On the famed Frasier television show, one of the lead characters once made a snarky remark: “Art in restaurants is on par with food in museums”. Explained: both are very bad (and maybe out of place). Admittedly, it is difficult to find a museum cafeteria that is not overpriced and offering low quality food (after all, it is not their core business).
To find a glorious exception to this rule, you need to go to Tokyo (of course). To the Suntory Art Museum to be precise, located in the glossy luxury mega-mall Midtown Galleria.
I cannot credit myself for the discovery. A friend of mine knew about the place and he insisted for a lunch there. I concealed my skepticism (the quote from Frasier kept coming back on the way to the museum). My friend certainly knew best.
Suntory is a private museum hosting special exhibitions throughout the year. But the art is not limited to the museum. The cafe offers great set menus (ideal for a lunch) produced by Produced by ‘Kaga-fu Fumuroya’, a well-established store from Kanazawa that boasts 150 years of tradition. Their dishes are artistically and beautifully assembled. But it is not just appearance. Every bite is tasty and researched. Pro-tip: ask for the seasonal set menus.
I strongly recommend a stop at the museum in your trips to Tokyo. And also the art exhibitions hosted by the museum are usually interesting, by the way.
Where in Tokyo
Tokyo Midtown Galleria 3F,
9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8643, Japan
Check the official website for up to date info.