ESTERRE by Alain Ducasse

About

ESTERRE by Alain Ducasse is one of Tokyo's easiest luxury dining rooms to reach, set on the sixth floor of the Palace Hotel Tokyo with Otemachi below and the Imperial Palace gardens just beyond the windows. The room is spacious and composed, with sofa seating and private rooms that give it the feel of a calm hotel salon rather than a hushed temple of fine dining.

The cooking is contemporary French connected to the Ducasse world, but the tone is lighter than old-school richness: seasonal courses, careful vegetables, restrained sauces and a polished wine program led by a sommelier. The hotel setting makes the restaurant comfortable for international guests, with English support and service that feels smooth rather than showy. Lunch has particular appeal here, because the view, the Palace Hotel setting and the lighter cooking all work beautifully in daylight.

Plan for hotel-level formality. ESTERRE is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, serves midday and evening sittings, and asks for smart-elegant dress, with jackets requested for men. A 15% service charge applies, children are generally welcome from age 10, and credit cards are accepted. Dinner is a special-occasion budget; lunch is the gentler entry point before a walk around Marunouchi or the Imperial Palace area.

The setting gives ESTERRE an easy itinerary logic: lunch can pair with Marunouchi shopping, Tokyo Station hotels or a walk by the palace moat, while dinner turns the hotel into the full evening. It is best for diners who want recognizable luxury, careful French cooking and low-friction service in one place.

Highlights

• Alain Ducasse French at the Palace Hotel Tokyo (with chef Keisuke Kojima)
• Directly connected to Otemachi; near Tokyo Station and the palace gardens
• Light, contemporary French in seasonal courses; sommelier and wine focus
• English menu and dependable hotel service
• Lunch a more accessible entry than dinner

What to order

• Seasonal lunch or dinner course — Course format; lunch is more accessible.
• Wine pairing — Sommelier-led.

Good to know

• Directly connected to Otemachi Station; ~8 minutes from Tokyo Station.
• Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; midday and evening sittings.
• Smart-elegant dress code; jackets requested for men.
• English menu and sommelier; 15% service charge; children from age 10.
• Check the Palace Hotel Tokyo site for the latest hours.

Recognition

Opening hours

Getting there

Frequently asked questions