CÉ LA VI TOKYO — Restaurant in Tokyo

Located in the heart of Shibuya, CÉ LA VI Restaurant & Sky Bar is just a stone's throw away from the iconic Shibuya crossing. The bustling neighborhood is known for its vibrant atmosphere, trendy shops, and lively nightlife. It's the perfect spot to explore and immerse yourself in Tokyo's energetic vibe.

On a warm summer evening on July 3, 2023, I decided to visit CÉ LA VI Restaurant & Sky Bar for some refreshing drinks. With its reputation as an international hotspot, I was excited to experience the renowned CÉ LA VI hospitality and enjoy a relaxed evening with a panoramic view of Tokyo's cityscape.

Entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a sleek and modern ambiance. However, as I requested to be seated on the terrace, I was instead guided to a disorganized and cluttered indoor bar counter. Glasses in need of cleaning and bottles scattered around detracted from the overall impression. It was not the experience I had come to expect from a CÉ LA VI venue.

Despite the disappointing start, I decided to give their Negroni a try. The cocktail itself was decent, with a well-balanced mix of bitter and sweet flavors. However, what was truly disappointing was the lack of attention from the staff. Throughout my visit, I was not asked if I would like any snacks or offered any accompanying bites, even though there was a box of peanuts just a mere meter away. It was an oversight that left me feeling neglected and unimportant as a customer.

As someone who has visited several CÉ LA VI venues across the world, I must admit that this was the first time I encountered such subpar service. Perhaps it was an unfortunate coincidence or an off night for the establishment, but it left a lasting impression of disappointment. It's disheartening when a brand known for its exceptional service fails to deliver, especially in a city renowned for its dedication to hospitality.

Considering the lackluster experience I had, I paid around 2000JPY. While I understand that quality service often comes with a premium, the lack of attention and overall underwhelming atmosphere made it difficult to justify the expense.

Regrettably, my visit to CÉ LA VI Restaurant & Sky Bar in Shibuya did not live up to my expectations. The location's central position and outdoor view were the only highlights of the evening. The background music failed to make an impact, and the service fell far below par. Despite my previous positive experiences at other CÉ LA VI locations, I left feeling disappointed and unattended. I hope that this was an isolated incident, as I would like to believe that the international group can regain its reputation for...

I came here June 3rd to have dinner on my birthday. Terrible experience and I’m so disappointed. I probably would have been more satisfied with Burger King. Sat down, no one came over to us until 10-15 minutes in. Finally got waters. Then, my sister ordered the crudo, which didn’t even come with chopsticks? That’s insane considering we were in Japan. So we ate it with the fork which felt so wrong. No napkins at the table either. Then, I got the curry with shrimp. It was 6/10 but still ate it, it was fine. My sister got the lamb chops, however 70% of the 3 chops we got was all fat. I have a photo of the steaks but I should have taken one of the plate after eating the meat. So much fat was left. Then it was time for dessert, I wasn’t a huge fan of anything on the menu so I was going to pass, then my sister said to at least get a scoop of ice cream since it was my birthday, so I chose matcha ice cream. Finally, the bill comes. We were charged for bread for 2 people. My sister did not want any bread. Only I did and she got her salad. Then I see that they charged us for the birthday parfait that they brought me, which I never even ordered? It was very beautiful, but I never asked for that. We ended up telling a server and she insisted the bread had to be 2 orders since it was 2 people? What if she’s gluten free? Then only took off 500yen to make up the price difference between the matcha ice cream and parfait. Finally, I told the woman at the front when it was time to pay that we were very disappointed with the lack of service and all the fat on the lamb. And she just said oh so sorry! With no sincerity, Then put the card reader in our face to pay. I would NOT recommend coming here for any special occasion, save yourself and go somewhere else. This was the restaurant on the 18th floor. Not sure how the 17th floor is. I’ve had an amazing experience in Tokyo for my first time there and everyone was so kind. Ce la vie was the first time I got weird vibes and mediocre service and food. Will not return. The view isn’t even worth it. Over hyped for sure Attached a pic of the steak where you can sort of see all the fat but it was worse after cutting into it. Some fat is always welcomed but not when it’s more than have the...

VIP but with 0 VIP treatment.

Had a birthday celebration at the club here with some close friends. I went to CÉ LA VI in Singapore years ago and had a great experience, so I expected the Tokyo location to have the same standards. In the Singaporean one, the staff would go above and beyond for all guests and the vibes were just as good as the aesthetic. However, the Tokyo location seems to only follow the same branding by looks alone.

The bouncers and front desk staff were pretty unfriendly. Even though we were VIP and didn’t need the cloak room to put our stuff away, the bouncers kept insisting that we needed to put away everything in the cloak room (¥500 per person). The club areas were pretty empty, but for some reason we were told that we weren’t allowed to stand/take pictures in the areas with a clear view of Tokyo Tower. It was such a waste of a photo opportunity. The staff were also very inattentive to our group and didn’t help us take group pictures at all, which was incredibly surprising to me.

The dance floor had great music but loads of skeevy dudes leering at women. We ended up staying at our table and leaving earlier than planned.

I will say though, that the bar staff, bottle girl, promoter, and cloak room staff were very kind and gracious. The drinks that were served to us were also very good. It’s just that dealing with the bouncers actively preventing us from properly experiencing different areas of the club to the fullest soured my experience. I do not understand the point of having such a lavish venue in the middle of Shibuya if paying guests can’t even access them or take photos of them properly.

Overall, it makes for a cute Instagram moment but the actual experience is subpar, especially by Japanese standards. Customer service is one of the best parts about living in Japan in general, so it’s especially dubious to me that such a famous international club doesn’t seem to reflect that at all.

I hope the other international CÉ LA VI locations aren’t as poorly managed, but this made me question whether or not I’d bother visiting another location apart from the Singaporean one. Perhaps the Sky Bar and restaurants in CÉ LA VI Tokyo are nicer...