This pains me. I've been in japan for 3 weeks and have experienced some of the most heartwarming service and precise meals (at multiple price points)...but this experience on 7/28 at 9pm-ish is without a doubt, the most dreadful I've encountered...a shocking surprise after reading mostly positive reviews. My partner and I were promptly sat in a corner of the bar with a view of the chef's work station. The small but charming restaurant only has a few tables that were already filled with happy looking couples. I was a bit confused that we were sat at a dirty bar seat, but chalked it up to a one man operation ( he's the host, bar keep and chef). And again, after 21 days of eating across Japan, I've not had a negative experience. So benefit of the doubt. After we sat, he moved the dirty dishes down a couple of seats and attentively took our order. We google translated our order and placed it and he went to work, occasionally touching dirty dishes to move them out the way, cooking food, smelling ingredients but never washing his hands. I was immediately put off... but my partner gave me the look of let's give this a chance. We ordered olives (of which he kindly shared were nearly out and graciously shared the last 4 at no cost), green salad and tomato and mozzarella, spicy penne, shrimp and seafood aijo and a bottle of champagne. To be fair, the salad and tomato and mozzarella was consistent with a 4.5 rating...buy that's when a tiny roach started marching towards my plate (I killed it and while the chef noticed our commotion he didn't investigate). Given the respectful nature of japan my partner felt compelled to eat the rest of the food. I lost my appetite and focused on finishing the 10k yen bottle of champagne. We paid the full freight (17k yen) for the meal but I hope this review prevents others from experiencing an unsavory date night experience in tokyo.

My partner learned to love wine because of this restaurant. There is normally a good selection of whites and reds from Italy by glass, and the bottle list is reasonably extensive. It is a really enjoyable way to learn what types of flavor profiles and wines you enjoy. The food is excellent. Generally, I just ask the chef what he recommends and he helps to put together a nice meal with seasonal ingredients. The chef will also help to pair it to the wine if you ask. *Probably closer to a 3/5 if you don't speak Japanese, as it will be much harder to communicate with the chef.

The risotto was awesome and the tramine was just the perfect much to it. You might want to try the sashimi which is also perfect with wine.

Great ambiance, amazing food and friendly staff. Very recommended!

An Italian restaurant on the semi-basement level of an alley one street behind the main road in 神楽坂. I used to like the Italian restaurant that was here before, so I was disappointed to find that it seemed to have changed hands, but the menu on the sign outside looked delicious and raised my expectations. The interior was the same as before: a calm space centered around a counter, with a few tables as well. The owner was running it alone. The menu had 3 kinds of pasta, including lasagna, as well as set meals with salad, coffee, and so on, but I ordered 【Vegetable olive oil sauce topped with 1 of the world’s best salsiccia】1,300円＋white wine and it arrived in about 15 minutes. The dish consisted of fairly thick spaghettini sautéed with leafy greens in an olive oil base, topped with a thick salsiccia sausage and sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs. Despite its simple flavor, the sweetness of the vegetables and the fragrant breadcrumbs delighted both nose and palate, making for delicious pasta. But as I cut into the salsiccia with a knife, its distinctive spices, saltiness, sweet pork fat, gentle heat, and richness emerged, instantly boosting the savory flavor. The fragrance and savoriness of the salsiccia went perfectly with a light, dry white wine, making for an elegant lunch. They said they could also prepare meat and fish dishes besides pasta, but the pasta alone was more than delicious enough. Many other customers were ordering lasagna, which looked delicious too. I forgot to ask why the salsiccia is called the world’s best, and I’d like to return in the evening to enjoy drinks and authentic Italian cuisine.

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