Last updated on April 16th, 2025
One of the main reasons I travel, is to eat. Recently, I visited Japan on a mission to eat as much as possible! Focusing on only the best, I visited the Pierre Gagnaire restaurant in Tokyo. The restaurant sits high up inside of the ANA Intercontinental hotel. You can read about the property in a separate article. The main reason for my visit, was to try Pierre’s restaurant.
I don’t like to put too much stake into one rating system. However, I will definitely take into account that this restaurant has two Michelin stars. First, we started the meal off with champagne and enjoyed the views. From where I sat, it was easy to see Tokyo Tower. Not a bad location. Wink.
The gentleman that would be taking care of us spoke French, Japanese and English which was convenient. The dining room was quite full and impressive. We were served some mouth amusers aka amuse-bouche to get a glimpse into what the chef had in store. I was very excited after tasting these little treats. My favorites were the fish eggs and the black rice crackers.
After consuming those magical little tastes of heaven, it was time for the first course. This was a very interesting presentation to say the least. It looked like a dessert but was actually scallops with lime jelly, white peach and pink champagne sorbet. I kept getting more and more excited.
Next up was chaud froid which means hot cold in French and refers to food that is prepared hot and served cold. This dish was also another tasty delight and had a flamboyantly colorful presentation.
There were some more amazing dishes and then one that really got me excited. This would be the roasted pigeon. It had a heartwarming feel to it. This could be something that “mom used to make.” That is, if my mom could cook like a Michelin starred chef. Wink.
At this point, I was sufficiently stuffed after eating all this amazing food and of course pairing it with all this amazing wine. My favorite wine of the evening was a 2014 Yves Cuilleron Condrieu La Petite Côte which was very aromatic and had strong fruit flavors. Amazing!
I don’t know why I’m always so surprised when they bring 1 million desserts, but I am. This always happens and every time, I feel like curling up into the fetal position. In summary yes, they were all great but just too many. Don’t worry I fought through it, I tried everything. The tastes kept getting better and better as we worked our way through the dessert marathon.
You can’t make a much better evening than this folks. This restaurant really hit the spot! It’s very easy to tell why they have two Michelin stars. The view, food and service were all quite exceptional. There’s no doubt in my mind that you will have a fantastic evening next time you’re in Tokyo at the extraordinary Pierre Gagnaire restaurant inside of the ANA Intercontinental hotel!
The Nitty Gritty
Taste - 8.9
Value - 8
Feng Shui - 9.2
Convenience - 9.2
Service - 10
9.1
Well done!
Restaurant
Japan, 〒107-0052 Tokyo, Minato ANA InterContinental Tokyo 赤坂1丁目12−33 ANAインターコンチネンタルホテル36F
Phone: +81 3-3505-9505
