparkles in contrast to all the form-filling going on next door.

Occupying a lofty spot on the twelfth floor of Chofu City Cultural Hall Tazukuri, grab a booth or counter seat by the window to enjoy fine 180-degree views over the western reaches of Tokyo and a revamped dinner menu offering Chinese cuisine.

Chef Kondo, who learned his trade in the kitchens of a major hotel chain, was the culinary mind behind the renowned Chinese restaurant in Fuchu, Tougen-Shika. After its closure, Kondo was brought into Sky Restaurant Prestige which is now the only operation in the area where diners can get their chops around authentic Chinese dishes.

Despite the authenticity and fine views, set menus (main dish, salad, spring roll and steamed shumai dumpling) are served at Sky Restaurant Prestige for just 1,100 yen (inc. tax).

For an easy entry into the menu try the ankake yakisoba where Kondo’s an sauce combines with the crunchy noodles to a light, sweet, and moreish effect. Those with an appetite for something more fiery should try the authentic fresh mapo tofu.  Diners who like to graze or share their dishes might like to try Prestige's dim sum set which comes with three varieties of steamed dim sum -- steamed shrimp gyoza, hisui steamed gyoza, petit nikkuman (steamed pork bun) --as well as a spring roll, chimaki (rice stuffed with fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves), and sesame dumpling. 

Wash meals down with a choice of beers and ciders that includes overseas labels like Heineken, Strongbow, and Brooklyn (larger). For something more in keeping with the cuisine, diners can sip on a range of teas that offer tastes of the Orient -- how about a pot of jasmine?

Come early to enjoy your dinner served with a sunset and, on a clear day, a final glimpse of Mt. Fuji.

For details on Sky Restaurant Prestige and more great restaurants and cafes in Chofu

Gyutandokoro Ishi Honten

A staple of the Chofu dining scene for around three decades now Gyutandokoro Ishi Honten continues to serve up hearty beef-tongue dishes and liquid-fueled good times to a grateful clientele.

The beef served here is delivered fresh every morning from Tokyo’s “Shibaura” municipal meat market in Shinagawa.

Try the store’s signature dish of yudetan, tongue boiled in soup for more than seven hours over a period of two days leaving it almost melt-in-the-mouth tender.

The charcoal-grilled classic gyutan combo plate (gyutan yaki moriawase) is another delicious entry into the cuisine here -- generous cuts of tongue served in three tastes -- salt, miso, and leek.

A plate of store-smoked cuts of tongue and cheese (gyutan kunsei to smoked cheese no moriawase) in combination with the previous dishes will give diners a well-rounded experience of the spectrum of tastes on offer here.

(Gyutandokoro Ishi Honten's signature yudetan, Chofu, Tokyo)

This and plenty more on the menu then, which at the time of visiting we were told will be offered in the English-language soon. That will likely be a big help, as there is a lot to tuck into at Gyutandokoro Ishi Honten and it would be a shame to miss out on any of the deliciousness. Budget up to 5,000 yen in order to get a good fill of meats and drinks.

While table seating is available at Gyutandokoro Ishi Honten, counter seating that centers on a grilling and serving area puts diners right in the thick of the action and within easy earshot of the friendly staff. The recently revamped restaurant does a sterling job at mixing the casual tones of a warm Japanese izakaya with an edge of sophistication that makes this Chofu restaurant a great spot to shoot the breeze with friends, or the setting for a date.

For details on Gyutandokoro Ishi Honten and more great restaurants and cafes in Chofu

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, compiling a list of the best restaurants and cafes in Chofu was always going to be a stiff challenge, and it remains that way.  However, it's a personal challenge worth undertaking as Chofu's food scene has much to offer.  Fortunately discovering restaurants, cafes and bars in Chofu is made a little easier through a map on "Guide to Chofu, Tokyo" that highlights establishments by type and provides the essential details about each location.  So, dig in!

Get started with this map of Chofu detailing cafes, restaurants, bars and more: