Ditch Google Reviews In Japan And Use This App Instead To Find Top-Tier Restaurants

Before trying out a restaurant, it's common practice to check reviews so you can decide wisely on where to go and what to eat. Nowadays, Google Reviews has become a common means through which people look for and decide on a good place for food. However, when you go to Japan — perhaps to visit some of the country's most photogenic destinations — that might not be the right app to use. After all, many of the eateries with high ratings are typically tourist-oriented, which means they cater to visitors rather than everyday locals. Beyond that, there are also concerns that some reviews on Google might be fake. As Redditor u/Rizenshine shared in r/Tokyo, "I've been to several places that offer 10% off if you show them a 5-star Google Maps review at checkout."

Instead, it's better to use an app that's more locally oriented: Tabelog. Widely used by Japanese locals to rate restaurants, the app features nearly 900,000 listings with more than 80 million reviews and photos. Aside from its hyper-local focus, one of the most unique features about this app is that the ratings from users are usually far more critical and stricter than what you'd find on Google — with only about 3% scoring above 3.5 of 5. So, if a restaurant manages to snag just a 3.5 rating on Tabelog, you can rest assured it's still a very good spot. 

Emphasizing this, a traveler confirmed via r/JapanTravelTips: "Those types of places would be like 4.7-ish [on Google]." Indeed, relying on Google Reviews in Japan may lead you to restaurants that look great online, but lack a truly local feel. And if you're visiting Japan's best tourist attractions for the first time, the Tabelog app is your best bet for enjoying a dining experience like a local.

Until recently, Tabelog only had a web version that was purely in Japanese and needed to be translated within your browser or through other apps. Thankfully, in November 2025, the Tabelog mobile app was released — with the option to choose from multiple languages like English, Chinese, and Korean. This means you don't need to worry about the language barrier as a non-Japanese speaker. In addition to that, the app also allows you to use a map-based search — which makes it easier to locate nearby restaurants — and users can even filter their options based on popularity, opening hours, menus, and more.

Although it's possible to reserve a table directly through the app, it's worth noting that there is a small, non-refundable booking fee (around ¥440, or the equivalent to $3) when doing so. Meant to deter tourists from failing to show up after booking, or canceling without proper notification, the fee helps reduce no-shows at popular restaurants. If you wish to avoid this fee, though, some travelers suggest booking via the original Japanese site, even though means going through all of the translation stress all over again. Once you've booked, it might also be worth brushing up on a few chopstick etiquette rules to avoid making any embarrassing mistakes.

Tabelog is available for download from both the App Store and the Google Play Store. Although you don't have to sign in before looking through the app to find an eatery, reservations require registration.