For a new, high-end restaurant with a young, unsung chef, Abysse certainly has picked a less-than-obvious location. From the nearest subway station, Gaienmae, the walk takes you down winding backstreets and up a flight of stone steps into the heart of residential Aoyama. Print out a map, open up your GPS or hire a guide — it's definitely worth the expedition.

Not that the address will be new to Tokyo's seasoned gastronauts: Abysse has taken over the elegant, comfortable little dining room formerly occupied by Florilege before it decamped to Harajuku. That, however, is a double-edged sword. It means there is already an established and well-heeled customer base who know the space, many of whom live in the area. On the other hand, Florilege is a very hard act to follow.

It is already clear, though, that owner and chef Kotaro Meguro and his front-of-house manager Tatsuhiko Taniguchi are more than up to the task. Despite their tender age — both are still only 29 — they combine the assurance that comes from having worked at high-end restaurants with a youthful enthusiasm that is refreshing in Tokyo's all-too-serious dining scene.