The wholesale fish market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the lanes outside it stayed, and the Outer Market is now a 400-shop food bazaar where the city’s chefs still buy knives, dried bonito and seaweed before the tourists arrive. Grilled scallops, rolled omelettes, uni on rice and tuna carved from a frozen flank sell from counters barely a metre wide, and the air smells of soy, charcoal and the sea.
It is a breakfast destination. Walk the central lane, then the quieter back streets of Monzeki-dori, and finish with a coffee at one of the old kissaten. Stalls start closing after lunch, so a morning visit is the only visit.
Tips
- Arrive by 8:00 for the best selection and queues short enough to eat at three stalls before 10:00
- Tamagoyaki on a stick, grilled scallop with uni and a tuna bowl are the classic trio
- Carry cash in small notes, and eat at the stall counter rather than walking with food