EAT > Abysse, Ebisu Tokyo (19/20)

Abysse in Ebisu is that rare fine-dining room where Tokyo’s elegance, French technique, and Japan’s coastal abundance converge in a single, quietly dramatic arc. Anchored by seafood and the seasons, chef Kotaro Meguro’s cooking feels both deeply considered and instinctive, like a tide that knows exactly when to rise and fall. AMBIENCE > Slip…

ByCrispyJanuary 9, 20260Comments

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EAT > Sushi Mizukami, Chiyoda, Tokyo (18/20)

Sushi Mizukami in Ichibancho is a study in quiet precision: an intimate, nine-seat counter where Edomae tradition, long-honed technique and a distinctly Kyoto-like sense of calm converge in one of Tokyo’s most focused sushi experiences. Helmed by Chef Michinobu Mizukami, a 16-year apprentice of Sukiyabashi Jiro (Two Michelin Stars) and Executive Chef Masami Nesaki, it…

ByCrispyJanuary 9, 20260Comments

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EAT > Akasaka Sushi Ito, Minato Tokyo (16/20)

Akasaka Sushi Ito in Minato’s back streets delivers a quietly confident, classically framed sushi experience — refined without being showy, and deeply rooted in Tokyo’s old-school Edomae traditions. This is the sort of place where counter craft, calm service and well-judged value make it as compelling for a languid lunch as for a more celebratory…

ByCrispyJanuary 8, 20260Comments

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EAT > Beaux Séjour, Naeba Niigata (15/20)

Beaux Séjour at Naeba Prince Hotel delivers a surprisingly polished, gently old‑world French dining experience at the base of one of Japan’s classic ski mountains, with a New Year’s menu that leans into nostalgia, craft and alpine comfort in equal measure. AMBIENCE > Tucked inside the sprawling Naeba Prince Hotel complex, Beaux Séjour feels like…

ByCrispyJanuary 4, 20260Comments

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EAT > KUFUKU±, Akihabara Tokyo (17/20)

Tucked into a quiet backstreet on the Akihabara side of Chiyoda, Kufuku feels like stepping out of electric town and into a parallel world—one where time, fermentation, and French technique quietly reframe Japanese comfort food. Set inside a lovingly preserved kominka, this is destination dining for travellers who like their Tokyo with as much patina…

ByCrispyDecember 22, 20250Comments

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EAT > Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Ginza, Tokyo (17/20)

High above Ginza’s polished sidewalks, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura feels less like a fashion-house spin‑off and more like a jewelled little universe of its own—part salon, part stage, part lucid dream in Gucci green. Here Italian technique, Japanese produce and a distinctly theatrical sense of storytelling converge into a tasting menu that is playful, polished…

ByCrispyDecember 22, 20250Comments

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EAT > JULIA, Shibuya, Tokyo (19/20)

Tucked away in the residential fringes of Jingumae, just beyond Omotesando's designer bustle, JULIA remains a Shibuya gem for those seeking Japan's seasonal essence through innovative fine dining. Returning after our acclaimed 2024 visit to the expanded space—where Chef Nao and Sommelier Kenichiro elevated their husband-and-wife intimacy to a poised team operation—this latest meal reaffirms…

ByCrispyDecember 20, 20250Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > SYDNEY

DRINK > Conte, Sydney (17/20)

Conte in Sydney’s CBD is grand, an unapologetically Italian, ode to the Negroni. Part bar, part ristorante, and all about drama, detail and la dolce vita energy. With more than 30 (and climbing toward 40) Negroni riffs, serious Italian wines and a full dining menu, it feels less like a pre-dinner pit-stop and more like…

ByCrispyDecember 7, 20250Comments

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EAT > Eleven Barrack, Sydney (18/20)

Eleven Barrack feels like a grand city dining room that Sydney has been waiting for: a lavish steak and seafood grill in a heritage bank building, tuned with just enough irreverence to keep things fun. It is also the sharpest new expression of the Bentley Group’s polished food, wine and service playbook, right in the middle…

ByCrispyDecember 3, 20250Comments

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EAT > Saint Peter, Paddington Sydney (19/20)

Saint Peter in Sydney is one of Australia’s (possibly the world’s) most compelling places to eat seafood right now, a restaurant that turns whole fish into high drama without ever losing sight of comfort, generosity, and genuine hospitality. Relocated to The Grand National Hotel in Paddington, it feels like both a neighbourhood dining room and…

ByCrispyDecember 2, 20250Comments

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