October 2022: Please note Inua has now permanently closed. Please see our Tokyo Imperial Palace page for other places to dine in the district. See all Kaiseki & Kappo & Other Haute Cuisine we recommend on our Best Kaiseki & Kappo & Other Haute Cuisine in Tokyo page and get the complete list for all cuisines on our Best Tokyo Restaurants page.
Opened by ex-Noma chef Thomas Frebel, Inua’s multi-course affairs represent an ambitious and spectacular Nordic take on seasonal Japanese ingredients. Eating here is an immensely special experience – a must-visit for gourmands.
Inua - image © Florentyna Leow
Noma is only one of the most influential restaurants in the world, which is why when an ex-Noma chef opens his own operation, it’s a pretty big deal. Opened in 2018, the cooking at Inua shows obvious Noma influences, though Frebel has clearly taken his experience and turned it into his own style. Food journalists have raved about it since its inception, and Inua is already a firm favourite with the Tokyo high-end dining set.
Inua - image © Florentyna Leow
Eating at Inua requires an openness to all kinds of flavours and textures you won’t encounter in most restaurants. Ingredients for the restaurant are almost all Japanese, and much of it is foraged, hunted, or harvested. Much of the menu is seaweed, nut, fungi, and vegetable-heavy, with some seafood and meat making appearances.
Inua - image © Florentyna Leow
You might begin a meal with a gorgeous Okinawan pineapple taster, infused with spices and bathed in caramelized kelp oil. There might be bee larvae claypot rice; did you know bee larvae is 1.5 times more expensive than sea urchin? You’ll taste so many varieties of and delicious variations on seaweeds and mushrooms that you might just be tempted to go vegetarian at the end of your meal.
Reservations at Inua are not impossible to make just yet, though we expect that to change fairly soon with its increasing popularity. Go before it becomes impossible to book!
For more Tokyo kaiseki, kappo and other haute cuisine choices, see our Best Kaiseki, Kappo and Other Haute Cuisine in Tokyo page.
English name:
Inua
Japanese name:
イヌア
English address:
2-13-12 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8552
Japanese address:
〒102-8552 東京都千代田区富士見2-13-12
Opening hours:
6pm-
Closed Sunday and Monday
Price:
Non-smoking section:
Completely Non-Smoking
Reservations:
Necessary
Nearest Transport:
Train: 5-minute walk from the west exit of Iidabashi Station on the JR Chuo-Sobu line.
Subway: 6-minute walk from exit B2a of Iidabashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho, Namboku and Tozai lines, and Toei Oedo line.
Telephone:
+81-3-6683-7570
Website:
Official website (English)
Customer Reviews:
Read customer reviews of Inua on TripAdvisor.
Near To Here:
Inua is located in Tokyo's Imperial Palace district. See our complete list of things to do in Tokyo's Imperial Palace district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
More Tokyo Restaurant Recommendations:
See all Kaiseki & Kappo & Other Haute Cuisine we recommend on our Best Kaiseki & Kappo & Other Haute Cuisine in Tokyo page and get the complete list for all cuisines on our Best Tokyo Restaurants page.
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