Hiramatsu chaya — Restaurant in Hatsukaichi

We found this place by accident. We were at the Candle Light Festival and just wandering the island. It is a little off the beaten path but completely worth the trek. We climbed the staircase and was greeted at the top. The views were amazing! We decided to eat as it is their rule to stay a purchase must be made. The man greeting us was not rude just explained the policy and I understand why they have it! Yen only. English menus available. A little on the pricier side for what it is but you are also paying for the view. The curry was pretty good. The menu was small included drinks, meals, appetizers and desserts. A few places mad me a little nervous as there wasn't tall guardrails. I would suggest if you have young kids to keep a close watch on them if you bring them. It has more of an adults or older kid, teenager vibe than family friendly. The food arrived pretty quickly. The waitstaff was friendly and tried to speak English. They did not rush us or anything and let us enjoy the view. We went on at an off time between lunch and dinner so we were the only guests. Highly recommend going just for the views and...

Could be a 5-star experience, until I realized I was tricked to pay much more than I should.

I ordered 2 sets - a ¥1500 eel don set & a ¥650 macha set, together ¥2150.

The portion was small, so I ordered edamame. The hostess tried to sell me beer, but I said no. She was a bit forceful, and said something like “you can give it to me, if you don’t like.”

I never encountered such frivolous attitude from any Japanese merchant and was a bit shocked, so I replied, “it’s too windy for a beer, not good for your health.”

I was charged ¥3250. In Japan, you don’t check the bill, because it’s considered rude to the merchant, so I didn’t.

On my way leaving I saw the price sign, and did the calculation again, and realized they charged me ¥1100 for edamame. They must have counted the offer-to-mama beer too.

It’s sad to leave a bad review, since the food wasn’t bad, and the view was splendid.

If you wanna come to enjoy the view, make sure to order items with clearly marked price, and DO...

This restaurant was one of the highlights of my time at Miyajima. Please don't expect a fancy menu or extravagant seating arrangements - that's not the point (and shouldn't be) of this amazing restaurant experience:

I happened to accidently bump into this restaurant/cafe that sits at the top of a hill at Miyajima Island with a breathtaking view of the island, sea, and Itsukushima Shrine. It is a truly beautiful scene and alone makes the trip worth it. The menu is simple, but the food is delicious. I ordered a fish and rice plate with matcha tea and a biscuit for dessert.

The owner, a sweet and loving elderly lady, lives behind the restaurant is a wonderful, funny person. She doesn't speak English but we had a great time together. We were surprised by a dear which she had to "kindly" invite to leave the restaurant. :)

PS: please be kind and only take pictures of the view if you are going to make a purchase! The restaurant and observatory are the owner's only source of...