
Tempura Kondo
A two-Michelin-starred temple of tempura, where Chef Fumio Kondo transforms simple ingredients into delicate, crispy art.

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Tempura Kondo

Highlights
Must-see attractions
A two-Michelin-starred temple of tempura, where Chef Fumio Kondo transforms simple ingredients into delicate, crispy art.
"An almost ritualistic vibe—every movement precise, every action structured, like a culinary ceremony unfolding before us."
Book Ahead
Reservations are essential, often needing to be made 2 months in advance. Consider platforms like Pocket Concierge.
Savor Chef's Recommendations
Allow the chef to guide you on the best way to enjoy each piece, whether with salt, lemon, or dipping sauce.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
Japanese Tempura
Price
$$$
Phone
+81 3-5568-0923
Address
Sakaguchi Bld., 9F, 5 Chome-5-13 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Website
tempura-kondo.com/Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Tempura Mastery
Experience delicate batter and precise technique that elevates seafood and vegetables to art. Chef Kondo's mastery shines in every perfectly fried bite.

The Signature Sweet Potato
A must-try! Chef Kondo's sweet potato is fried for 30 minutes, resulting in a fluffy interior and a nearly shattering, caramelized skin.

Intimate Counter Dining
Dine at the counter and witness the culinary artistry unfold before your eyes. An intimate and engaging experience with the chefs.
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Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Book Ahead
Reservations are essential, often needing to be made 2 months in advance. Consider platforms like Pocket Concierge.
Savor Chef's Recommendations
Allow the chef to guide you on the best way to enjoy each piece, whether with salt, lemon, or dipping sauce.
Lunch vs. Dinner
Lunch sets may offer larger portions. Dinner courses are meticulously paced, so be prepared for the heat of freshly fried items.
Be Open to New Flavors
Try unique offerings like julienned carrot tempura and be open to the chef's recommendations for seasonings.
Tips
from all over the internet
Book Ahead
Reservations are essential, often needing to be made 2 months in advance. Consider platforms like Pocket Concierge.
Savor Chef's Recommendations
Allow the chef to guide you on the best way to enjoy each piece, whether with salt, lemon, or dipping sauce.
Lunch vs. Dinner
Lunch sets may offer larger portions. Dinner courses are meticulously paced, so be prepared for the heat of freshly fried items.
Be Open to New Flavors
Try unique offerings like julienned carrot tempura and be open to the chef's recommendations for seasonings.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Tempura Kondo is highly praised for its masterful tempura, delicate batter, and intimate counter dining experience where chefs showcase culinary artistry. While many rave about the quality of ingredients and precise execution, some diners find the pace fast and the temperature of the food challenging, with a few questioning the Michelin rating for the price.
"I had a wonderful experience at Tempura Kondo this spring. The experience felt steeped in tradition, carrying an aura of what legends are made of. The counter-style seating drew you into the heart of the action, letting you watch the preparation of each dish. It was personal and intimate, creating an almost ritualistic vibe—every movement precise, every action structured, like a culinary ceremony unfolding before us.
The team was quite attentive, guiding us with thoughtful recommendations on how to savor each course for maximum flavor—whether to pair it with salt, wasabi, or the delicate dipping sauce, and in what order to enjoy them. The food itself was a testament to their mastery of tempura, each piece a perfect balance of crisp lightness and vibrant flavor. We also added the infamous sweet potato, though it was just a tad dry for my taste. Still, the art of the dishes—simple yet profound—left an indelible mark.
This restaurant was my partner’s absolute favorite of our entire trip and beyond"
emssie emssie
"Overall, I had a positive first tempura omakase experience. I thoroughly enjoyed each tempura piece and it’s interesting how certain pieces are to be enjoyed in different ways (with salt/ lemon/ sauce).
The only thing that I didnt really enjoy was how the tempura was served piping hot, I think I may have burned my tongue a little. Also, the flow was pretty fast before the next piece was served, so you kinda have to endure the burning sensation when taking a bite of the fresh-from-the-oil tempura 🥹 Other than that, everything was good. The waiter and waitress were attentive in refilling your drink and changing the paper on the plate.
We had the full course and we’re glad we chose it because we got to enjoy a delicious tendon rice course at the end 😊 Interaction-wise, though it’s a small counter table, there’s almost no interaction with the chefs."
Laurensia (thequirkyfoodie)
"I don’t understand why this tempura shop gets a 2 stars michelin. For me, it’s just a normal tempura shop, nothing really wowed me. It was not crispy at all. They told us that the sweet potatoes need to order early as it needs 40 minutes to cook and the portion of the sweet potatoes was big. Fine, we ordered. In my opinion, the sweet potatoes was too big! And it was too dry, it cooked too long until the umami of sweet potatoes was gone! I don’t really know what I eat that night. For this price, I believe some other tempura shops can do lot better!"
Kent Goi
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Reservations are essential and often need to be made at least 2 months in advance. Platforms like Pocket Concierge can be used.
Chef Fumio Kondo is renowned for his light, delicate batter that doesn't absorb much oil, allowing the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine.
Yes, the signature sweet potato is fried for a significant time to achieve a fluffy interior and a nearly shattering skin, likened to roasting.
Most seating is at a counter, offering an intimate view of the chefs preparing and serving each piece of tempura individually.
Yes, there are typically multiple omakase courses available for dinner, with some reviewers suggesting lunch sets offer larger portions.
Tempura is served fresh from the fryer, so it is very hot. Some diners have found the pace of service to be fast, requiring careful eating.
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Tokyo 2024: Newly Awarded Restaurants Announced Including One 3-Star Restaurant
The MICHELIN Mentor Chef Award is given to Fumio Kondo of Two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Tempura Kondo. Opening the restaurant in 1991, Mr. Kondo established the modern form of tempura by introducing seasonal vegetables to Edo-mae tempura, which used to be mainly seafood. His new ideas and practical examples, such as experimenting with thin batter at a time when thick batter was the norm, had a major impact on the industry.
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The admiration for tempura chef Fumio Kondo parallels the veneration around Jiro Ono: Both are masters grounded in tradition who also believe in refining and advancing techniques in pursuit of perfection. Kondo famously calls tempura a “steamed food.” The batter he developed is so sheer and enveloping that seafood and vegetables cook to precise tenderness as the exterior fries to a crackle. Kondo’s signature dish is a hunk of sweet potato he bobs in oil for half an hour or so until the inside is fluffy and the skin nearly shatters; it’s an addition to one of three dinnertime omakase options that begin at around $100, and it’s absolutely worth it.
Cheryl Tiu - Travel, Food and Lifestyle Media
Tempura Kondo, which has 2 Michelin stars (and retains them this year as the 2017 Michelin stars for Japan have just been released!) All seats are counter top so the chef cooks in front of you, and serves it omakase style as in one at a time. My favorite is uni wrapped in shisho leaves coated in fine tempura batter. (Notice how thin and barely-there it is!) They immediately replace the sheets of paper that get lined with grease from the oil for the next type of tempura serve.
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According to the Michelin Guide, enjoying a meal at Tempura Kondo is like entering a world where traditional Japanese cuisine meets modern art and every mouthful is an epiphany. This tempura joint with two stars is not just any tempura place; it’s one of the most famous Michelin-starred establishments in Tokyo. With over 50 years of experience, Chef Kondo has turned tempura into an art form that attracts foodies, celebrities and even heads of state from around the world.
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Following the strict belief that less is more, Chef Fumio Kondo serves simple ingredients elevated to new heights with his delicate tempura process. Focusing on the after-effects of the heat, he likens the cooking technique to steaming, believing it brings out the deeper flavors of the hand-selected ingredients. One of their signature dishes is the tempura sweet potato - the thick piece is fried for 30 minutes, bringing a sweetness akin to roasting.
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📍Address: 9F Sakaguchi Building, 5-5-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061. 💰Price per person: From 10,000. 💞Reasons for recommendation: When you think of tempura, you think of Kondo🤍 As expected, the quality and service were amazing‼︎ The last tempura bowl was really delicious, and each piece of tempura carefully prepared in front of us was beautiful and delicious, like a work of art😊 It has two Michelin stars, so reservations are a must♪
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A representative Japanese writer of historical novels, Shotaro Ikenami, dearly loved this famous tempura restaurant. The cuisine, passionately created by the owner, Fumio Kondo, is so unique that it cannot be pigeonholed into a certain category. He has transformed the world of cookery by, for example, adding the deliciousness of seasonal vegetables to tempura, where traditionally seafood from Tokyo Bay (Tokyo-wan) was the mian ingredient.
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Tempura Kondo in Ginza, Tokyo, is a Michelin 2-star restaurant that prepare traditional tempura in innovative ways. With the passion of creating perfect Tempura dishes and over 30 years’ experience, chef Kondo in Tempura Kondo is renowned as one of the best tempura chefs in Japan. Chef Kondo makes tempura fries from extraordinary ingredients, such as shrimp heads, sea urchin, and all possible seasonal vegetables arranged in unique ways.
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Tempura Kondo is a restaurant in Ginza with 2 Michelin stars and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's vote. In fact, Tempura Kondo was the restaurant he had intended to take President Obama to in 2014, but the restaurant was fully booked and Tempura Kondo decided to honor the existing reservations rather than make an exception for the President and Prime Minister. As a result, Abe and Obama dined at Sukibashi Jiro, instead.
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You’ve probably had tempura, crispy-battered fish and vegetables, at sushi joints in your home country. But you’ve never had it like this, prepared in front of you at the counter at Tempura Kondo, a restaurant specializing in what you may not realize can be a high-end dish. Instead of the thick batter usually used for tempura, chef Fumio Kondo employs a light flour-based batter that doesn’t absorb too much oil.
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Tempura Kondo holds a special place among Japanese food enthusiasts, often being the first choice when the craving for tempura strikes. If it weren’t for Tempura Kondo, tempura wouldn’t be as globally renowned as it is today. While traditional Edomae (Tokyo-style) tempura typically focused on seafood, owner-chef Fumio Kondo introduced vegetables which have now become standard ingredients for tempura.
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Tempura Kondo (てんぷら 近藤), a top-rated Tempura restaurant located in Ginza, Tokyo, has got Michelin stars for over a decade. The chief chef Fumio Kondo has dedicated his life to make Tempura and spread the recognition of Tempura across the world since he was 18 years old. Tempura Kondo is the first luxury Tempura restaurant which offers vegetables as well as seafood.
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Tempura by Mr. Fumio Kondo, who has charmed palates around the world. With more than 50 years of experience as a craftsman, he is a regular in the Michelin Guide who creates ever-changing tempura with his inquisitive mind. You can enjoy tempura that brings out the color and aroma of the ingredients by thinning the batter to the very last minute.
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Tempura Kondo is a Michelin two-star restaurant located in the glitzy Ginza district that is known for its expensive shops and even more expensive restaurants. Diners usually go for the set meals offered at Tempura Kondo. There’s also an a la carte menu on offer, if the tempura sets are not enough to satisfy your cravings.
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Tempura Kondo elevates the simple concept of tempura to dizzying heights. The eponymous chef Fumio Kondo takes pride in his light, crisp batter and the pristine quality of his ingredients. Each piece of seafood and vegetable is fried to perfection, ensuring a delicate crunch that gives way to the succulent flavors within.
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Headed by chef Fumio Kondo, this Ginza establishment has been pushing culinary boundaries for more than 30 years. For Chef Kondo, tempura is not only fried but also steamed. Even after frying the tempura in oil, the batter-wrapped ingredients are steamed by residual heat, which brings out their natural flavors.
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Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 5-chōme−5−13, Sakaguchi Bld., 9F. Tempura Kondo is known for its light and delicate approach to frying, highlighting the natural flavors of fresh ingredients. Led by a seasoned chef with decades of experience, it has long been recognized for its consistent quality.
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If crispy, golden-battered Tempura is your weakness, Tempura Kondo is a must-visit. Located in the heart of Tokyo, this outstanding establishment led by Fumio Kondo takes tempura to new heights. The chefs skillfully fry seasonal ingredients, creating delicate and flavorful morsels that melt in your mouth.
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Fumio Kondo, the most famous tempura chef who had been the chief chef in the Hilltop hotel for 21 years and opened his restaurant in Ginza in 1991. Regularly Michelin starred and lots of customers visit from all over the world. His tempura is famous for its lightness.
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Tempura Kondo is the one of the famous tempura restaurants in Japan. All gourmets know the name. It is about 5 minutes walk from Ginza Station.

Social
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit