Trattoria Siciliana Don Ciccio

Trattoria Siciliana Don Ciccio is a neighbourhood Italian restaurant in Aoyama specialising in Sicilian cooking, a reminder that Tokyo's dining scene extends well beyond Japanese cuisine into a deep bench of internationally credible restaurants run by Italian chef-owners and their Tokyo-trained kitchens. The menu centres on handmade pasta, including a notable version finished with bottarga (cured fish roe), wood-fired Margherita pizza baked in a traditional oven, and arancini Siciliani, the fried rice balls typical of Sicilian street food. Dishes rotate with the season, and the pasta course in particular changes regularly enough that regulars ask the waitstaff for the day's special rather than relying solely on the printed menu. The dining room character is warm and unpretentious, styled after an Italian neighbourhood trattoria rather than an imported fine-dining concept, and it draws a loyal following from Tokyo's nearby fashion and design offices, giving the room a relaxed, creative-industry energy in the evenings. The wine list leans predominantly Sicilian and southern Italian, an unusual and deliberate choice among Tokyo's Italian restaurants that more commonly favour Tuscan or Piedmontese bottles, and it pairs naturally with the restaurant's rustic Sicilian dishes. Reservations are generally required, particularly for weekend dinners, and booking about a week ahead is advisable to secure a table in the compact dining room.