L'appartamento di NAOKI

As the name suggests — "Naoki's apartment" in Italian — the ambience at this Ningyocho Italian restaurant makes it feel as if you’re attending a dinner party at a good friend’s house. Aichi-born chef Yokoe Naoki went independent in 2010, establishing the first iteration of his restaurant in Azabujuban, and later moving his operations to Ningyocho, where he continues to cook today. Nonetheless, the restaurant still retains his keen eye for seasonal dishes, which appeal to all five of the senses. While other restaurateurs chase ratings and reviews, Chef Yokoe instead uses the smiles on the faces of his guests as the ultimate metric of quality. Expect high quality pasta and meat dishes, supported by fresh vegetables picked according to the time of the year. The seasonal lunch and dinner menus constantly change, and wine pairings (full pairings and half pairings both) are available with the dinner for a reasonable extra charge.