The best Italian cuisine tasting experience in the world is in Tokyo

Among the Italian chefs working abroad, there's a maestro. Since 2009, he has been working in Tokyo, within the Ginza Tower: Luca Fantin, born in 1979, hailing from Treviso. The Restaurant Luca Fantin at Bulgari has been awarded with Tre Forchette since the first edition of the Top Italian Restaurants guide and was also Restaurant of the Year in 2019. This year, we revisited and once again, we were amazed by his cuisine for its elegance and finesse, with a tasting journey perfectly orchestrated and an incredible attention to detail. The result is a tasting menu that celebrates Italian cuisine, skillfully engaging with the finest local ingredients. For us, it's the Tasting Menu of the Year.

The love for detail

Meals start with an Aoriika (squid) carpaccio served with raw cauliflower and cuttlefish ink, a beautiful combination to behold and savour. Followed by a remarkably fresh raw prawn served with onion and pine nuts. The chestnut risotto with Alba white truffle is sensational; Fantin confirms a delightful finesse: “The risotto whisperer” chef. Woodland notes accompany the tagliolini served with a variation of local mushrooms, while the shift to umami comes with amberjack and caviar, where the fish's cut finds a perfect angle. The journey continues with beef fillet with Jerusalem artichoke and shavings of truffle. The dessert, the White Milk, is a successful blend of milk in perfect consistencies: semifreddo, cream, granita, and gelato.

And the wine list is equally impressive

The paired wines pay homage to Italian oenological culture: Anna Maria Clementi from Ca' del Bosco, Soave Classico Calvarino from Pieropan, Barbera d'Alba from Roagna, Barolo Boscareto from Ferdinando Principiano, Il Sacrisassi Rosso 2018 Le Due Torri, Refosco from Miani, and finally, Ribolla from Gravner. A restaurant of this caliber would rank among the top in Italy as well. Completing the package is a kind, attentive, and professional service.