Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Six seats, three stars, book months out.
Azabu Kadowaki holds three Michelin stars and a La Liste score of 92.5 points, operating from a six-seat counter in the residential quiet of Azabu-Jūban. It's one of Tokyo's hardest bookings and earns the difficulty. If the season-driven set menu and tearoom-intimate format match what you're looking for, there is no stronger address in the neighbourhood.
Azabu Kadowaki is one of the hardest reservations in Tokyo and, based on its credentials, it earns that difficulty. Three Michelin stars, a La Liste score of 92.5 points (2025), and a Tabelog Bronze Award with a score of 3.85 place it firmly among Japan's most decorated restaurants. If you can get in, book it. If you're looking for the leading way to spend a serious dinner budget in Azabu-Jūban, there is no stronger case to make.
The common misconception about Azabu Kadowaki is that it's a kaiseki restaurant in the traditional mould — stately, formal, and somewhat interchangeable with the other three-star Japanese restaurants in Tokyo. It isn't. Chef Toshiya Kadowaki runs a deeply personal counter operation in Azabu-Jūban, one of the quieter, more residential pockets of Minato Ward, and the room itself signals this from the moment you walk in. The counter seats just six. The private room, with its deliberately low ceiling, is closer to a tearoom than a dining room. This is not a large-format spectacle.
The Azabu-Jūban neighbourhood matters here more than it might at a restaurant in Ginza or Shinjuku. This is a district that has maintained a local, almost village-like character despite sitting inside one of Tokyo's wealthiest wards. The streets around the restaurant are lined with old-fashioned shotengai shops and neighbourhood izakayas, and Kadowaki fits that grain: it doesn't announce itself with the kind of grand lobby presence you'd expect from a three-star restaurant in a more visible part of the city. The address is a quiet stretch of Azabujuban, and if you've eaten here once, you'll know to look for it rather than expect it to find you. For a second visit, that sense of knowing where you're going adds something to the experience that no amount of signage could replace.
La Liste's citation for the restaurant gives a clear sense of what to expect inside: the menu is built around seasonal ingredients, the counter places guests at close but considered distance from the chef, and the room is calibrated to make twelve people feel like the only people in the building. The truffle rice course — mentioned specifically in the La Liste commentary , is documented as a signature: aromatic, generous in the way that only a dish designed to anchor a meal can be. Beyond that specific dish, the menu follows a seasonal logic, so what you encounter on a given evening in late autumn will read differently from a visit in early spring. If you've been once and want to know whether a return visit justifies the effort of rebooking: yes, provided you go at a different point in the year.
The physical intimacy of the space is not incidental , it's the whole point. The six-seat counter format means Chef Kadowaki is cooking for a room the size of a small dinner party. The private room, which La Liste describes as so intimate that guests can feel each other's breathing, is leading suited to two or three guests who already know each other well. It is not a room for a business dinner where you need conversational buffer. For groups wanting more space or a livelier atmosphere, other three-star options in the city will serve better. For a couple or a pair of serious food friends on a return trip to Tokyo, this is the format to request.
For broader context on serious Japanese dining, Kagurazaka Ishikawa and Myojaku offer comparable prestige in different Tokyo neighbourhoods, while Ginza Fukuju and Jingumae Higuchi represent the broader range of high-end Japanese cuisine the city currently supports. If you're planning a Japan trip and want to build a dining itinerary around comparable restaurants outside Tokyo, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, HAJIME in Osaka, and Goh in Fukuoka are worth considering alongside akordu in Nara and Isshisoden Nakamura in Kyoto. For the full picture across Japan, Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama and Kioicho Fukudaya round out the top tier of Japanese cuisine. And if your trip extends further, 1000 in Yokohama and 6 in Okinawa are worth the detour.
Pearl's full Tokyo restaurants guide covers the broader field, and if you're building a full trip, the Tokyo hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide are the next places to look.
Price range: ¥¥¥¥ (top-tier; expect multi-course tasting menu pricing at three-star level). Hours: Monday to Saturday, 17:30–23:00 (last order 22:00). Address: 2 Chome-7-2 Azabujuban, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0045. Reservations: Near impossible , book as far in advance as possible; waiting lists are standard at this level. Dress: Smart dress expected; the intimacy of the counter makes casual clothing feel out of place. Counter vs private room: The six-seat counter is the primary experience; the private room suits parties of two to three.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azabu Kadowaki | La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 92pts; The Japanese love of small spaces is deeply connected with the spirit of the tea ceremony and its cultural background. The counter, affording just the right distance between guests and Chef Toshiya Kadowaki, seats just six. The private room, whose low ceiling suggests a tearoom, is so intimate that guests can feel each other’s breathing. The menu features dishes where ingredients in season come together to create fleeting sensations that linger in the memory forever. Truffle rice, enriching the meal in both aroma and flavour, is a case in point.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #142 (2025); Tabelog Bronze Award 2025 Score: 3.85 Cuisine: Japanese Cuisine / Tokyo Phone: 03-5772-2553 Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:30 - 23:00 L.O. 22:00 Address: Tokyo Minato Ward Azabu十ban 272 rozuhausu 1F Tabelog:; La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 92.5pts; Chef: Toshiya Kadowaki document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; Michelin 3 Stars (2025); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #127 (2024); Michelin 3 Stars (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Highly Recommended (2023) | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Harutaka | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| L'Effervescence | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| RyuGin | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| HOMMAGE | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Crony | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
How Azabu Kadowaki stacks up against the competition.
No dress code is specified in the venue data, but the combination of Michelin three-star status and a tearoom-influenced private room signals that understated, neat clothing is the appropriate baseline. Avoid casual sportswear. When in doubt, dress as you would for a serious fine dining reservation in any major city.
Yes, if seasonal Japanese cuisine at a counter format is your preference. La Liste has scored it at 92–92.5 points across consecutive years, and the Michelin three-star designation has held through 2025. The format is built around fleeting, ingredient-led dishes rather than theatrical production — worth it for guests who prioritise subtlety over spectacle.
No specific dietary policy is documented in available venue data. For a six-seat counter where the menu is shaped around seasonal ingredients, restrictions are best communicated at the time of booking rather than on arrival — check the venue's official channels when you reserve.
Groups larger than six should request the private room, which has a low-ceiling tearoom aesthetic and is more intimate than the counter. The counter seats exactly six, so parties above that size won't fit at the bar together. Confirm room availability when booking.
At ¥¥¥¥ pricing with three Michelin stars and consistent La Liste scores of 92+ points, the credentials support the cost. Compared to peers like RyuGin or L'Effervescence at a similar tier, Kadowaki's extreme intimacy — six counter seats, chef in direct proximity — makes it more personal than most Tokyo three-star experiences. Worth it if you want craft over scale.
The menu is set — there is no à la carte selection at this level. La Liste specifically calls out the truffle rice as a signature moment within the meal, noted for both aroma and flavour. Arrive focused on the seasonal sequence rather than specific dishes.
Plan on booking two to three months in advance at minimum. The six-seat counter and one private room fill extremely fast for a Michelin three-star with La Liste recognition. If you're visiting Tokyo on a fixed itinerary, secure a reservation before you book your flights.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
