Unis

Should You Book Unis?

If you have already experienced Tokyo's more accessible French counters and are ready to commit to something more focused, Unis is worth the step up. Chef Riku Yakushijin runs an 8-seat counter in the Toranomon Hills Garden House, serving French cuisine built around seasonal Japanese ingredients — a format that rewards diners who come with full attention and a cleared evening. At JPY 50,000–59,999 per head (based on review averages), this is a serious spend. The Tabelog score of 4.19, consecutive Bronze Awards in 2025 and 2026, and inclusion in the Tabelog French Tokyo Top 100 for both 2023 and 2025 confirm it earns that price. Opinionated About Dining ranked it #254 among Japan's leading restaurants in 2024 and #319 in 2025. Book it for a birthday dinner, an important date, or a business meal where the setting needs to do real work.

What to Expect on a Return Visit

On a second visit to Unis, the room does not change — it remains a compact, stylish counter with sofa seating and a quiet confidence that the space is doing exactly what it was designed to do. What shifts is your ability to read the pace of the meal. Yakushijin's counter-led format is structured around the chef's table experience, and first-timers often spend energy orienting themselves. Return visitors can settle into the rhythm earlier, pay closer attention to the fish-focused sourcing and the sake and wine pairings the kitchen is clearly particular about , both nihonshu and wine are listed as deliberate programme elements, not afterthoughts. A sommelier is on hand, and the drink selection is worth treating as part of the meal, not an add-on.

The kitchen's stated emphasis on fish, combined with seasonal ingredients sourced from across Japan, means the menu rotates meaningfully. A second visit within the same calendar year will likely cover different ground from the first. That is part of the case for returning.

Practical Details

Unis opened in December 2020 and operates Tuesday through Friday for dinner (18:00–20:30), with Saturday lunch and dinner services (12:00–15:00 and 17:00–19:30). It is closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations are accepted exclusively through the venue's website , the restaurant does not take bookings by phone, email, or walk-in under any circumstances. With only 8 seats and no private rooms, availability is genuinely tight. Book at minimum 3–4 weeks ahead for a weeknight dinner slot; Saturday sittings tend to go faster given the dual service format. The venue is accessible from Toranomon Hills Station (Tokyo Metro, A1 or A2 exit, approximately 2 minutes on foot) or Toranomon Station (Exit 4, approximately 5 minutes on foot). Parking is available via the Toranomon Hills lot , take the "K" elevator to the 1st floor. The restaurant is fully wheelchair accessible. Smart casual dress is recommended; given the price point, lean toward the smarter end. Credit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners). Note that service charge is not included in the listed price, so factor that into your total.

Children are welcome if reserved in advance , an unusual note for a counter at this price tier, and worth knowing if you are considering a family celebration. Private use of the full venue is available, which makes Unis a viable option for exclusive events; with 8 seats, a full buyout is practically a private dining experience by default.

On the Takeout and Delivery Question

Unis does not appear to offer takeout or delivery, and the format makes clear why: this is a chef's table counter where the experience is inseparable from the room, the pacing, and the direct interaction with the kitchen. The food here is designed to be eaten at those 8 seats, not carried out. If you are looking for French cooking in Tokyo that travels well or works for an off-premise occasion, this is not your venue. For that, look elsewhere in Tokyo's wider French offer. But if the question is whether Unis is worth the commitment of showing up in person , yes, it is.

How It Compares

See the comparison section below for how Unis stacks up against Tokyo's other leading French and innovative counters.

Further Reading

For more on Tokyo's dining scene, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide. If French cuisine is your focus, L'Effervescence, Sézanne, ESqUISSE, Florilège, and Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon are the peer venues worth comparing directly. Outside Tokyo, HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa round out Japan's high-end table options. For international French comparisons, Hotel de Ville Crissier in Crissier and Les Amis in Singapore are the most relevant reference points. For planning the rest of your trip, see our Tokyo hotels guide, our Tokyo bars guide, our Tokyo wineries guide, and our Tokyo experiences guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should I order at Unis? Unis runs a set chef's table menu , there is no à la carte selection. The kitchen is deliberate about fish and seasonal Japanese ingredients, and both the sake and wine programmes are considered enough that pairing is worth taking seriously. Ask the sommelier for guidance rather than ordering by the glass without context.
• Can I eat at the bar at Unis? Yes , in fact, all 8 seats at Unis are counter seats. There is no table seating. The entire restaurant is the bar, which means every guest is eating at the counter regardless of party size. This is a feature, not a compromise: the counter format is central to how the kitchen operates.
• Is Unis good for solo dining? Yes. An 8-seat counter in Tokyo's French category is one of the better formats for solo dining at this price point. You are not occupying a table meant for two, the pacing works naturally for one person, and the counter interaction with the kitchen is arguably richer solo. At JPY 50,000–59,999 per head, it is a significant solo spend, but the format justifies it more than a conventional table-service restaurant would.
• How far ahead should I book Unis? Plan for at least 3–4 weeks in advance for a weekday dinner slot. Saturday services , particularly the dinner sitting , tend to fill faster because the restaurant runs two separate services that day. With only 8 seats and online-only reservations, the booking window closes quickly once a date is announced. If you have a fixed travel date, book as soon as you arrive in the planning window.
• What should I wear to Unis? Smart casual is the stated dress code. At JPY 50,000–59,999 per head with a Tabelog Bronze Award and Top 100 recognition, the room will read at the smarter end of that range. A jacket for men is appropriate and fits the occasion. Avoid overly casual clothing , this is a special-occasion counter, and the other guests will likely be dressed accordingly.
• What should a first-timer know about Unis? Three things: first, reservations are online only , the restaurant will not accept bookings by phone, email, or walk-in under any circumstances, so go through the website. Second, service charge is not included in the advertised price, so your total will be higher than the JPY 50,000–59,999 average. Third, the format is a fixed chef's table menu for 8 people at a counter , if you are expecting à la carte French dining, this is a different experience. Come with time, appetite, and a willingness to follow the kitchen's lead.