Fine French Restaurants in Tokyo

Had your fill of all things raw, sliced and diced? Then shimmy over to one of these fine French restaurants. 

Top of the pops is ‘enchanted forest’ Argile, a modern meander through bold, flawless French cooking courtesy of Lionel Beccat (of Esquisse fame) and Robuchon alum Teruki Murashima, plus Yuichi Goto on desserts. With à la carte and set menus at prices that could make haute cuisine a daily indulgence by Tokyo standards, this megawatt team has created an accessible experience, without compromising on the drama of fine-dining.

Your attention will be exactly where it should be – on the plate – at the simple wood n’ cream boîte Narisawa. A Michelin-approved and World’s 50 Best-featured menu, overseen by namesake Yoshihiro Narisawa, revolves around the changing seasons, with a dollop of French sophistry thrown in for good measure. Don’t miss the Japanese wines, which are surprisingly quaffable.

No, not a beer bar, but a creative French sleekster, Craftale is the brainchild of Robuchon-trained innovator Shinya Otsuchihashi. Even better than the marvellous wine-paired courses is the restaurant’s outlook across the Meguro River, which will be engulfed in leafy finery at this time of year. Nearby Pavilion is perfect for a palate-cleansing nightcap.

Playful, modern riffs on the French classics have epicureans jostling for a perch at darkly dapper Florilège. Having spent his formative years in Paris, and sharpened his knife skills at famed Quintessence, young gun Hiroyasu Kawate will wow you with three hours-worth of inventive, finessed French tasters at his counter-ringed open kitchen. Impeccable.

Argile / 5-4-6 Ginza / Chuo-ku / +81 3 3575 5115 / lunch Fri-Tue, dinner Thu-Tue / argiletokyo.com

Narisawa / 2-6-15 Minami-Aoyama / Minato-ku / +81 3 5785 0799 / lunch Mon-Sat, dinner daily / narisawa-yoshihiro.com

Craftale / 2/F / 1-16-11 Aobadai / Meguro-ku / +81 3 6277 5813 / lunch & dinner Thu-Tue / tables.jp.net

Florilège / 2-5-4 Jingumae / Shibuya-ku / +81 3 6440 0878 / lunch & dinner daily / aoyama-florilege.jp