JULIA
Tokyo
Recensioner
Exceptional. Everything is so thoughtful and intentional. The “snacks” with sparkling wine downstairs, then moving upstairs. Minimalist but elegant decor. Beautiful table wear and utensils. The food is artistic yet not pretentious. The ingredients are hyper-local-focused. The service is attentive yet kind and fun. We loved how the chefs kitchen looked like a stage, with the backdrop dark and the bright lights on her. The wine pairing was perfectly executed…I wouldn’t typically drink Japanese wine but glad I expanded my horizon. We left feeling joyful and like we were friends with the entire staff. On one hand I’m glad Michelin helped me find this place, but on the other hand it seems criminal they don’t have at least one star, if not two.
Julia was one of the most memorable dining experiences I have ever had. I have been fortunate to dine at many Michelin restaurants, and this was easily my favorite. From the first course to the last, the meal felt like a beautiful crescendo, with each dish building on the one before it and somehow exceeding expectations every time. The pacing, creativity, precision, and warmth of the hospitality made the entire evening feel truly special. Every course was thoughtful, refined, and full of flavor, without ever feeling forced. What made the experience even more unforgettable was the way the entire staff came out to say goodbye at the end. It was such a warm and memorable touch, and it left a lasting impression. Truly an unforgettable experience and a restaurant I would love to return to.
An absolutely amazing experience. The team was warm, funny, and truly professional, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere from start to finish. The food was excellent, thoughtfully prepared with local ingredients and beautifully paired with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. A place you simply have to try when visiting Tokyo.
Some restaurants feed you. Others invite you into something that feels like a quiet revelation. JULIA, tucked into Tokyo and run by Chef Nao Motohashi and her sommelier husband Kenichiro, falls firmly into the second category. We arrived on recommendation and left with the kind of meal memory that told a story. There’s a single sitting each evening that starts at 7pm, with everyone arriving to begin together. It’s a beautiful way for Nao to stay focused on her creativity, ensuring every guest experiences each course at its intended moment. Watching her create at the open kitchen while Kenichiro curates the wine pairings felt less like observing a service and more like being invited into something beautifully personal. If ever you want a sense of homecoming in an unfamiliar city, this place has a special quality that’s hard to articulate but impossible to miss. The omakase set menu is pairing-focused, with most ingredients sourced from Ibaraki Prefecture where Kenichiro was born and where the restaurant originated. What makes Julia distinctive is their approach to Japanese terroir through uniquely crafted combinations of vegetables and fish with fruit. The cuisine is colourful, light, and unafraid to explore beyond traditional boundaries. The pace of the meal allowed us to truly absorb each course. There was space between dishes to appreciate what had just arrived and prepare for what was coming next. The creativity wasn’t complicated for the sake of it. It felt like genuine expression through food. Our only challenge was the language barrier. The pairing stories were clearly rich with meaning, but relying on Google Translate in such an intimate setting felt like it would break the spell. We missed some of the narrative, though the food and wine spoke eloquently on their own. If you’re looking for something beyond the typical Tokyo dining experience, somewhere that feels like a homecoming with strangers who genuinely love what they do, JULIA deserves your time and attention. Highly recommended by a duo from Chic Retreats NZ .
J U L I A Chef Nao (the restaurant is named after her mother) is truly the most delightful hostess and most wonderfully inventive and artistic chef. Chef Nao and her sommelier husband Kenichiro-san present the beauty and bounty of Japan in the most refined but approachable way. Starting with the welcoming in what might be considered an American “keeping room”, we were greeted warmly and serve a lovely Japanese sparkling wine with a trio of sculptural bites which were nearly too perfect to eat. But that is what camera phones are for. And they were delicious. A tuna tart in a radish flower, the hairy crab and egg cup, and uni marinated with sake lees shows Chef Nao’s love of Japan and the gifts of its land and sea. And the gifts keep coming. Each course is an exquisite offering of which you devour with your eyes and then your palate. Bonito with cherry dressed with nasturtium petals, a tower of onion rings, uni, and ebi, and unexpected combinations of unagi with fig with a blanket of cheese snow, and monkfish with pineapple that allow each to sing in unison. Japanese beef is always a highlight and Chef Nao deftly presents a lovely example of the rich and tender deliciousness. Kenichiro does his part to highlight the vines of Japan with beautifully paired native wine selections. From starting with a sparking bottle of “happiness”, a Niigata rose, Pinot Noir from Hiroshima, Koshu from Yamanashi grapes, a sweet sake from Ibaraki with cheesecake ice cream, and a Gewurztraminer to finish the meal. And the deserts. Each one more magnificent that the last. I confess my was swimming with so many innovative flavor pairings and the wine maybe. So I will let you feast on the photos. Thank you Chef Nao and Kenichiro-san! You made our anniversary so special and memorable.
