In this article, I am introducing you to several Parisian restaurants from the same group, led by Xu Ceqian. What they all have in common is that they offer high-end gourmet Franco-Japanese fusion cuisine, each with a Japanese chef in the kitchen. I haven’t tested every restaurant in this group, but below I suggest you discover To Restaurant and Sphère, and I also talked about the restaurant Ao Izakaya, which is also part of this group, in another article.
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To Restaurant (2026 update: closed)
In 2020, with my favorite photographer, we had a high-end gastronomic experience at To Restaurant, which opened its doors in early August 2020 in Paris, not far from the Place de la République and just a few steps from the Canal Saint-Martin. At the helm of this gourmet restaurant, we find an extremely talented young Japanese chef, Ryo Miyazaki, who offers delicate and gourmet French cuisine with Japanese touches. By going down a few steps, you can even see him at work with his team behind the counter that opens onto the kitchens.
The restaurant is divided into three rooms with distinct atmospheres: a lounge with blue velvet benches overlooking the street (where we dined), a more botanical and Scandinavian area with wooden furniture, and finally, a more intimate (and privatizable) space at the back of the establishment for a more private meal. For sunny days, a small green terrace completes this range.
The establishment also has a small, very cozy speakeasy bar in the basement and a bartender who makes delicious cocktails, also with Japanese notes… If you want to discover the place without going directly to the restaurant, you can absolutely try just the bar at first because it is in a way accessible independently of the restaurant. And the cocktails offered are of a very high standard, we approve! We tested two cocktails from the menu: the To signature cocktail, which is made with whisky, miso, and fig (15 €), and as a long drink, the Nihon Fizu with rum, umeshu (that Japanese plum liqueur), ginger, lime, and soda (15 €).
During our dinner, we discovered the chef’s Omakaze tasting menu (69 € per person and served for a minimum of 2 people), which is a true delight for the senses! It is also possible to enhance your experience with food and wine pairings chosen with care by the restaurant director, Ken Nanaumi.
Overall, all the meats and fish were cooked absolutely perfectly (even incredible for the octopus, which was without a doubt the best I have ever eaten), the flavor combinations are precise and balanced, the quality of the products is more than undeniable, the service is impeccable, and the setting is polished and intimate… Speaking of the chef’s cooking techniques, he notably uses the chi-nuki method, a preparation technique that preserves the quality of the fish’s flesh and comes from ancestral Japanese traditions. This gives an incredible result, and I must admit that it had been a very long time since I had eaten salmon or tuna of this quality!
This 7-step Omakase menu (one amuse-bouche, 3 starters, 2 main courses, and 1 dessert) follows the Japanese tradition of leaving it up to the chef to choose what you will taste. Obviously, before the meal, you are just asked if you have any allergies or intolerances to one or more products.
On the menu that evening: chilled corn soup and green pea foam; squid, pollack, and turbot ceviche; veal tartare and Utah Beach oyster with parsley espuma; Shirashi sea bass chinuki-style; pollack fillet with soy beurre blanc; rack of lamb with meat jus and seasonal vegetables; all-chocolate dessert.
In addition to the menu, we were also lucky enough to taste a few à la carte dishes: the red tuna aburi, Chimichuri sauce scented with shiso (26 €); the octopus grilled à la plancha with piquillo puree and black olive crumble (23 €), which I repeat was just exceptional and I think I could return to To just to eat it again… The chef offers French tapas with a Japanese touch on the menu, divided into hot or cold recipes, rather than the classic “starter and main course” of more traditional French restaurants.
Regarding desserts, here again, we were not disappointed. I was afraid they would be below the rest of the meal given the level, but that was absolutely not the case! In addition to the delicious chocolate dessert from the menu, we also tasted the summer dessert with yuzu and mascarpone with a gratinated chiboust cream (10 €). It was light, and the blend of textures and flavors was divine.
In short, as you will have understood, we had a huge crush on this gourmet restaurant which, of course, has a cost, but in my opinion, it is well worth it! I can only strongly recommend that you go there soon, because I think the establishment is aiming for recognition next year and the prices might increase a little as a result…
My Pro Tip: for smaller budgets, there is also a menu at 38 € that is more accessible for lunch!
Thanks to To Restaurant for this invitation and this delicious moment of culinary poetry.
TO Restaurant
34, rue Beaurepaire, 75010 ParisOpen every day – 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM
The Omakaze Menu is served every evening and every lunch (only 3 or 4 steps) for a minimum of 2 people in 3 steps for 38 € / 4 steps 75 € / 6 steps 95 € / Prestige 125 €
Food and wine pairing: 2 glasses of wine and/or sake 35 € – 3 glasses of wine and/or sake 47 € – 5 glasses of wine and/or sake 70 €Link to the restaurant’s website
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Sphère
In 2023, we tested this new restaurant from the group, installed on Rue de la Boétie in the 8th arrondissement: Sphère restaurant in Paris. The address is chic, spacious, and the design decor is very polished. In the kitchen, we find Japanese chef Tetsuya Yoshida, who once again offers high-end Franco-Japanese fusion cuisine in this establishment. On the plates, we find quality dishes and perfectly mastered flavor combinations. The meat and fish cooking is perfect, and we had a huge crush on the dish with the Wagyu beef (literally “Japanese beef,” refers to several breeds of Japanese cattle), which was just exceptional (the quality of the meat was well above anything I had been able to eat until now, even from my previous experiences with Wagyu beef, with incredible marbling).
We tested the 6-step carte blanche menu (served for the whole table): marinated Brittany sea bass ceviche, fresh blood orange, dill oil, and Japanese kabu turnip cream; scallop carpaccio with cauliflower and passion fruit; low-temperature steamed pollack fillet with beurre blanc, spinach, and cabbage; Wagyu beef fillet (A5 with a 30 € supplement), candied salsify, and Radicchio; for dessert, grapefruit and bergamot jelly and dark chocolate cream and crumble with almonds and pistachio.
Sphère
18 Rue La Boétie, 75008 Paris
Price: 4-step carte blanche menus 79 € / 6-step 98 € / Prestige 128 €
Food and wine pairing: 2 glasses of wine and/or sake 39 € – 3 glasses of wine and/or sake 59 € – 5 glasses of wine and/or sake 79 €
The pro tip: the weekday lunch menu with starter + main course or main course + dessert at 35 € and starter + main course + dessert at 42 €
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer authorization mandatory before any use
