Bistro Inocchi

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🇫🇷 French / 📍 Hiroo

📓 Visits: 2 (2024x1, 2023x1)

Tateru Yoshino was one of Tokyo's best and most successful French chefs/restaurateurs.  His restaurants in Ginza and Higashi-Shimbashi achieved a Michelin Star and from 2012-2014 Tateru Yoshino Shiba held two Stars.  Less well-known was his bistro in Hiroo, La Tortue.  This was one of my favourite French restaurants in Tokyo: bistro food elevated to restaurant standard without the formality.  By the end of 2020 all of Yoshino-san's Tokyo restaurants had closed.  Since then he opened Tateru Yoshino in Hokkaido and Tateru Yoshino Mikuniminato in Fukui. Hotel de Yoshino in Wakayama continues to operate while 1-Star Maison Tateru Yoshino in Osaka closed at the end of March 2025.  I'd always wondered what had happened to La Tortue until I discovered the chef de cuisine opened his own restaurant in Nakameguro.

Bistro Inocchi seats 12 at tables, 2 at a counter and 2 on a terrace, which is partially secluded and located on a quiet street.  Inside it's exposed concrete, unclothed, stone and metal tables, clear incandescent lightbulbs and a concrete floor and it can be a little noisy at times.

At time of writing there is a choice of two, omakase, courses at lunch: 'B' for JPY 3,500 (main and dessert only) and 'C' for JPY 4,990 (starter, meat, fish and dessert).  Menus have been continually revised.  Prior to October 2023 the JPY 4,990 course included the signature 50 vegetable terrine as an extra course.  That's now only available as a replacement course and for a supplement of 500 yen.  Both courses come with amuse, bread and choice of after-meal drink (not pictured on visit #2).  Extra bread is charged at 100 yen a piece.  Both my visits have been for the JPY 4,990 lunch course, before and after October 2023.

It's hard to score the dishes.  Compared with Noura, the dishes are a bit more restaurant-like.  Compared with a top French restaurant the dishes aren't as refined, complex and the ingredients are less expensive.  My average score though is around 8.5.  Apart from the bread, I haven't scored a dish lower than 8.  For a 4-course meal under 5k that's excellent.  Portions are a good size and all the dishes come with a variety of perfectly cooked vegetables with good flavour.  The vegetable terrine I scored 9/9.5 - a little salty for the perfect 10.  I really have no complaints about the food served here at this price.  For a French bistro meal that's a bit more refined but still relaxed I thoroughly recommend it and will keep going back.  I wish I'd found it earlier.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1317/A131701/13226393/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.05

📱 Booking: 🟩 Up to a day in advance via Tabelog but at least a week in advance for a specific date.  If you're flexible, a day before or same day via phone is possible.  They've been full on both my weekday lunch visits but they can turn tables so if you aim for a later time they might still be able to slot you in, even as a walk-in.  No English menu, no English spoken.

📍 Location: 

1-6-15 Nakameguro.  10 mins from Nakameguro Station East Exit 1.
Map data ©2024 Google

📅 Visit May 2024

🕛 Lunch C

Hirame tart; tripe and tomato stew
Ika, basil sauce
Roast pork
Creme brulee; nougat glace
Coffee (or tea, not pictured)

💴 Damage: 5,580 (4900 + 1 drink @680)

⏱️ Time taken: 1h

📅 Visit September 2023

🕛 Lunch C

Hata, yasai sable
Yaitogatsuo, guacamole, yuzu kosho
Vegetable terrine
Salmon mi-cuit, lemon sour cream, saffron sauce, May Queen
Roast duck, red wine sauce
Mascarpone 'Paris Brest', Kyoho, blackcurrant, Shine Muscat, pistachio ice-cream
Coffee (or tea)

💴 Damage: 6,700 (4900 + off-menu glass of Champagne @1800)

⏱️ Time taken: 1h20m