Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Franco-Scandinavian precision; plan ahead to secure a table.
L'ARGENT earned a 2024 Michelin star with a Franco-Scandinavian approach to Japanese ingredients — think fermented Shizuoka mushroom soup and foie gras torchon paired with Kakegawa tea. At the ¥¥¥ tier, it is one of Tokyo's better value entries into serious modern French tasting menus. Booking is hard; plan well ahead and treat this as a destination dinner rather than a spontaneous one.
Getting a table at L'ARGENT is not direct. This Michelin one-star French restaurant in Kasumigaseki fills quickly, and with no booking method confirmed on the public record, you should treat this as a venue that rewards advance research and persistence. If you are serious about coming, act early. The difficulty is warranted: L'ARGENT earned its 2024 Michelin star by doing something genuinely specific — layering Scandinavian technique onto Japanese ingredients through a French culinary framework, a combination that produces a menu with a clear identity rather than the blurry pan-Asian-French fusion that clogs too many Tokyo tasting menus.
At the ¥¥¥ price tier, L'ARGENT sits one bracket below the premium ceiling occupied by L'Effervescence and Sézanne, which makes it one of the more accessible entry points into serious modern French dining in Tokyo. That pricing, combined with a 2024 Michelin star, positions it as a strong value proposition relative to its immediate peers.
The culinary direction here draws on the chef's formative time in Paris and Copenhagen. That Copenhagen influence is the differentiator: Scandinavian kitchens trained the chef in fermentation, restraint, and the elevation of produce-forward cooking, and those habits show up consistently in the menu's construction. The foie gras torchon paired with Kakegawa tea , sourced from the chef's hometown , is the kind of dish that only happens when a cook has a real relationship with their ingredients rather than a supplier catalogue. Kakegawa, in Shizuoka Prefecture, is known for producing some of Japan's finest green teas; using it against the fatty richness of foie gras torchon is a technically considered contrast that works on paper and, given the Michelin recognition, clearly works on the plate.
The fermented mushroom soup made from Shizuoka Prefecture producers is another signal of how seriously this kitchen treats its sourcing. Fermentation as a technique requires patience and precision , it is not a flourish but a commitment to a particular flavour philosophy. For diners who follow the modern French and Nordic movements closely, these details confirm that L'ARGENT is operating with genuine intention, not borrowed aesthetics.
L'ARGENT operates from the second floor of a building in Kasumigaseki, a district better known for government ministries than restaurant destinations. That address works in your favour atmospherically: the area empties out in the evening, and dinner here carries a quieter, more focused energy than you would find in Ginza or Nishi-Azabu. The room is not a showpiece location , which means the kitchen has to do the work, and based on the Google rating of 4.6 across 137 reviews, diners consistently find that it does. For a special-occasion dinner where you want conversation and focus rather than a scene, the low-noise Kasumigaseki setting is an asset. If you want the full theatrical Tokyo dining experience with a glamorous address, consider Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon instead.
Given the Franco-Scandinavian culinary philosophy at work here, the wine program has real potential as a complement to the food. French kitchens operating at this level typically maintain lists that prioritise classical French regions with selective natural and biodynamic producers , a pairing philosophy that would suit the fermentation-led, produce-forward cooking. However, specific wine list details are not confirmed in the public record for L'ARGENT, and this is worth clarifying directly when you book. For diners who treat the wine pairing as integral to the tasting menu experience , not optional , this is one question to ask before you commit. If wine depth is your primary driver, ESqUISSE in Ginza has a documented, extensively curated cellar that might serve that appetite more reliably.
L'ARGENT is the right choice for food-focused diners who want a modern French tasting menu with a clear point of view, at a price point that does not yet reflect its Michelin standing. The ¥¥¥ bracket for a starred kitchen in Tokyo is still relatively rare , most comparable venues have moved to ¥¥¥¥ on the back of recognition. Book here before the pricing catches up with the reputation.
Solo diners should note that counter or smaller-format seating arrangements often suit this style of restaurant, but seat configuration is not confirmed , check at the time of booking. For groups of four or more, confirm availability in advance given the venue's likely limited capacity on the second floor of a Kasumigaseki building. For a broader picture of where L'ARGENT fits in the city's dining offer, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide. If you are building a wider trip itinerary, our Tokyo hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide are worth reviewing alongside.
For comparable modern French ambition elsewhere in Japan, HAJIME in Osaka operates at a different price ceiling but represents what this style of cooking looks like at its most fully realised. akordu in Nara offers a quieter, more intimate take on European cooking with Japanese ingredients for those travelling beyond Tokyo. Goh in Fukuoka and 1000 in Yokohama round out the regional picture for Japan-based itinerary planning. If you are interested in how this style of Franco-Japanese cooking translates in Southeast Asia, Les Amis in Singapore is the regional benchmark, while Hotel de Ville Crissier provides the European classical reference point for the French tradition L'ARGENT is working within.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2024) · ¥¥¥ · Modern French · Kasumigaseki, Tokyo · Google 4.6/5 (137 reviews) · Booking difficulty: Hard , plan well in advance.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'ARGENT | French | ¥¥¥ | Hard |
| Harutaka | Sushi | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| L'Effervescence | French | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| Florilège | French | ¥¥¥ | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Solo diners with a serious interest in modern French cooking will find L'ARGENT a focused, rewarding experience. The tasting menu format suits a single diner comfortable eating at their own pace. At ¥¥¥ pricing with a Michelin star behind it, the per-head spend is justified by the kitchen's creativity rather than the social spectacle of the meal.
No group booking information is confirmed for L'ARGENT, and given that it operates from a single second-floor space in Kasumigaseki, capacity is likely limited. Groups of four or more should check the venue's official channels before assuming availability. For larger celebratory dinners with confirmed private-room options, L'Effervescence or Florilège in Tokyo are better-documented choices.
L'ARGENT runs a tasting menu format, so ordering à la carte is not the expectation here. The kitchen's signature approach involves dishes like the foie gras torchon with Kakegawa tea and fermented Shizuoka mushroom soup — both illustrate the chef's Paris-Copenhagen-Japan axis. Trust the menu; that is the point of the experience.
Yes, provided the occasion suits a food-forward setting rather than a high-energy celebratory room. A Michelin one-star restaurant in a quieter Kasumigaseki address means the focus is on the plate, not the atmosphere. For milestone dinners where the cooking is the event, L'ARGENT delivers a clear point of view at ¥¥¥ pricing.
For modern French with comparable ambition, Florilège offers a more counter-forward format with strong local sourcing credentials. L'Effervescence leans into seasonal Japanese produce within a French framework and has a longer track record in Tokyo. If the Franco-Scandinavian angle is specifically what draws you to L'ARGENT, no direct peer in the city replicates that combination.
At ¥¥¥ and Michelin one-star level, L'ARGENT sits in a competitive bracket in Tokyo. The case for booking it over peers is the chef's specific culinary identity: Scandinavian technique applied to Japanese ingredients within a French structure is a genuinely distinct approach, not a generic luxury French menu. If that specificity appeals to you, the price is justified.
The tasting menu is how L'ARGENT makes its argument, and the dishes on record — foie gras torchon with regional tea, fermented Shizuoka mushroom soup — suggest a kitchen with a real perspective rather than a formulaic progression. For diners who engage with the story behind the sourcing and technique, it holds up at ¥¥¥. If you want flexibility to order around a menu, look at Florilège or HOMMAGE instead.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
