gio's by HHG — Restaurant in Hakuba

Gio’s felt special from the moment we walked in, so I was surprised there wasn’t anywhere to pop our jackets. Instead we hung them on the back of our chairs. The staff were all lovely but I think our young girl might need a bit more training. Firstly, the 100,00yen pick 1 of each course, which 1/2 our group wanted, were told we all had to have it and pick all the same food. It’s not stated in the menu, it would cut out alot of time if we’d known this. Next, questions about the dishes. Could you please tell me about the chicken, wait staff” oh it’s just chicken with some Mediterranean spices on it” is that all, yep! Ok the sword fish, well that’s basically just fish sitting on a plate!! Really! Why are the appetisers at the back of the menu? Oh I don’t know, but then we realised they’d been put in the wrong way. Friend says you should get a job here, we laugh, wait staff says, yeh you wouldn’t want to work here for $10 an hour. I’m a chef and I was saddened by this. I wanted the food to be amazing. So I went for the eggplant lasagne. Then the food arrived at the table next to us and it all looked lovely. So I changed back to the swordfish because it was more than “just fish on a plate” All the food was delicious, except my friends Alfredo was a little salty. It would be nice if most meal came with a small salad garnish, something to break the richness of all the lovely sauces. Overall delicious. But wait staff needs a ton...

I had the absolute pleasure of dining here for breakfast several days in a row while staying at a nearby hotel, and I also stopped in for lunch once. Every single visit was a fantastic experience. The restaurant has a stylish and comfortable interior, with great European 80s hits playing in the background, which creates a really cool and pleasant vibe. What truly makes this place special is the staff. The Italian staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, creating a wonderfully comfortable and friendly atmosphere just by chatting with you. He was also happy to give lots of useful tips on things to do in the local area. The food is simply stunning, prepared by a true Italian chef. I tried something different for breakfast each day – the eggs benedict, the full english breakfast, avocado toast and an egg sandwich, (also pasta with basil pesto for lunch), – and each dish was beyond my expectations. However, the absolute standout for me was the apple pie; it was incredibly delicate and simply superb. A few other things that make this place a great choice: they have a lovely terrace where you can sit with your pet, and most importantly, this is one of the very few restaurants open in the area during the summer season. This is a wonderful spot to spend time in style and comfort, whether it's for breakfast, lunch, or a nice evening out. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone staying in this...

We stayed at The Happo by HHG for several days in early September and had breakfast every morning at Gio’s (they operate/provide breakfast service for the hotel, are in the same building) as well as dinner and a couple of afternoon snacks. The food was always outstanding, of the best quality! Fantastic ingredients, very italian, just great! The breakfast menu selection is superb, you can choose from a couple of main dishes such as french toast, avocado toast, pancakes, english breakfast and more. I tried most, and all those were delicious. There is breakfast buffet as well where you can add fruit, salad, toast etc. In addition to the great food, the restaurant manager was a delight. Friendly, positive vibes all day, always happy to welcome guests. Overall, I highly recommend Gio’s for breakfast, dinner or just a snack and drink in between at The Clubhouse next door, which they also cater. I would even say make a stop in Hakuba just...