Ristorante Da Nino

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Corner of Sicily in Tokyo

Ristorante Da Nino has been bringing the flavours of Sicily to Minami-Aoyama for twenty years — a milestone the restaurant celebrated in April 2026. Tucked into the ground floor of a quiet residential building a minute's walk from Nogizaka Station, it is one of Tokyo's most committed outposts of authentic Sicilian cuisine, a distinction recognised by Gambero Rosso with its 2 Forks award.

The Kitchen and Its Ingredients

The cooking draws directly on the island's larder: carefully selected fresh fish, pistachios from Bronte in Sicily, bottarga made from Sicilian bluefin tuna, and domestic sea urchin. These are not decorative references — they are the foundation of dishes that reflect traditional recipes from the island itself. The kitchen also produces its own olive oil, NINO OLIO, pressed from Sicilian olives and used throughout the meal, from the bread course onward. Homemade gelato and traditional Sicilian pastries round out the experience.

The Room and the Wine

The dining room is dressed with colourful Sicilian furnishings, giving the space a warmth that feels genuinely transported rather than themed. Both lunch and dinner are served as courses, with an à la carte option available alongside. The wine list leans heavily on Sicily — around 300 Sicilian labels — while also reaching into Tuscany, Piedmont, and France for vintage bottles and special selections.

Why It Endures

Two decades in one of the world's most competitive restaurant cities is a statement in itself. The Gambero Rosso recognition adds an Italian critical perspective to a restaurant that has built its reputation plate by plate in Tokyo. The Sicilian cuisine here is neither simplified nor adapted for local palates — it arrives with the same brightness, salt, and sun the island's cooking has always carried.