Visiting Tokyo in Golden Week 2024

I am travelling from Australia to Japan for 2 weeks in early May and we didn't realise that it would coincide with Golden Week.

We will be in Tokyo from 1 - 5 May then leave for Hiroshima and then Kyoto.

What are recommendations to do in Tokyo that embraces the festival? We also want to explore different parts of Tokyo that are a bit more off the beaten track. Also, what are your recommendations for dinner, we want to go to smaller places/ not fancy restaurants, do we need to book any of these? Finally, what are the places to avoid at this time/ times of day to avoid certain attractions?

Thanks for your help, we aren't scared by crowds but mainly don't want to waste a lot of time stuck in super long lines.

what are your recommendations for dinner, we want to go to smaller places/ not fancy restaurants, do we need to book any of these

There are enough restaurants in Tokyo that you can always find one without queue or minimal queue, and still have a decent meal. The last floor of each department store will usually have several restaurants, and I would be surprised if they are all full.

If you are looking for specific dishes or top notch quality, there is not trick to it. You need to book in advance if possible, or risk having to queue. Some places take reservations, others are on a first come, first-serve basis.

GW is not a festival, just a bunch of public holidays. Actually in Tokyo, it means things will be open on Mondays rather than closed. Some small restaurants might be closed, but you probably would not notice. It is not like the country shuts down - too many people need to work and of course people still want to go shopping and visit restaurants.

If anything, you might find it quieter than normal in GW. It has been for me when I was there at that time during multiple trips. But theme park places will be jammed, and places like Shibuya Sky will also be full. It's one of the best times to be in Japan as far as natural beauty goes. Places like the Ashikaga Flower Park, Hitachi Seaside Park, Chichibu and the shibazakura festival at Mt Fuji are all great places.

I think event halls are usually crowded, but you can check festivals in Tokyo during Golden Week here.
https://spring.walkerplus.com/gw/list/ar0313/festival/
Oktoberfest in Odaiba (not in October though)
https://www.oktober-fest.jp/odaiba_spring/
It seems that festivals of the world such as Cinco de Mayo are held at Asukayama Park.
https://partyanimalsjp.com/2024/02/27/20240504cinco-de-mayo/
Kurayami-matsuri Festival is held at Okuni Tama-jinja Shrine.
https://www.ookunitamajinja.or.jp/matsuri/5-kurayami.php
You may not want to go to Disney during Golden Week. (It will be crowded during normal weekends and holidays, but there will be more lines.)

Restaurant reviews
Tabelog (Japanese website)
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/rstLst/?SrtT=inbound_trend
TripAdvisor (U.S. website)
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g298184-Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture...
You can also look it up on Google Maps.