DOWN THE STAIRS by ARTS&SCIENCE — Restaurant in Tokyo

Maison with Arts & Science is the newish outpost of Chef Sota Atsumi, who owns the one star Michelin restaurant Maison in Paris. We were excited to try this place because we had wanted to try their restaurant in Paris when we had visited before the pandemic and were not able to go, but sadly, we have mixed reviews about their restaurant in Tokyo.

First of all, we liked the casual vibe of this place. However, the service here is not as good as the service at most restaurants in Japan. For example, there were several times when our water glasses and wine glasses were empty, but the server didn't offer to bring more water or ask if we wanted to order anymore wine.

We also have mixed reviews about the food. We enjoyed the smaller dishes such as the uni pain perdu and the white fish with mussels. The beef steak, on the other hand, was not very tender or flavorful. The desserts were also the weakest of everything on their menu. We ordered both desserts - the rhubarb tart and the canele. The rhubarb tart was a little too sour and the texture of the canele was not right. The ice creams that were served with both did not go very well with the respective desserts either.

Overall, I would say that the seafood dishes here are stronger than their meat dishes and the desserts. The service was also very slow and the entire meal took three hours despite the fact that we had not ordered very many dishes. We could only imagine how long we would've been there if we had ordered their eight course tasting menu instead of doing a la carte. I think the wait time would have been acceptable if they had been more attentive such as to offer us more wine in between dishes, but again, they were not very attentive. While we were glad that we tried this place, we probably won't go back unless the service and...

This restaurant is a really incredible little gem - we ate here one evening and were extremely content, so much so that we decided to attend a second night in a row on our last night in Tokyo.

We arrived at 6:15PM only shortly after their opening of 5:30PM however when we arrived the restaurant was quite full and when my wife and I entered the chef recognized us but mentioned it was currently full with no available table.

As we walked back outside we noticed a couple was finishing so we decided to wait outside while they finished and paid.

Soon after they left we patiently waited for the table to be cleared - we waited around 10 min , after which I reentered to ask if we would be able to sit at the now open table for dinner but I was ignored multiple times.

Confused we went outside and waited again patiently another 15 minutes , now near 25 min with no clear understanding if we would be able to eat here or not as it was now empty, I reentered but the chef would not make eye contact with us nor clear the table.

Unfortunately we had no other choice but to leave - the restaurant hours are marked open until 9PM and by the time we prepared to leave this was around 6:50PM.

I highly recommend this restaurant but I hope this awkward experience can be avoided for anyone else who...

This cozy restaurant may be small, but it's big on flavor and value. They don't take reservations, but trust me, the wait is well worth it.

The dishes are simple yet bursting with flavor. One dish that's a must-try is the Brioche with squid and Parmigiano grated on top. It's creamy, savory, and downright delicious!

To wash down your meal, they have a selection of natural wines. The rustic wooden decor and dim lighting create a cozy atmosphere that's perfect for a romantic dinner or a night with friends.

Price:...