Indian Restaurants in Tokyo: Where to Eat Near Shinjuku and Asakusa

Day four or five of a Japan trip is when it hits: the craving for dal, proper spice, and food that fights back a little. The good news is that Tokyo has a deep bench of Indian restaurants - many run for decades, staffed by Indian and Nepali chefs, and very used to vegetarian and Jain diners. The two areas Indian travellers ask us about most are Shinjuku (where most tours stay) and the Asakusa side (where the sightseeing days end). Here is how to eat well in both, with the honest caveat that restaurants change - always check the current hours and menu before you cross the city for dinner.

Shinjuku: the reliable cluster. Shinjuku has Tokyo's densest concentration of Indian restaurants, many in the office-building basements and side streets around the station. Indian Restaurant Mumbai, in the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (B1F, a short walk from the west exit), is a current favourite - its dabba lunch sets and Punjabi curries draw strong reviews from Indian diners, and it lists vegetarian and halal options. Masala Dining in Shinjuku 3-chome is known for South Indian-style vegetarian curries and its cheese naan. You will also find long-running names like Khana and several Nepali-run curry houses within a ten-minute walk of the station. Lunch sets in this area typically run far cheaper than dinner - the same kitchen, half the price.

Asakusa side: fewer, but they exist. Asakusa itself is temple-and-street-food territory, so the Indian options sit slightly outside the tourist core. In and around Asakusabashi - one stop away - you will find Indian restaurants such as Ganga, which serves the standard naan-and-curry spread with vegetarian choices and is listed on Japan's halal restaurant directories. If you are ending your day at Senso-ji, plan on a short train or taxi hop rather than expecting an Indian kitchen on Nakamise Street.

How to spot a genuinely vegetarian-friendly one. Three quick checks: the menu marks vegetarian dishes (most Indian restaurants in Tokyo do, and many have a full veg page); the restaurant understands "no dashi, no meat stock" - Indian kitchens cook curries from spice bases, not fish stock, so the usual Japanese hidden-dashi problem mostly disappears; and recent reviews from Indian diners mention the vegetarian food specifically. If all three check out, you are in safe hands.

What to order. The comfort order: chole or rajma with rice or naan, a paneer dish, and a lassi. South Indian places do dosa and idli days - worth asking. Spice levels in Japan-run Indian restaurants are tuned mild; if you want real heat, ask for "Indian spicy" or the top of their spice scale, and expect it to arrive politely below Guntur levels anyway.

Practical tips. Lunch (11:30-14:30) is the value play almost everywhere. Most places accept cards now, but carry some cash for smaller curry houses. Google Maps ratings are reliable for this category in Tokyo, and Tabelog scores above roughly 3.3 are a good sign. For strict Jain needs, call ahead - no-onion-no-garlic is an unusual request and kitchens appreciate the warning.

How TripKeeper helps. Travellers on our founder-hosted Japan departures get our current, personally vetted restaurant shortlist for the neighbourhoods on their route - the team keeps it fresh because our founders and tour leaders eat at these places trip after trip, and we happily handle special dietary requests with restaurants in advance. If you are planning your own dates, the "Plan your trip" inquiry gets you the same shortlist along with the rest of our Japan kit.