Tabelog ratingLa Cueillette (キュイエット) is a French country house standing on its own in a working vineyard outside Nirasaki, with Mount Fuji framed in the windows on clear days. The chef trained at Château de Fère in Champagne and has run the restaurant since 2003. He cooks classical French courses around Yamanashi produce, including grapes picked outside that morning. In summer, the chilled white-peach soup is the dish people make the journey for. The restaurant was named to the Tabelog French EAST “Tabelog 100” in 2021, 2023 and 2025.
The view comes up in almost every review. Reviewers also praise the sauces and the way local fruit turns up in savoury dishes: eel laqué (lacquered, glazed eel) with a grape-must and red-wine sauce, Yatsugatake spring-water trout smoked at the table, a Kai-ji shamo consommé (local gamecock) poured tableside, and roast duck breast. The signature waguri Mont Blanc, made with Japanese chestnuts, and the house breads draw repeated praise. Guests describe the chef, his wife (the sommelier) and their daughter as warm hosts, and the daughter sometimes plays piano for celebrations.
The main complaint is length: meals run 2.5 to 3.5 hours, which some find drawn out. Older reviews from 2020–2023 mention mumbling or curt floor staff, and a complaint about a cold table that was never resolved. One guest found the cooking too citrus-heavy and another wanted more duck. A 2026 diner seated in a back tatami room struggled to catch the staff's attention.
Lunch courses in 2026 were ¥8,800 (weekdays only), ¥11,000, ¥17,600 and ¥22,000. Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid ¥9,350 for an eight-course lunch, or about ¥20,000 with wine. A seven-glass wine pairing cost ¥13,000. The Mont Blanc was an ¥800 supplement, and cheese from the trolley started at ¥1,400. Reviewers typically spend ¥10,000–15,000 at lunch and ¥15,000–20,000 at dinner. There is no service charge.
It is good value. Several Tokyo visitors said this level of cooking would cost far more in the city, and the portions leave people full.
- Getting there: about 10–15 minutes by taxi from Nirasaki Station (2.8 km). By car, take the Shosenkyo Line (Route 27) from Nirasaki Interchange and turn right at the second traffic light, Tori no Koike Nishi. Then turn right just before the La Cueillette sign.
- Parking: space for about 20 cars next to the restaurant.
- Booking: essential, so do not expect to walk in. Popular dates fill weeks ahead. Tel. 0551-23-1650; website cueillette.jp.
- Payment: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX and Diners cards, plus PayPay. Electronic money is not accepted.
- Children: school-age children are welcome. The listing makes no mention of younger children, so ask when booking. Families are asked to use a private room. Everything is served as a course, which takes time.
- Seating: 20 seats, with up to 12 in the dining room and two private rooms of six (for 2–6 guests). Some private rooms have tatami or sunken-floor seating, so request chairs if you need them. There is a terrace, and the whole restaurant can be booked for private use.
- Smoking: non-smoking throughout.
- Timing: book lunch for the Fuji and vineyard view, because it is dark at dinner. Allow about three hours.
- Drivers: there is a strong non-alcoholic drinks list.