Best Japanese Restaurants in Paris

Take a sushi master, products of remarkable quality (ikejime fish from the Atlantic), and the creative touch of Yannick Alléno, and you get an enticing program. The uncluttered space gives pride of place to contemporary artists—from the installation of thousands of wooden sticks by Japanese street artist Tadashi Kawamata, to the sections of ceramic walls, imagined by American William Coggin. Add to that impeccable service, a sumptuous cellar full of sought-after sakes, and twelve seats at the blond wooden counter, and you'll find yourself at the heart of the action. 

Take a seat at the counter to be in the front row facing the teppanyaki grill, or sit in the small private lounge. On the program here: delicate and specialized cuisine, weaving beautiful links between Japan and France—think sashimi, lobster from Brittany, chateaubriand, or sweetbreads, all accompanied by good Burgundy wines. This is a must-visit.

What do our taste buds do when they cross paths with a Tokyo chef, based in Paris? They quiver with excitement. Here, the udon have a delicious and authentic flavor and taste, to be enjoyed in a small, uncluttered room, decorated in the spirit of Japanese noodle stalls. Healthy, tasty, with no additives, and at very good value for money. 

Eel (aka unagi) is the specialty of this restaurant. Filleted, grilled, and then steamed, it is immersed in a bath of soy sauce, sake and sugar, before being grilled again and coated with sauce. The vast majority of the clientele here is Japanese, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality of the dishes.

This small Japanese restaurant cultivates a unique culinary specialty from the city of Osaka: kushikatsu—breaded and fried mini skewers a la minute. The succession of bites reveals finesse and flavors, nicely representing the Land of the Rising Sun. Likewise the decor is chic and typically Japanese.

A new restaurant in Montmartre entirely dedicated to sushi; its refined setting takes up the aesthetic codes of Japanese sushi counters. The sushi master here is Shunei Kimura, who has worked in France for decades and wields rare expertise. All fish are selected, cut with the greatest care, and served at the right temperature (with rice from Nigata) - all enhanced by precise seasonings.

Ogata is a bit like the second Japanese embassy in Paris. It's a temple dedicated to the Japanese art of living, installed in a private mansion in the Marais, designed by Shinichiro Ogata. You can taste refined and seasonal Japanese cuisine here prepared with top-quality products, as evidenced in a dish of sautéed brill with butter and soy sauce. The best seats are at the counter. Continue the journey through the shop or art gallery.