Even in Tokyo, a city that relentlessly reinvents itself, change never comes easy, no matter how celebrated a restaurant may be. The bigger the name, the greater the expectations, and few have larger reputations than Nihonryori RyuGin.

Chef Seiji Yamamoto's contemporary take on Japan's traditional cuisine has won him numerous plaudits and stars — RyuGin has been a fixture in the Tokyo Michelin Guide from the start — and an enduring presence on Best Restaurant lists. So when he announced he was moving away from his iconic Roppongi base, word traveled fast.

His new address, inside the imposing high-end Tokyo Midtown Hibiya mall, is just a short hop from the old neighborhood. But in terms of scale and layout, RyuGin 2.0 represents a major upgrade. At last, Yamamoto has a setting worthy of his culinary status, and of the well-heeled clientele who will favor this more salubrious and central location.