La Paix
๐ซ๐ท French / ๐ Nihombashi
๐ Visits: 6+ (2014-2021)
La Paix opened in 2014. It was immediately obvious to me back then this restaurant was something special but it took Michelin until 2018 to award the restaurant a Star. Two menus are offered - 7 courses for lunch only at JPY 6,000 and 11 courses at JPY 13,000 (prices do not include tax and service.) On all my visits I've had the 6K lunch menu. To my huge disappointment, La Paix stopped taking reservations for one a few years ago but I never completely gave up on them and thought that with the restaurant business generally depressed due to the pandemic they might have revised this policy. I was delighted that when I called in July they accepted my reservation request.
The restaurant is in a windowless basement and there are partitions between most tables so you get a little privacy. No English is spoken. Service is a little formulaic but unstuffy and the staff explain the dishes well. The staff wear uniforms now and proper shoes so hopefully the slight sloppiness in dress I observed last time has gone. There were a number of flies in the restaurant in my August 2020 visit but I didn't notice any on my most recent one.
The lunch course consists of amuse, starter, fish, meat, pre-dessert, dessert, coffee and hojicha. Notes below are from my two most recent meals. Bread is readily replenished but average. The pre-dessert is always soba blancmange, salt ice-cream and olive oil. This is very rich and quite substantial for a pre-dessert but very good. There is one extra foie gras dish available on the lunch menu. Previously this was a teeny weeny, pre-made waffle 'sandwich' of foie gras pate and figs at JPY 1,000 and not worth having. More recently this was a foie gras terrine that looked a lot more substantial from what I could see by observing other tables but I was put off from the time before and didn't order it. Other than that misstep with the foie I can't remember ever having a bad dish at La Paix. There's a fair amount of technique in all the dishes. Mostly Japanese ingredients are used and they are vibrant and very fresh. Presentation is contemporary. The chef combines flavours on paper you'd never think would work but actually taste delicious, adding a level of excitement to dining here. Some of the dishes (like the katsuo tartar on my most recent visit) are just perfect. A meal I had approximately two months prior to my August 2020 meal was virtually identical but I wasn't disappointed second time because the food is always so good.
La Paix is one of my favourite French restaurants in Tokyo — exceptional food and exceptional value. I've upped my score based on my most recent meal.
๐ https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130202/13173559/
❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.4
๐ฑ Booking: ๐ฉ You can usually get a weekday lunch table the same day but at other times, and if you're set on a particular date, then it's better to book several days ahead. You can book either by TableCheck or phone. No English menu. No English spoken.
๐ Location:
1-9-4 Nihonbashi Muromachi. Dedicated, street-facing entrance, B1F. Two minutes from Mitsukoshi-mae station Exit A1.
Map data ©2021 Google
๐ Visit October 2021
Apple, pear, mozzarella puree; boudin noir croquette; beef and hotate tartSoba blancmange, salt ice-cream, olive oil
Shine muscat 'cake'
Coffee
๐ด Damage: 9,075 (6000 + 1 drink @ 1500 + 10% + 10%)
⏱️ Time taken: 1h15m
๐ Visit August 2020
Monaka: pineapple, blue cheese creme brulee, boudin noirAiname, sweetcorn, carrot puree, basil
Pork
Soba blancmange, salt ice-cream, olive oil
Dessert
Coffee & financier
Hojicha
๐ด Damage: 8,470 (6000 + 1 drink @ 1000 + 10% + 10%)
⏱️ Time taken: 1h15m
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