Mark’s Tokyo seats diners at the heart of the action

The chef is the main character at this Meguro restaurant, which sits guests inches from the action of the kitchen.

Kenta Nagai Studio designed the space, adopting a strictly minimalist approach that further puts the emphasis on the food. A wooden counter curves through the kitchen, allowing diners to watch Chef Mark at work as he prepares the Italian-Japanese dishes the restaurant is known for.

The interiors might be sparse, but the studio has chosen each piece carefully. Black chairs with horse-shoe backs line the main counter, echoed by dark concrete floors that draw the eye through the space. Kenta Nagai Studio has added partitions to create a pair of dining booths, lit – like the rest of the Tokyo restaurant – with copper wall lights that reflect a candle-esque glow.

Ingredients are seasonally and locally sourced from farms just outside Tokyo, with dishes changing on a daily basis.

1-chōme-23-14 Meguro, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0063, Japan