Travel

Where to find 'foodie heaven' in Tokyo

Which city is the world's restaurant capital? If you answered Paris, you'd be wrong. It's actually Tokyo. The Japanese capital city has more Michelin stars – 227 spread across 143 restaurants – than any other city in the world, making it the new "foodie heaven".

Thirty of Tokyo's Michelin-starred restaurants are in hotels, so depending on where you stay, you need never be far from fabulous food. For city centre luxury, you will struggle to beat the Mandarin Oriental (from £290 a night; 00 81 3 3270 8800). "The highlight here is the view, which – day and night – is spectacular in all directions," says James Studholme in The Daily Telegraph.

The hotel overlooks the Imperial Palace and the Bay of Japan, and all the rooms are situated on the 30th-36th floors, so you are guaranteed a good view. This being Japan, there are plenty of in-room extras, from a permanently warmed toilet seat to yoga mats, with elegant nightwear provided should you need it. The hotel has seven bars and restaurants, including the single-Michelin-starred modern Cantonese restaurant, Sense.

Another option is the Peninsula Hotel (from £387 a night; 00 81 3 6270 2888), whose Hei Fung Terrace was awarded a Michelin star this year. Of the rash of new hotels that have opened in Tokyo in the past few years, the "best by far is the Peninsula," says Kate Graham in The Independent on Sunday."Each bedroom bristles with the latest technology" and the service is excellent.

And if eating the food isn't enough to satisfy your foodie curiosity, the Peninsula also offers a cookery course. Students learn to make tempura – deep-fried fish and vegetables – and two types of sushi, nigiri and maki. At the end of the two-hour class you're served a "mini-banquet of sushi and tempura platters" in your own private dining room, says Tom Gatti in The Times. All for £170 per person.

If you'd rather venture out of your hotel and into the city for your food fix, then Tokyo's Park Hyatt hotel (from £246 a night; 00 81 3 5322 1234) is a fine alternative as a place to rest your head. The hotel featured in the film Lost in Translation and until recently had for years been recommended as Tokyo's best hotel. It has now been overtaken a little by newer rivals, but still has plenty to offer guests, including a fabulous spa and a bar with possibly the best view of Tokyo you'll find in any of the city's hotels.

There are nine restaurants in Tokyo that have been awarded the top rank of three Michelin stars. Sushi lovers should make for the Sushi Mizutani (00 81 3 3573 5258) in the Seiwa Silver Building for the "most transcendent of experiences", says Danielle Demetriou in The Sunday Times. But make sure you book well in advance, as the restaurant is hugely popular.

For a different three-Michelin-star experience you can head to Hamadaya (00 81 3 3661 5940). Housed in a former Geisha house dating from 1912, this restaurant serves a "string of delicate seasonal dishes created in kaiseki style, the Japanese equivalent of haute cuisine", says Dementriou in The Daily Telegraph.

What do Michelin star ratings actually mean?

Michelin defines its star-rating as follows. A one-star restaurant promises an "excellent meal"; a two-star restaurant serves up "meals that are worth a detour"; while a three-star restaurant serves "meals that are worth a trip" in themselves.