Romantico

Romantico, Tokyo: The Verdict

If you picture a Tokyo Italian restaurant as either a flashy hotel dining room or a casual trattoria, Romantico corrects that assumption immediately. This is a compact, chef-led Italian in Shirokanedai — one of Tokyo's quieter, residential neighbourhoods — operating out of a second-floor space on a modest side street. It is not a late-night destination in the conventional sense: the kitchen closes at 9:30 pm on every service day. But for anyone who wants Italian cooking taken seriously in a city that does exactly that, Romantico has earned its place on the Opinionated About Dining list three years running, moving from Recommended (2023) to #449 (2024) to #512 (2025). That trajectory is worth paying attention to.

What Romantico Actually Is

Chef Kentaro Nakayama runs the kitchen at this Shirokanedai address, a neighbourhood better known for quiet residential streets than restaurant clusters, which is partly the point. Romantico is not competing for foot traffic. It draws diners who know to come. The format is lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday (closed Wednesday), with last orders at 2:00 pm for lunch and 9:30 pm for dinner. If you are planning around a late evening in Tokyo, this is your pre-theatre or early-dinner option, not an after-midnight stop.

The OAD ranking places Romantico among Japan's most closely watched Italian tables. OAD rankings are driven by peer votes from professional eaters and food-world insiders, so a consistent presence on that list signals technical credibility, not just neighbourhood charm. For explorers tracking where Japanese chefs have taken Italian technique, this address belongs on the list alongside Aroma Fresca, PRISMA, and Principio, each taking a distinct approach to the same conversation. For Italian in Kyoto, cenci covers similar ground. In Hong Kong, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana operates at a different scale and price point.

Price range is not published, which makes direct comparison harder. Based on OAD positioning and the neighbourhood context, this is almost certainly a mid-to-upper price tier for Tokyo Italian, expect a structured menu rather than a casual à la carte spread. Confirm pricing directly when booking.

The Case for Lunch

The 12:00–2:00 pm lunch window is the more accessible entry point at Romantico. Tokyo's better chef-driven Italian restaurants often offer a compressed lunch menu at a lower price than dinner, and the room is typically quieter at midday. If this is your first visit and you are calibrating whether Romantico suits your taste and budget, lunch is the lower-risk booking. For explorers who want the full picture of what Nakayama's kitchen can do, dinner gives more time and, presumably, a longer format. Without confirmed menu detail, that remains an inference worth testing.

Tokyo Italian: Where Romantico Sits

Tokyo has a serious Italian dining tier that most visitors underestimate. Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Tokyo operates at the high-concept, brand-driven end. AlCeppo covers classic Roman territory. Romantico sits in a different register: a personal, chef-driven project in a low-profile location, with OAD credibility that keeps it on the radar of food-focused travellers. For anyone building a Tokyo dining itinerary around Italian, this is the one to book if you want something quieter and more focused than the flagship names.

If your Tokyo trip extends beyond the capital, the same food-forward approach is worth comparing at HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa. For a broader view of where to eat in the city, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide, our full Tokyo hotels guide, our full Tokyo bars guide, our full Tokyo wineries guide, and our full Tokyo experiences guide.

How to Book

Booking at Romantico is direct, this is an easy reservation by Tokyo standards. No website or phone number is listed in the public record, so the most reliable route is a direct approach through Google Maps or a reservation platform search. Given the small scale of the venue (second-floor, side-street address), seats are limited. Book a few days out at minimum; a week ahead is comfortable for dinner on a Friday or Saturday.