Harding's — Restaurant in Nozawaonsen

This review is long overdue.....

My husband and I were fortunate enough to spend 9 nights at Kawamotoya in Feb/March this year, which meant every morning we were having our breakfast at the amazing Harding's Cafe.

Darren (a humble world renowned chef) and his beautiful wife Aiko, have created a warm, welcoming space and offer the most delicious food for guests of Kawamotoya and walk-ins as well.

There were several breakfasts to choose from, all very yummy and pastries to rival any of the best patisseries (trust me, we tried a number of them). And I have to make special mention of Darren's meat pies. Hard to believe you can get a pie like that in Nozawa - you'd struggle to find one quite as good in Australia, IMO.

Coffee was excellent, the best we had in Japan during our 4 week stay (our daughter is a barista in Australia, so we are fussy). We often found ourselves ordering a second cup after breakfast. Milk alternatives available as well.

We enjoyed our stay at Kawamotoya and the food at Harding's Cafe so much, that we have already booked for Feb/March 2025. Looking forward to another...

Calm, organised and relaxing atmosphere, beautiful decor with smart placement of both fresh floral and vintage ornaments. Staff were very welcoming and hospitable, even with my three children who are the equivalent of the Loony Tunes Tasmanian Devil, which was much appreciated. The food was spectacular! My wife and I enjoyed a beautiful breakfast which reminded us of our time living in Melbourne. We shared both the shakshouka and the B.L.E.A.T (B.L.T with egg and avocado) and were extremely satisfied. Portion size was reminiscent to Australian cafe sizes and flavour was perfectly balanced with seasoning. Coffee was comparable to some of Melbournes finest and it was very comforting to finally enjoy espresso done the right way.

Overall, the food and atmosphere are both attractive and photogenic. Flavours were sublime and service was a delight. Prices were generous especially considering the quality and freshness. My wife and I would highly recommend Harding’s to anyone visiting the area (even if only...

With my family, we stayed 1 week at Kawamotoya hotel, where Harding’s is the café serving hotel guests and also everyone from outside.

For our own pleasure, they have a really great selection of breakfast choices on the menu, including the Japanese traditional one. You can have lunch there, but contrary to what is written on google you can have dinner too!

The dinner menu is specially Mediterranean tapas. And as a Mediterranean I can tell you, it was an amazing time. We had a vegetarian pidé, hummus and koftas. Even the drink menu has a large variety and we tried really good local liquors that you’ll find only here!

I can only recommend this place for anyone who wants to share a good moment, around tapas with a good glass of wine.

Thanks...