Pizza Kevelos, tucked away down a side street in the heart of Harajuku, is known for its pizza base that is light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The culinary team ferments and cooks their dough with precision, giving it the desired texture.

The signature Marinara with dry-aged garlic, fresh tomato, and oregano may seem simple, but requires years of experience to perfect. There’s a dedicated staff who’s responsible for slowly drying the garlic in low heat for half a day, before determining where in the restaurant it should be left and for how long, depending on the season and climate. 

A popular variation is the Fille Marinara, served with fresh tomatoes—the slight acidic flavour from the seeds is transformed into deep umami through a meticulous form of craftsmanship that can take up to three years of training to master. The Roquefort is another popular dish; the strong umami flavours of the “king of blue cheese” is flawlessly complemented by their special honey mix (with apple syrup and spices). Guests can enjoy counter seats overlooking the open kitchen, indoor tables, or al fresco dining at the terrace seats. 

Pizza Kevelos
Address: 1F, Jingumae 6-12-4, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan

Pizzaiolo (pizza master) Yuki Motokura opened Pizza Marumo last December, beautifully fusing Japanese ingredients with Italian cooking techniques. At the entrance hangs a curtain-like “noren” fabric, typically found at traditional restaurants, and guests are greeted with “omotenashi” hospitality—a uniquely Japanese experience. Motokura started his culinary career at the age of 16 at a kaiseki restaurant, and continues to incorporate his apprenticeship learnings to this day. For instance, the teriyaki sauce featured on the “Teriyaki Boys” pizza is a blend of two types of “dashi” broths (kelp and bonito) and soy sauce from Kyushu, a recipe taught by his then-master. This flavourful dish is topped with salsiccia (prepared with free range chicken and pine nuts), homemade mayonnaise sauce, mozzarella, and Hararyoukaku black "shichimi" chilli pepper from Kyoto. Its signature “Japanese Umami” is another fan-favourite, topped with dried shiitake mushroom cream sauce, mozzarella, pecorino, mackerel, bonito flakes, kombu, green onion, sesame, and soy sauce.

Pizza Marumo
Address: 1F Ebisu-Minami 1-11-13, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0022, Japan

Read more: Fat Cow head chef Shingo Iijima shares his favourite restaurants in Tokyo

Located on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Nihonbashi, this world-renowned pizza bar takes pizzas to a whole new dimension. A marble L-shaped counter in the corner seats eight guests, who are able to watch the pizzaiolo beautifully create each dish from scratch and bake pizzas in the kiln. The dough is made with a blend of flours, San Pellegrino sparkling water, organic olive oil, and Sicilian salt, with different recipes used for tomato- and cheese-based pizzas. Only 1 gram of yeast is used per kilo batch before fermenting for 48 hours—the result is a light and airy dough that has a crispy yet soft texture. The menu features classic dishes, as well as seasonal specials. Highlights include sansai (mountain vegetable) herbs in the spring (with sansai purée and stracciatella), zucchini in the summer (with zucchini purée, grilled zucchini, zucchini flower, and homemade pancetta), Porcini Pizza in the autumn (with mushroom paste, fresh porcini, and porcini oil), and figs in the winter (with cabbage purée, raspberry vinegar, ricotta cheese, and nduja guanciale). For those unable to commit to a single pizza, it now offers an omakase course, which includes appetiser, eight different slices, and dessert.

The Pizza Bar on 38th
Address: Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo 38F, Nihonbashi Muromachi 2-1-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8328, Japan

Buganville, meaning “bougainvillaea” in Italian, is a pizzeria located near Hiroo station specialising in Neapolitan pizza. Its exteriors are decorated with the bright pink ornamental vines, inspired by the head chef’s pizzaiolo training in Southern Italy. Every element of the preparation—from the kneading and stretching to the cooking of the dough—is authentic, and earning the restaurant the “Vera Pizza Napoletana” certification. Its "Pizza Spaccanapoli" is a house specialty, served with three rows of varying flavours. One crust is stuffed with ricotta cheese, ham, and mozzarella, while the other is filled with homemade salsiccia, sautéed green vegetables, and smoked mozzarella. Particularly noteworthy is the “Pizza D.O.C.”, a simple yet scrumptious margarita with tomatoes, olive oil, buffalo mozzarella and basil.

Buganville Hiroo
Address: 1F, Minami-Azabu 5-15-25, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047

Tokyo Halfie is a half Japanese and half English foodie living in Tokyo, and is passionate about travelling and discovering new restaurants. Having grown up in Tokyo, San Francisco and London, she realised that food is one of the most important elements of our culture. She started her career in London working for an investment bank, before returning to her hometown in the Japanese capital. She now works in FinTech by day, and manages her personalised restaurant itinerary service by night. Follow her on Instagram at @tokyohalfie.

NOW READ

5 design hotels in Japan to visit in autumn

Japan Airlines: What you’ll feast on when you travel on its First Class and Business Class flights

A guide to Japan’s art islands: Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima