2004年4月、中目黒駅から程近い目黒川沿いで、豚肉料理で名高いあのイタリアンが新たにスタート。桜の季節には満開の桜が目の前に広がり、天気の良い日には川沿いの風が心地良いエリアである。

「移転しても、内装が変わっても、料理は変わりません。」とはっきり言い切る小島シェフのスペシャリティーは、前述のとおり豚肉料理。軽く300gを超える豚肉のTボーンステーキに野菜とニンニクの付け合せが添えられた豪快な1皿は、これだけを食べに訪れる価値あり。イタリアンワインも、赤中心の構成。

入ってすぐのカジュアルなテーブル席、ガラス張りの大きなキッチン、そしてキッチン横を進んだ奥の落ち着いたダイニングスペースの3つのスペースからなる店内は、シェフの友人によりデザインされている。適度な遊び心がありユニークだが、決して食事の邪魔をすることはない。

中目黒は、「東京の最先端」を感じることが出来る空間と、本来の住空間としてのゆとりある空気がお互いを尊重しながら共存する街。「バッチョーネ」は、店名(イタリア語でチュッの意味がある)が示すとおりの暖かさと、一新されたデザインに象徴される洗練された雰囲気のバランスが、街のもつそれ同様、絶妙である。「おいしい豚」を食べたい時に、さっと出掛けて頂きたい。

An Italian restaurant renowned for its pork dishes has relocated to a scenic new location by the Meguro River within easy walking distance of Nakameguro station. The area is known as an ideal place to appreciate cherry blossoms in Spring and to comfortably enjoy the gentle breeze by the river.

Chef Kojima stresses that changing addresses does not mean a change in the quality and tastes of the dishes he has been serving. He takes pride in serving a variety of pork dishes. Among them, especially recommended is definitely the 300-gram pork chop accompanied by vegetables and grilled garlic.

It is certainly worth going to the restaurant for this alone, but be sure to treat yourself to a bottle from his tempting wine list which is admittedly, and perhaps even logically, skewed toward reds.

The restaurant consists of three separate spaces. Just inside the door is a casual dining space. Deep inside the restaurant is a slightly more formal yet relaxing dining space. All the spaces, which exude a slight playfulness, were designed by a personal friend of Chef Kojima not to disturb patrons' comfortable dining experience.

The area where the restaurant is located in Nakameguro enjoys a well balanced combination of Tokyo's cutting edginess seen only by those in the know and the comfortable air of the surrounding relaxing residential neighborhood. The restaurant atmosphere is well balanced with a sophisticated interior design and the warmth of the food served there. This is the place to go when you feel like eating good pork dishes.