Tokyo

The Effervescence in Omotesando, Tokyo, is a French two-star Michelin restaurant opened by the chef Shinobu Namae. Showcasing his creativity, chef Namae combines the art of French cuisine with the best of Japanese ingredients. In order to sublimate the ingredients’ original flavor, he often brings into play a wide variety of cooking styles. L’Effervescence offers a setting where people can gather and relax in a positive environment, enjoying a true culinary experience.

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Led by chef Shintaro Miyazaki, Azure 45 offers a modern French cuisine in an upscale and creative fine-dining setting. Its name “Azure” comes from the view of the beautiful skyline and the Tokyo Bay from the window of the restaurant. Among the distinctive ingredients used by chef Miyazaki for his creative dishes, you can find fresh catches sourced from Yamaguchi’s Hagi market and Hokkaido.

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Your heart skips a beat as you enter this French fine-dining restaurant with a breathtaking view. Under the watchful eye of the talented executive sous-chef Nicolas Boujéma, Signature’s enticing menu offers an array of authentic French dishes, subtly prepared with a distinctive contemporary flair. Dining areas are divided by silver partitions fashioned from carbon fibers, so the sunlight bathes the dining room by day, while at night the glittering city skyline provides the ultimate backdrop for this unforgettable dining experience.

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Chef Tanigawa Yasunobu, who trained in Paris and Switzerland, runs this elegant restaurant with his wife and cooks every dish himself. Specialties include soft-steamed egg in a cocotte with a truffle and foie gras sauce, Lacan pigeon with a light salmis sauce, and roasted Challans pigeon served with a Rouennaise sauce. The wine selection is very impressive with precious bottles and rare vintages from all regions of France.

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Beige Tokyo was found in 2004 through the collaboration between the fashion brand Chanel and Alain Ducasse. The spirit of ‘simple and elegant’ is expressed in every detail of the cuisine and the decor. Indeed, Beige offers a refined French cuisine that makes the fullest possible use the finest Japanese ingredients: subtle, elegant and inspiring.

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In the neighbourhood of Ebisu stands a French Château fully dedicated to Joël Robuchon culinary art. Decorated with beige and champagne-coloured interior, mirrors and crystals, the restaurant proposes a menu covering Joël Robuchon’s greatest classics, elaborated with the best products of the moment. An exceptional cuisine for an exceptional place, right in the heart of Tokyo.

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The Montpellier-born chef, André Pachon, has run the upscale French restaurant Pachon in Daikanyama, Tokyo for almost 30 years. He is one of the pioneers who introduced authentic French cuisine to Japan. Restaurant Pachon is appreciated by locals for its fine French cuisine and traditional dishes like the now famous “Cassoulet de Castelnaudary”. The great ambiance, the excellent wine list and the culinary savoir-faire guarantee a unique experience in Tokyo.

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Chef Tokoshima serves 20 different items of grilled chicken, from the standard – breast, wings, thigh – to the startling. Chef Tokoshima is a perfectionist who oversees the minutiae of the yakitori process. The simple seasoning – salt, black pepper and a splash of soy sauce – allows the natural flavours of the chicken to shine. It’s a beautiful, elegant restaurant, with a counter surrounding the kitchen, offering customers a close-up view of the master’s meticulous preparation of each and every kushi.

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Sushi Mitani is an exquisite restaurant where you can have a truly sensational gourmet journey. Chef Mitani specializes in offering a tasty seasonal variety, inspired by the traditional Edo cuisine with a touch of modern creativity. In addition, the restaurant’s sommelier will help you select the best sake or wine out of an impressive selection to complete your experience with style. Enjoy a true culinary bliss at this high-end sushi restaurant.

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Founded back in 1926, this museum is Japan’s very first public art museum. It features a variety of special exhibitions, thematic showcases and art masterpieces from around the world. The building is designed by renowed Japanese architect Kunio Maekawa, and is an absolute highlight for those who appreciate design. The Museum aspires to be a “doorway to art,” open to all people for compelling art experiences—a place where children can visit, and budding artists can debut their works, without hesitation. The Museum strives to be “a haven for enrichment of the heart.”

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Also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall, Ryogoku Kokugikan is an indoor sporting arena located in the Yokoami neighborhood of Sumida. Among the six official tournaments of sumo held in Japan every year, three of them take place at Rygoku. The national wrestling sport of sumo is characterized by the size of the wrestlers and by two simple traditional rules: it is forbidden to move out of the circle (dohyo) and participants cannot touch the floor with anything other than their feet. The male wrestlers, called “rikishi”, wear a simple loincloth fastened around the waist and groin area. This is called a “mawashi” and is the only thing they are allowed to grasp during the fight.

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This Buddhist temple is in Asakusa. It is one of Tokyo’s most colorful and popular temples. Legend has it that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River. Even though they kept putting the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, they built Sensoji nearby for the goddess Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest temple.

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Tsukiji is the world’s largest and busiest fish market. The main reason for going there at 5 a.m. is to catch the live tuna auctions. Alongside the sushi counters and ramen shops you will find retail stores selling anything from fresh seafood and katsuobushi (bonito flakes) to traditional knives and ceramics. An essential pilgrimage for anyone with an interest in Japanese food culture or in search of affordable eating options.

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The Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is the most beautiful green space in Tokyo. In late March and early April, during the cherry blossom season, the central lawn areas are particularly stunning. Consider bringing a picnic lunch. You can buy a variety of take-away items at the gourmet food hall in the basement level of the Takashimaya department store.

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Located near Meguro’s Metropolitan Art Museum, Happoen is a hidden haven of peace in the middle of busy Tokyo. Literally meaning “the garden with the eight sceneries”, one can only agree that Happoen pleases the eye, never matter at which hour of the day or season of the year. The pond is the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of traditional Matcha tea, prepared by the very keepers of the garden.

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