Teppanyaki Ukai-tei

Teppanyaki restaurants—where chefs cook ingredients in front of guests at tabletop grills—were popularized in the U.S. by the Benihana chain, but in Tokyo, teppanyaki tends to be a relatively understated ritual. At Teppanyaki Ukai-tei, from the owners of the city’s outstanding two-year-old tofu restaurant Tofuya-Ukai, the specialties include wagyu beef, premium seafood and seasonal vegetables. The restaurant offers counter seating along with a number of mostly private dining rooms that surround an Art Deco–inspired lobby decorated with Baccarat and Lalique crystal. After dinner, guests can retreat to the lounge for cognac and dessert.

We loved: Grilled lobster, awabi (abalone) and crab.