¥¥¥Creative
Two people known only as ‘Bamba-kun’ and ‘Bamba-chan’ offer an interlude of fun at this charming patisserie. To heighten the deliciousness of the prix fixe dessert menu, the sweets are preceded by a light, slightly salty meal of soup, salad and sandwiches. French dessert recipes are interpreted through fruits in season and Japanese ingredients. Baked sweets are misted with awamori, wreathing the creation in a sake aroma.
¥¥¥Sushi
The head chef at Sushidokoro Shishi has changed. Further comments will be updated following the completion of the inspection.
¥¥¥Italian
The name means ‘the abstract alchemist’. Alchemy combines the four traditional elements of fire, air, water and earth; the name expresses gratitude for the opportunity to cook with the bounty of nature. Ingredients arrive from food producers the chef trusts deeply: seafood from Uwajima, vegetables from Yachimata. Drawing on his experience in Emilia-Romagna, a region renowned for pasta, the chef flexes his gastronomic muscles with varieties such as tortelli and tagliolini.
TripAdvisor review sample · 4.0/5 · 80 reviews
L'Alchimia Astratta in Milan holds a 4.0/5 rating. Guests praise its meticulously curated elegant ambiance, comfortable seating, and professional, warm service, making it suitable for special occasions. Food quality receives mixed reviews; while many highlight balanced, high-quality dishes like chicken with Bra sausage, others criticize portions as insufficient or execution as poor. Although the setting and service are highly regarded, some diners find the value lacking relative to the cost, noting that the quantity does not always meet expectations despite the premium positioning.
Ideal for diners seeking an elegant atmosphere and attentive service, though portion expectations should be managed.
¥¥¥Italian
The theme is ‘Cucina Tokyonese’, Italian cuisine in the Tokyo style. The focus is on vegetables from Setagaya and other ingredients from the Tokyo area. In keeping with the belief that what can be made in-house should be, herbs and fruits are grown in the garden and seasonings are prepared on site. The restaurant’s name means ‘we’ in Italian, expressing a desire for diners to enjoy cuisine created collectively by everyone involved, including the producers.
¥¥¥French
The speciality is charcoal-grilled beef and sauce only. On this, the French cuisine of Taira Maeshiba is focused. Ingredients whose producers are listed by name, finely disciplined flame-tending techniques, and traditional yet distinctive sauces combine to form menus only Chef Maeshiba could compose. The fare is simple, the work meticulous.
¥¥Italian
The chef honed his craft at a restaurant in Italy’s Piedmont region, spending his days off exploring local trattorias and immersing himself in the region. Agnolotti follows a recipe brought back from his training. Dishes such as veal ham with tuna sauce and beef braised in Barolo reflect both Italian culinary tradition and his own experience. The chef tackles regional cuisine with restaurant-refined techniques.
¥¥¥Italian
In this white-walled detached house facing Komazawa-Koen Avenue, with its cosy, wood-lined interior, sounds of food preparation from the open kitchen, and the atmosphere of a shop run by a couple, guests feel invited into a home. Chef Naofumi Takahashi specializes in meat dishes, such as bruschetta with home-cured ham and simmered tripe. He takes special pride in his slow-aged, char-grilled meats. Beef, aged to enhance umami, is seasoned with salt and pepper.
¥¥¥French
The name, which means ‘good road’, reflects Ryo Hanazawa’s determination to tread the path of the culinary artist with sincerity. His theme is universal flavour and his methods are based on the recipes of the legendary restaurateur Auguste Escoffier. Sardine and vegetable soup, and pigeon and duck roti with offal sauce are long-time favourites in which he takes special pride. Japanese ingredients give a unique twist to his dishes as they bring back the aroma of the good old days of French cuisine.
¥¥¥¥Sushi
The unconventional restaurant name is in honour of the owner-chef’s daughter; probe further, and you find that Rinda is also the name of a song by the chef’s favourite rock band. With such rock-star inspirations, it’s no wonder that the young cooks are such a blur of motion. The fatty flesh of tuna is sliced thin and piled high before the sushi is moulded so the fat will melt faster. ‘Rindamaki’ is a sumptuous roll sushi of tuna, sea urchin and salmon roe. The lively enthusiasm of the restaurant’s team is sure to lift your spirits.
¥¥¥French
Fine dining in a casual setting and price range is the concept. Masaaki Nakai interprets the classics to conjure a cuisine that is unique, hence the restaurant’s name. Stately presentations such as smoked terrine of foie gras and orange-fleshed yam or Asian black bear grilled in pie crust argue the case persuasively. Game such as fowl and rabbit are a seasonal speciality. Enjoy à la carte with a well-aged wine.
¥¥¥Italian
Fiocchi means ‘snowflakes’ or ‘crystal’, an apt metaphor for that moment when great taste fills our mouths. Lamb wrapped in straw—a dish rooted in Waldensian communities of Piemonte—is served with potatoes baked in ash to draw out sweetness. The combination of ingredients from mountain and sea in one dish signifies the flow of nature that links forest with ocean. The true essence of Italian cuisine, offered to all in Setagaya’s Soshigaya district.
¥¥Chinese
The chef works alone in this tiny restaurant. At lunchtime the predominant theme is noodle dishes, such as dandan noodles and hot-and-sour ramen. In the evening, both à la carte and set menu dining are available. Be sure to order the appetiser platter, as it’s packed with variety and the time and effort taken to prepare it are apparent. The spring rolls, a finger food, are also recommended. The ‘Yellow Mapo Tofu with Seafood’ intrigues with its unusual name and distinctive yellow colour.
¥¥¥Italian
The restaurant's name, meaning ‘angel’, was inspired by an Osaka eatery whose influence guides the chef each day. He sources his ingredients from within the Kansai area with which he is familiar. Sea bream from Akashi is aged, daggertooth pike conger from Awaji served as fritters. Game is served here too, including venison and boar from Tamba-Sasayama and duck from Wakayama. White porcelain dinnerware provides a canvas for modern arrangements, innovative enough at times to impress as art.
¥¥¥French
Toshio Tanabe was an Olympic gymnast candidate and a professional boxer before he became a chef, steering his ambitions for the wider world towards French cuisine. His billboard reads, ‘French cuisine with seasonal seafood and vegetables’. The secret stories behind the restaurant’s name, the fish soup and the grilled clams lay bare Tanabe’s mode of living. The ‘soil course’ and the watermelon prix fixe offerings are ideas from a unique imagination. Enjoy the flavours and share in the secrets.
¥¥¥French, French Contemporary
French cuisine overlays ingredients of varying flavours and textures to express a medley of tastes. That defining characteristic, says the chef, is the wellspring of his creative drive and the key to his approach in assembling his menu. Fruits, herbs and spices are all deployed to good effect and with a light touch to create his flavours. Fish and meat dishes always come with sauces, paying homage to the classics. The proprietress is in charge of the desserts. An intimate eatery from a couple who support each other like a synchronized team.
¥¥¥Contemporary
The chef prizes freedom in his cooking. He sharpened his creative sensibility by working across a range of culinary styles throughout Europe. His cuisine rests on three pillars: imagination, refinement and artistry. Ingredient combinations are kept simple, while plating is elegant, carefully considering negative space as well. The restaurant’s name fuses the Latin words ‘creatio’ (creation) and ‘aeterna’ (eternity). The chef continues to craft recipes with an eye to the future.