Héritage by Kei Kobayashi

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Paris Legacy, Rooted in Tokyo

Chef Kei Kobayashi grew up in nature-rich Nagano Prefecture, following his father into the kitchen before France claimed him entirely. He trained under Gilles Goujon and Alain Ducasse, then opened Restaurant KEI in Paris in 2011 — a table that would earn three Michelin stars. Héritage is his return to Japan: a personal expression of gastronomie française shaped by the sensibilities he has carried across two continents.

The restaurant earned one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2026 and holds a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star rating — recognition that reflects both the precision of the kitchen and the coherence of the overall experience.

The Kitchen Behind the Menu

Kobayashi does not work alone. Osaka-born Teruki Murashima brings a career forged across France, Italy, Taiwan, and Japan — including stints at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Taipei, ESqUISSE, and ARGILE in Tokyo. Pastry chef Mayumi Kobori, inspired by French confectionery since childhood, refined her craft at Parisian establishments including Domaine de Primard and Maison Lameloise. The three form a kitchen with real depth of formation.

The philosophy they share is deliberate: let ingredients — local, seasonal, always high quality — take the foreground. Sauces and accompaniments support rather than dominate. The menu evolves continuously, treating each service as an opportunity to renew and challenge. A signature roasted pigeon with liver sauce, which uses every part of the bird to minimize waste, is among the dishes that have drawn consistent attention.

The Room and the View

The newly revamped dining room at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi strikes a balance that is genuinely difficult to achieve: formal enough for white tablecloths and oversized floral arrangements, relaxed enough to feel like an evening rather than an examination. Every table faces the windows, and the city unfolds below — requesting a window-side seat is well worth the effort.

For private occasions, an eight-seat private dining room is available, offering the same kitchen and a quieter backdrop for gatherings that call for it.

The Bijoux Course

The signature tasting menu, called Bijoux, is built around Japan's seasonal terroir, elevating exceptional ingredients through French technique. It is the clearest statement of what Héritage stands for: a respectful, contemporary reinterpretation of classical French gastronomy, made in Tokyo, tasting unmistakably of both.