In France there are various types of French restaurants, ranging from quite casual to really sophisticated, but most of the French restaurants in Japan are rather elegant, costly, and somewhat formal. It is quite difficult to relax and have a good time in them. But there is a really casual French restaurant in Motomachi.
The owner Chef of Brasserie Artisan, Mr. Sato, feels that his guests should be full of satisfaction stomach-wise and wallet-wise, and in a relaxed mood. So, he tries to offer tasty fare at reasonable prices in large servings!
Interior & Atmosphere
Brasserie Artisan has its wines in a room near the entrance behind a glass door.Inside the restaurant, there are several tables in the middle of the room, a counter to the left of the entrance, and nice cozy sofa seats in the back. The open kitchen is just to the right of the entrance. You can see the cooks (or “Artisans”) at work from your table. Following the brisk movements of the cooks is really interesting while you are waiting for your meal.
The interior is basically white, and accented in a bold but classy red. It looks a little bit like the inside of a cave. It is nice and cozy to sit and chat in the wide-open space.
Menu
The menu is written in both Japanese and a mixture of French and English, but without photos. They always offer more than 15 appetizers, 13 main dishes, and 11 types of desserts! From 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, they offer a variety of lunch plates. You can choose a meat, fish or salad plate for 1200 yen each. And for 500 yen more, you can enjoy dessert with it. They also have beefsteak, 200g (1500 yen) or 300g (2000 yen). If you are really hungry, go for the 2500-yen course. It consists of appetizer, main dish, one of the lunch plates, dessert and coffee.
My husband and I went to the restaurant at lunchtime and tried their roast chicken, salad and mushroom quiche, with chocolate cake and strawberry savarin (brandy-soaked cake) for dessert. Everything we had was delicious. The chicken was tender and melted in the mouth. A white sauce nicely matched the chicken. The quiche was a bit light for me, but tasty. White beans, a carrot salad, mushroom dressed in vinegar, and crispy fried bacon were all tasty, as well. The dessert was outstanding!
You might think everything in Japan is small and expensive. But I hope this restaurant makes you rethink that notion. Please enjoy your meal and a relaxing time at Brasserie Artisan!
