Osteria Splendido in Hiroo, is my second home. My friend lives across the street from this place so it's one of the reasons why we go so often. If she didn't live so close, I don't think I would have ever come here because it's so far from the train station. The only way you'd make it here would be by taxi. There's a small recording studio also tucked away nearby, so a lot of celebrities and studio people swing by for drinks at night. I think the inconvenient location provides them with a nice, quiet place to hang out. Sometimes, they're obnoxious... bringing in their guitars or wildly laughing over scotch. But most days, it's quiet and homey. The sommelier (Miura-san) is always so gracious and comes by to chat all the time... sometimes he stays for a little too long, but he's such a lovely guy. Since I had cut back on my alcohol intake this past year due to some health issues (no, I'm not preggers and no, I'm not recovering at AA meetings), Miura-san gives me orange juice... THE BEST OJ on the planet! I swear to Tropicana, the orange juice served here is out of this world. When Splendido invited us to their 1 year anniversary party last year, I drank like 5 glasses of OJ. I told them they should just bring it to me in a bucket.The food here is fantastic. The pate (pasticcio alla campagnola) and bistecca are exquisite. The carbonara is a must, and the ragu is dreamy. I usually judge an Italian place by their caprese, so if they don't serve real water buffalo mozzarella, there is no second visit. Osteria is definitely splendido about their cheeses. I've tagged my name on their anniversary magnum wine bottle so you know I've been there more than once. Their seasonal menu is great as well. Right now they have a lot of dishes based on sea urchin which I welcome any time of the year, but I'm looking forward to the porcini mushrooms come Autumn.
Splendido is actually the restaurant on B1, where there is also a cellar boasting hundreds of different wine. There is a spiral staircase leading from the first floor, which is the enoteca bar, Implicito. When we've already had dinner elsewhere, we just hang out at Implicito and have a cheese plate and wine, or some caffe and dessert. Miura-san comes running up the stairs from Splendido to greet us, but then is quickly shooed away because it's not "his turf" upstairs.
Anyway, I had to dedicate one post to Splendido because they take care of me all the time.
Osteria Splendido
Shibuya-ku, Higashi 4-6-3, Tokyo
Open 18:00-4:00, Closed Sundays
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