What were your first impressions when you arrived?
On the 40th floor of the Bulgari Hotel in Yaesu, this is Niko Romito’s Tokyo outpost, and it looks the part. Architects Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel have outfitted the space with a soaring vaulted ceiling lined in wood panels, a fireplace lounge for pre-dinner aperitivi, and window walls framing the Imperial Palace below. The result is grand, elegant, and very Bulgari.
What’s the crowd like?
The dining room draws a polished mix: business travelers sealing deals over lunch, well-heeled couples marking anniversaries, and tables of visitors nodding in approval.
What should we be drinking?
Wine is a serious pursuit here. The more than 500-label list is an ode to Italian winemaking, bolstered by French bottles from grand maisons and boutique growers alike, plus a short selection from the New World. The cellar showcases female enologists making organic wines in Italy, a thoughtful touch. Cocktail loyalists should ascend to Il Bar on the 45th floor, where a mosaic-clad room and sweeping terrace set the stage for seasonal cocktails and a section devoted to variations on the Negroni.
Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
Niko Romito, who holds three Michelin stars at Reale in Abruzzo, preaches the gospel of simplicity, and executive chef Mauro Aloisio carries that ethos to Tokyo with a repertoire of his own. His Tokyo-only signatures include a silky linguine cloaked in wagyu sauce and dusted with dried olives and capers, and braised Ise-ebi lobster set on spinach in a sauce infused with buckwheat tea and chili pepper. Elsewhere on the menu, sweet botan-ebi floats in a delicate broth flecked with pink pepper, parsley, and lemon oil, and a tender wagyu fillet arrives finished with a swirl of caper sauce and grapes. The restaurant holds one Michelin star, and it earns it. Both tasting menus and a la carte options available.
And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
Service channels Italian warmth through a filter of Japanese exactitude. Expect confident wine guidance without a whiff of condescension.
What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?
Come for a leisurely lunch when the light pours in, or book dinner for a proper celebration. Either way, budget time for a nightcap upstairs. The view alone justifies the elevator ride.