French restaurants in Japan
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Coucagno
Few restaurants in Tokyo can claim more-stunning views than the highly praised Coucagno, which occupies the 40th floor of the Cerulean Tower, one of the most dramatic buildings in both Shibuya and Tokyo. From such lofty heights, the Shibuya street scene looks as if it’s populated by tiny ants, though attention quickly shifts to the food once the chef gets going. As you’d expect, everything from the delicate sauces drizzled across your roast duck to the perfect crust atop your crème brûlée is indeed a class act.
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L’Osier
In Tokyo, French restaurants are at the top of the culinary ladder, which is why it’s no small accolade that local gourmets consider L’Osier to be the best around. But if you wish to analyse the foie gras yourself, you’ll need to book as far as possible in advance since a table at L’Osier is a highly coveted commodity. However, once the wine hits your head and the food hits your lips, you’ll key into the art-deco-inspired surroundings and realise that Paris isn’t that far away after all.
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Le Bouchon
This reliable French place serves tasty lunch and dinner sets and has a pleasant, casual atmosphere. The kitchen does great work with fish, salads and desserts, and the pommes frites (French fries) are excellent. The owner speaks English, French and Japanese and will make you feel right at home. The set dinner (appetiser, main and dessert) is great value. Lunch sets cost less than ¥1000. It’s near the corner; look for the blackboard displaying the day’s specials.
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Mushroom
Chef Yamaoka's obsession with the taming of the 'shroom has sprouted this very cosy little French bistro, whose décor is dominated by a mushroom motif, of course. Three-course set lunches are amazing value and will transport you elsewhere - without the mind-altering side effects of course. Japanese skills will help in making a reservation, and French skills will help in interpreting the menu.
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Le Bretagne
This French-owned Kagurazaka cafe is credited with starting the Japanese rage for crêpes. Its stucco walls, beamed ceilings and front terrace make for a rustic setting to sample savoury crêpes with ingredients like ham, gruyère, artichokes and tomato, or sweet crêpes like Quimpéroise with caramelised butter, apple compote and vanilla ice cream.
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Sign
Situate yourself on the terrace or inside the glass jewel box of a room at this stylish cafe, right at the exit to Daikanyama station, for some of the neighbourhood’s best people-watching, while poppy music plays in the background. You could snack on galettes, poulet basque or fruit tarts, but the shop is really famous for curry rice.
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Asterix
Lunch at Asterix is a smashing deal, but dinner has its own merits - not as rushed, so you can linger over your wine while you mull the meal that is pleasantly dulling your senses just so. Portions here are large, but the dining room is petite, so reservations are advised. The menu is in French but not English, which may or may not make things easier on you.
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Bouchon Cayenne
We always feel a little guilty eating at this intimate French place, especially at lunch. It just doesn’t seem right to be getting this kind of food for these prices. The chef does a brilliant egg tart and is a good hand with lamb dishes. The menu is in French and Japanese. It’s near the corner; look for the grey front and the English sign.
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Shuhari
Shuhari is a great example of Kyoto’s newest dining trend – fine restaurants in renovated machiya. In this case, the food is casual French, with an emphasis on light fish dishes and healthy salads. Look for the red stove pipe with the name of the restaurant written on it out the front.
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L'atelier De Joël Robuchon
Wonder chef Jöel Robuchon styled this upscale French diner in the fashion of the sushi bar counter. While the fantastic dishes are not overly fussy, everything is made to order, which can mean long waits in the queue and over your meal - leaving plenty of time for conversation and anticipation.
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Restaurant Yamazaki
Given its rich history and well-developed culture, Hirosaki gravitates towards the refined, especially on the dinner menu. At Restaurant Yamazaki, classic French cuisine with a subtle Japanese twist is served in a variety of tasting courses that change with the seasons. Don't let the location near the bowling alley fool you – the humble entrance (look for the green banners) opens up to a formal continental dining room set with bone china and crystal stemware.
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Narita
This is a chichi French restaurant in a 170-year-old building with attractive garden, specialising in five-course set meals. It's a block west of the Inuyama Miyako Hotel.
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Mikuni Sapporo
Classical French with a subtle Japanese twist is de rigueur at this much-celebrated restaurant, located on the 9th floor of the JR Tower at Sapporo Station. Seasonality dictates the menu, with the culinary palette spanning from sun-ripened produce to winter hauls of snow crab. Although it's pricey to call forth a bottle, Mikuni has one of the largest and most extensive wine cellars in the city. There is French but no English on the menu – non-Francophones can select a course based on price. Stop by for lunch if you want a reasonable splurge.
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Jacques Monod
Quietly chic indoor-outdoor cafe at the Former Prefectural Hall, serving full and light meals.
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Barn
Housed in a modernist rendition of an old Hokkaidō barn, this self-described French Alpine Bistro sets the bar on the Hirafu dining scene. Signature dishes apply French reductions to locally procured meats, fish and vegetables, which are accompanied by hearth-baked bread and freshly made ice cream. As if this wasn't enough to make die-hard foodies rejoice, you can also order up a bottle of Boyer-Gontard, which comes from the owner's personal vineyard in Burgundy, France. The visually striking steel-and-glass barn is located two blocks south of the Seicomart in Hirafu.
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