Matsukawa

Everyone knows this restaurant. One of the best and famous one in Japan. I go once a year because they only accept booking one year later when I visited. This is Kaiseki restaurant. They serve Japanese seasonal best food and I am really looking forward to tasting them every time. Obviously one of the best restaurants in the world.

This is probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. The execution is flawless and the ingredients that they use are ultra-premium. They don't have a menu and what they serve changes with the seasons, if you have food allergies or are not willing to eat everything you are served I would not recommend this place. Also, you should expect to pay about $400 per person (they only accept cash). To get a reservation you'll most likely need to get an introduction from a regular at the restaurant, and even then it's best to book a table a few months in advance.

Basically this is the best kaiseki restaurant in Tokyo. And quite possibly in Japan. You’ll need an introduction to make a booking here.

Overall: 5 Location: 5 Foods: 5 Drinks: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Service: 5 Cost Performance: 5 Smoking: no Tourist Friendly: it depends (no English menu) Credit Card: no Comments: Exceptional authentic Japanese cuisine. Foods are spectacular, needless to say, and plates are also 5-star. It's must-visit for foreigners.

VERY　Good

It's one of the highest-rated washoku restaurants in Japan for a reason.

Forget it! They’re full until next year and not accept booking anymore

Wonderful!

OUTSTANDING! Tabelog's (yelp for the Japanese) highest rated restaurant in Japan for good reason. First, Ichigensan okotowari. No entry without introduction. If you're not on the list, you must be accompanied by a guest who is until you earn the status meeting whatever criteria the chef has. That said, these are the best dining experience to be had in Japan (Sushi Saito, Sukiyabashi Jiro, and Yanagiya the others I've tried). Yes the restaurant looks amazing with all the requisite contemporary, natural, minimalistic aesthetic you expect. The service is impeccable. The food, modern kaiseki, beautifully plated. But it's the added element of feeling like you're dining with familiar guests in a relaxed atmosphere. Not standoffish, the chef is entertaining, talking with guests. Etiquette rules: 1. Do not wear perfume, cologne, or use lotion with fragrance. Japanese haute cuisine is sensory dining. 2. Do not use your mobile. 3. Preferred guests can take pics, their guests do NOT if you want any chance to earn preferred customer status. The food is highly seasonal. Being spring, butterbur sprouts are a must. Prepared as tempura along with whitefish. Its intense bitterness brought to the forefront by a simple addition of salt. Add a squeeze of sudachi to round out the flavor. Simple yet exceptional. The trend continues with salmon sashimi with fresh sancho pepper. Spicy bitterness contrasts sharply with the sweet, richness of the salmon creating harmony. Crab topped with kani miso and beluga caviar, sublime way to add briny, yolky richness to the otherwise basic crab. From fresh grilled ayu, as in you're shown the bucket the fish are swimming in before they are grilled to abalone and konbu shabu shabu the chef's talent shows. Extremely friendly Japanese proper service. Cash only. Expect to pay ¥70,000pp inclusive of alcohol and service. Incredible experience and one worth seeking an invitation to.

Update to my previous review: Just a few years ago, average price for the course was 20,000 Yen, and total bill was about 30,000 Yen. HOWEVER, my last two outings were 45,000 Yen and 50,000 Yen (per person). Perhaps due to popularity, the price has gone up. The quality for their food is also going up, which could explain the price hike. Despite this crazy cost, I still feel the food is worth the price. For details, please see my old review.

My former boyfriend and I traveled to Japan together two years ago, and somehow he got us into this place. It is extraordinarily small, as there are only eight seats for dinners minus to the private rooms. Come hungry because there are quite a few courses, and the meal will take quite some time. No one speaks English, which is totally okay (just a heads up). I embarrassingly did not know how to use chop sticks....that's right, I went to quite possibly the best Japanese restaurant in the entire world, and I could not properly wield chop-sticks. However, despite this embarrassing mechanical error on my part, the head chef was so sweet. He even let us see the kitchen at the end of our meal. The food is incredible. Each course is thoughtful, balanced, and wonderful, but I'm not really reviewing for the food- I'm reviewing for the experience, which was incredible.