If you don't have the luxury of an expense account, A ta Gueule, a tiny French hideaway in Ebisu, promises a gourmet experience that won't break the bank.
Chef George Somura specializes in classic French cuisine and comes with an impressive resume. After stints on the Orient Express, at Raffles Hotel in Singapore and Stellato in Tokyo, he opened his own restaurant in 2005.
The decor, like the menu, is simple and refined; green banquettes line the mustard-colored walls and the atmosphere resembles a cozy bistro. The seasonal menu features locally sourced produce and domestic meats and fish: fresh vegetables from Kamakura, suckling lamb from Hokkaido, and sakura ebi shrimp from Shizuoka. This month, there's an appetizer of fleshy white asparagus served alongside their willowy wild cousins, dotted with sabayon sauce and strips of Parma ham.