Hienadz Vardanyan 
Michelin Guide has long been regarded as the ultimate guide to fine dining across the globe. The French restaurant guide was founded in 1900, and today it ranks among over 2,500 restaurants around the world.
Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants that meet strict criteria in terms of food quality, service, decor, and ambiance. They are considered the highest accolade in the restaurant industry.
As of 2023, do you know that there are thirty-five 1 Michelin star French restaurants in Tokyo? In this article, I will share with you the best 3 French restaurants in Tokyo with Michelin stars.
L’orgueil
L’orgueil is a famous french restaurant in Tokyo that serves outstanding French cuisine. There are several menus available.
You should try the set menu because you’ll get more dishes than if you order them separately. Save room for the delicious dessert, too!
A Michelin-starred restaurant is the epitome of luxury. The menu features dishes prepared by an award-winning chef who created a unique atmosphere. The decor is lavish and elegant, and the service is impeccable.
One of their best dishes is called “eggs and cheese” because the egg is cooked sous vide, breaded with flakes made of pastry, then flash-fried, yielding an inside-out egg and hash.
It is topped with mayo, tiny dots of parsley purée, and cubes of cold-smoked salmon.
Please note that there are no tables available in the banquet hall, and the maximum number of guests allowed per table is twelve people. They do not currently allow children under the age of three to dine there.
English-speaking staff members are present during dinner hours. French-speaking staff members are present throughout the day, as well as free Wi-Fi access is available in the restaurant itself.
This particular L’orgueil is located in Oriental Minamiaoyama, which is highly recommended because of the convenience of the location and the quality of the food served!
- The official name for this restaurant is L’orgueil.
- The address is 2F Minato-ku 4-3-23
! - The telephone number is +813-6804-5942
- Business hours are as follows: Lunch is at 12L00 until 15:30, and dinner is at 18:00 until 23:00.
- You can access by foot in around 9 minutes from exit 1B of the Gaienmae Station on the Ginza subway line.
- Address: 4-3-23 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Oriental Minami Aoyama 201
La Clairiere
This restaurant serves delicious foods, but the most famous dish is their apple pie. Their apple pie contains wild boar or sage mushrooms and is served in a takeaway box.
The restaurant’s desserts include caramelized apples and kuromojis. They serve great wines too!
La Clairiere is a restaurant that borrows heavily from the mastery of art museums and showrooms of diamond dealers to showcase its creations.
The restaurant evokes purity and refinement, offering an atmosphere rarely found in the heart of Tokyo.
Chef Shibata uses fresh ingredients to create dishes that are unlike anything else. He seeks to inspire people to discover the beauty of the invisible world.
La Clairiere is a restaurant that stands out because of its unique atmosphere and delicious dishes.
The restaurant’s menu changes seasonally according to what’s available locally and features seasonal vegetables and fruits such as persimmons, chestnuts, and apples.
However, there are no specific menus for winter and summer because it’s difficult to prepare food during those times.
Mr. Shibata uses local ingredients whenever possible. For example, he makes his own bread from flour ground in his home kitchen rather than buying store-bought bread.
He buys meat from a butcher shop in Shinjuku Ward and fish from Tsukiji Market in Chuo Ward. In addition, he purchases produce from farmers’ markets in Shibuya, Ikebukuro, and Akihabara.
In terms of cooking techniques, Mr. Shibata emphasizes simplicity and elegance. His signature dish is a simple combination of chicken broth and rice cooked over low heat.
This dish reflects his philosophy that “by putting my heart and soul in each and every dish, I hope to have my guests eat dishes that emphasize the flavor of the ingredients.”
The restaurant chain Dress Code has updated its policy. Starting May 12, 2020, it limited the maximum number of guests allowed inside the dining area to six people per table.
This applies to both lunch and dinner. During peak hours, such as weekends and holidays, the maximum number of guests will be four per table.
In addition, the store might ask diners to don masks unless they are drinking or eating.
If you feel ill, the shop might refuse to serve you. In case of infection, the shop might close temporarily and disinfect the premises.
The restaurant is located in:
- Shirokane in Tokyo, 3-14-10, in Minato-ku
! - It’s fairly easy to locate, too, so there’s no waiting around to get served at this amazing restaurant!
- The telephone number is +813-5422-6606
- Business hours are as follows: Lunch is 12:00 until 15:00, and dinner is at 18:30 until 22:00.
- You can access the restaurant by foot in around 10 minutes from Shirokane Takanawa.
- Regular holiday: About 7 times a month, mainly on Thursdays
- Address: 3-14-10, shirokane, minato-ku, tokyo,
Les Enfants Gates
Les Enfant’s cuisine is influenced by Italian, French and Swiss cooking techniques. They use fresh Japanese ingredients and design dishes to reflect the Japanese seasons.
They are passionate about the environment, so they create dishes that are designed to be environmentally friendly.
Naoki Matsuzawa says: “terrine embodies the spirit of traditional French cuisine, being food that expresses a harmony born of ingredients, ideas, and techniques being packed into one.”
He adds that it is very important to cook with high-quality ingredients.
One Michelin star restaurant La Tour d’Argent in Paris is known for its classic dishes such as steak tartare and foie gras terrine.
The Michelin Guide describes La Tour d’Argenet as “a place where you feel like you are dining in an old world château”. Both these restaurants have this in common, and their standards are evidence of it.
Les Enfants Gates is a French Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. It was ranked number 20 in the world by the S. Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants in 2011. It moved to its current address in 2018.
The restaurant opened in 1889 and has won many awards over the years. In 2017, chef Daniel Humm took over the kitchen and brought his creative vision to the table.
With the help of his team, he reinterpreted the menu with modern flavors and techniques.
At La Tour d’Argehent, guests enjoy dishes such as lobster ravioli, roasted quail egg with truffle butter, and turbot with black trumpet mushrooms.
Being of the best French restaurant in Tokyo, Les Enfants Gates is also a great place to enjoy the finest wines in Japan. He makes sure that everything is done properly and respects the environment by using sustainable methods.
He also uses local ingredients whenever possible.
It’s actually a rather small restaurant in a rather secluded area in Tokyo, so let us guide you there!
- It’s on 2-3, Sarugakucho, Shibuya. So, remember this address, as it may be tricky to find.
- The telephone number is
+81050=-5570-8886. - Business hours are, Tue-Fri: Lunch at 11:30 until 14:00, and Diner at 17:00 until 20:00.
- Sat: Lunch at 12:00 until 14:00. Dinner at 17:00 until 20:00. And Sun: Lunch at 12:00 until 14:00. And Dinner at 17:00 until 20:00.
- Regular holiday: Monday
- National holidays, the day before holidays: Lunch 12: 00-14: 00, Dinner 17: 00-20: 00.
- You can access by foot in around 8 minutes from JR Shibuya Station.
- Address: 2-3 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
How Exactly Does a Restaurant Obtain A Michelin Star?
Michelin Guide teams inspect restaurants and rate them based on certain criteria. The chefs who work at these restaurants must follow strict rules and regulations set by Michelin guides.
These chefs must also follow the guidelines set by the Michelin guide. The chefs must provide the highest level of service possible to their customers.
The chef must make sure the ingredients used to prepare the meals are fresh and of high quality. The chef must ensure the customer receives the correct amount of food and the right type of meal.
A chef must always serve the customer the most delicious dish available. The chef must cook the food using the highest quality ingredients.
Are Michelin Stars Really That Important?
Restaurants that receive a Michelin Star rating are filled with pride and prestige. They also get more exposure and business.
But there’s a growing trend to reject the Michelin Star Rating System. Some chefs believe the expectations of the Michelin star system are unrealistic and limit a chef’s creativity in their kitchens.
A restaurant that specializes in fine dining should be careful about what kind of food they serve. Because a restaurant that serves good food will get a lot more customers than a restaurant that serves bad food.
But a restaurant that serves good quality food won’t get any awards.
The Michelin Guide is known worldwide for its star ratings. But what does it mean to eat well? To find out, we asked Chef Jean-Philippe Nizan, head chef at Le Grand Véfour in Paris.
He says that French cuisine is an agglomeration of local cuisines, each with its own style and traditions.
And while Japan is often seen as being very different from France, the Japanese approach to food is actually quite similar to the French.
Chef Nizan points to the traditional Japanese dishes served in his restaurant as examples of how French and Japanese cuisine are alike.
For instance, sushi rice is almost identical to French paella rice. There is no difference in taste, just in texture. In fact, there are many similarities between the two cuisines.
Both use soy sauce, both use miso soup, and both use sake.
But the main similarity lies in the way that the Japanese cook. They don’t follow a set recipe; rather, they rely on intuition and experience.
This allows them to adapt recipes to suit local tastes and seasons. So, if you’re looking for a great meal in Tokyo, try some of our favorite spots here.
Discover More Delights of Japanese Cuisine
After exploring the finest 1-star French Michelin restaurants in Tokyo, you might be ready for a different dining experience. Here’s another culinary adventure for you:
- Best Buffet Dinner in Tokyo: Tokyo’s buffet scene offers a diverse range of cuisines and dining styles. From traditional Japanese dishes to international favorites, these buffets provide an opportunity to sample a variety of flavors in one meal. It’s a perfect way to explore Tokyo’s culinary scene beyond Michelin-starred restaurants.
