During lockdown I was living alone and, in order to remain as sane as possible (although some friends took this as a symptom of my mental disintegration), I created a housemate from various fancy dress and decorative items lying around my house. His name was Pierre. The name holds a special place in my heart (even though Pierre eventually betrayed me by falling apart) and this made me particularly optimistic that my experience at Pierre Restaurant at the InterContinental Osaka, Japan, would be as unforgettable as my erstwhile companion.
adee bar at the InterContinental Osaka
Pierre Restaurant in Osaka sits on the lobby level of the InterContinental Hotel (read about our stay here), right beside the other destination F&B offering adee bar (intentionally lowercase), both accessed through a narrow corridor displaying rows of wine bottles on either side. Adee has decor modelled on crushed ice, but also glows like embers as the sun sets over Osaka’s Kita area. The view is incredible; one of my favourite things to do is watch a city’s lights come on, and adee is a great place to do it before you dine at Pierre.
We were welcomed by bar manager Ben, whose knowledge of local and international booze trends was exceptional. He introduced us to Yoshi, who immediately whipped up for us a couple of espresso martinis, one with the addtion of chocolate bitters and one with cognac. Both were delicious – the latter most definitely with a more noticeably alcoholic kick – but we still have a soft spot for the BBB espresso martini with rum. Charlotte went on to test Yoshi with her favourite aviation cocktail (he was given a glowing seal of approval), while I tried an amano-sake citrus quash with yuzu liqueur and fresh citrus fruits, which was clean and fresh, a perfect aperitif.
Pierre restaurant at the InterContinental Osaka
When we moved into the dining room of Pierre Restaurant – which received a Michelin star in the guide in 2024 – we were shown to our seats and served by Rina, who was able to explain all the dishes on the set menu and worked in perfect unison with our sommelier Mami to deliver the courses at a perfect pace. Our table overlooked the river, with an astonishingly red moon visible, but there was a very lively ambiance that suggested this is a restaurant where people enjoy the company of others and spend less time looking out of the window. Just like my lockdown chum, Pierre Restaurant at the InterContinental Osaka creates a sense of fun and togetherness for its guests.
Our meal began with a glass of very French NV Baron de Rothschild champagne and rather un-French unsalted butter for the bread. Pierre restaurant does not, however, lack on presentation. Tha amuse bouche, a spherical croquette of corn with a corn cream, was served on a thick disc of ceramic material with a rectangular dip in the middle as though the croquette was about to plunge into a creamy ofuro bathtub. It was very tasty and we were excited for what was to come.
The next dish featured Kagawa olive beef, a speciality meat produced from cattle fed on the olive pulp that remains after olive oil has been extracted.The oleic acid in olives increases the tenderness and umami flavour of meat, so at Pierre it’s cooked simply shabushabu style and served with tomato jelly, raw mushrooms and salad leaves. To accompany this, we were served a 2022 Mas des Bressades rosé from Costières de Nîmes, which cut through the oiliness of the dish with a little sourness.
We moved on to a mackerel dish with shiso rice cracker and Jerusalem artichoke. The fish was succulent and juicy, while the cracker provided an intriguing crunch. Alongside the basil and mustard pastes, the accompanying Greek Ramnista wine with xinomavro red grapes stood up well. The second fish dish was a delicate piece of seabass wrapped in courgette with a hint of saffron. Moving back to white wine doesn’t always work, but the Marc Brédif Vouvray 2022 had a juicy combination of stone fruits and floral notes to lift the subtle fish dish and work almost like a palate cleanser before the main.
The main course was a tender piece of perfectly cooked venison from the Tottori prefecture, with a crispy purple cabbage chip balanced on top. As in the UK, deer are considered a pest in some areas of Japan, which means this delicious meat is fairly readily available. Beside the dish was a date sauce and beets with a little tartlette of julienne veg. A Château Montus 2018 tannat was the chosen wine, which had a rich blackberry flavour with some tertiary notes of leather creeping in.
An orange pre-dessert was followeed by the last hurrah, a pastry disc and cream dessert with apricot, orange spritz and chamomile. Creamy and luscious, with a delectable sorbet, it was the perfect way to finish the meal with a Henri Giraud Ratafia Champenois Solera which was rich with cooked and candied fruit flavours to end the meal on a sugar high. Finally, we opted for some Midnight Hour Tea, decaffeinated and specially brewed to transform and renew…
If you come to Pierre at the InterContinental Osaka expecting a traditional French menu with plenty of carbs and side dish options, you might be disappointed. There is a definite Frenchness about the flavours and combinations, but this is without question, a version of French cuisine for the Japanese palate. That said, I would go again. Pierre restaurant was a lively and enjoyable experience, particularly when paired with a few cocktails at adee.
The food is delicious without exception and the view alone would be enough to celebrate a special occasion. Find any excuse to go: take your friends, a co-worker, a parent or go alone. And if you’re unhappy flying solo, pop some clothes on a mop and take that as your dining companion. Your Grab driver might look at you strangely, but no one who has eaten here would judge you; dinner at Pierre at the InterContinental Osaka is totally worth it.
Pierre Restaurant
InterContinental Osaka
3-60 Ofuka-cho
Kita-ku, Osaka-shi
Osaka, 530-0011
Japan
