"Masakazu Hiraki's Venetian cooking thirty-three floors above Otemachi, sea urchin pasta and the best tiramisu in Tokyo — book it for an anniversary."
About Arva
Masakazu Hiraki spent seventeen years cooking in Italy, thirteen of them in Venice, before Aman handed him the kitchen at Arva when the hotel opened in December 2014. The room sits on the thirty-third floor of the Otemachi Tower, glass on every side, and the cooking is Venetian-leaning Italian built on Japanese produce: a sea urchin pasta dusted with bottarga, a carbonara that travels, and a tiramisu locals rate above any in the city. The seven-course Raccolta runs ¥14,000, served family style.
The Kitchen
Arva, from the Latin for cultivated land, is Aman's Italian flagship in Japan and the senior post for Masakazu Hiraki, the group's director of Western cuisine in the country. His training runs unusually deep for a Tokyo Italian kitchen: seventeen years on the ground in Italy, thirteen as an executive chef in Venice, which is why the carbonara and the wild boar pasta read as Italian rather than Japanese-Italian. The signature is a sea urchin pasta finished with bottarga, the brine of the uni set against the cured tuna roe; the tiramisu that closes most meals has a following of its own. Three menus run the pass: the five-course Coltivare at ¥9,000, the seven-course Raccolta at ¥14,000 where antipasto and main arrive to share family style, and the seven-course Stagione at ¥17,000. The dining room is on the thirty-third floor of the Otemachi Tower at 1-5-6 Otemachi, designed by Kerry Hill in the same stone, dark timber and washi palette as the rest of the hotel. Arva is listed in the Michelin Guide Tokyo, and it anchors our guide to the best Italian restaurants worldwide.
The Room
Arva is a tall, calm room thirty-three floors up, walled in glass with Tokyo laid out below and Mount Fuji visible on a clear winter day. Kerry Hill's design keeps it dark and quiet: stone floors, low timber screens, washi-shaded light, tables spaced far enough apart that the next conversation never reaches you. Sound is hushed, lighting is low, and the dress code is smart, with most diners in jackets at dinner. The room seats around fifty across the floor and the bar. Ask for a window table at sunset, when the city lights come up beneath you.
Best for an Anniversary
Book Arva for an anniversary when the view is part of the gift, for three reasons. The thirty-third-floor glass gives you Tokyo at night without the tourist-trap markup of a pure observation restaurant. The Raccolta menu at ¥14,000 is built to share, antipasto and main passed across the table, which suits a night about the two of you. And the room is quiet and spaced enough for a long, unhurried dinner. Reserve a window table at sunset and let the Stagione menu stretch the evening. For more rooms worth the occasion, see our anniversary guide.
Not for
Not for a quick or cheap dinner: the shortest menu is five courses at ¥9,000, there is no a la carte, and the pace is built for a long evening.
Frequently Asked
Is Arva worth it?
Yes, if you want serious Italian cooking with a Tokyo skyline attached. Arva is Masakazu Hiraki's room on the 33rd floor of Aman Tokyo, and Hiraki spent thirteen years cooking in Venice, which shows in the carbonara and the sea urchin pasta with bottarga. Menus run from the five-course Coltivare at ¥9,000 to the seven-course Stagione at ¥17,000. Go for the view and the pasta; the room and the service are why it costs what it does.
How do I book Arva at Aman Tokyo?
Book through Aman Tokyo or the TableCheck listing, ideally two to three weeks out for a dinner window table. Lunch is easier and a cheaper way in, with the Coltivare menu at ¥9,000. Ask for a seat by the glass on the city side and time it for sunset. Weekends and the run-up to the holidays fill first. See our Tokyo dining guide for more rooms worth the planning.
What should I order at Arva?
Build the meal around the sea urchin pasta with bottarga, the dish that defines the kitchen, and finish with the tiramisu that locals rate above any in Tokyo. If you want the full arc, the seven-course Raccolta at ¥14,000 puts the antipasto and a main on the table to share, which is the most generous way to eat here. The carbonara and the wild boar pasta are the safe-bet classics if you would rather order a la carte at lunch.
Is Arva good for business dinners?
Yes, the quiet, well-spaced room and the 33rd-floor view make it a strong choice for impressing a guest. Tables are far enough apart for a private conversation, the service is Aman-calibrated, and the shared Raccolta menu at ¥14,000 gives the table something to gather around. Book a window table and let the room do the talking. See our guide to rooms that impress clients in Tokyo for the rest of the shortlist.
Visit
Book Arva
Reserve through Aman Tokyo or TableCheck, two to three weeks out for a dinner window table. Lunch is the easier way in.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address33F, The Otemachi Tower, 1-5-6 Otemachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0004
NeighbourhoodOtemachi
CuisineItalian (Venetian-leaning)
Price¥9,000–17,000 pp; tasting menus
Dress CodeSmart; jackets at dinner
Seating~50; floor and bar
ReservationAman Tokyo / TableCheck
DietaryVegetarian on request with notice
