5 recommended Western-style lunches in Kanazawa
Kanazawa's gourmet food has a strong image of Japanese food, such as Kaga cuisine, seafood bowls, and Japanese sweets, but in fact, there are many Italian and French restaurants that serve locally produced and locally consumed food, offering Western-style cuisine unique to Kanazawa.
From popular restaurants where reservations are a must, to local delicacies, here are some of the best restaurants for Western-style lunches.
1A la ferme de Shinjiro
A French Farmhouse Restaurant for Local Production for Local Consumption Proposed by Machiya Winery
Opened in the fall of 2018 as a French Restaurant under the direct management of Kanazawa Winery, which has three vineyards in Ishikawa Prefecture. You can enjoy a course meal prepared by a chef who honed his skills at a starred Restaurant in Burgundy. The cuisine uses a variety of seasonal ingredients from Ishikawa, including organic vegetables from the winery's own farm, Noto beef, Noto pork, and fresh fish directly from the fishing port, etc. The artful terrine studded with more than 10 kinds of local vegetables, Noto beef cooked at low temperature to tenderness and grilled vegetables, and other dishes that reflect the rich soil of Ishikawa Prefecture are pleasing to the eye. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the winery.
Toast with in-house wine made from Kanazawa-grown grapes
The Restaurant is located on the second floor of the winery, and you can feel the local love everywhere, from the clay walls inspired by the land of Kaga and Noto to the original tableware made from the red clay of Noto's vineyards.
Also, from July 2019, visitors can taste MIEKO Campbell Early (pictured right), the first Kanazawa wine brewed in the company's own winery. It has a slightly effervescent finish with a light acidity, and is well received as a good match for both fish and meat. Having the food and wine paired together is sure to make for a special time.
- A la ferme de Shinjiro
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1-9-9, Owari-cho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan MAP
Approx. 20 min. walk from East Exit of JR Kanazawa Sta.
From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus (Kanazawa Castle Town Circular Bus "clockwise route"). 10 min. ride, 5 min. walk from Hashiba-machi Bus Stop.
11:30-15:00 (L.O.13:30), 18:00-22:00 (L.O.20:30)
Wednesday
076-221-8818
None
2Grill Otsuka
A famous restaurant for "Hanton Rice," Kanazawa's local delicacy
A Western-style restaurant established in 1957, the chief chef created a makanai dish in 1967 that became the talk of the town and later became the grand menu. It is "Hanton Rice," an omelet rice topped with fried swordfish tuna and small shrimps, topped with homemade tartar sauce and ketchup. Incidentally, "Han" in Hunton means Hungarian and "ton" means tuna in French.
Enjoy traditional Western cuisine in a warm and inviting space
Currently, the second and third generations of the family are working in the kitchen, maintaining the old-fashioned Western style, with all sauces and dressings being made by hand. In addition to the "Hanton Rice," the "Doria Style Tambal Rice" with homemade white sauce is also a long-time favorite. The owner's signature "cream soup" is also a hidden specialty. Why not try "Hanton Rice", which is now well established as Kanazawa's local food?
- Grill Otsuka
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- 2-9-15 Katamachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- Approximately 9 minutes from JR Kanazawa Station by car.
- Take a bus from JR Kanazawa Station, get off at Korinbo and walk about 4 minutes.
- 11:00-15:30, 17:00-20:30 (L.O. 19:50)
- Wednesday
- 076-221-2646
- No parking *Pay parking is available in the vicinity.
3Bottega di Takamazzo
A variety of appetizers are served at a reasonable price.
The restaurant was opened by a chef who trained at hotels and restaurants in Tokyo and served as Chef de Cuisine at an Italian government-approved Restaurant in Hiroo. He is known for his simple dishes based on traditional Italian cuisine that brings out the best of the ingredients.
The lunch course consists mainly of pasta, with a choice of two types from a selection of five, including tomato and cream. The appetizer platter, inspired by a buffet, is so varied that it is difficult to choose which to eat first, such as Italian omelet, cured ham, or marinated vegetables and fish, and many people come to enjoy it.
A hidden-away Restaurant along the riverside
The restaurant is located at the foot of the "Shinbashi" (new bridge) over the Saigawa River, a little outside of the downtown area, so the flow of time seems to be slowing down. On the walls of the restaurant, messages in various languages are written here and there, which seem to convey the joy and excitement of each person for the restaurant.
Lunch is very popular, so reservations should be made at least one week in advance of the desired date. At night, the restaurant offers charcoal-grilled dishes and an a la carte menu of about 40 different dishes. The restaurant was selected as a Bib Gourmand in the "Michelin Guide Toyama/Ishikawa (Kanazawa)," and is a famous restaurant in Kanazawa that you should visit at least once.
- Bottega di Takamazzo
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- 2-32-10 Katamachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus "Leftward Route" around Kanazawa Castle Town. 11 minutes by bus, get off at "Katamachi (in front of Pasion)" and walk about 6 minutes.
- Open 11:30-14:00, 18:00-22:00
- Sunday, 2nd Monday *Closed for lunch after the regular closing day.
- 076-225-8676
- None
4La Neneguse
French cuisine with seasonal ingredients and a sense of the four seasons
This French Restaurant has been a favorite in Kanazawa for about 40 years. Both day and night reservations are required, and you can enjoy a classic course meal using seasonal vegetables, local seafood, and Noto beef.
The chef's motto is to follow the four seasons in his cuisine, rather than following trends. For this reason, his passion for ingredients is extraordinary, especially vegetables, and he visits markets and farmers in the prefecture, changing suppliers according to the type of vegetables he purchases.
The "carrot mousse" served as the amuse of the course has a sweetness and flavor concentrated in a way that is hard to imagine from the outside, and shows the skill of the chef, who is known for his vegetable dishes.
A time to forget about time in a machiya house by the river
Originally opened in the suburbs of Kanazawa, the restaurant was relocated to the banks of the Saigawa River in 2009 in search of a more Kanazawa-like atmosphere. The modern space is a tastefully renovated machiya (townhouse) where you can enjoy a relaxing meal with a view of the river. During the pleasant season, the glass doors can be opened to create an open-air atmosphere. The soothing sound of the murmuring river invites relaxation.
The owner's wife, who is in charge of service, has an elegant and charming personality and has many fans. There are four lunch courses, each with four to five different appetizers and main dishes, so the delicious time begins with a choice of this or that.
- La Neneguse
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- 1-16 Sennichimachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
- From JR Kanazawa Station East Exit, take the Hokutetsu Bus "Left Turn Route" around Kanazawa Castle Town. 15 min. on the bus. 3 min. walk from Hirokoji Bus Stop.
- 17:30-22:00 *Lunch is served on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 11:30-14:30.
- Monday
- 076-243-6651
- None
5tawara
Japanese-French cuisine that is a fusion of Kanazawa, Kyoto, and France
The restaurant offers French cuisine with a touch of Japanese essence, from the ingredients to the tableware. The chef honed his Japanese cooking skills at a Japanese restaurant in Kanazawa, then spent three years at a famous French restaurant in France and about four years at a kaiseki-style French restaurant in Kyoto before opening his own restaurant in his hometown of Kanazawa in 2012.
He carefully selects ingredients from the Hokuriku region as well as Kyoto and other regions, and serves small, varied courses. They use dishes served in dishes made by local artists and change them when the menu is changed to create a sense of the season.
Enjoy the chef's skill at the enchanting counter seating.
Located on Naga-machi Buke Yashiki Street, the restaurant's large glass windows offer a view of the historic townscape.
The chef's meticulous attention to detail, which is reflected in the open kitchen in order to time the dishes to be served, can be felt through the creative yet gentle dishes. At the counter, you can enjoy the live chef's cooking scene as well as the food. On the other hand, there is also table seating in a relaxed atmosphere, separated by cabinets.
Reservations are required for both day and evening dining, so be sure to make your reservations as early as possible.
- tawara
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- 1F Royal Plaza Katamachi, 2-10-19 Katamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa MAP
- 11 min. ride on the Hokutetsu Bus "Left Turn Route" from the East Exit of JR Kanazawa Station. 7 min. walk from Katamachi (Passion-mae) Bus Stop.
- 12:00-15:00 (L.O.13:00), 18:00-23:00 (L.O.20:00)
- Open for lunch on Thursdays, Sundays, and irregular holidays twice a month
- 076-210-5570
- None
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
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