Tokyo Diner

What Tokyo Diner is in Soho's Chinatown

Tokyo Diner is a three-floor Japanese restaurant on the corner of Newport Place and Lisle Street, in Soho's Chinatown. It has traded on the same site since December 1992, when founder Richard Hills converted a vacant launderette below his flat into a simple, affordable eatery. A visitor goes to Tokyo Diner Chinatown for reliable, well-priced Japanese food served quickly, without the formality or queues for a table that surround many nearby restaurants.

The diner seats around 101 people across its three floors and does not take reservations, so guests walk in and are seated as space comes free. It sits about three minutes' walk from Leicester Square station, making it an easy stop before or after the West End theatres.

The food and what to expect

The menu covers everyday Japanese dishes rather than a narrow speciality. Katsu curry, rice bowls, noodle dishes and sushi all appear, and the kitchen has built its reputation on keeping prices low for central London. Tokyo Diner has long been cited as one of the better-value Japanese kitchens in the area, which is why it draws a steady stream of customers through the day.

Service staff speak English and the wider team speaks Japanese. Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing, so it is worth arriving in good time on busier evenings.

No tipping and sustainable sourcing

Two long-standing policies set the restaurant apart. It declines tips: any money left on tables is passed to the St Martin-in-the-Fields charity for homeless people, reflecting the Japanese custom of not tipping. It has also committed to sustainable sourcing since opening and does not serve tuna dishes, a deliberate choice to avoid adding to demand for an overfished species.

For anyone exploring the restaurants of Chinatown and the surrounding streets, Tokyo Diner offers a straightforward, dependable Japanese meal on Newport Place. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. It opens from noon Tuesday to Sunday, until 23:00 most nights and 23:30 on Friday and Saturday. Because there are no bookings, the practical advice is simple: turn up, give your name if there is a wait, and expect to be eating before long.