Joël Robuchon Restaurant is located inside a château in central Tokyo specially built for Joël Robuchon. The building is impressive and it looks like it has taken a wrong turn on its way to France and ended up in one of the most modern areas of Tokyo. It surely is a contrast to see the magnificent mansion surrounded by skyscrapers.

You will find the Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon in the Yebisu Garden Place and it was built in 1994. The French style of the four-story building is inspired by the eras of Louis XIV – XVI and mostly by Versailles. Several top names were involved in the daring project and all the limestone which is the main material for the floors and outer walls was collected and brought over to Tokyo from Joël Robuchon’s hometown Poitiers. The Japanese architect Yasumichi Morita was in charge of a complete renovation in 2004 and it resulted in a more contemporary style. Inside the Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon you will find an exclusive bar called the Rouge Bar, a shop named La Boutique, a bit more casual restaurant named La Table de Joël Robuchon and a top dining restaurant simply called Joël Robuchon Restaurant, as is the name of all the master’s top restaurants around the world.

It is incredibly impressive how Joël Robuchon manages to have a complete global empire of world class restaurants around the planet. Everywhere from Paris and New York to Tokyo and Hong Kong to mention a few of the places and all headed by chefs who easily could start up their own absolute top restaurants. The Joël Robuchon Restaurant in Tokyo is no exception and is run by the multi-talented and skilled Director de Cuisine Alain Verzeroli. He has been the head at the Joël Robuchon Restaurant in Tokyo since 1999 and before that he worked as the Head Chef of Petrus in Hong Kong. Chef Verzeroli’s career started in the late nineteen eighties in Paris where he started to work in some of the best restaurants in France – Guy Savoy and Taillevent. In 1991 he became the Executive Sous Chef at Arpège in Paris and he had his first job for Joël Robuchon in 1992 at Le Relais du Parc Restaurant in Paris and has since then worked close with the French legendary Chef for many years.

Alain Verzeroli has an amazing support and backup from his gifted Executive Chef Yuichirou Watanabe who is both creative and very skilled when it comes to perfect preparations of the French contemporary cuisine served. Several of the Robuchon classics can be found on the menu, but also more local creations.

The overall experience, with impeccable service combined with a cuisine where almost every single dish is extraordinary, sums up for one of the best restaurants in the world and an absolute must reservation.

Written by Andy