Located atop the flagship Chanel boutique in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, Alain Ducasse offers a starry eatery that aims to satiate the hungers of glittery fashion-elite. Designed by Peter Marino, the space is accessed through a private entryway on Marronnier Street that leads to a sedate lounge area accented in wood paneling and muted creamy lounge furnishings. The main dining room is composed of two eating area, poised under 20-foot ceilings and walls of glass concealing the Tokyo skyline, with semi-circular club chairs and blanched-wood tabletops set with tweed-theme china and Japanese earthenware.
The Food
There is a big difference between dining at Beige by day or night. During lunch, the main room is ignited in natural light with artistically assembled dishes of creamy artichoke soup with watercress gnocchis, squid ink pasta, and sea trout served with a yellowy béarnaise sauce. Dinner is a more formal affair, complimenting the Tokyo skyline with dim candlelight that makes appreciating the locally sourced Kamakura vegetables, chef Kei Kojim utilizes milk-fed livestock and Hokkaido seafood for intricate presentations of cooked foie gras, sea urchin soup, Brittany lobster with Kegani crab and Tankakugyi Beef with dauphinois potatoes and a plum cherry sauce. For dessert, don’t miss the all-day presentation of Carre Chanel that is Alain Ducasse’s praline tribute to Coco on a creamy biscuit with bite of dark chocolate.
Last Word
Be sure to sneak into the rooftop lounge, known as Tweed Garden design by Peter Marino, perfect for late-day cocktail or taking in the evning views of Tokyo Tower over aperitifs.
