Cover (Photo: Shigeru Tanaka/Nanzuka)

With Japan opening up to international travel again, we look at the buzzy Tokyo restaurants that you’ll definitely want to treat your tastebuds to when you get the chance

With the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants of any city in the world, Tokyo is home to what seems like an endless array of sensational restaurants. And the selection continues to expand, with the newest additions to Tokyo’s dining scene including establishments from leading lights in the F&B industry, such as Massimo Bottura, Virgilio Martinez and Daniel Calvert, as well as creative dining concepts that include a new space that is art gallery by day and high-end sushi restaurant by night. Whether you’re lucky enough to be able to visit these enticing spots imminently, or if you’re simply adding them to an ever-lengthening ‘to try’ list once Asia’s skies open up to travel, these new Tokyo dining experiences will be worth the wait.

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1. 3110NZ by LDH Kitchen

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Japanese art dealer NANZUKA and acclaimed Sushi Saito have come together to create a stylish, multi-purpose space.
Above Japanese art dealer NANZUKA and acclaimed Sushi Saito have come together to create a stylish, multi-purpose space. (Photo: 3110NZ by LDH Kitchen/Instagram)

There are few places in the world where one can enjoy sushi while surrounded by cool, contemporary art. 3110NZ, a collaboration between former three-Michelin-starred Sushi Saito and acclaimed art dealer Nanzuka, gives customers an experience that is both aesthetically pleasing and delicious. 

By day, the venue, which was designed by New York design studio Snarkitecture, operates as a public art gallery; the cavernous space with its extensive walls displays exhibitions that change every six to eight weeks. By night, it transforms into a sushi restaurant. Premium, high-quality seafood is served from behind a single sushi bar located in the centre of the gallery seating just eight lucky guests.

Nanzuka, 1-18-7, Aobadai, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo

Related: A Tokyo Art Gallery Transforms Into A Sushi Restaurant At Night

 

2. Gucci Osteria Tokyo

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The Crunch Part of the Lasagna (Photo: Gucci)
Above The Crunch Part of the Lasagna (Photo: Gucci)

Opened in 2021, Gucci Osteria can be found in Tokyo’s bustling shopping district of Ginza. Part of a series of contemporary Italian restaurants launched by renowned chef Massimo Bottura, Gucci Osteria Tokyo was the third to open; the first launched in Florence in 2018 and has already been awarded its first Michelin star, while the second opened in Beverly Hills in 2020. 

The much-anticipated menu at Gucci Osteria Tokyo was designed by Bottura and Karime Lòpez, the head chef of Gucci Osteria in Florence. It continues the common theme of celebrating the “varied and unique identity" of its locale, "while sharing a culinary philosophy that rides the wave of the seasons with creativity, elegance, playfulness and sensuality".

Gucci Osteria Tokyo, Gucci Namiki, 6-6-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

3. Maz

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A selection of new dishes at Maz
Above A selection of new dishes at Maz

Distinguished chef Virgilio Martinez, best known for his restaurant Central in Lima, brings his love for Peruvian ingredients and nature to Tokyo at Maz. Here, a focus on appreciating and celebrating nature’s gifts comes to the fore, as well as spotlighting unique yet little-known Peruvian ingredients through the use of modern culinary techniques.

Through Maz, Martinez hopes to connect diners in Tokyo to native farmers and villagers in Peru. His deep admiration of their connection to nature fuels his support for their “organic, sustainable style of farming”. He hopes to show the world the true quality of Peruvian ingredients and motivate others to support Peruvian farmers as he has.

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4. Sézanne

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Daniel Calvert and the team at Sézanne
Above Daniel Calvert and the team at Sézanne

Bringing together a mastery of culinary techniques and comprehensive study of Japanese cuisine and culture, Daniel Calvert, the former head chef of Belon in Hong Kong, now helms Sézanne at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi. The chic, luxurious restaurant was designed by acclaimed Hong Kong designer André Fu, who took inspiration from a zen garden to create the calm, serene atmosphere of the French restaurant.

Prior to the opening of the restaurant, Calvert visited different parts of Japan to gain an intimate understanding of Japanese ingredients. Highlights of his carefully crafted menu include Okinawa corn sourdough with Normandy butter, and Golden Ossetra caviar with avocado and sudachi. Calvert is committed to changing his menu regularly to focus on seasonal ingredients and ensure exciting new experiences are presented to diners. 

Sézanne, Pacific Century Place Marunouchi 1-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo

5. Peter Luger Steakhouse

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Above Highlights of Peter Luger Steakhouse's menu (Photo: Peter Luger Steakhouse)

A legend in New York, Peter Luger Steakhouse’s famed cuts of superior beef––including the restaurant’s signature porterhouse steak––will soon be available to meat lovers in Tokyo. Established in 1887, the renowned steakhouse serves high quality, dry aged beef packed with umami flavour. 

The design of the three-story steakhouse in Tokyo mirrors the Brooklyn building where Peter Luger Steakhouse first appeared. Inside the steakhouse is a waiting bar, where guests can enjoy aperitifs, a shop, a spacious dining hall, an open kitchen and balcony seats with a theatre-like layout to ensure an evening out at Peter Luger’s is more than just a meal.

​​Peter Luger Steakhouse Tokyo, 4-19-19 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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