It's the time of year for that annual conundrum: Where to go for that end of year celebration. It really does have to be something European, with wine and a soft, jazzy backing track. You want something with style, but definitely not too formal; a place with a buzz, but not too well known; with good food, of course, but where the dynamics of the meal never get in the way of being together with your dining partner(s). In short, somewhere special.

That's a tall order anywhere. In Tokyo, where conformity -- albeit to standards that are often impeccable -- is the name of the game, it's nigh on impossible. But thankfully, at least we have Carmine Edochiano. Having just celebrated its third anniversary, it has eased into the seam of the city these days and no longer seems quite so outre as when it first opened. But among Italian restaurants, it remains in a league of its own, certainly in terms of appearance and ambience.

First, there's the location: Arakicho is a long-established entertainment district of narrow alleys on the fringes of Yotsuya, better known for its exclusive kappo restaurants and discreet drinking establishments. And then there's the architecture. Edochiano occupies a traditional Japanese house that until a few years ago functioned as a ryotei -- a house where men of a certain social stratum used to come for refreshment, not just sake and refined tidbits of nourishment but also entertainment in the geisha vein. Now it's reincarnated as the jewel in the crown of Carmine Cozzolini, the dean (some would say don) of Tokyo trattorias.