Margotto e Baciare

The story

Margotto e Baciare: Whole Truffle Fine Dining in Tokyo's Nishi-Azabu | Michelin Recommended

The Whole Truffle, the Whole Experience

In Tokyo’s quiet Nishi-Azabu district, Margotto e Baciare is built around a single, extravagant idea: that a truffle should be enjoyed whole. The name itself is a portmanteau — “Margotto” coined from “whole truffle,” and “Baciare,” Italian for “to kiss.” The hope, as the restaurant puts it, is that guests will have such a happy time they’ll want to kiss someone.

Opened in September 2014, the restaurant is run by brothers Kenta and Junpei Kayama, both born in Hiroshima. Kenta, the chef, trained at some of Tokyo’s finest kitchens — L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Narisawa (then named Les Créations de Narisawa), and the three-Michelin-starred Quintessence. Junpei worked in Paris as sous chef at the one-star MASA before joining his brother. Their culinary philosophy is straightforward: “Hot things hot, cold things cold.” They value temperature and aroma above all, and the menu changes daily based on what inspires them from the market.

Choosing Your Truffle

The experience begins with a ritual. Guests are presented with a selection of fresh truffles sourced from around the world — black truffles from France, seasonal varieties as the year turns. You pick one yourself, feeling its weight and inhaling its mellow aroma. That truffle then becomes the thread running through your meal.

The signature style is a chef’s omakase course. A typical 12-course full dinner might include caviar served on a Japanese rice wafer (caviar monaka, a house classic since opening), a consommé made with Haibara beef that the kitchen likens to the clarity of Japanese ichiban dashi, and a soft-cooked Maho-ran egg. The egg appears in a beloved dish: fried egg toast, designed specifically to let the truffle’s seductive scent and flavor shine, with a Port wine sauce and rich yolk amplifying the truffle.

Dining Options and Atmosphere

Beyond the main dining area, there is a Chef’s Table — a teppanyaki counter limited to six guests per night. Here the cooking weaves French and Japanese techniques together for a haute couture dinner. The counter is the place where chef and guest become one, as the Kayamas put it.

The wine program is serious: about 200 bottles, with three whites and three reds by the glass. A sommelier will guide you toward a pairing, from a standard selection starting with Champagne to a special Burgundy-focused pairing that wine lovers favor. The restaurant is also a Krug Ambassador Selection, offering rare vintages like the Clos d’Ambonnay 2002.

Recognition and Seasonality

Margotto e Baciare earned a Michelin Recommended distinction in 2026, a nod to its singular focus and execution. The restaurant’s contemporary cuisine — a modern blend of French technique and Japanese ingredients — changes with the seasons, just as the truffles themselves have their own harvest rhythms. Whether it’s spring sansho pepper or autumn white truffles, the Kayama brothers let the ingredients speak.