One of the world’s hardest to reserve three-star restaurants was also one of its most charming. A cozy atmosphere akin to a mom-and-pop shop, and many excellent dishes made us almost forget the few letdowns

Mostly traditional Kaiseki cuisine that is enjoyable, but didn’t include any real standout dishes. More impressive is the patience of the customers who made reservations over a year ahead of time

French cuisine in a serene setting. There were only minimal Japanese influences in a meal that had several excellent dishes. A few other courses fell a bit short of their potential