Tanimoto

Restaurant Details

Simplicity and delicacy. These are the two hallmarks that define Tanimoto Seiji’s cuisine — hallmarks that have landed him a Michelin Star twice.

His childhood love for history first introduced him to Japanese tea ceremony, where he immersed himself in its traditions and intricacies. But it was only after his teacher took him to a cha-kaiseki restaurant that he became enthralled with the intersection between tea ceremony and Japanese cuisine, starting him out on an eight-year journey training in various Japanese restaurants (ryotei) throughout Shiga, Osaka and Tokyo.

After serving in a Shiga cha-kaiseki restaurant for eight years and becoming head chef for a Minami-aoyama kaiseki restaurant for another three, he started Tanimoto in April 2017, earning his first Michelin Star just two years later. The restaurant relocated to its current Kagurazaka location in September 2023, where he repeated the feat, entering a vaunted hall of fame where few others have set foot.

The foundation of all Japanese cuisine is dashi, and Chef Tanimoto’s kaiseki is no exception. Sourcing the ingredients from all over Japan, he combines them together to present a gustatory picture of the mountains, the sea, and Japan’s four seasons, all through the myriad flavors of a single seasonal dish. "Soups are the flower of Japanese cuisine," he says, which is why his menus place so much emphasis on them.

But equally important to Japanese cuisine is rice, and Tanimoto’s Koshihikari comes solely from Minami-konuma in the rice capital of Japan, Niigata Prefecture. Freshly cooked each day in a traditional earthenware pot, donabe-style, it is lovingly doled out and served up either ochazuke-style (steeped in tea) or with seasonal side dishes. To Chef Tanimoto, each meal presents the opportunity for guests to discover the sweetness and flavor particular to Japanese rice.

Koshihikari, in particular, possesses a characteristic sweetness that is not easily overshadowed by other flavors, persisting even when rice vinegar or other condiments are added.

Every meal’s end is also an opportunity for guests to get acquainted with Chef Tanimoto's initial passion: tea. The head chef himself serves up a bowl of matcha at the end of each kaiseki session, fulfilling the initial spirit of the culinary tradition.

Michelin Guide:

2019 - 1 Michelin Star

Tanimoto Remarks

• Only children aged 16 and above will be allowed to enter the restaurant. Guests with dietary restrictions and/or food allergies should inform the restaurant beforehand. The restaurant might not be able to accommodate guests who make same-day requests.

• The restaurant reserves the right to refuse reservations to guests who have excessive dietary restrictions, particularly those of fish or vegetables.

• The course menu content listed below is an example, and is subject to change based on seasonal availability.

• The restaurant cannot always guarantee that it can provide guests with their preferred seating options after a reservation due to availability.

• The pictures provided are for illustrative purposes.

Tanimoto Business Days

Tanimoto Address

Karukozaka Place 3F, 3-chōme-1 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0825

Tanimoto Access Info

• Tanimoto can be accessed a 3-minute walk from Iidabashi Station’s Exit B4a on the Tozai, Yurakucho, Toei Oedo and Namboku Lines.

Tanimoto Phone Number

Tanimoto Cancellation Policy

Cancel your reservation at least 2 days before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.