An Englishman in Tokyo: Chef Daniel Calvert’s favourite Tokyo restaurants

A leader in the French culinary arts, Daniel Calvert mixed with the best in the business in New York City and Paris, before really putting himself on the map at Belon in Hong Kong, where he earned his first Michelin star at the neo-Parisian restaurant in 2019. Not one to rest on his laurels, the Englishman opened Sézanne at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi in 2021.  

Pairing French technique with seasonal Japanese ingredients and a dedication to sourcing the finest seafood won his new establishment two Michelin stars within two years of its opening, and in March, the restaurant was ranked second on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2023. 

Although Calvert is a master of haute cuisine and technically flawless fine dining, he also has an instinct for cheaper, yet still delicious eats, which he’s found in abundance in his new home. Here, he shares seven of his favourite spots in central Tokyo. 

Pizza Studio Tamaki

“There are many pizza parlours in Tokyo, but this is the best. It’s a small, two-storey shop in Roppongi where you can walk in but may have to wait. I love how they salt the base of the pizza when dusting it with flour and semolina before it goes into the wood-fired oven.” 

"The pizza here is classic Neapolitan with traditional toppings – I always order their diavolo with pepperoni. As well as pizza, go for the music, small wine list and tiramisu – don’t miss it.” 

Acho Cafe, Kagurazaka

“Japan loves crème caramel-esque creations, and Acho Cafe is a tiny Tokyo restaurant that makes everything in- house, sells out quickly and always has a queue. The puddings all come in little pots, and there are about ten flavours, including green tea, black tea, Calvados, vanilla and chocolate cream with hazelnut – they even had a sakura one last year for cherry blossom season. But most of all, I love coffee-flavoured desserts; their coffee pudding is really, really good.” 

Le Bretagne

“My favourite crêperie is Le Bretagne in Kagurazaka. It’s so good that after opening his shop in Tokyo, French founder Bertrand Larcher then brought it back to Le Marais in Paris while expanding further into Japan. I try to go once a month for their crêpe with Basque ham, cheese, tomato and espelette pepper, but I also rate the beautiful Alsace special with onions, sausage, potatoes and mustard.”

Kagari Ramen, Ginza

“This is the original location right in Ginza, but they also have outlets in Shinjuku, Roppongi and Osaka. Although it’s very traditional and sits on a tiny street that’s easy to miss, it’s well-known in the ramen world, so there’s always a line, especially as there are only eight seats. The shop specialises in a broth emulsified with chicken fat called tori paitan, which is creamy and sticky, but not too cloying.”

Sharikimon Chawanbu

“Sharikimon Chawanbu is casual, but is so popular that you need to reserve about a month ahead. It’s very popular among the foodie crowd, who fill the 12 seats quickly at lunchtime. A range of cuts of pork is used for the tonkatsu, the deep fried cutlet has a good fat-to-meat ratio, and the chef makes his own tonkatsu sauce. My tip is to get the curry – request it in advance, so the rice can be cooked to time with your reservation.” 

1/F, Shima Building, 3-22 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Pain des Philosophes

“Here’s my favourite bakery in Tokyo. It’s tiny but popular, meaning there’s always a queue out of the door. You can smell the butter and pistachios being baked from the end of the street – which feels very Parisian. They do the best classic croissants, but you can’t go wrong with their fantastic pain au chocolat (generous on the Valrhona chocolate) or crusty, artisanal baguettes. There’s also a small terrace where you can grab a seat – if you’re lucky.”

Iwasa Sushi, Toyosu Market

“If you’re after the freshest sushi, it’s hard to beat Toyosu Market: now Tokyo’s main fish market after the closure of the famous Tsukiji. There are lots of options, but I like Iwasa Sushi, which has served the likes of Jeff Bezos and chef Tetsuya Wakuda. The omakase deluxe is excellent and served quickly – the speed at which chef works is remarkable. Naturally, everything is very fresh and high quality. I especially like his maki rolls, particularly toro maki, served at the end, as well as shiro ebi (baby white shrimp) nigiri in season and uni (sea urchin) gunkan.”