trattoria ABBIOCCO — Restaurant in Karuizawa

I booked this place for dinner after we learnt skiing in Karuizawa. I wasn’t expecting much, only that I will get a good food at the closing of the day. The place itself is a miscellaneous collection of artworks and paraphrenalia. Some photos show the place when it was first opened. It was warm, lived-in, and cosy.

As for the food…. Briefly put, we shared a total of 10 dishes for the four of us.

Nothing in the menu was disappointing. They used really fresh ingredients, and it was evident that the dishes come from a deep place of love. The star of the show was a daily special of aubergine, potato, and miso. We kind of underestimated it for being plant-based but the bites took us to heaven. The crust was crispy, then the toppings were gooey flavour bombs. It was sweet, it was umami, it was everything.

Some other highlights are: Beef cheek bolognese fettucine, which was a savoury bomb paired with perfect al dente noodles Clams steamed in oil and apple which were sweet and fresh Abbiocco salad. Trust me on this one, they mix a hodgepodge of fresh ingredients and dress it lightly with a light balsamic sauce. Every bite reminds you of Eden - so sweet, so bountiful Mushroom with Sour Cream. It was just a lovely flavour and texture bomb. Teases you and leave you wanting more.

We did not expect to eat that much, which made the chef say ‘You must be so full by now’. It really is fault for conjuring magical dishes that reeks of love.

Will come...

My favorite Italian restaurant in all of Japan! Nakajima-san’s original beef bolognese is my forever favorite—I couldn’t find anything like it in Tokyo, so I made a birthday trip to Karuizawa just for his food.

The cozy space feels like dining in a friend’s living room, and they even surprised me with a birthday plate filled with every dessert on the menu—tiramisu, casetta, gelato... pure heaven!

They’re only open Fri–Sun (Apr–May 2025) as they prep for a big move, so call ahead to book.

Truly the perfect place to wine, dine, and unwind with great 50s & 60s tunes and lovely convo with the friendliest restaurant manager, the owner, and the owner's son at...

This was easily and unexpectedly the best meal we had on our trip. They had an abundance of fresh local vegetables, really well prepared — the Nakajima Production salad was great. We also got the vegetables with sardine butter (amazing, just wish it came with a bit of bread to dip), margarita pizza (was good), vegetable lasagna (outrageously good, favorite), and beef stewed in red wine (also delicious).

We tried another place with Italian food in the area, this was easily the better choice.

The pacing of when food was brought out was well-timed.

The meal was thoughtful and the menu is clearly intentional. The chef is...