Nino — Restaurant in Yamatokoriyama

(cross-posted on Yelp)

Considering the quality of other places on Yelp that have 5 star averages with many reviews, Slow Food Nino should actually have 6 stars.

First, the food is excellent. My husband and I stopped by for a light lunch and ordered the margherita pizza and foccacia bread. My husband who has visited Italy multiple times said that the pizza crust was very authentic--it was thin and crisp, not soggy--and that the ingredients were clearly high quality. We also enjoyed the herbs on the foccacia bread and appreciated the steady provision of water, which is often not forthcoming in Japanese restaurants.

Second, Nino and his employees, Ren and Sora, gave an unforgettable experience. I would recommend anyone visiting Japan to come here. They made our relationship feel personal, instead of professional. Nino and Ren are very gregarious and friendly. They chatted with us about our trip, Ren gave recommendations for what to do in Nara, and Nino talked about the time he worked in Italy. Sora was on the shyer side but came out at the end with beautiful calligraphy of our names in kanji (!!!). Basically, other reviews are accurate, so I won't go into too much detail.

My impression is that at Slow Food Nino, they just actually enjoy meeting new people from everywhere and take pride in providing a really stunning experience. If you want to have excellent Italian food in Japan, the search is over, just go to...

I hope this restaurant stays open for a long time, delicious food, passionate owner, great staff and service.

One of the best restaurant experiences of my life. I cannot recommend Nino enough. First of all the staff are very welcoming. The owner Tadashi takes time to get to know you as the customer and it feels like he is an old friend. You get to see him cook the meals and don't be afraid to ask questions! The waitress was lovely, unfortunately I didn't get her name but she provided incredible service. I was highly amused when she said that she couldn't speak English well only to then translate the special dishes of the day in perfect English. Both Tadashi and the waitress gave us information about Nara and leaflets. Don't worry about the prices because the portion size is great value for money. I regret not getting the small pizza instead but we were reassured that a free takeout box would be no trouble at all. Whilst the closing time states 8:30, when we went it was open until about 10pm. I heard Tadashi say that with Coronavirus they are struggling on weekdays but are busy on national holidays and weekends. Customers were offered a small free dessert as service which was incredibly kind. It has been a long time since I have seen myself genuinely smile in a photo. I had a great...

We visited this place as we were craving some Italian pizza. We were greeted at the door and he quickly made space for us. Nino was an amazing host that went above and beyond to cater for our lack of English speaking. The vibe was intimate and homely, which was a beautiful experience. His wife also shortly arrived and started making some artwork in traditionally Japanese writing.

The food:

Portion sizes were huge! Nino even told me to maybe go for the medium carbonara as the large was more than generous. It was and I couldn’t finish it. Afterwards we sat and chatted for over 2 hours while Nino to experience the “no rush” service. He shortly made us a small desert, free of charge and let us taste this exquisite chocolate he had made.

The experience three Aussie travellers had at this restaurant left us in the most amazing spirits. Learning about Ninos culture and the history of Japan, as well as learning to “not rush” with a dining experience to truely enjoy good conversation and the food presented. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting more than just a delicious meal, but a true heartwarming experience.

This man is one of a kind.

Thank you...