Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Wood-fired French, Michelin-starred, book early.
Mētis Roppongi holds a 2024 Michelin star for wood-fire French cooking built around Japanese seasonal ingredients and the <em>wakon yosai</em> philosophy. At ¥¥¥ pricing, it sits below most of Tokyo's comparable French fine dining in cost while delivering a technically serious, calm counter experience. Book at least three to four weeks ahead — this fills quickly and walk-ins are not a realistic option.
Imagine settling into a counter seat while the scent of woodsmoke drifts quietly through the room, a reminder that what arrives on your lacquered tray has passed through actual flame rather than a conventional kitchen. That sensory detail is your first clue that Mētis Roppongi is doing something worth your attention. The verdict: yes, book it — with the understanding that this is a Michelin-starred French restaurant shaped by Japanese ingredients and seasons, not a French restaurant that happens to be in Tokyo. If you have already visited once, the case for returning is strong: the wood-fire cooking format and seasonal Japanese sourcing mean the menu shifts with the calendar in ways that reward repeat visits.
The room at Mētis Roppongi carries its philosophy visibly. Kumiko woodwork — the intricate Japanese joinery technique involving interlocked geometric patterns , lines the space alongside lacquered counter trays, making the design a direct expression of the wakon yosai concept at the heart of the kitchen: Japanese spirit, Western learning. The atmosphere is calm and composed rather than energetic or theatrical. Noise levels stay low; this is a venue for conversation and concentration, not for groups seeking a lively night out. If you are returning after a first visit, you will notice how much the room does to frame the meal , the décor is not decorative backdrop but an active argument for the cuisine's identity.
The energy here reads as considered and slightly ceremonial. It is a quieter room than you might expect from a Roppongi address, which typically skews louder and more commercial. That restraint is a feature, not a gap. Come early in the evening if you want the room at its most composed; later seatings in any Roppongi venue tend to absorb more street noise.
Cooking is done primarily over wood flame, which is the technical detail that most distinguishes Mētis from the broader Tokyo French scene. Wood-fire cooking at this level is not a gimmick , it introduces complexity through smoke and direct heat that conventional French technique does not replicate. Japanese seasonal ingredients are the raw material; French tradition and philosophy provide the structure. The result sits clearly in the French fine dining format while reading unmistakably Japanese in its ingredient sourcing and aesthetic sensibility.
For returning visitors, the practical advice is to trust the tasting menu format and resist the impulse to over-direct your experience. The wakon yosai framework is most coherent when experienced as a sequence. Specific dishes are not published in advance and rotate with the seasons, which means a spring visit and an autumn visit at Mētis are genuinely different meals , a legitimate reason to book again if your first visit landed well.
On the drinks side, the programme at a venue built around wood-fire French-Japanese cuisine benefits from wine pairings that can hold their own against smoky, umami-forward flavours. Tokyo's leading French-leaning restaurants , L'Effervescence and Sézanne among them , typically run serious wine lists, and Mētis operates in the same register. If you are interested in the pairing option, request it when booking rather than deciding on the night. The bar programme here is not a standalone draw in the way a dedicated cocktail bar would be, but as an accompaniment to the tasting format, the drinks component is integral to the full experience rather than an afterthought.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. A Michelin 1-star in Roppongi with a small counter format and a 4.8 Google rating will fill quickly. Plan at least three to four weeks ahead for a standard booking window; for specific dates around Japanese public holidays or during peak autumn and spring seasons, book further out. The counter format means seat count is limited , there is no fallback to a larger table on a walk-in basis.
Tokyo's broader reservation infrastructure increasingly runs through platforms like Tableall, Pocket Concierge, or direct restaurant contact. Without a published booking method in the venue record, the safest approach is to attempt contact via any platform listing or to engage a hotel concierge if you are staying at a Tokyo property with concierge access. See our full Tokyo restaurants guide for further booking context across the city.
| Detail | Mētis Roppongi | Florilège | L'Effervescence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | French (wood-fire, Japanese ingredients) | French | French |
| Price Range | ¥¥¥ | ¥¥¥ | ¥¥¥¥ |
| Michelin | 1 Star (2024) | 1 Star | 2 Stars |
| Booking Difficulty | Hard | Hard | Very Hard |
| Atmosphere | Calm, counter-focused | Counter, energetic | Intimate, formal |
| Neighbourhood | Roppongi | Minami-Aoyama | Nishi-Azabu |
For broader reference across Japanese fine dining beyond Tokyo, consider HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, or akordu in Nara if your itinerary extends beyond the capital. Within Tokyo, ESqUISSE and Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon occupy the French fine dining space at a higher price tier. Outside Japan, the closest stylistic comparison point among French restaurants with a strong regional-ingredient ethos would be Les Amis in Singapore or Hotel de Ville Crissier. For Tokyo's bars, hotels, and other experiences, see our full Tokyo bars guide, our full Tokyo hotels guide, and our full Tokyo experiences guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mētis Roppongi | French | ¥¥¥ | Hard |
| Harutaka | Sushi | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| L'Effervescence | French | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| Florilège | French | ¥¥¥ | Unknown |
A quick look at how Mētis Roppongi measures up.
Dress formally. A Michelin 1-star counter with lacquered trays, kumiko woodwork, and a set tasting format signals that casual wear is out of place. Think business attire or above — what you'd wear to a serious omakase. Florilège and L'Effervescence, two comparable Tokyo fine-dining counters, hold the same expectation.
The format is a set tasting menu built around wood-flame cooking and Japanese seasonal ingredients within a French framework — there is no à la carte choice to make. Trust the sequence. The kitchen's philosophy of 'wakon yosai' (Japanese spirit, Western learning) drives every course, so the menu is the experience.
Specific dietary policy is not documented for Mētis, but Michelin-starred tasting menus in Tokyo routinely accommodate restrictions with advance notice — typically required at the time of booking. check the venue's official channels when reserving, and flag requirements clearly, as wood-flame preparation may limit some substitutions.
Yes, if the counter format and wood-fire cooking suit you. The Michelin 1-star recognition in 2024 confirms the cooking meets a credible standard, and the 'wakon yosai' concept gives it a clear identity that separates it from generic Tokyo French restaurants. If you want à la carte flexibility, look elsewhere — this is a committed tasting-menu counter.
At ¥¥¥ and with a 2024 Michelin star, Mētis sits in a tier where the quality case is made — wood-fired French using Japanese seasonal produce is a deliberate and technically demanding format. Against peers like Florilège or HOMMAGE, it holds its own on credential and concept. The value question comes down to whether the counter setting and tasting format match what you want from the evening.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
