Hyperlocal Tokyo

Unfortunately, I booked a table with a park view, but the only window-side table was a small two-seater. All other tables were far from the window. The window-side area is used for the weekend buffet, so on weekdays it's just far from the window. Also, the menu was on a mobile device, and the pasta and pizza I wanted weren't available. It was hard to see, so I asked for a paper menu, but they made me wait and then gave me a laminated one. Why be so reluctant to provide it, especially since it's not that expensive? The food was decent, but the portions were small. I added a salad and dessert for an extra 600 yen, but even though I booked at 12 pm and ate, I was hungry again by 3 pm. We ended up having hot dogs at the Bunka Kaikan Cafe Hibiki. The tiramisu dessert was good, but the plate was so small it was shocking! It completely ruined the enjoyment of the dessert. If they had used a large white plate and drawn a line with jam paste, it would have looked much more like a dessert. Why be so cheap with the plates? Water was self-service, which is fine, but the glasses were plastic! That was disappointing. Is this a school cafeteria? For a restaurant with a decent reputation, I could have been much more satisfied with a lunch costing over 2,000 yen. I guess it's my fault for choosing this place. The good thing is that I was able to make a reservation for the next day at 12 pm, even though it was the day before. However, there were also empty tables even without a reservation.

We visited for lunch after a stroll through Ueno Park on a Saturday at 1:00 PM. The restaurant is located on the stairs leading up from the Keisei Ueno Station side. We made a reservation online the day before, so we were able to enter smoothly. Lunch at this time is buffet style, and you can choose from pizza, pasta, salad, and more. Drinks like oolong tea, green tea, and cold water are all-you-can-drink, but alcohol and soft drinks are extra, but at ¥2,200 per person, I think it's a good deal. There are a lot of different kinds of pizza, and if you choose a freshly baked one, it's definitely delicious. Orders are placed via QR code on your smartphone. The weather was nice, so we chose a terrace seat, which was the right decision.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was fantastic. There was an impressive pizza oven in the kitchen. The food was also excellent. I thought the terrace seating would be lovely in the fall, so I'd like to come back then.

I made a reservation at Ueno Park for cherry blossom viewing. I arrived at 2 PM, and at this time, only set menus are available, with options for all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink. I ordered the limited-time cherry blossom set with all-you-can-drink. Orders are placed through a QR code on your phone, and you can choose from a wide variety of drinks, including alcohol, soft drinks, and sparkling wine. The set menu was also delicious, with appetizers, pasta, pizza, and dessert. It was a great value for the price. The restaurant is located at the entrance of the park, so you can't see the cherry blossoms from the terrace.

Their practices are dirty and their work is sloppy. I ordered through Uber Eats and was shocked by a sticker on the box that read: "Currently, for those who order through Uber Eats and give our store a 5-star rating, we are sending out a coupon for your next order. LE QUATTRO STAGIONT" What? Are they trying to get 5-star ratings by offering coupons? Or are they trying to buy stars with coupons (which is essentially money)? Is this ethical? Is this even allowed by Uber's terms of service? In addition, they have registered their pizzas on Uber Eats' official promotional feature "Buy One, Get One Free" and are selling three types of pizzas for ¥2,200 each. However, they are also selling the same pizzas as separate menu items for ¥1,500 each. This means that it's not really "Buy One, Get One Free" but rather "Get the second one for ¥700." While ¥700 is a good deal, it doesn't seem appropriate for a "Buy One, Get One Free" promotion and feels like a deceptive sales tactic. Furthermore, the pizza was cut terribly. I'm not expecting perfect, even slices, but having seven uneven pieces is just unacceptable.