Take a sushi master, produce of remarkable quality (like ikejime fish from the Atlantic) and the creative touch of Yannick Alléno, and you get an enticing proposition. The uncluttered dining room gives pride of place to contemporary artists – from the installation of thousands of wooden sticks by Japanese street artist Tadashi Kawamata, to the sections of ceramic walls imagined by American William Coggin.

This pocket-sized restaurant has a stripped-down look and zen atmosphere. As an excellent craftsman, the Chef only works with quality ingredients and prepares them surgical precision. His sushi and maki are memorable, the flavours flourishing without the need for soy or wasabi.

Take a seat at the counter to be in the front row facing the teppanyaki grill, or sit in the small private lounge at this fabulous restaurant. On the agenda here: delicate and specialised cooking, weaving beautiful links between Japan and France – think sashimi, lobster from Brittany, chateaubriand or sweetbreads, all accompanied by good burgundy wines. This is a must-visit.

This restaurant feels like it belong in an alley in old Tokyo; the atmosphere is lively and the dining room is narrow. The ramen, made on site and served in a delicious Landes poultry broth, attracts gourmets of all stripes. The house speciality: Kurogowa ramen, made with secret sauce and Basque farm pork chashu.

Eel (aka unagi) is the speciality of this restaurant. Filleted, grilled and then steamed, it is immersed in a bath of soy sauce, sake and sugar, before being grilled again and coated with sauce. The vast majority of the clientele here is Japanese, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality of the dishes.