Announcing "D³ Awards 2026," honoring restaurants perfect for a first date!

Mrk&Co Co., Ltd., which operates the marriage and love-hunting matching app "D³ (D-Three, formerly Dine)," has announced the winning restaurants for the "D³ Awards 2026 (Dine Awards 2026)," which recognizes restaurants recommended for a first date in 2026. This year marks the seventh time these awards have been held.

■ What is D³ Awards 2026?
Unlike traditional restaurant awards, the D³ Awards 2026 specifically evaluates establishments for their suitability for "first dates." Based on evaluations from users who actually visited restaurants for a first date, we have selected "the restaurants you should go to for a first date in 2026."

Official Website: https://awards.dthree.app

■ Background of the D³ Awards Establishment
Through our research into first-date spots, we discovered that many people have struggled with choosing a restaurant for a first date or have been taken to a place that was not appropriate for a first encounter.

From the perspective of the person inviting their partner, the criteria for selecting a first-date restaurant are significantly different from those for an anniversary date or a routine meal. In addition to the taste of the food, one must comprehensively consider the atmosphere, location, and price range to choose the most effective setting to approach their date partner.

In recent years, with the rise of matching apps among Millennials and Gen Z, the opportunity to go on dinner dates with people met for the first time has increased rapidly. Therefore, we established this award with the goal of creating a world where no one fails in choosing a location for their first date.

■ Selection Criteria
Winners were determined based on the following two criteria from approximately 1,000 restaurants selected as suitable for first dates on the matching app "D³," which handles over 15,000 first-date reservations per month:

1. The number of times the restaurant was actually used for a first date.
2. Reviews from users who used the restaurant for a first date (Food, Atmosphere, Service).

【Three Stars ★★★】

◆ Ponshutagram The Bar (Namba, Osaka)
Genre: Dining Bar | Price Range: 0-5,000 yen
Atmosphere: 5.0 | Food: 4.6 | Staff Service: 4.9

Voices from First-Date Users:
- "The interior was very stylish and clean. The staff were friendly and explained the drinks, which helped conversation with my partner flow." (Female)
- "I didn't know much about alcohol, but thank you for teaching me so kindly! I also enjoyed communicating with the staff!" (Female)
- "The staff's attentiveness, the restaurant's atmosphere, and the food were all top-notch. It's easy to see why they have so many regulars!" (Male)

◆ TAVERN by the green (Omotesando, Tokyo)
Genre: French | Price Range: 0-5,000 yen
Atmosphere: 4.9 | Food: 4.2 | Staff Service: 4.4

Voices from First-Date Users:
- "The atmosphere was good, the food was delicious, and I could enjoy various drinks. I understand why it's so popular and hard to get a reservation." (Female)
- "The staff's service was wonderful. Thank you for your help." (Female)
- "The hospitality was excellent. Thank you very much." (Male)

◆ Restaurant ReCO (Tenjin, Fukuoka)
Genre: Italian | Price Range: 5,000-10,000 yen
Atmosphere: 4.8 | Food: 5.0 | Staff Service: 4.7

Voices from First-Date Users:
- "They made accurate recommendations when I told them my preferences. They were very polite, including serving the dishes in separate portions." (Male)
- "Everything was delicious. I was also able to enjoy delicious wine at a leisurely pace." (Female)
- "Thank you for the polite service. While I was waiting for my partner, the staff talked to me to ease my nerves, which made me happy." (Female)

◆ Na Camo guro (Nakameguro, Tokyo)
Genre: Duck Cuisine | Price Range: 5,000-10,000 yen
Atmosphere: 4.8 | Food: 4.6 | Staff Service: 4.5

Voices from First-Date Users:
- "Opening the door while wondering 'Is this really it?' led to a dark staircase. The production of feeling relieved upon realizing it was the right place after climbing up became a shared topic of conversation with my partner." (Male)
- "The service was very nice, and the food was delicious!" (Female)
- "Each dish was explained carefully, so I could savor and enjoy the food more than usual!" (Female)

◆ BLU (Ebisu, Tokyo)
Genre: Italian | Price Range: 10,000+ yen
Atmosphere: 4.8 | Food: 4.6 | Staff Service: 4.6

Voices from First-Date Users:
- "The atmosphere was good, and the food was delicious. I had a great time." (Male)
- "I love this place! The food and wine were both excellent, so I'll definitely visit again." (Female)
- "Both the food and atmosphere were wonderful. I felt like I wanted to go again. Thank you!" (Male)

【Two Stars ★★】

■ 0-5,000 yen
Thai Shokudo KRMI (Meguro, Tokyo)
Sake bar KoKoN (Koenji, Tokyo)
nakameguro Kunsei Apartment (Nakameguro, Tokyo)
TAKA’s KITCHEN (Akasaka, Fukuoka)
Soille (Yakuin, Fukuoka)
YAKITORI FICO (Jiyugaoka, Tokyo)
Daikanyama Nonki (Daikanyama, Tokyo)
Warayakiya Osaka Kitashinchi (Kitashinchi, Osaka)
Mine (Yoyogi, Tokyo)
Pil-Pil & Jamon Iberico Specialty Store LUPIN (Umeda, Osaka)
GRILL San Daimaru Umeda (Umeda, Osaka)
trilogue (Ebisu, Tokyo)
chano-ma Yokohama (Minato Mirai, Yokohama)
cafe boo & passion et nature Dojimahama (Kitashinchi, Osaka)
Smoke & Spin (Namba, Osaka)
and S organic (Yakuin, Fukuoka)
Azzurro520 Yoyogi (Yoyogi, Tokyo)
Dochaku (Asakusa, Tokyo)
Tori to OO, Tokidoki Sakana. (Umeda, Osaka)
Kunsei Sugiya Shoten (Namba, Osaka)
QUEEN of THAILAND Yokohama (Yokohama, Yokohama)
Kamosuki Kamoshabu Nakamoguro (Hakata, Fukuoka)
Gibier Kushi New Bakuro (Bakurocho, Tokyo)
Ginza de Wine. (Ginza, Tokyo)
Chacha Hakuu (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Awayokuba-a Nakameguro (Nakameguro, Tokyo)
Chacha Ryu-rey (Omotesando, Tokyo)
Genghis Khan Ishii Kotora Koji (Toranomon, Tokyo)
The Shop with No Name or Sign Yet (Ebisu, Tokyo)
Irodori Ikebukuro (Ikebukuro, Tokyo)

■ 5,000-10,000 yen
Genpin Osaka Umeda Higashidori (Umeda, Osaka)
Yoshokudo Budo (Nakano, Tokyo)
Niku Bistro HIGHTAIL (Ebisu, Tokyo)
Flamingo (Ebisu, Tokyo)
COWSI CAMP (Akasaka, Tokyo)
bistronomie avin (Ueno, Tokyo)
Kiryukuryu (Tsukiji, Tokyo)
Fummy's Grill (Ebisu, Tokyo)
Yakitori Ruiya (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Restaurant Chez Lui (Daikanyama, Tokyo)
Minami Aoyama Toriyakou (Omotesando, Tokyo)
Natural Salt Yakiniku Asukaza Honke Honten (Umeda, Osaka)
Comedor ARRIBA (Sangenjaya, Tokyo)
AELU & BRODO (Ebisu, Tokyo)
Kagurazaka OSAKA Kitchen (Kagurazaka, Tokyo)
Champagne & Soy Sauce BAR Flute Flute (Kitashinchi, Osaka)
Suikoro (Shibuya, Tokyo)
Chinese Aoki (Ebisu, Tokyo)
Umaebisu Ebisu (Ebisu, Tokyo)
La Seine (Ginza, Tokyo)

■ 10,000+ yen
atelo (Kagurazaka, Tokyo)
Yakiniku Kokon (Roppongi, Tokyo)
Ginza Rokukakutei Azabujuban (Azabujuban, Tokyo)
THE CARNE tokyo (Aoyama, Tokyo)
CUCINA Haruno (Ginza, Tokyo)
Ebisu Komeru (Ebisu, Tokyo)
Tempura Saku (Nakazakicho, Osaka)
Ginza Ashibe (Kokusai Center, Nagoya)
Tavolino (Fukushima, Osaka)
Shidugo (Azabujuban, Tokyo)

【One Star ★】
Please check the official website for details.
https://awards.dthree.app

■ About D³
D³ is a "third-generation" love and marriage matching app with the mission to "fill your everyday life with encounters." Based on the philosophy that "you cannot truly know a person's charm until you meet them," the app eliminates the hassle of messaging and automatically arranges dinner dates between users. Since the app handles everything from scheduling to restaurant reservations, dates can be easily realized just by matching with someone you are interested in. The app also prioritizes safety, with identity verification, 24-hour monitoring, and measures against last-minute cancellations. In August 2022, it became the first internet-based marriage introduction service in Japan to obtain third-party certification. It is gaining widespread support as a new matching experience that seamlessly connects online and offline encounters.

D³ Official Website: https://dthree.app

■ Mrk & Co Co., Ltd. Company Profile
Location: 4F Wave Shibuya, 2-25-3 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Keisuke Kamijo, Representative Director
Business: Development and operation of internet services
Established: July 2015
Capital: 84 million yen