Bergamo, the Italian-French fusion bistro situated in the heart of Ebisu, can be regarded as the perfect date spot, a cozy meeting spot for friends, or the ideal place for larger gatherings. A recent trip to the bistro started with a warm welcome from the Japanese and foreign staff, who all had Bergamo smiles. Before we walked past the all-brick walls Ebisu is famous for, we passed the raw bar, which offers an array of raw ham from Sandaniele and fresh fish carpaccio, both in the price range of about 1,300 yen

We were greeted and then seated underneath the roof of low-lit hanging pop bulbs. The atmosphere was casual-shabby chic, and we felt right at home with the array of friendly English-speaking staff. A nice mix of low beats with a hint of electro, jazz, and house played in the distance as we opened our menus. Despite the new construction taking place on the sidewalk, we got a pretty nice corner window, and our considerate native Italian server offered to close the blinds to create a cozier ambience.

We started with the blackboard special antipasta, which we were told changed daily (1,200yen): A generous serving of fresh mozzarella with tomatoes, grilled white fish, duck pate, and a delectable smoked ham. We then moved on to the cocktail and drink list. From a generous variety of drinks, ranging from classic martinis to icey daquiris (1,200yen), we chose to go with a couple of favorites: an orange cassis on the rocks (900yen) and a beautifully blended Belvedere vodka Cosmopolitan.

For secondi, we were happily surprised with the selection--from stewed Japanese beef with red wine (2,100yen) to grilled "Soushukohak" chicken (1,900yen). Along with the daily blackboard, we went with the Pork Marsala (2,200yen), which was rich in flavor and heaped with shiitake mushrooms, and the Crab swimming in linguine and tomato cream sauce (1,800yen), which was a perfect al dente pasta, with generous servings of lump crab meat. A complement to any Italian meal is a good glass of wine, and when we saw the list it was just a matter of tasting a few to get it right. Lucky for us, our server was happy to give us a by-the-glass sample of each wine we were curious about. After samples of a chardonnay, a syrah, and a merlot we were hooked with the Bella Sera Chardonnay (900yen) and the Dazante Merlot (900yen by the glass). Unlike most Tokyo bistros Bergamo allowed us to order most of their wine selections by the glass, which was a real treat for the diner who likes to switch their aperitif according to their food!

Full of good vibes, music, and food, we knew a place like Bergamo was sure to offer a great dessert menu. We went with the Mont Blanc (900yen), which was sugary to a T, and the lovely salted caramel ice cream (800yen). Others we eyeballed but just didn’t have room for were the peach Yamanashi sorbet, Italian crème brulee, classic cheese cake, and the legendary Tiramisu.

With the bistro's new reception in December 2007 and public opening in January 2008, owner Hiromoto Uryu explained to us that he is happy to be in a spot where locals and not-so-locals can pop in for a quick bite or even plan their next big event. The space is large enough to hold private parties, and is open for lunch from Monday through Friday, 11:30-4:00 pm and for dinner 5:30-11:00 pm; with weekend late hours on Friday and Saturday until 2:00 am.