A Luxurious Lunch at Michelin-Published French Restaurant in Tokyo, “ARGILE”!
“ARGILE” opened in 2016 as a sister restaurant to Michelin 2-star French restaurant ESqUISSE.
Both are French restaurants, but compared to ESqUISSE, where even lunch courses can run you 11000 yen, ARGILE is comparatively casual and has meal options starting at 5000 yen.
ARGILE was published in 2018’s Michelin Guide, earning its first star.
All openings are completely booked.
ARGILE is located on the 7th floor of Royal Crystal Ginza, the same as ESqUISSE.
A Forest-Like Interior
The interior is decorated like a deep forest using driftwood and thatching. It gives the restaurant a very mature atmosphere.
There’s a separate bar space away from the dining area, so you can stop by just for a drink if you so wish.
The lunch courses are available at 5000 yen and 7000 yen (tax incl., service fee 10%) only.
This time I chose the 5000-yen course.
The contents of the course meals change daily, so be sure to check before your visit.
5000-Yen Lunch Course
Appetizer – Chu-Toro Presse
A presse is a method of preparation in which ingredients are pressed together.
This dish consisted of beans pressed between lightly cooked chu-toro (medium-fatty) tuna.
Baguette and focaccia.
The bread is the same as that used in ESqUISSE! Of course, it was absolutely exquisite.
Main – Poêlé of the First Bonito of the Season
The fish was incredibly fresh, as the chef goes to the market to buy it every day.
The sauce had a lovely balance of sourness and sweetness.
It has an underlying Japanese-esque flavor to it as well, thanks to shredded kombu kelp.
Dessert – Tiramisu with Milk Ice Cream
What a refined dessert. There was tiramisu beneath the chocolate leaves.
I rather enjoyed the comfortable darkened interior.
It was also interesting to see them using Japanese-style dishware.
This restaurant is perfect for when you want to enjoy some casual French cuisine.
As it’s been awarded a Michelin star, it’s sure to become more popular in the future. Be sure to make your reservation soon!
※Children under the age of 12 are not allowed.
- Address
- 7F Royal Crystal Ginza, 5-4-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Access
- 1 minute on foot from the B6 exit of Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line’s Ginza Station
- Tel
- 03-3575-5115
- Business Hours
- 12 noon - 1:30 pm, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
- Closed
- Every Wednesday
- Accepted credit cards
- American Express/Diners Club/JCB/MasterCard/Visa/UnionPay
- URL(Japanese)
- http://www.argiletokyo.com
Author
Birth place: Kanagawa prefecture
Kenji Nishiyama - Ginza de Lunch
In addition to running an IT consulting firm, I spend my lunch hours scouring the nearby Ginza area for the best places to eat.