Hills House Dining 33 — Restaurant in Tokyo

If you want to enjoy the view at Hills House, you can easily go to the Sky Bar on the 34th floor and order a drink. There’s no need to spend extra money at Dining 33.

I originally wanted to enjoy the food while admiring the view, which seemed like a delightful experience. However, as soon as we entered, we were seated at a spot with only a partial view. Since we arrived early, I asked if we could move to a better location, but was refused. That wasn’t a big deal, so I asked if they could open the curtains where we were seated to improve our view. The waiter initially agreed and opened the curtains. But five minutes later, another guy came and told us to close the curtains because the sunlight was affecting the other tables (there were only two tables occupied at the time).

I told him, “You should know we booked this restaurant because of the view. If you close the curtains, the reason for dining here is lost. I understand you need to consider the other guests, but our needs should be taken into account as well. If you don’t want us to open the curtains, please offer an alternative solution, rather than making us uncomfortable to accommodate others.”

I also mentioned that we’d already been seated for 15 minutes, and yet, despite the repeated back and forth over the curtains, no one had even offered us a glass of water. Is this your standard of service?

The waiter replied that we had to close the curtains because the sunlight was affecting other guests, and also mentioned that water is chargeable. I responded, “You can check the booking times for the other guests. If they are arriving later, why not let us stay until they come or move to another table? Coordinating this is your responsibility, not ours. Also, your attitude is inappropriate, so please mind your word.”

Then the waiter said, “Okay, I’ll get you two free drinks.” I replied, “Two drinks don’t even make up 10% of the cost of my tasting menu. Since I can afford the tasting menu, the drinks aren’t an issue. Please don’t worry about that. Just call your manager over.”

The waiter said the manager wasn’t available yet. I then told the staff, “Please assign me another waiter. I don’t like him.” And so, the first conflict ended there.

The food at the restaurant was actually quite good. The amuse-bouche was scallop-based, and the fish and chicken were very juicy. However, the service here really made me question the standard of Japanese hospitality.

When I paid the bill, they asked if I wanted to take my pre-ordered cake with me or have it served. I was confused and asked when I had ordered a cake. They insisted I had one. When I checked my reservation details, everything was in English except the cake, which was written in Japanese. I told them, “First, show me the English confirmation for the cake order. Second, if all my reservation details are in English and only the cake part is in Japanese, I shouldn’t be responsible for this charge.”

After some back-and-forth, they finally removed the cake charge. So, if you want to enjoy the view, go to the 34th floor. If you’re looking for good food, there are many other Japanese options. There’s no need to endure bad service...

As previously mentioned in other reviews, foreigners are unable easily to obtain a window table to dine. However, these are the rules set by the restaurant and as guests we respect them.

The beautiful Tokyo Tower can be seen from the restaurant on the 33rd floor.

Although the restaurant has a bright dining environment, it was noisy due to high business and full reservations.

We reserved the lunch set for that day.There were five dishes in all.The ingredients were of good quality, the taste was subtle, and the seasoning was appropriate.

The price of the lunch set is 6,600 yen, which we feel is a great value. However, we feel that the cost of drinks and mineral water (1,500 yen per bottle) is relatively expensive.

The staff is friendly and polite, explaining each dish carefully.One of them, Mr. Matsui, thoughtfully helped us change the main course (because we don’t eat beef), and reminded us that the macarons in the dessert contained alcohol, so he considered changing the dessert for our little girl.

Lastly, he took us to a private room to take pictures of a close-up view of the Tokyo Tower to make up for the fact that our seats were too far from the window.

The thoughtfulness of this gentleman is greatly appreciated. He is a professional who is both gracious and kind.

松井さん,...

雰囲気と景色、ネームバリューの価値はあると思います。

料理をとても楽しみにしていましたが、どれもイマイチ。フレンチの巨匠三國シェフが監修ということで期待していたのですが、口に合わなかったようです。

・そら豆を使用したブランマンジェ これはいただけました。見た目も可愛らしく素敵でした。少しダシ？のような味がしました。

・ホワイトアスパラのグリンピースのマヨネーズがけとハマグリのショーフロア、マイクロリーフとピンクペッパー添え グリーンピースのマヨネーズでコーティングされたホワイトアスパラに、ショーフロアしたハマグリを添えた手の込んだ前菜だと思います。 ピンクペッパーがいいアクセントでいただけました。しかしマヨネーズの風味が強くホワイトアスパラの影が薄くなってしまったり、ハマグリの旨味も感じにくく、使われている素材だけに残念な印象。

・リードヴォー(子牛の胸腺)...