All-You-Can-Eat and All-You-Can-Drink in Japan: How Tabehodai and Nomihodai Work, With 5 Real Restaurants

Two words come up again and again on Japanese restaurant menus and signboards: tabehodai (食べ放題, “eat as much as you like”) and nomihodai (飲み放題, “drink as much as you like”). They are Japan’s version of all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink, and for travelers they can be one of the best-value meals of a trip. But they do not work quite like a buffet back home. There is almost always a time limit, a last-order call before the end, and a set of house rules about who at the table has to join and what happens to food you leave behind.

This guide explains how both systems work, what the usual rules are, how to order without wasting your time slot, and what to check before you sit down. At the end we list five restaurants already on this site that offer a tabehodai or nomihodai plan, across Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, so you can see how the format differs from a yakiniku chain to a yakitori izakaya.

Tabehodai and nomihodai: what they are

Tabehodai is a fixed-price plan where you can keep ordering food from a set menu for a set length of time. You will see it most at yakiniku (Japanese barbecue), shabu-shabu and sukiyaki hot pot, sushi, and dessert restaurants. Nomihodai is the drinks version: a fixed price for unlimited drinks from a set list, usually beer, highballs, sours, soft drinks, and often sake or wine, again for a fixed time. Izakaya (Japanese pubs) commonly offer nomihodai on its own or bundled with a set course of dishes, and many restaurants sell a combined “tabehodai and nomihodai” plan.

Many tabehodai restaurants in Japan are not self-service buffets. Instead, you order plates from a menu, a tablet, or your phone, and staff bring them to the table. That is why the ordering rhythm matters more than it does at a buffet: you are working with a clock and a kitchen.

The usual rules

Every restaurant sets its own rules, and they are usually printed on the menu or explained when you sit down. These are the ones you will meet most often:

1. A time limit. Plans are sold by time. For tabehodai, 90 or 120 minutes is common; nomihodai plans are often two hours, sometimes longer. The time usually cannot be extended, and plans with no time limit, where they exist, tend to cost more.
2. A last order before the end. Staff will call last order some time before your slot ends. The exact timing varies by restaurant, so ask when you sit down. After last order, no new dishes or drinks can be added.
3. Everyone at the table may need to join. For nomihodai in particular, it is common for the whole party to be required to take the plan and pay for it, even someone who is not drinking much. Some restaurants also do not allow only part of a group to order a tabehodai course. Check before you order if your group wants different plans.
4. Leftovers are frowned on. Ordering more than you can eat is considered bad manners, and some restaurants state that they will charge extra if a large amount of food is left. Taking leftovers home is generally not allowed.
5. Other charges may still apply. An izakaya may still add a per-person cover charge or table charge on top of a drinks plan, and some drinks plans require you to order food as well. Prices may or may not include tax, so check how the menu shows them.

How to order without wasting your time slot

The most common mistake is to order a mountain of food in the first few minutes, then spend the rest of the time trying to finish it. Ordering in small rounds works better: start with a few plates, see how big the portions are, and keep a couple of orders going at once so the next plates arrive as you finish the last ones. At yakiniku restaurants, grill a few pieces at a time rather than covering the grill.

Ordering is increasingly done by tablet or by scanning a QR code at the table with your phone, and these systems often have an English option. This makes tabehodai one of the easier formats for travelers who do not speak Japanese. If your restaurant takes orders verbally, pointing at the menu works fine.

For nomihodai, keep in mind that some places only serve your next drink once you hand back the empty glass, so there is no point ordering several at once. Water or tea is a good way to pace yourself, since you have paid for the time, not for the number of drinks.

When the clock starts also varies. Some restaurants count from the moment you are seated, others from your first order, so it is worth asking staff what time your plan ends. Some places also offer a soft-drinks-only drinks plan for people who do not drink alcohol, and some set separate prices for children. If you are with family or with people who do not drink, ask which plans are available before you order.

Before you go: what to check

1. Reservations and group size. Some plans, especially combined food-and-drink plans and banquet courses, are only available with a reservation or for a minimum number of people.
2. Which menu the plan covers. Tabehodai courses usually come in tiers, with higher-priced courses unlocking more cuts or dishes. Drinks plans may exclude premium sake or cocktails.
3. Dietary needs. If you avoid pork, alcohol, or particular allergens, ask what is in the course before ordering. Any halal, vegetarian, or allergy information on a restaurant’s menu is the restaurant’s own description unless a certification body is named.
4. Payment. Chains usually take credit cards, while smaller restaurants may be cash only. Each restaurant page on this site notes the payment methods we were able to confirm.

Where to try it: five restaurants on this site

The restaurants below are listed on Japan Eat Guide and, according to the information on each restaurant’s page, offer a tabehodai or nomihodai plan. They cover three quite different formats: a nationwide yakiniku chain, a yakiniku restaurant that describes its meat as halal-labeled, and two izakaya with drinks plans. Plan details, prices, and conditions change, so check the restaurant page and the restaurant itself before you go. For more on grilling and cuts, see our yakiniku guide, and for pub etiquette, our izakaya guide.

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