Crony is what happens when a chef formed in Paris and Copenhagen decides Tokyo fine dining can be both very serious and genuinely reachable. Michihiro Haruta — born 1987, trained at Ledoyen in Paris and Quintessence in Tokyo, then at Kadeau in Copenhagen and Maaemo in Oslo — took the kitchen in December 2016, when the room was still in Nishi-Azabu, and in February 2021 moved the whole operation to a glass-walled house in Higashi-Azabu, a minute from Akabanebashi Station. The Michelin Guide followed him: one star from 2018, two stars every year since 2022, and a Green Star for a sourcing philosophy built on sustainably caught seafood and the "imperfect" vegetables the market rejects. His co-owner, sommelier Kazutaka Ozawa, runs one of the city's more thoughtful pairing lists.
The name means a companion you never tire of, and the room is built to match: tables rather than a counter, a little over twenty seats, one private room. It is, unusually for its tier, a restaurant you can book from your own sofa.
The exact system
- Online only. All reservations go through the web system — TableCheck is the official engine; Ikyu and Pocket Concierge carry tables too. The phone (11:00–17:00) is for same-day enquiries and special cases, not bookings.
- Dinner only, first seating 18:00, entry through 19:30. Closed Sundays.
- Omakase course ¥28,600–30,800 (tax included) plus 10% service; mineral water is a separate ¥1,320 per head.
- Minimum two guests; no children under 16 in principle.
- Cancellation line: 120 hours. Change or cancel more than five days out and nothing is charged; inside that, 100%.
- Dress code is enforced — smart casual, and men are asked for a jacket or collared shirt. Shorts, sandals and sportswear may be turned away at the door.
- No dietary substitutions. Vegetarian, gluten-free, halal, pescatarian and dairy-free requests are declined outright, and the course is not altered at the table.
Crony does not stage a monthly release ritual the way Ginza's sushi counters do; the TableCheck calendar is simply the truth of the moment. What goes first is what you would expect — Fridays, Saturdays, and any evening near the autumn-foliage and cherry-blossom peaks on the booking calendar.
The strategy
- Check the calendar early and directly. Instant confirmation means there is no waiting list to charm; an open date is yours in seconds.
- Check all three platforms. Inventory is not always mirrored in real time; a date gone on one can be alive on another.
- Watch the five-day line. Because the penalty begins at 120 hours, cancellations cluster just before it — six to seven days out is when tables quietly reappear.
- Read the fine print before you commit. The dietary and dress rules are not negotiable at the door; the house would rather you know now than be turned away then. Our dietary guide explains why kitchens at this level say no.
For an itinerary anchored on one or two genuinely unbookable counters, Crony is the dependable French evening: two stars you can confirm from a laptop, in a neighborhood — Azabu and Roppongi — that rewards an aimless walk afterward.
If the calendar is already full
Full calendars at Crony are rarely permanent; they are simply full today. Our desk watches the platforms at Japan hours, catches the five-day cancellations while you sleep, and confirms only what the house itself confirms. Put your dates on the request form — no seat, no fee — and browse the collection for the counters no platform reaches.
