Visiting Tokyo? Getting a table at one of the most fashionable small restaurants just got easier

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Getting into Japan’s top eateries is no easy task, especially for those who don’t know the language. Many places are hard to find out about because they rely on word-of-mouth and are tucked away on backstreets. With few tables in small spaces, the most coveted among them fill up fast. Visitors who use hotel concierges to seek a reservation often find out that a place is locked up for months.
Yamada, 38, offers a way around. Tableall secures the reservations by paying the restaurant in advance for a set-menu feast, then charges customers 3,000 yen ($26) per seat on top of the meal’s price. Diners incur charges if they cancel close to the booking date. ...
Tableall currently offers spots at 11 eateries in Tokyo. They include Kasumicho Suetomi, which has kaiseki course meals from 34,000 yen per person including the booking fee, and the Michelin-starred Tempura Motoyoshi, with offerings starting at 20,000 yen each. Seats are grouped as a package of two, but solo diners and larger groups can make special requests. The English-language website provides detailed photographs and information on the dishes and tableware they’re served on, biographies of the chefs, and precise map locations.