Best Breakfast in Tokyo

One word—mimosas. This classic boozy orange juice is a must at brunch tables across the U.S.A. The secret to curing a hangover is to just keep on drinking and you’ll forget that you were even hungover in the first place. Get that daily dose of vitamin C and B (B is for booze).

As for the food, think crispy bacon strips (yes, real bacon), buttery pancakes and french toast topped with heaps of whipped cream. The menu’s burgers, salads, and sirloin steak put the lunch in brunch. The menu at each location varies a bit, but you can always count on mimosas and pancakes at the Ebisu branch.

• Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 4 a.m.
• Locations: Ebisu, Nerima, Shinjuku, Odaiba
• Best menu item: Crispy maple french toast
• https://www.cardenas.co.jp/shop/

A hearty plate of garlic and herb mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and sausage hit the spot at this Aussie chain. Bills’ famed ricotta pancakes are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The health-conscious can enjoy fresh juices like the turmeric, pineapple, and coconut potion. Or go for the bloody mary and pretend the tomato juice makes it healthy.

Although, as one reader noted, you’ll be sober by the time you get a table! The Harajuku location gets packed on the weekend, so be prepared to wait. Luckily, there are several other locations around Tokyo.

• 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (varies slightly depending on the location)
• Locations: Harajuku, Odaiba, Ginza, Futakotamagawa
• Best menu item: Full Aussie
• https://billsjapan.com/en

Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics and as they say in Japan, simple is best. This one isn’t so much for hangovers, but rather when you’re still drunk. When nothing else is open, Matsuya with its salty beef bowls, curry, and miso soup is.

Not only is it open 24 hours for drunken salarymen and foreigners alike, but you don’t even have to talk to anyone—just use the vending machine in English to select what you want and give your ticket to the staff at the counter. For when you’re in that in-between phase of too drunk to really function, but coherent enough to know that you’re hungry.

• Hours: Open 24 Hours
• Locations: literally everywhere
• Best menu item: premium beef bowl with extra green onions and soft boiled egg
• https://www.matsuyafoods.co.jp/english/

Let’s be honest, the titillating name is the reason most people wind up here. If you can refrain from laughing too much about it—or even if you can’t—get the restaurant’s signature dish, “the slut.” It features a tall glass of buttery mashed potatoes topped with a gooey sunny-side-up egg and a side of crispy sourdough bread.

The creamy, delicate eggs bursting from in between two soft brioche buns of the “Fairfax” sandwich are another good choice. This Los Angeles-born restaurant comes from the group behind Luke’s Lobster, which is located in the same building.

• Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Locations: Shinjuku
• Best menu item: The slut
• https://eggslut.baycrews.co.jp/

Another Los Angeles-born spot, BluJam offers brunch for vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores alike. Omelets galore, steak and eggs, and breakfast hash with rosemary potatoes scream California dreaming. Vegans and vegetarians can choose from tofu scrambles, mushroom risotto, and more! Mimosas and bloody marys are always on the menu and the restaurant has even gotten rid of straws in the name of environmental friendliness.

• Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; until 11 p.m. at the Azabu Juban location; Closed on Tuesdays
• Locations: Daikanyama, Azabu Juban
• Best menu item: Vegan spicy tofu tex mex
• https://www.blujamcafejapan.com/

Fluffy, eggy french toast and a steaming cup of coffee are the best way to start the day. This tiny restaurant with seats for only about 10 folks has exactly that. They even have American-style breakfast sausage patties—which if you’ve spent enough time in Japan, you’ll know how rare it is to come by these. The entire menu is in English, so no worries about ordering.

This place feels like one of those trendy spots where American girls go for brunch in all the movies. Except, it’s not pretentious or trendy at all, just a lowkey spot for a good brekkie.

• Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays
• Locations: Hiroo
• Best menu item: Sausage breakfast burrito
• https://www.facebook.com/BreakfastBrunch-Jade5-211662002351489/?ref=stream

Breakfast from all over the world, all day, every day. This snug diner only has one table—a long family-style one right in the center—so pull up a seat and get comfortable. The plates here recreate staple breakfasts of different countries from Mexico to Switzerland. Get a classic English breakfast full of baked beans and toast or a Swiss rösti and hunk of gruyere cheese.

Every two months, their special menu features a different country, giving you the chance to experience the flavors of the world. Give us all the carb-heavy, savory, and greasy plates.

• Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Locations: Harajuku and Gaienmae
• Best menu item: English breakfast
• https://www.world-breakfast-allday.com/eng