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Where did Sézanne’s 3 Michelin stars go? Guide strips status after head chef departure

After Daniel Calvert’s high-profile exit, Sézanne is being reassessed by Michelin as new chef Stephen Lancaster reshapes the restaurant’s menu

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Sézanne at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, Japan. The restaurant has been quietly stripped of its three Michelin stars. Photo: Sezanne
Lisa Cam
Tokyo’s Sézanne restaurant, which once held the No 1 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, has been quietly stripped of its three Michelin stars ahead of the guide’s next update in autumn 2026. The change follows the high-profile departure of its opening chef, Daniel Calvert, in April, leaving his replacement, Stephen Lancaster, to start from scratch.
Sézanne, located inside the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, experienced a meteoric rise under Calvert’s reign. Launched in July 2021, Sézanne earned its first Michelin star within six months, secured a second star a year later and achieved prestigious three-star status in late 2024.
This momentum carried forward, with the restaurant ranking No 1 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2024 and No 7 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025.

Reclaiming status

Lancaster, who cemented his reputation in Singapore’s competitive culinary scene at Saint Pierre, leading the establishment to two-Michelin-star status, will face the pressure of reclaiming star status for Sézanne. It will be familiar ground; in 2022, Lancaster debuted his restaurant, Poise (now closed), clinching a Michelin star within its first year.

Chef Daniel Calvert (left), who launched Sézanne in 2021, stepped down from his role in April 2026. The Tokyo restaurant is now being helmed by Stephen Lancaster (right). Photos: Aji, Sézanne
Chef Daniel Calvert (left), who launched Sézanne in 2021, stepped down from his role in April 2026. The Tokyo restaurant is now being helmed by Stephen Lancaster (right). Photos: Aji, Sézanne

In a written response to queries from the South China Morning Post regarding Sézanne’s star status, the Michelin Japan team explained that “following significant changes at Sézanne in spring 2026, the restaurant’s previous listing on the Michelin Guide website was taken offline.

“The restaurant has since reopened with a new team and now appears again on our platform with a new listing. As is standard in such circumstances, it is currently under evaluation by our inspectors.”

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