Freedom, Authenticity and Sharing
Here is apéro.’s motto.
Freedom as we are selecting all our wines with a free spirit and an open mind, directly from winemakers’ cellar, following only our instinct and emotions. If you can find a wine on our menu, it’s because we’ve been touched by its story and seduced by its taste.
We offer home cooking with a strong connection to nature. Seasons have rhythms we have to follow, and we trust our Chefs’ instinct and creativity to offer original food and wine pairings with the best timing for each ingredient. Simplicity and respect for the products are the foundation of our principles, our style.
Authenticity is about our French roots: the many flavors, smells, tastes and recipes we keep in our heart from our childhood spent in France. There is also our authentic love for Japan and our true respect for Japanese traditions and cooking expertise. Nourished and inspired by the best of French and Japanese heritage, apéro. offers a cultural and gastronomic experience that will awaken your sweetest culinary memories.
Last but not least, we care about sharing because we believe wine is better enjoyed when shared with friends and loved ones.
We care about the community we built around apéro. wine bar aoyama and cherish this place where our clients, neighbors, friends and partners can meet, share and enjoy together.
Big cities life style tends to be always in a rush. We don’t think we need to go that fast and we hope apéro. will become a place where you too can enjoy a nice glass of wine and a healthy meal, relaxing and restoring yourself peacefully.
apéro wine bar aoyama is made of passionate individuals who strive to provide you with the best culinary experience in Tokyo.
Big boss
Background
Languages and Economy - Grenoble and Kyoto University
« I fell in love with Japan the first time I visited the country in 2001. I enjoyed the crowded urban atmosphere as much as hiking or bathing in one of the many remote onsen Japan has to offer. It changed my life.
After some years spent in France, I started to work on this dream of mine: that of opening my own wine bar in Tokyo. Years of careful planning later, my dream came true and I cannot be thankful enough for all the support and encouragement we received from our customers, friends and family.
For me apéro. is a place where to connect people through enjoyable experiences. Nice wines, tasty food and good music are the idea of happiness I believe in. »
Favorite pairing
« A bit of aged Comté cheese, a sip of Champagne Mulottes from Domaine Jean-Michel and I’m blessed. Cheers! »
Founder, Creative Foodie & Team Manager
Background
Tourism and History of Art - Paris IV Panthéon Sorbonne
« I founded apéro. with Guillaume in 2014. It was the first time for me in Japan. Since then I have been constantly inspired and enriched by Japanese culture. I also take joy from my French roots and I love sharing family owned recipes with you. To do so I collaborated with Chef Ryu in order to offer an authentic culinary experience made from local Japanese ingredients together with my French way of life. »
Favorite pairing
« It is tough to pick just one, but one of my many favorites are our famous French Fries paired with a glass of Vintage Champagne from Domaine Jean Michel. »
Sommelier, Entertainer, Farmer, Activist
Background
After graduated Saint-Etienne (France) Business school, I choose an other career and grew up as a sommelier experiencing different places from Michelin star restaurant to craft wine bars. I spent 8 years in Edinburg (Scotland) after what, my need for travel and new discovery bring me to Australia, for 18 month and after Japan for a couple of month according to the initial plan... this was 5 years ago.
Now I'm heading up the wine cellar of apéro. AOYAMA. I'm also taking part of food sourcing which is a key part of our concept.
and... I am currently working on establishing my own farm in Japanese country side.
Favorite pairing.
« My recommendation for an amazing wine and food experience would be Trafalgar, orange wine from Domaine Mamaruta (Roussillon) with aged Japanese cheese of Mirasaka Fromage cheese farm.»
Chef
Background
I graduated from a cooking school in Lyon (France), but I wouldn't say I from Lyon. Because of my parents work, I moved a lot as a kid and spend time in different regions of France. I kind of feel home everywhere. Therefor I had the chance to discover a variety of ingredients and local recipes, and that increased my curiosity for cooking. I happily immersed myself into Japanese culinary culture. In apéro.'s kitchen I'm enjoying offering a cuisine at the crossroad of different culture always driven by a genuine respect for the products and the people who grown them.
Favorite wine pairing
« My favorite? Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre blend “Les Ruches” from Mas des Quernes estate, Languedoc, paired with Hokkaido dry aged grass fed beef steak. A bliss. »
Our cuisine revolves around the idea of choosing good and healthy products. But how do we do ?
The Organic Certification is a first step in the right direction, ensuring a certain level of compliance with specifications we care about like limited use of chemicals, etc. Nonetheless buying certified products is not enough to offer a genuine, sustainable and good cuisine. At apéro. we only select meaningful and beautiful organic ingredients as well as handcraft products from suppliers we know, visit and have befriended with.
apéro.’s main food & beverage suppliers:
Ryo’s Farm, passion fruits, Chiba.
Takahide Farm, dairy products, Chiba.
Yakumo Ranch, short horn beef, Hokkaido.
Kyodogakusha, cheese, Hokkaido.
Fattoria Bio, mozzarella and burrata, Hokkaido.
Salumeria69, charcuterie, Tokyo.
Via The Bio, cheese, Tokyo.
Floto Gelato, craft ice creams, Tokyo.
Nagasaki Fishermen Cooperative, fish and seafood, Nagasaki.
Baird Beer, craft beers, Shizuoka.
Le Bénéfique, herb tea, France.
Coutume Café, specialty coffee, France.
Discover our unique selection of natural, biodynamic et organic wines from France.
Directly sourced from France by our team, we seek to provide you with a very personal, intimate wine selection that reflects both the passion and craftsmanship of the winemakers we love the most.
If you want to know more about our restaurant, features, pricing or anything at all, we are here to answer your questions.