石亭 — Restaurant in Nagano

This was a definite jewel. Echoing the feedback from one of the reviewers - if I could give this an additional 5 stars, I would.

To give you an idea how good the experience was, we came here on consecutive nights.

The first night, we had an array of dishes (see pictures). I think the food was delicious but the environment and homeliness of the restaurant made it so much tastier.

1.8L of sake on each dinner paired with the amazing food just brought it all together.

Special note - you can order things off-menu so long as Master (the chef) has the ingredients. For example, we ordered egg fried rice because we felt like it and also a grilled onigiri.

I cannot give enough compliments and none higher than when our son left his mittens and touque on a very snowy night. Master found us at our hotel (we never told him where we stayed) by checking all the nearby hotels, to return the left items.

I will always come back here and highly...

A Hidden Gem in Nagano

We wandered the quiet streets near Hotel Jal in search of a simple meal, only to find a hidden treasure. The ambience felt authentically Japanese — calm, inviting, and full of charm — and the food was even better.

Our chicken, tempura, and sashimi were among the best we’ve had in Japan. Service was flawless, the place felt like home, and communication in English was effortless. Even our kids were delighted with a small lucky-draw gift — a beautiful touch to a...

Honestly, if I could, I would have given this place a 10 star review not just 5. I went to this wonderful restaurant on my first trip to Japan (with my wife ) to try some horse sashimi, but we ended up ordering so much more than that and EVERYTHING was outstanding, furthermore, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was just the perfect representation of the Japanese people and their hospitality. I highly recommend. Will definitely come back next time...