Sézanne Earns Three Michelin Stars in Tokyo
Daniel Calvert's French restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi moved up from two stars, three years after opening under a pandemic delay.
Photo: Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi Press imageSézanne, the French restaurant led by Daniel Calvert at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, received a third star in the latest MICHELIN Guide Tokyo on 17 October 2024. Inspectors had rated it two stars in the 2022 and 2023 selections before moving it to the guide’s highest category, “worth a special journey”.
The promotion caps a rapid rise. Sézanne opened on 1 July 2021 on the hotel’s seventh floor, after Calvert’s quarantine on arrival, a hotel refurbishment and a state-of-emergency closure had pushed back its launch. Earlier in 2024 it was ranked No.1 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and named Best Restaurant in Japan.
Calvert, who is British, trained at Pied à Terre in London, Per Se in New York and Epicure at Le Bristol in Paris before running Belon in Hong Kong, which reached fourth place on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. “We are deeply humbled and immensely proud to receive the most prestigious recognition in our industry,” he said. “This distinction belongs to every single member of our team who has poured their heart into our vision.”
The cooking is classically rooted modern French, built on ingredients sourced across Japan and revised with the seasons; at opening the menu included poached foie gras with apricot and Sauternes, and Hokkaido shamo gamecock marinated in vin jaune. Desserts are by executive pastry chef Patrick Thibaud, and sommelier Nobuhide Otsuka oversees a list of Champagne, wine and sake that includes Krug cuvées as the restaurant is a Krug Ambassador.
André Fu designed the dining room, combining French craftsmanship with Japanese elements, silk-lined panels and a show kitchen, plus a Chef’s Table private room hosted by Calvert. The restaurant sits alongside Maison Marunouchi, the bistro Calvert opened in the same hotel. Menus and bookings are on Sézanne’s website. With the award, it joins the small group of three-star tables in Tokyo.
