The Conrad is blessed with stunning views over Tokyo Bay, so we were surprised to find its most talked-about restaurant at the back, overlooking some less interesting office blocks. (The Conrad says it’s a better backdrop for the energy of the restaurant’s open kitchen.) Its view aside, the dining room is decorated with clean British elegance, and the floor-to-ceiling windows make it bright and refreshing. 

We had never eaten at a Ramsay restaurant before, so we brought with us a companion who had been a loyal customer in London. There are various à la carte and menu options ranging from the three-course lunch (¥5,000) to the evening menu prestige (¥17,000). Among them are signature dishes such as Ramsay’s famous lobster ravioli and mosaique of foie gras and smoked duck breast with fig chutney. Our press visit was for lunch, and we chose the six-course menu degustation (¥12,000), throwing caution out the 28th-floor window with a bottle of 2000 Chassagne-Montrachet (¥20,000).

The meal was a mixture of the simple and experimental, in a clear bid to connect Japanese tastes with the Ramsay experience: delicate cold melon soup; sea scallops roasted to perfection with cauliflower pureé and caper and raisin dressing; pan-fried John Dory atop an outstanding gorgonzola risotto; tenderly roasted cannon of lamb served on white bean purée over a rich confit of lamb shoulder served with rosemary jus; and a swig of pineapple, passion fruit and cream followed by earl grey parfait with orange and almond ice cream.

We were delighted by the meal, and our companion was satisfied that it met the Ramsay standard, despite concerns among some chattering foodies that the chef has merely franchised his name for brand-hungry Japanese consumers.