Clandestino — Restaurant in Tokyo

Starting with the good, the atmosphere is great and lively. The service is also spectacular. One of our dishes was actually undercooked. Our server took care of it immediately and also gave us some cured meats and cheeses to snack on while we waited. She was friendly and kind.

We ordered their seasonal pasta, which was a duck ragu tagliatelle as well as their cacio e pepe. The tagliatelle was cooked perfectly al dente. Only very slightly too salty but otherwise delicious.

On the bad side, I cannot recommend their cacio e pepe to anyone. When we first got it, it was undercooked and incredibly salty. Imagine taking a spoonful of granulated salt. We sent it back and I could actually hear the chef throw around the phrase "al dente". It definitely was not. We even had the tagliatelle to compare to because that one was cooked well.

However, the server did take care of us by having it re-made. The second plate was cooked better than the first but still slightly under. But, it was just way too salty. I already consider myself someone that has a salty palatte but this was something else.

Overall, the server made the experience worthwhile, but I would not recommend the...

We went to Clandestino in December 2024, on the recommendation of friends, for a Christmas dinner for two. At first we were a little surprised by the very small size of the establishment and the lack of proper sit-down tables, as it seemed more suitable for a drink or some snacks, rather than a proper dinner. But the seating arrangements were instantly forgotten as soon as we tasted the food, which completely blew us away! Never before have I tasted such authentic Italian food outside of Italy! The pinsa was heavenly, and the pasta dishes to die for! The place is run by Italians with a heart, and it shows. We loved the atmosphere and the friendly service. We felt that it was almost a shame that the place is so small and tucked away in a non-descript building, probably not attracting many customers who don't know about its existence. Not that they would need it, as the place was full on the evening we were there, quite possibly with regulars who know just how great the food is. We will...

I got to celebrate together with a dear friend our birthday here last autumn! As an Italian person I wanted to introduce my friends to real Italian cuisine and I feel like Clandestino was a good choice.

We got two pinsa (Distanza Sociale and Asintomatica I believe - also loved the inside jokes) as appetisers, and then I also ordered Tagliolini al Mascarpone e Limone. And what can I say, everything was perfect indeed.

The place is quite small so probably it's not really ideal if you want to enjoy your dinner stress free, but the overall vibe is quite nice and it's run by...