Le Chat Botté ルシャボテ - Himeji

One would be forgiven for thinking that French restaurants in Himeji would be nothing but the standard overpriced fare aimed at well-to-do grannies looking for a fancy meal to show off their international palate . This is why Le Chat Botté shines so brightly. Chef Dimitri lovingly prepares a constantly changing menu consisting of potages, quiches, ragoûts, and, if you play your cards right, the ever popular omelette du Mont St-Michel. The chef deals almost exclusively with local producers to stock his pantry with fresh ingredients and offers a variety of wines courtesy of reputable establishments. No mass produced, cheap South American wines sold at exorbitant prices here. The man does not tolerate the abusive practices of certain peers in Japan, preferring to offer a genuine fine French dining experience. Expect the lunch sets to cost no more than 2000 yen. Anyone who has been here knows that a sub-2000 yen lunch is likely to be ramen or watery Nepalese curry or similar cheap fare, not a gourmet experience. In the evening prices scale up as does the quality of the food, but even with a 4000 yen set and more than reasonable à la carte menu, Le Chat Botté proves that an authentic French experience in Japan does not require one to take out a loan or mortgage the house. A poster of Jean Rollin and Brigitte Lahaie would be nice and certainly would add to the atmosphere, but my requests have so far fallen on deaf ears. As have my suggestions of playing the great classics of Louis De Funès in the restaurant. Who wouldn 't appreciate Rabbi Jacob or La Soupe aux Choux during their meal? Perhaps a small plush Casimir would help spruce up the place.

What can I say. A well trained French chef, raising a family in Himeji who cares about food. The bread is perfect, with a lot of effort to get the proper ingredients. A wonderful experience. Go!

I enjoyed my first dinner in my trip. The best is you can chat with chef and he will give you good advise in Himeji. C’est un très bonne expérience, chef! Je reviendrai un jour ! YH

Awesome meal, nice service, kindly chef and friendly price. Must give it a try when visit the hemeji castle

Very friendly French chef (an oxymoron I know); great French cuisine, great service. Really excellent bread made onsite, the butter as well even.