Côte D'or

Opened in 1986, this French restaurant in Tokyo’s Shirokane district has been going strong ever since. The owner, Masao Saisu, was born in Fukushima, and spent the better part of the 70s working at top restaurants in France. There, he learned the French classics in their most authentic forms, and it’s these original incarnations which he wishes to preserve in his own cooking. His top dishes include a red pepper mousse with tomato sauce, sea eel terrine, and duck and girolle mushrooms in a gravy. His soufflé has become a famous calling card of the restaurant over the years, with the flavors on offer changing throughout the year. Also available are a great range of wines which range from the quite-expensive to the extremely-expensive. With a solid respect of tradition, and a la carte ordering, Côte D’or proves that in some things, classicism is king.