September is here: It’s high time to haul ourselves back from mid-summer mode and start looking ahead to autumn. What better way to take our minds off the record heat than to look back on some of the great new restaurants that have arrived already this year — and those that are on their way.
In terms of sheer over-the-top impact, nothing rivaled the April opening party for Bulgari Hotel Tokyo. Occupying the apex of the swish new Tokyo Midtown Yaesu development, Bulgari offers two high-end venues well worth the elevator ride. Both are offshoots of three-Michelin-starred establishments: At his self-named Il Ristorante, chef Niko Romito offers contemporary Italian cucina; while Sushi Hoseki is overseen by Fukuoka’s sushi master Kenji Gyoten.
Much closer to street level, the same new Midtown building also houses three floors of more down-to-earth drinking and eating. On the second floor, we can raise a glass to the return of Stand Buchi after a nine-year hiatus. Back in the early 2010s, the indefatigable Hisae Iwakura pioneered Tokyo’s new wave of dynamic, stylish standing bars serving wine, sake and small plates of food from around Japan. Her selections remain spot on today.