Aman Tokyo Arva Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Tokyo

Update: Thanks for reaching out to us so promptly Arva. It is evident that the team takes the food and overall experience of the guests very seriously.

Summary, tldr: Disappointing. Almost everything had asparagus. Was nice perhaps, but was this just some way to clear some over surplus of asparagus??? Overall a 3 or 4/10 for food, everything was cooked well, but many ingredient choices and combinations were poor. Found ourselves trying to like / pretend to like majority of the dishest but after awhile we were just laughing. Sadly our most expensive but worst meal in Japan thus far. Service and ambience were good though.

Full review: Appetiser (not in menu): Breadsticks and dipping sauces were nice. Pesto was especially nice - tasty and refreshing. The cold meat dish was weird - a bit like cat food. Would've changed it to a tuna or beef tartare perhaps. Cheese-like cracker was okay. Asparagus puree was light and nice.

Fritto Misto (Tempura dish): Batter was very thin, maybe tooo light, wasnt crispy, like just a coating over the vegetables (maybe meant to be that way). The pungent bulb-looking vegetable (maybe spring onion) was terrible. Just raw, sharp, and too alliaceous. Should've maybe used lotus root, burdock, mushroom, sweet potato, or pumpkin? The fern was just really bitter and tasteless, shouldve maybe used corn? Bread given should've been warm. And where's the butter or olive oil.. :( Shrimp was sweet and cuttlefish was nice though. Anchovy paste was just okay.

Crespelle (crepe cheese dish with pork): Decent, but after awhile it was too much and too cheesy and bland at the cheese portions. A bit like baby food. Asparagus puree re-used. Pork parts were nice.

Pesce Isaki (Fish dish): The chestnut potato puree when eaten tgt with the shrimp sauce, had a root beer (wintergreen/methyl salicylate) note. Watercress puree was okay, a tad salty. The raw watercress should not be on the plate (maybe was decor), it was bitter and too raw tasting. Fish was well cooked and great.

Agnello (lamb main): Lamb was tender but unfortunately tasted like something that could be found in 7eleven, like a lamb nugget? Was slightly gamey too. The lamb puree with black olives tasted animalic (farm-like smell) - disaster combination. Salad was just sour, like pure lemon juice used only - it needed sweetness. Asparagus was okay. Fresh tomato & basil was nice.

Basil sorbet (not in menu): Extremely delicious - fresh and light.

Torta paradiso (melon dessert): Nice. But nothing to shout about.

Caffe o te piccola pasticceria: Tea and coffee alright, little biscuits were nice, esp the meringue.

In addition and on a side note, their cloth left so much...

Disappointing Experience Despite High Expectations

After spending two unforgettable weeks dining across Japan, this was, unfortunately, the only meal that left us disappointed—and it was not what we anticipated after reading so many glowing reviews.

While the ambiance and view were undeniably beautiful, they couldn’t compensate for the subpar quality of the food. This was the first and only time in Japan that I felt compelled to send a dish back—in this case, the pasta fish dish. It was poorly prepared and lacked the care and authenticity one would expect from a restaurant claiming to serve fine Italian cuisine.

Presentation, taste, and execution all fell short of even basic standards, and we were left puzzled as to how such a reputable establishment could deliver such a poor dining experience. Even a modest restaurant across the street from the Four Seasons in Kyoto surpassed this one in service, quality, and flavor.

Though the price point was not excessive, the experience felt like a waste of both time and expectation. We sincerely hope this was an off night, but it was a regrettable end to an otherwise excellent culinary...

The property is in a beautiful location and has great views of Tokyo. The lobby has an extra high ceiling giving guests room to breathe. We went there for lunch and were served fresh bread with olive oil, freshly cut root vegetables to snack on while waiting for our food. The first dish to come out was a type of spring roll, there were three of them nicely decorated. I drank Umeshu soda (Plum cocktail). My main was veal steak with a type of chocolate sauce and mashed banana (I thought it was mashed potato at first). The dish was garnished with thin slices of onion. Finally the staff came out with little ice creams on a cone very cute with matcha (green tea) flavor. Because the property has such a prestigious reputation I think I had a very high expectation when visiting. Due to this, I will say that the services isn't as high as I expected. We often had empty water glasses and bread baskets. The timing was slightly slow, we waited a good 20 minutes for our main dish to arrive. Overall I enjoyed the experience and atmosphere of Aman but I wouldn't say it's the best value for...