Restaurant in Milan, Italy
Chef Ichikawa's decades of craft, dinner only.
Chef Katsumi Ichikawa helped introduce Japanese cuisine to Italy, and his own restaurant on Via Lazzaro Papi is where that expertise lands most directly. A Michelin Plate holder with consistent Opinionated About Dining rankings, it delivers serious Japanese cooking — from sushi to lesser-known family dishes — at €€€, a full tier below most of Milan's credentialed kitchens. Easy to book and better value than almost anything comparable in the city.
Ichikawa is not Milan's flashiest Japanese restaurant, and that is precisely the point. The misconception about this address on Via Lazzaro Papi is that it operates in the shadow of Milan's grand-occasion dining circuit. It does not. Chef Katsumi Ichikawa has spent decades shaping how Italy understands Japanese cuisine, and his own restaurant is where that work lands most directly. At €€€, it sits a full price tier below most of Milan's Michelin-starred European kitchens, yet it holds a 2025 Michelin Plate, a 4.6 on Google across 274 reviews, and Opinionated About Dining rankings in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The quality-to-price ratio here is sharper than almost anything else in the city at this level.
If you are expecting a minimalist omakase counter with theatrical ceremony, recalibrate. Ichikawa runs dinner service only, Tuesday through Sunday from 6 to 10:30 pm (closed Wednesday), which signals a deliberate pace rather than high-volume turnover. The cooking spans sushi and sashimi alongside less-familiar family dishes and street food from Japan, a breadth that makes it equally good for someone deepening their knowledge of Japanese cuisine and someone who simply wants to eat very well without a four-hour commitment.
Chef Ichikawa's role in Italy's Japanese culinary history is documented: he is among the figures who introduced serious Japanese cooking to this country, working across multiple restaurants before opening under his own name. That background matters here not as biography but as evidence of competence. The Opinionated About Dining ranking shifted from #59 in 2023 to #92 in 2024 to #105 in 2025, a movement that reflects the natural fluctuation of a competitive global ranking rather than a decline in quality — at these numbers, the differences are marginal. A Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 confirms consistent execution year over year.
What the €€€ price point delivers is a meal that feels personal without demanding maximum spend. Unlike the €€€€ modern Italian restaurants that dominate Milan's fine dining conversation, Ichikawa does not need you to commit to a tasting menu architecture to eat well. The range of dishes, from sushi to lesser-known Japanese preparations, gives the table genuine choices. That flexibility is rare at this level of technical credibility, and it is a reason to choose Ichikawa over more rigid formats when you want quality without a fixed script.
For a special occasion, the case for Ichikawa is specific: it works well for a dinner where the food is the event but the evening does not need to run to midnight. The dinner-only format, the focused hours, and the personal scale of a chef-led restaurant create conditions that feel considered rather than commercial. A date night, a birthday dinner for someone who appreciates Japanese cuisine, or a business meal where you want to signal taste without overwhelming a guest with ceremony are all well-served by this address.
Booking is direct. This is not a restaurant where you need to plan months out or navigate a lottery reservation system. Booking is rated easy, which is unusual for a restaurant with this credential profile. That accessibility is an advantage, particularly if you are planning a Milan trip with a flexible itinerary. Two to three weeks in advance is a sensible window for a weekend dinner; weeknights likely open up with less lead time. Wednesday closures are worth noting if your travel schedule is tight.
Solo diners have a genuine case for Ichikawa too. A chef-led restaurant with a range of dishes rather than a single fixed format accommodates single covers without the awkwardness of a long tasting menu eaten alone. The evening hours and relaxed pace suit a solo dinner that lets you eat with focus rather than hurry.
For comparison, Milan's Japanese dining options at this price tier are limited in terms of credentialed alternatives. The city's top-table restaurants — Enrico Bartolini, Seta, Andrea Aprea, Cracco in Galleria, and Contraste , are all €€€€ modern European operations. Ichikawa occupies a different lane entirely, and within that lane it has no obvious peer in Milan at this credentialed level. For reference on what serious Japanese restaurants at higher price points look like internationally, Masa in New York City and Sushi Masaki Saito in Toronto represent the omakase-format ceiling in North America. Ichikawa is a different proposition: broader in format, accessible in price, and grounded in a specific Italian-Japanese context that those restaurants do not share.
If you are building a Milan dining itinerary and want one meal that steps outside the modern Italian format without sacrificing quality, Ichikawa is the clearest answer at €€€. It earns its credentials quietly, serves dinner on its own schedule, and delivers the kind of meal that feels worth the trip. Book it two to three weeks out, go on a night that suits you between Thursday and Sunday, and eat across the menu rather than anchoring only to sushi.
Ichikawa sits in a different price tier and category from the restaurants that dominate Milan's fine dining conversation. Enrico Bartolini, Seta, Andrea Aprea, Cracco in Galleria, and Contraste are all €€€€ and structured around progressive or modern Italian cooking. If your priority is a flagship Italian tasting menu with full Michelin credentials, those addresses serve that purpose. Ichikawa does not compete in that category , it is Japanese, a full tier lower in price, and built around a broader, less ceremony-dependent format.
For value, Ichikawa wins clearly among credentialed Milan restaurants. A Michelin Plate and consistent Opinionated About Dining rankings at €€€ is an unusual combination in this city. If you want serious cooking without the commitment of a €€€€ tasting menu, this is the most defensible choice in Milan. Verso Capitaneo is worth noting for creative Italian at a comparable tier, but it is a different format and cuisine entirely.
The practical comparison comes down to what kind of meal you are planning. For a business dinner or date where flexibility and quality both matter, Ichikawa is easier to book and less expensive than any of the €€€€ alternatives, without a meaningful drop in the quality of experience. For a full-evening occasion where modern Italian cuisine is the specific goal, Seta or Andrea Aprea are the stronger choices. For Japanese cuisine specifically, Ichikawa has no direct credentialed competition in Milan at this price point.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ichikawa | Ichikawa is one of the culinary masters who played a part in introducing Japanese cuisine to Italy. After decades in the country working in various restaurants, this chef has finally opened his own eatery, where he serves top-quality Japanese cuisine ranging from familiar favourites such as sushi and sashimi to other less-known family dishes and street food from the land of the Rising Sun. A good place to discover the joys of Japanese cuisine!; Michelin Plate (2025); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #105 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #92 (2024); Michelin Plate (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #59 (2023) | €€€ | — |
| Enrico Bartolini | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Cracco in Galleria | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Andrea Aprea | Michelin 2 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Seta | Michelin 2 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Contraste | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
A quick look at how Ichikawa measures up.
The venue database does not confirm a bar counter seating option at Ichikawa. Given the dinner-only format and the chef's background in traditional Japanese service, it is worth contacting the restaurant directly before planning a solo counter experience. If bar or counter dining is the priority, verify availability when booking.
Ichikawa operates at €€€ with a focus on Japanese cuisine spanning sushi, sashimi, and lesser-known family dishes. For Italian fine dining at a comparable or higher price point, Seta and Andrea Aprea are the natural benchmarks in Milan. If you are looking for a different cuisine entirely rather than a Japanese alternative, Contraste offers a creative tasting-menu format at a similar spend.
No specific dietary accommodation policy is documented in the venue record. At a €€€ chef-driven restaurant with a focused Japanese menu, it is always advisable to flag restrictions clearly when booking rather than assuming flexibility on arrival.
Ichikawa holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and has been ranked by Opinionated About Dining, placing as high as #59 in 2023. At €€€, the value case rests on Chef Katsumi Ichikawa's decades of experience introducing Japanese cuisine to Italy — including family dishes and street food beyond the standard sushi offer. If you want a single chef's full range rather than à la carte sushi, the structured format here makes sense.
Dinner-only service running Tuesday through Sunday from 6 pm makes Ichikawa a manageable solo booking in terms of timing. Chef Ichikawa's focused, personal approach to the menu suits solo diners who want to eat through the range rather than share plates across a group. Confirm seating arrangements directly, as counter availability is not documented.
At €€€, Ichikawa is not the cheapest Japanese option in Milan, but it carries credentials that justify the spend: a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, and OAD Top Restaurant rankings across three consecutive years. The value proposition is specifically Chef Katsumi Ichikawa's depth of experience — decades of Japanese cooking in Italy culminating in his own restaurant. If you are after quick sushi at lower cost, there are alternatives; if you want the full range of his cooking, the price is fair.
Yes, with caveats on format. Ichikawa is a chef-driven, dinner-only restaurant with recognized credentials (Michelin Plate 2025, OAD-ranked), which gives it the substance a special occasion warrants. It is not a grand-room, theatrical experience — the draw is the cooking and the chef's personal history with Japanese cuisine in Italy. If the occasion calls for a large private dining room or a showier setting, check availability before booking.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
