Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Sky-high French technique, Japanese ingredients, easy to book.
apothéose, on the 49th floor of Toranomon Hills Station Tower, applies French technique to Japanese ingredients with a structured tasting format overseen by Chef Keita Kitamura. At ¥¥¥¥, it is the right call for a special occasion or business dinner where setting and culinary ambition both matter. Booking is easier than most comparable Tokyo tables — two to three weeks out is typically enough.
apothéose is worth booking for a special occasion in Tokyo, particularly if you want French technique applied to Japanese ingredients at altitude — literally. Sitting on the 49th floor of Toranomon Hills Station Tower in Minato City, the restaurant earns its name: apothéose translates as "highest compliment" or "apex," and the concept follows through. Chef Keita Kitamura runs a menu grounded in three principles: respect for French culinary culture, serious inquiry into Japanese ingredients, and an attentiveness to the present moment. That framework produces something genuinely distinct from the French-Japanese fusion category that has become routine in Tokyo's top tier.
The visual case for booking starts before the first course arrives. From the 49th floor of one of Tokyo's most prominent new towers, the dining room frames the city at a scale that reinforces the restaurant's ambitions. This is not incidental — the setting is part of the proposition. If you are planning a significant dinner, a business meal that needs to impress, or a celebration that warrants a memorable backdrop, the room delivers that before a plate appears. Compare this to L'Effervescence, which offers a quieter, garden-adjacent setting in Nishi-Azabu , a stronger choice for intimacy, but without the skyline.
The menu follows a structure worth knowing before you book: meat dishes anchor the middle of the progression, and rice dishes are incorporated specifically to deepen the impression of those courses. This is not rice as an afterthought , it is used as a textural and flavour counterpoint in the same way a French kitchen might use a sauce or a resting technique. Chef Kitamura's stated approach is to experiment without being constrained by convention, which in practice means the menu shifts with season and with ingredient availability. Booking now means eating what is relevant now, which aligns with the restaurant's own philosophy. For the current season, that is a meaningful advantage over restaurants running fixed or semi-permanent tasting formats.
Specific wine list details are not publicly confirmed in our current data, but the French culinary framework and the ¥¥¥¥ price tier strongly suggest a list built around French producers, likely with some depth in Burgundy and the northern Rhône , the natural pairings for the kind of technique Kitamura employs. At this price point in Tokyo, wine service at comparable restaurants , Sézanne, for instance , tends to involve a sommelier-led pairing menu rather than à la carte selection. It is worth confirming at booking whether a pairing option exists and what it adds to the per-head cost. For diners where wine is as important as food, ask explicitly about the pairing format before committing.
apothéose makes the most sense for: a significant celebration or anniversary dinner where setting matters as much as food; a business dinner where the room signals investment without requiring explanation; or a serious diner who wants to understand what French cuisine looks like when it engages honestly with Japanese ingredients rather than decorating French plates with Japanese garnishes. If your priority is kaiseki tradition, RyuGin is a stronger call. If you want French cooking in Tokyo at a slightly lower spend, Florilège at ¥¥¥ is worth considering. For solo diners or couples where intimacy matters more than spectacle, L'Effervescence or mærge may fit better.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which is useful context: unlike some of Tokyo's harder-to-access French tables, apothéose does not require months of advance planning. That said, for a specific date tied to a celebration, booking two to three weeks out is sensible. The restaurant is located in Toranomon Hills Station Tower, directly accessible from Toranomon Hills Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line , direct to reach from central Tokyo. Dress code information is not confirmed in our data, but at ¥¥¥¥ French dining in a skyscraper setting, smart to formal dress is the safe assumption. Hours and exact pricing are not published in our current record; confirm both at the time of booking.
If you are exploring the broader Tokyo dining scene, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide, our Tokyo hotels guide, and our Tokyo bars guide. For French-Japanese cuisine outside Tokyo, HAJIME in Osaka and akordu in Nara are worth comparing. For Japanese fine dining internationally, consider how apothéose's ingredient philosophy contrasts with the fish-forward approaches at Le Bernardin in New York City.
Quick reference: ¥¥¥¥ French, 49F Toranomon Hills Station Tower, Minato City , book 2–3 weeks out for dated occasions, easy availability otherwise.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| apothéose | ¥¥¥¥ · French | The name of the restaurant means ‘highest compliment’ or ‘apex’. The pinnacle of cuisine, perched on the top floor of a soaring skyscraper, is the concept here. The precepts of apothéose are a trinity: respect for French culinary culture; a deep spirit of inquiry into Japanese ingredients; and devotion to knowing the present moment. Meat dishes occupy the middle course, complemented by rice dishes to enhance the impression. Willingness to experiment, unconstrained by convention, ensures customers understand the joys of food.; Chef: Keita Kitamura document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } }); | Easy | — |
| Harutaka | Sushi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Effervescence | French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Florilège | French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how apothéose measures up.
Booking difficulty at apothéose is rated Easy, which puts it in a different tier from peers like Harutaka or RyuGin where months-ahead planning is standard. That said, the 49th-floor setting makes it a popular choice for celebrations, so aim for two to three weeks ahead for a specific date. For weekends or national holiday periods, book earlier.
Bar seating details are not confirmed in current venue data for apothéose. Given the ¥¥¥¥ French tasting-menu format at this level, counter or bar dining is possible but not documented — check the venue's official channels to confirm options before building plans around it.
Specific dietary accommodation policies are not publicly confirmed for apothéose. At the ¥¥¥¥ tier with a tasting menu structure, most serious Tokyo French restaurants address restrictions when notified at booking — flag yours clearly when you reserve rather than on the night.
L'Effervescence and Florilège are the closest stylistic peers: both apply French technique to Japanese ingredients with serious intent and are easier to contextualise against apothéose than a pure Japanese counterpart. RyuGin is the right alternative if you want Japanese kaiseki rigor at a comparable price tier. HOMMAGE suits guests who want French classicism with less emphasis on altitude or setting.
Yes — the 49th-floor position in Toranomon Hills Tower, the ¥¥¥¥ price tier, and the tasting menu format all make apothéose a practical choice for anniversaries, milestone dinners, or significant celebrations where the setting carries weight alongside the food. It is better suited to that purpose than a neighbourhood French bistro, and easier to book than RyuGin or Harutaka for the same kind of occasion.
Private dining or group capacity details are not confirmed in current venue data. For groups larger than four, check the venue's official channels to ask about table configuration or private room availability — a ¥¥¥¥ tasting menu format at this level often has constraints on larger parties.
The menu follows a deliberate structure: meat dishes anchor the middle of the progression and rice dishes are incorporated specifically to heighten that impression, rather than as an afterthought. Chef Keita Kitamura frames the restaurant around three principles — respect for French culinary tradition, inquiry into Japanese ingredients, and a willingness to experiment outside convention. Come expecting a tasting menu, not à la carte.
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