Pizzeria “R Niseko” — Restaurant in Kutchan

I recently dined at this restaurant in Niseko with friends, expecting a great meal, but I left feeling frustrated and ripped off. We ordered a pepperoni pizza, pasta, and a full rack of ribs. Let me say, the pizza was fantastic—definitely the highlight of the meal. Unfortunately, the pasta and ribs were nothing to write home about; just mediocre at best.

Now, here’s where things get really disappointing. The restaurant was packed, which is understandable given the touristy location, and while the service was friendly (as is typical in Japanese establishments), that’s where the positives ended. When it came time to pay, the male manager slapped a random service charge of 1,180 yen (approximately 10%) on my bill without any prior mention or my consent. This was on top of the 10% tax, bringing the total to a shocking 14,347 yen (approximately AUD $150).

When I inquired about the charge, he just smiled lightly and ignored my question. I asked if it was normal for restaurants to impose such a charge without informing customers, and he feigned ignorance while continuing to process my payment. This is not only unprofessional but feels like daylight robbery! I thought tipping wasn’t part of Japanese culture; this is so un-Japanese!

I strongly urge anyone dining here to check their bills carefully before paying. Don’t let them sneak in unexpected charges. I’m now left wondering how to file a formal complaint about this dishonest practice. Save your money and your sanity—there are better dining...

The prior reviews for this restaurant are great. I can't believe we're talking about the same place.

I can't remember a restaurant's staff being more allergic to customers. "No pizza for you!" should be their tag line.

I had my hotel concierge call ahead of time to ask if the restaurant was open and if take out was available (and heard her on the phone talking to them). Then I went to order in person (took me ~15 mins to get there after the call). They refused to take my order - and pointed to a sign saying that there weren't taking any more reservations for the rest of December and wouldn't do take-out unless I was staying in the attached hotel (The Maples Niseko). I said that I could sit at the bar & order to eat-in if that would get around their no take-out rule. I also explained that I came after my hotel called and they claim to have not received any call from my hotel! Then they just completely ignored me - as if I were not there at all. (They did the same thing to the people who arrived after me.)

If they were busy, I'd get it. But as you can see, the restaurant was essentially empty!

If you want to come to a restaurant with anti-customer service, come here. Otherwise, find another restaurant that wants...

The pizza is amazing. I’m born in Rome so know good pizza. I would rate this 8/10 which is very high in my score book. However i would rate their “Trippa con Fagioli” a 10/10. This is standard fare in Napoli. I must admit that i’ve not had Trippa outside of Italy that is this good. Now what i want to know, why on earth are they serving this in Japan! The cook must have some serious italian cooking experience as this kind of dish is very local to a region of italy and its almost never seen outside of italy, so if you want to try something very authentic, give it a go. Also they colour code their menu items to give you an idea of wait times and some items will take 30-40 min to come out. The food is worth it. During winter you need to book, like all other places in Niseko. Our booking was for 8:30pm but the other guests were 20 min late so we had to wait 30 min. They should have a 2 hour seating limit and ask the guests to leave once their time is up so the next booking does not have to...