Shimabara Mizuyashiki — Restaurant in Shimabara

I am going to give it five stars because it is so unique and has such great atmosphere (and the cat theme helps, too). The entrance is in Shimabara's small shopping arcade, next to the shop with cat-themes items. You order at the front from a realy small menu of sweets, tea and coffee. When they reach capacity, they just sht the door so the actual cafe feels very relaxing - set around a pond ina beautiful garden, it's a traditional house or barn, with a tatami mat room on the ground floor whioch is the cafe and a cat shrine on the first floor.

I loved the atmosphere so much. Food is good standard - they had run out of hot coffee in the early afternoon, so only matcha or iced coffee, my kakigori was perfectly average. Come for a drink and the atmospehre then it will not...

Went during the winter of 2020.

Pros: Great during the winter as not a lot of people or tourists were around. My family and I were able to have the whole place to ourselves for about an hour, enjoying the lovely garden with a big pond peacefully. The matcha was great and the shop keeper was friendly.

Cons: You can buy bait for the fish but there's no fish in the pond so you get baited by buying the bait. Also due to the lack of customers in winter you have to talk to the shopkeeper in the cat shop next door to alert them and let you...

Beautiful and tranquil spot for a break to have kanzarashi and matcha. You enter off of the covered market corridor then entire a peaceful garden. We came mid-week in the early afternoon and were the only people here. The kanzarashi was well prepared with a good chew but not over cooked. There are also many cat related souvenirs for any cat...