Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Creative kaiseki rooted in Ehime ingredients.
Uisane earns consecutive Michelin Plate recognition in Kagurazaka by applying Kikunoi-trained technique to Ehime seafood with genuine creative range. At ¥¥¥, it is one of Tokyo's more accessible entry points into serious Japanese fine dining, sitting a clear price tier below starred alternatives on the same street. Book two to three weeks out and aim for spring or autumn when the seasonal menu is at its most expressive.
Uisane is worth booking if you want Japanese fine dining that goes beyond template kaiseki. Chef Kohei Ikeda, trained at the respected Kikunoi in Kyoto, brings Ehime Prefecture ingredients to Kagurazaka and combines them with a creative instinct that earned consecutive Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025. At ¥¥¥ pricing, it sits a tier below Tokyo's ¥¥¥¥ kaiseki establishment, making it one of the more financially accessible entry points into serious, technique-driven Japanese cuisine in the city. If you want the full kaiseki experience without the ¥¥¥¥ commitment of Kagurazaka Ishikawa, Uisane is the logical alternative on the same street.
Uisane occupies a room in the Seki Building on Kagurazaka's 4-chome, a neighbourhood that has quietly become one of Tokyo's more concentrated pockets of serious Japanese dining. The restaurant's name reflects a phrase meaning 'original intention', a reference to Ikeda's commitment to the culinary ambitions he formed growing up in Uwajima, on the Ehime coast. That regional anchor is not decorative: Ehime ingredients, particularly the seafood associated with the Seto Inland Sea and Uwa Sea, inform the seasonal rotation of dishes throughout the year.
The kitchen's approach — imagination layered onto traditional structure — is evident in combinations documented in the venue's award citation: sea urchin wrapped in sea bream, and glass shrimp spring rolls. These are not arbitrary fusions. They reflect what Kikunoi's training produces at its leading: classical discipline applied with enough freedom to make familiar ingredients read differently. For a special occasion dinner, that combination of recognisable craft and creative surprise tends to land better than either pure tradition or pure novelty alone.
Seasonality is the operative word for when to visit. Ehime's seafood calendar shifts meaningfully across the year, which means the menu at Uisane is not static. Spring brings different shellfish and lighter preparations; autumn shifts toward richer, more substantive dishes as the regional harvest changes. If your travel schedule is flexible and you want the menu at its most articulate, timing your visit to align with spring or autumn is worth the planning effort. That said, the kitchen's sourcing focus means the menu maintains a clear regional identity year-round, so no season represents a poor choice.
Kagurazaka as a base works well for a special occasion evening. The neighbourhood has the density of good restaurants and quiet streets that make it a better dinner destination than, say, Ginza, where the surrounding environment is louder and more commercial. After dinner, the area is walkable and calm. For context on how the neighbourhood compares to other Tokyo dining districts, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide. If you are planning a broader Tokyo trip with hotels, our Tokyo hotels guide covers where to stay in proximity to the area, and our Tokyo bars guide can help with the evening around dinner.
Google reviewers rate Uisane at 4.8 from 65 ratings, which is a meaningful signal at a venue this size. Small-room restaurants in Tokyo typically accumulate reviews slowly, so 65 ratings at that average represents consistent satisfaction rather than a lucky spike. The Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 confirms the kitchen operates at a recognised standard, even if it has not yet reached star level.
For comparable regional Japanese cooking in other cities, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto and Isshisoden Nakamura in Kyoto represent the Kyoto end of the same tradition. In Osaka, Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama operates at a higher price tier but covers similar culinary territory. Within Tokyo, Myojaku and Azabu Kadowaki are worth knowing as alternatives at adjacent price points. For Ehime-adjacent seafood perspectives from further afield, Goh in Fukuoka is a reference point for what serious regional Japanese sourcing looks like at a starred level.
Booking is described as easy relative to Tokyo's more pressured reservation scene. Uisane does not appear to require months of advance planning in the way that starred venues like Ginza Fukuju or Jingumae Higuchi do, but securing a table at least two to three weeks ahead is sensible, particularly on weekends and around Tokyo's peak travel periods in spring and autumn. No booking method is confirmed in available data, so checking directly with the venue or using a concierge service for Japanese-language reservations is advisable. The address is 4 Chome-2, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku City, Tokyo, in the Seki Building, room E.
For a wider Japan trip, HAJIME in Osaka and akordu in Nara are worth adding to the itinerary if you are touring the Kansai region. 1000 in Yokohama and 6 in Okinawa extend the map further if you have the time. See also our Tokyo experiences guide and our Tokyo wineries guide for the full picture.
See the comparison section below for how Uisane sits against Tokyo's broader fine dining field.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uisane | Japanese | What Kohei Ikeda tries to do is mix freewheeling imagination into traditional fare, an approach taught by the head of Kikunoi during his apprenticeship there. Fine examples include sea urchin wrapped in sea bream and spring rolls of glass shrimp. He focuses on ingredients from his native Ehime, the better to share its wonders with the world. Born and raised in Uwajima, Ikeda dreamed of becoming a chef in his youth. He never forgets to carry out this ‘original intention’, a phrase reflected in the name of the restaurant.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | 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 | — |
How Uisane stacks up against the competition.
Uisane is not a template kaiseki experience. Chef Kohei Ikeda, trained at Kikunoi in Kyoto, brings ingredients from his native Ehime prefecture into a creative Japanese fine dining format — think sea urchin wrapped in sea bream alongside more traditional preparations. The restaurant name reflects his 'original intention' as a chef, so expect a personal, produce-driven menu rather than a greatest-hits Japanese tasting format. The room is in the Seki Building on Kagurazaka's 4-chome, a low-key address in a neighbourhood that rewards knowing where to go.
The venue data does not specify a dress code, but Kagurazaka's fine dining scene generally runs toward understated and considered rather than formal. At ¥¥¥ pricing with a Michelin Plate, dress as you would for serious Japanese dining: neat and presentable, avoiding sportswear. If in doubt, lean toward business casual — you will not be underdressed.
At ¥¥¥, Uisane asks for a real commitment, but the Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 signals consistent quality. The value case rests on the specificity of the cooking: Ikeda's focus on Ehime ingredients gives the menu a distinct point of view you will not find at a generic kaiseki counter. If you want creative Japanese fine dining with a clear culinary identity rather than a prestige name, it holds up.
Exact booking lead times are not published, but for a Michelin-recognised small-room restaurant in Kagurazaka at ¥¥¥, plan at least 3–4 weeks out for weekends and aim for 2 weeks minimum on weeknights. Tokyo's fine dining tier fills faster than most cities. If your dates are fixed, book early — there is no walk-in safety net at this format.
For ¥¥¥ in Tokyo's fine dining field, Uisane earns its place through consistency — two consecutive Michelin Plates — and a clearly differentiated menu focused on Ehime produce and creative technique. It is not the highest-profile name in the city, which means you are paying for the cooking rather than the reputation. If you want Michelin-level Japanese fine dining without fighting for a seat at a starred address, the price-to-quality ratio is reasonable.
For creative French-Japanese cooking at a similar serious level, Florilège and L'Effervescence both operate in the ¥¥¥ range with stronger international profiles. RyuGin is the step up for high-commitment modern Japanese — higher price, harder to book. Harutaka is the counter to consider if pure sushi omakase is your preference over kaiseki-style formats. Uisane sits between all of these: more creative than a traditional kaiseki house, more focused on Japanese identity than a French-Japanese hybrid.
Yes, with the right expectations. The Kagurazaka location is atmospheric and the format — a personal, produce-driven menu from a chef with a clear cooking philosophy — suits a dinner with something to mark. It is a better choice for two people who want an intimate, considered evening than for a larger group looking for a buzzy room. If the occasion calls for a recognisable trophy name, look at RyuGin or a starred address instead.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
