Sezanne Tokyo - A Well Deserved Third Michelin Star

Sezanne Tokyo

1 Chome-11-1 Marunouchi,

Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-6277,

Japan

Sezanne Tokyo stands as a precision jewel in the heart of Marunouchi. Newly crowned with its 3rd Michelin star in 2025 and number 7 in the world's top 50 list, the place runs like clockwork, with a carefully orchestrated service and quietly spectacular cuisine. Chef Daniel Calvert leads the Sezanne kitchen, having previously been at celebrated restaurants in London, Paris, New York and Hong Kong. His expectations and precision are obvious, starting at the bar area, where guests are hosted until their reservation time. We arrived 15 minutes early for our 1230 pm reservation and was hosted at the bar until 1230 pm. When the second hand hit 1230 pm, the doors to the restaurant opened and our server came to receive us to our table.

Interiors at Sezanne with a half panel view of the kitchen

The interiors are modern, pale woods, clean lines and an open plan where diners have a panel view of the chefs at work. It feels close to the kitchen, yet private. There is that touch of french sensibility but it still feels distinctly Tokyo. We chatted with our server who learnt we were from Singapore and joked that many people compare Sezanne to Odette, the 3 Michelin Star restaurant from Singapore. In fact, the interiors are really similar between the two and both restaurants currently hold three Michelin Stars and serve modern French cuisine. However, that's where the similarities end.

What sets Sezanne apart is an extremely clever balancing act. Menus are not revealed up front, only a list of purveyors to focus the efforts on the produce. There is a beautiful mix of French haute gastronomy and a Japanese clarity of taste. No flavour is unclear, no dish is confused, every dish presented to us had an intention and it was clear what Chef Daniel wanted to showcase.

During our lunch, we were not presented with a menu, instead we were given a list of collaborators with Sezanne. For those who like to know what they had during the meal though, Sezanne does provide a sealed menu at the end of your meal. These are the purveyors of Sezanne:

• Bordier, Brittany, France

• Kaviari, Paris, France

• Olivier Collin, Sezanne, France

• Fromagerie Bernard Antony, France

• Olivier Krug, Reims, France

• Truffle Hill, Western Australia

• Okhotsk Gibier, Engaru, Hokkaido

• Matsuno san from Shiranuka Town, Hokkaido

• Maruyu Kairaku, Akkeshi Sea, Hokkaido

• Kawata san from Akita

• Ariakeyama Farm, Nagano

• Umezawa san from Maruken, Toyosu, Tokyo

• Jet Farm, Hokkaido

• Kiyota san from Kiyota Fruits, Ota, Tokyo

• Shibuya Cheese Stand, Tokyo

• CAForm, Tokyo

• Toriichiseinikuten, Aichi

• Le Brun de Neuville, Sezanne, France

Our menu:

• 48 month aged Comte Cheese Gougere

• Moromi and Koshihikari Rice Sourdough with Brittany Butter

• Hokkaido Scallops with Horseradish and Wasabi Leaf Oil

• Marinated Sanma with Caramelized Onions and Green Olives

• Ankimo with Chinese Soy Sauce and Black Vinegar

• Botan Ebi from Hokkaido with Cucumbers and Fresh Sudachi

• Charcoal Grilled Kinki from Abashiri with Saffron from Saga Prefecture

• Abalone Liver Parfait

• Matsutake Mushrooms from Yunnan with Gingko Nuts and Koshihikari Rice

• Marinated Ikura with Meyer Lemon

• Crispy Pigeon with Sweet Potato from Fukuoka Prefecture and Sauce Meurette

• Aged Mimolette Cheese from Lille with Karasumi and Honey from Nagano Prefecture

• Fig from Aichi Prefecture with Coconut Granite

• Ile Flottante with fig leaves and white miso

• Mignardises

Multiple dishes stood out and it was very difficult to say which was a signature. Each of the dishes had a point to bring across and did so extremely well. Personally if I had to choose, the most memorable dishes were the sourdough, sanma, kinki and abalone parfait.

There were 2 pairings available. We went with the Haute Couture Pairing, which was 65000 JPY not including taxes and includes some very delicious pours:

• 2018 Sancerre Clos la Neore, Edmond et Anne Vatan

• 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Maison En Belles Lies

• 2008 Sauternes, Chateau d'Yquem

• 2022 Bourgogne Vin de France, Prieure Roch

• NV Champagne, Grand Siecle No. 25, Laurent-Perrier

• 2014 Saint-Emilion, Chateau Cheval Blanc

• NV Ratafia Champenois - Solera, Henri Giraud 90-16

Each pairing we had felt studied and blended absolutely beautifully with the dishes. This had to be one of the best premium pairings we have had and definitely highlighted how much thought went into putting this list together alongside the dishes.

Our highlight was a 2008 d'Yquem paired with the abalone liver parfait. The sweet and earthy notes of this sauterne matched perfectly with the abalone's umami and marine richness. Coming in in the middle of the meal, truly highlighted the sommelier's knowledge.

There is no question that Sezanne runs on clockwork and delivers on every promise of culinary excellence and thoughtful hospitality. Though when we were having our meal, we overheard the chef being somewhat aggressive to his team at the back. We heard this only because we were seated close to the entrance to the kitchen. And I wondered a few times whether to send a cheeky message via the server that the chef seems to be having a tough day in the kitchen. I chose not to in the end. However, these glimpses into the kitchen dynamic left us wondering what is the true cost of perfection. Whilst every bit of the meal is spectacular, I left thinking, wouldn't this experience be perfect if there was a harmonious kitchen and service culture and everyone we interacted with were genuinely happy. A pity.

Our takehome goodie

As we neared the end of our nearly 4 hour lunch, the front of house manager has some candid conversations with us and does the mandatory cultural business card exchange. It feels as though we are welcomed into the Sezanne family. Write to me, he says if you would like future assistance with table reservations. A beautiful touch to the end the meal. We walked out of Sezanne absolutely full to the brim and our delightful front of us manager walks us to the lift with a bag full of brownies for a snack, which I can assure you, was absolutely delightful warmed up in the oven and left us reminiscing about our meal at Sezanne.

Booking

Much like every popular restaurant these days, there are procedures to follow to get a reservation. For Sezanne, reservations are open on the 1st of every month at 10 am Tokyo Time and reservations can be made via the omakase app. It is fastest fingers and even then, we did not manage to get weeknight slots on a variety of days. So, I guess if you have flexibility, you might get something that works for your schedule.

Accessibility

Sezanne is located in Four Seasons hotel at Marunouchi, right next to bustling Tokyo Station. I would have thought it would be very easy to figure out. However, when we visited, four seasons was undergoing renovations and therefore the entrance to Sezanne is only via an office building, which ended up being really difficult to navigate. I hope that the next time we visit, it will be back to normal and access via the hotel is open again.

The Damage

Our meal was 45000 JPY per pax, additional cheese option was 2000 JPY and pairing was 65000 JPY per pax. Yes you saw that right, our pairing cost more than our meal. But it was definitely worthwhile and it left extremely full. Total price was 112000 JPY or ~ 950 SGD per pax not including the 10 % tax and 15 % service charge.

Would We Recommend?

Yes! Sezanne is a solid 3 stars that is truly worth travelling for. The only other 3 star (well 2 stars now) that I feel strongly about is Alinea and I am glad we made the trip to Sezanne. It is truly a jewel and showcased Japanese produce in the most French way possible.