After bypassing the world’s largest Aston Martin dealership take the elevator to the second floor of the Aoyama building in the heart of Tokyo’s high culture district to reach AoyamaTreehouse, where class and refinement meet Zen contentedness and personal amelioration.

From May 25 the exclusive private members space opens the doors of its farm-to-table brunch service to the public. French-inspired and Japanese-sourced, the experience at AoyamaTreehouse’s Arbor restaurant is easily the standard-bearer for Tokyo brunch.

Tokyo Brunch Done Right

The warm greetings beginning at the front door carry guests into the café where wooden bookshelves are lined with Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Pharrell Williams visual biographies while fresh drip coffee is made from Onibus Coffee beans, a Japan-based coffee small roaster, and delicate lattes are poured from a state-of-the-art La Marzocco espresso machine.

Heading into Arbor restaurant’s main dining area you are welcomed by a harmonious buzz of activity. Chefs in white jackets and ball caps chop white asparagus sourced from Hokkaido’s Hyokusho Farm while ice rattles in the bartender’s silver cocktail shaker as he mixes Campari reduction, vermouth reduction and Seedlip spice 94 to make a rich, red non-alcoholic Negroni garnished with a candied orange slice.

The expansive, inviting dining area is modern and rustic as the New York-style design inspired by Japanese aesthetic was fashioned by renowned interior designers, Roman and Williams. There are intimate tables for two or broad wood tables that can serve families of eight or more.

A Refined Slice of Home

Each table is adorned with an elegant flower vase handcrafted by artists from Tochigi’s famed pottery town of Mashiko. Every surface of the restaurant is paneled with natural woods, while countertops and fixtures are highlighted by gleaming brass finishing. Brass is the favored metal for Zen singing bowls and bells, and the polished sheen melds with Arbor’s tranquil ambience.

For the true brunch experience, the outdoor terrace, one of the largest al fresco dining spots in Tokyo, is lush with garden plants, vibrant pink roses and other varietals appropriate for every season.

The brunch menu curated by head chef Makoto Irie offers a healthy number of vegan options and is innovative in its use of French technique and textures while the Japan-sourced ingredients speak to the comforts of home. Irie’s training at 3-star Michelin restaurant Pierre Gagnaire shines through in the elegant sauces such as the mint-sesame dressing coating the fresh kale and avocado salad and the aromatic plum and paprika sauce paired with bright tomatoes sourced from Kanagawa’s Miura Peninsula.

Meanwhile Hokkaido native Irie brought his passion for his agricultural-rich hometown to the plates of Arbor as the potatoes used in the creamy potage, delicately garnished with purple shiso, hail from the verdant fields of Tokachi, and the succulent lamb, bedded over spicy paella, comes from the rolling hills of Shimanto.

Fresh Ingredients, Inspired Dishes

Each diner is able to order six appetizers, one main and one dessert from the creative menu. Appetizer offerings include a mouthwatering tuna tartare, also sourced from Miura, and cumin-flavored fried potatoes dipped in a dollop of lush sour cream. Choices of main include the pan-fried sea bass freshly caught off the shores of Chiba encrusted in parsley and herbs farmed in Fukuoka, and pasta handmade from whole wheat flour sourced from Ebetsu in Hokkaido, home to the world’s largest level-ground, virgin forest.

For dessert, the velvety vanilla ice cream and chocolate sorbet is divine, and the melon blancmange is a floral delight as the sweet melon and tapioca balls combine with the delicate crunch of homemade meringue.

The brunch’s garden course menu is offered with a welcome drink with choices including Pol Roger brut reserve Champagne or a selection from head bartender Yosuke Kawahara’s cocktail menu, which entails delightful creations such as the gin-basil smash and morning glory fizz. For an additional ¥8,000, diners can enjoy the free flow drink option.

Refreshing and Invigorating Experience

Inventive and refined, yet wholesome and approachable, the brunch at Arbor is an enriching mealtime experience where guests can disconnect from the rigors of Tokyo life and reconnect with family and friends, body and spirit.

Open: Sat, Sun and bank holidays | 11:00–16:00 (last seating 14:00)
Phone: 03-5843-0223
Website Reservation: hyperurl.co/AoyamaTreehouse

Find more information about the Arbor brunch at AoyamaTreehouse on our Concierge listing.

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