“Ishibashi” is located in a quiet town 6-minute walk from Edogawabashi Station. It is a 1-star eel restaurant where the third and fourth generations are in the grill, the proprietress cooks rice with carefully-selected rice, and the young proprietress selects and serves sake, continuing the traditional family business.
It was founded by the first generation Ryo Nemoto in 1910, around the end of Meiji period. After the war, it was relocated from Nakanohashi to its current location. Today, the fourth generation owner, Kazunori Nemoto, serves as president of the restaurant. His teacher was his father Mitsuaki Nemoto, the third generation. He trained under Mr. Mitsuaki since he was 20 years old, and now he is the fourth generation, keeping up with the third generation to preserve the taste of “Ishibashi” that he is proud of.
Eel changes its state every day. Different eel, from Shizuoka or from Kyushu, was purchased in the best condition on the day with the trust of the connoisseur who was familiar with the condition. The sauce, known as "the life of eel shop", has been passed down since the establishment, and the pickle is another specialty. Nuka-doko (bed of salted rice bran), a secret recipe of “Ishibashi”, has a history longer, more than 100 years, than the sauce. The "100-year assorted pickles", where you can taste all the pickles pickled in nuka-doko, is also a popular menu item.
"Please enjoy side dishes and alcohol until we serve the eel," says young proprietress Ayuko Nemoto. It takes less than 1 hour to grill the eel, meanwhile please enjoy the sake selected by Ms. Ayuko, who is also a Kikizake-shi (sake sommelier). The Japanese sake is selected to go well with à la carte dishes or course meals upon request from customers. There are always 20 to 30 kinds of seasonal sake and changes every 2 weeks. With a wide range of contacts with breweries, there are many rare sakes that you can meet only once, so it is a lineup that even sake connoisseurs will appreciate. The restaurant is also particular about tea and serves tea from Kagurazaka Meicha “Rakuzan”, that they have known since the first generation.
It is a tasteful restaurant with a brick wall that withstands air raids at the entrance. The "box" of Wajimanuri was used with great care and some of them were inherited from the first generation. The box with the long history is sometimes served, and you can enjoy a joint performance of traditional Japanese culture with eel cuisine, a craft of food and dinnerware. There are 3 tatami rooms, 3 tables, and around 40 seats. On weekdays you can enjoy business activities such as business entertainment, and on weekends you can enjoy the “Ishibashi” space and traditional taste for your private time such as with family, friends and dates. English menu is also available, so why not use it as a place to entertain overseas guests?
※ Awarded 1 star on world-renowned gourmet guide Tokyo 2023
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
A 6-minute walk from Edogawabashi Station, Exit 4 (Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line)
