Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
delicious cuisine and friendly staff |
| Disadvantages: |
not very intimate |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Stellato is on the top floor of a beautiful Moorish looking building in the Minato-ku district of Tokyo (an area allegedly haunted by many ghosts!).
You get to the restaurant via a dimly lit lift and then you are escorted by the incredibly attentive staff into the restaurant - or if you'd prefer an aperitif (which we did off course!), into the bar area. The restaurant itself is non-smoking so smokers can take breaks in the bar area between courses if they wish and staff call when your next course is being serviced.
The bar is decorated with luxurious golds & reds and the red leather furniture and copper topped tables give this a very regal yet warm and intimate feel. If you fancy a cocktail and are stumped at what to chose from the selection on offer then the head barman will happily recommend one or two.
The restaurant itself is a very grand affair and tips its hat to the kitsch glamour puss in everyone - mock zebra skin chairs, long tables covered in fine cotton, delicate flower arrangements and the largest chandeliers I've ever seen. A log fire blazes beneath a large impressionist oil painting. It's baroque with a cheeky grin!
A very personal touch to the Stellato is that each table has a card addressed to the diners (welcoming them to the restaurant), which has been signed by all the staff working that night.
It was a Monday when we visited the restaurant so was quieter than most nights. This meant we had the undivided attention of Stellato's Canadian born Maitre 'D and Manager, Aarin Teich - who has been with the restaurant since it opened in 2002. I'd also describe Aarin as a "poet". I've never heard anyone describe dishes, wines and the feast of culinary delights that awaited us in the way he did.
The menu is very East meets West - California/Pacific Rim-inspired, with a few acknowledgements to Japanese cuisine. I had a starter of Dungeness Crab Cakes in a lobster cream sauce with mozzarella cheese, onion and Konbu seaweed followed by Grilled Honmaguro Tuna with spicy green Thai peppers, curry,yellow and red bell peppers, bamboo shoots and spinach. Both were delicate, beautifully presented and I would have had no room left for dessert if it wasn't for the staff finding out that we were there celebrating the last night of our honeymoon. With in a matter of moments, we were presented with a bottle of champagne and a "congratulatory" dessert that the kitchen had specially whipped up for us!
The over-friendly staff might annoy you if you're expecting a quiet meal, but that said, the food and wine is so delicious, it's a meal in a setting you'll never forget.
ADDRESS: 3F 4-19-17 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
DISTRICT: Shirogane, Tokyo
Book ahead - Reservations Recommended
Phone:03-3442-5588
Fax:03-3442-4474
Hours - 5:30pm - 11pm/1am depending on season
Parking available (valet parking at Y1,000 per car
What to wear: Just about anything goes BUT Sweat Pants, Shorts, and Cut Offs are not allowed.
Payment: Cash, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, DINERS, AMEX
Menu is available in Japanese and English and most of the staff are bi-lingual
Price per head - AVerage of £35 per person inc wine
Visit the Stellato's website for menu examples and prices:
http://www.global-dining.com/site/restaurants/index.cfm?resID=40&page=detail&lang=EN&chainId=5
