Opening the doors to Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Tokyo feels like entering a jewelry box: floral walls accented with mirrors, dusty pink lamps and lush green velvet furniture. It’s an interior that echoes the fashion house’s heritage of innovative and timeless beauty. There are only four Gucci Osterias in the world — in Florence, Beverly Hills, Tokyo and Seoul — each blending the culinary philosophy of thrice-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura with the distinct character of its city. In the Tokyo location, that means fusing Italian techniques with Japanese ingredients in a way that feels elegant, sensual and surprising.
At the helm of Gucci Osteria Tokyo is Raffaella De Vita, the first foreign female chef in Japan to earn a Michelin star. Her approach imbues the tasting menu with a distinct sensibility — artistic, delicate and full of hometown nostalgia. She’s worked with Japanese cuisine for over a decade, and her technique is inextricably linked with both Japanese and Italian traditions, as well as childhood memories of learning to cook from her grandmother.
De Vita’s menu at Gucci Osteria reflects an artistic sensibility and a deep respect for the osteria’s aesthetic. “When I create a menu, I like to draw my dishes first. The plate is like a white canvas,” she says. “Storytelling is very important. Everything we do, the chocolate, the pate or even the amuse-bouche — all our dishes tell a story.”
Finding Japan
When De Vita first encountered Japanese cuisine, it wasn’t in Tokyo, but rather in Pescara, Italy, back in 2011. “My boss, who also owned a Japanese restaurant, told me, ‘You’re very clean and precise in your work. I think you’d be perfect to be sous-chef to a Japanese chef.’”
That single comment set her on a path that would ultimately define her career. With no prior experience in Japanese cuisine, she started from zero, learning the art of washoku and familiarizing herself with Japanese ingredients. By 2017, she had moved to Tokyo, and in 2022 she joined Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Tokyo, where this past spring she was chosen as head chef.
De Vita finds a natural harmony between the culinary traditions of her native Italy and her adopted Japan. “Italian and Japanese cuisines are very similar,” she explains. “They don’t cover the taste of the ingredients with sauces — they announce it.”
A Meaningful Star
Gucci Osteria Tokyo has been awarded a Michelin star for four consecutive years, starting with the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2023, which De Vita played a key role in obtaining. Though the recognition holds significance, her guiding principle remains simple: to bring joy to those who sit at her table. “If the guests are happy, the Michelin will come automatically,” she says. “I never focus solely on making food that generates a big ‘impact’ for a rating, nor do I cook only for myself. My core principle is always to prioritize and consider the happiness of our customers.”
At the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2026 ceremony, De Vita stood out as one of only two female chefs honored in Japan. It’s a distinction that fuels her sense of purpose. “In Japan, things are opening up,” she says. “Through my own experiences, I truly hope to deliver courage and inspiration to those who are dreaming of a future in the culinary world.”
De Vita’s Vision
Gucci Osteria Tokyo specializes in dishes that are at once familiar and unexpected, taking comforting Italian staples and reimagining them with Japanese ingredients and techniques. The two dinner tasting menus — “Japan Through the Eyes of Raffaella” and “Torna in Italia Con Me” (Come to Italy With Me) — showcase De Vita’s culinary prowess and unique sensibility. Both offer a cultural exploration, a new way of seeing the world.
The Japan Through the Eyes of Raffaella course, for instance, features a reimagined bruschetta: an homage to De Vita’s childhood flavors, with a rose-shaped geoduck clam hiding beneath a lacy, floral-patterned tomato chip. Finished with a tomato and shio-koji sauce, the dish transforms a humble classic into a sensory art piece. On the lunch tasting menu — “L’Italia da Tokyo,” or Italy, From Tokyo — you’ll find tartar in broth, a reinterpretation of Italian steak tartare that combines sauteed seasonal mushrooms with lean wagyu. The dish is partially inspired by shabu shabu — a hot, umami-packed broth is poured over the tartare upon serving, lightly cooking the tender beef.
On the a la carte menu, alongside tortellini and tagliatelle, you can find the fan-favorite carbonara, which is cooked in konbu and pecorino broth, enveloped in a sauce of cheese, cream and soy-marinated egg yolk, then topped with an additional grated miso-cured yolk. The desserts, too, are brilliant. Try the castagnaccio, which is on the autumn limited menu — a flavorful chestnut tart topped with rich marron glacé and coated in milk and dark chocolate to resemble an actual chestnut. Finished with rosemary gelato and cold pine nut powder, this dessert serves the nutty, aromatic warmth of autumn.
More Info
To book a meal at Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, check here.
Dining and Cooking