Ranking
An editorial ranking: grades from A+ to F, price range, and the Tabelog score where one exists.
Places ranked: 94
Nara · Fine Dining
In a quiet corner of Nara, Akordu (アコルドゥ) offers a unique tasting menu that fuses modern Basque technique with the region's finest local ingredients. Run by a chef-owner couple, it delivers a theatrical, story-driven dining experience.
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Nara · Fine Dining
A highly regarded kaiseki restaurant in Nara's Nabeyacho district, serving a precise omakase menu focused on seasonal ingredients and charcoal-grilling techniques. It's a destination for diners seeking Kyoto-level quality at a more accessible price.
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Nara · Fine Dining
A highly sought-after restaurant in Nara, serving a unique fusion of Chinese culinary arts and local Nara produce. It's known for its 'medicinal food' philosophy and exceptional dim sum and tea pairings.
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Nara · Fine Dining
In a quiet part of Nara, Tsukumo (白) serves a highly personal form of kaiseki cuisine. Each dish is a thoughtful interpretation of the city's history and festivals, crafted with masterful technique and local ingredients.
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Nara · Casual Dining
A destination for beef lovers in Ikoma, Nara, Kimiya (きみや) serves just one thing: huge 400g blocks of Chateaubriand, grilled by the owner and split with forks at your table for an impossibly tender texture.
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Nara · Pâtisserie
A celebrated patisserie in Nara, home to the world-champion 'Ambroisie' cake. Visitors come for its technically precise mousse cakes and classic French pastries, available to take away or enjoy in the small on-site café.
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Nara · Fine Dining
An intimate kaiseki counter in Nara where the chef prepares refined seasonal dishes before your eyes. Known for its elaborate hassun appetizers and signature clay-pot rice, it offers a warm, personal Michelin-starred experience.
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Nara · Fine Dining
A ten-seat counter kappo in Sakurai, Nara, where a solo chef presents a masterclass in seasonal, seafood-focused cooking. It's a destination for its pristine fish, deeply flavourful dashi, and signature clay-pot rice.
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Nara · Fine Dining
Experience a theatrical, multi-course sukiyaki meal in Nara's Ganriincho district. Kitsune serves premium Yamato beef one slice at a time, cooked at your table and paired with unique dipping sauces, making for a memorable dining event.
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Nara · Casual Dining
In Nara, Toi Inshokuten serves meticulously reconstructed South Indian 'meals' (thali). Run by a Japanese couple who researched in India, it's a destination for its authentic, complex curries and is worth a special trip.
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Nara · Fine Dining
An intimate, chef-run Italian restaurant in Nara's historic Naramachi district. It's known for its multi-course menus featuring house-made pastas and charcuterie, alongside local game and produce.
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Nara · Casual Dining
A soba house in a renovated traditional home in Uda, Nara, celebrated for its vegetable-forward dishes. Visitors make the trip for the exceptional handmade soba, seasonal vegetable tempura, and the signature box-pressed vegetable sushi.
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Nara · Casual Dining
A celebrated soba restaurant in Koryo, Nara, known for its unique three-soba tasting set. It offers a deep dive into the craft of noodle-making, showcasing different buckwheat milling and cutting styles for dedicated enthusiasts.
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Nara · Casual Dining
A family-run shop in Nara serving authentic Izumo-style soba, made in-house from 100% buckwheat flour. By day, it's a soba and tempura spot; by night, a seasonal omakase with influences from Shimane prefecture.
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Nara · Fine Dining
A modern European restaurant and auberge in Nara, set at the foot of Wakakusa Hill. Visitors come for the precise wood-fire cookery and tasting menus that showcase local ingredients, served with views of Nara Park's deer.
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Nara · Fine Dining
A reservation-only yakitori counter in Nara, where a single chef serves a 'stop-order' omakase. Skewers are grilled over charcoal and served continuously until you ask him to stop, making for a focused and personal dining experience.
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Nara · Casual Dining
In Sakurai, Nara, this restaurant from a renowned maker serves authentic hand-stretched Miwa somen. It's a destination for noodle lovers seeking exceptional texture, from the fine 'Hakuryu' to the ultra-thin 'Shiraga'.
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Nara · Casual Dining
Experience top-tier, charcoal-grilled eel in Nara. Unagi no Toyokawa specialises in the crispy-skinned Kansai style and also offers rare eel sashimi, providing exceptional value just a short walk from Tomio Station.
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