For our anniversary, my boyfriend and I decided to explore Nakameguro. It is an area we rarely go to even though we know that it is thriving with excellent dining options. After browsing the web, we decided on Rigoletto Short Hills.
I had some reservations at first. Rigoletto Short Hills claims to be an Arabian restaurant with a Moroccan influence. Yet, the menu boasts Spanish and Italian dishes, which reminded me of the inconsistency in Carvaan‘s menu. Luckily, our experience at Rigoletto Short Hills turned out to be much more pleasant.
The Atmosphere
Rigoletto Short Hills is located on a backstreet in Nakameguro. The restaurant has 2 floors. The ground floor is a bit more casual and features a terrace, while the second floor is more intimate and suitable for a date.
The Food
Fresh Oysters
We started off with some fresh and delicious oysters. They were topped with raw ham and greens, a combination I had never seen before. It was perfect to open up our appetite.
Hummus
If there is hummus on the menu, I just can’t skip it. The texture of this Hummus was smooth and its taste subtle. It came with two slices of pita bread, which was not quite enough to finish the entire dip, but the staff offered to bring us some more.
Caramel Nuts and Cream Cheese
I don’t know what I expected when we ordered the Caramel Nuts and Cream Cheese, but it turned out to look quite different from what I had imagined. Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. It tasted like caramel pop corn wrapped in cream cheese, an audacious and delicious marriage.
Avocado and Tuna Salad
The Avocado and Tuna Salad was great; the dressing was nice and refreshing.
Today’s Fresh Fish Carpaccio
The Fish Carpaccio was amazing. I loved every single bite, even though the slices were closer to sashimi cuts than carpaccio. The fish was fresh and tender and the seasoning was perfect to compliment the dish.
Lamb Meat Ball Tajine
I had really been looking forward to the tajine. At Rigoletto Short Hills, you can choose between chicken, lamb meat balls and fish tajine. Even though it was not the most authentic tajine I had eaten, the sauce was very flavorful and the meat balls were great. I would reorder it without hesitation. You can also ask for some couscous on the side, which I recommend!
Smoked Salmon and Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
We decided to fit one more plate before dessert, and I am glad we did! The pasta was marvelous. It was cheesy and creamy – a wonder!
Anniversary Dessert Plate
My boyfriend surprised me with an anniversary dessert plate. It consisted of a selection of fruit cake, Basque cheese cake, crema Catalana and some fresh fruits. I am picky when it comes to sweets, but I enjoyed this very well-balanced plate.
The Drinks
Koyokku Apple Cinnamon Martini
Rigoletto Short Hills has a very nice drink selection with amazing cocktails. I had the Koyokku Apple Cinnamon Martini. This cocktail was delicious, not overly sweet and it had a nice little twist to it. I also had a glass of a red Portuguese wine during the course of the meal and it paired wonderfully with the tajine.
Overall
I went to Rigoletto Short Hills not expecting much, and I left very, very pleased. It may not be an authentic Arabian restaurant, but if you consider it as a Mediterranean restaurant, the menu is consistent.
The food was really good, the cocktails amazing, our waitress was extremely pleasant and we left paying what we felt was a fair price. For all the food mentioned above plus two drinks each, we paid approximately 6,000 yen per person. If you are looking for a nice date spot with affordable food, Rigoletto Short Hills is a great candidate.
On a side note, all the ingredients used at Rigoletto Short Hills are natural. They do not use any GMOs or trans-fats, and they cook with natural salt and organic sugar. Good news if you are health-conscious!
All the prices in this article are excluding taxes and service charge (10% after 22:00). There is also a 350 yen table charge per person after 17:00.
Rigoletto Short Hills
Opening hours:
Open from everyday from 11:30 to 20:00 (may be subject to change due to the Coronavirus)
Website: click here
Address: 1-2-13, Nakameguro, Meguro-ku,Tokyo,153-0061
Telephone: 03-5773-1241
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