Les Vagues — Restaurant in Yoshino

Stopped by here during lunch time and was able to get the lunch set they were offering. The proprietress is a nice and friendly auntie who specializes in 洋食 Japanese-style Western food. The space is charming and unique, nestled on top of a quiet forested hill in the back of town near the train station. From inside or from the patio, you can see the cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino in the distance, season permitting. Overall, a wonderful true hidden gem of a cafe / flower / tea shop, among various services they offer (when I visited in 2018, they were even an Airbnb listing). You likely won’t find this place through...

Is it worth stopping just to go here? I think so. Google will lie to you and say you need to do some roundabout walk that takes 30 minutes from the station -- there's a forest path directly behind the station that will take you 5 minutes. The experience is intimate and comfortable. The proprietor is a very nice woman and the story of the cafe is really cool. You feel like you're in someone's house -- which can make it strange when you first arrive and it feels like you're in someone's backyard. The terrace looks lovely, though I ate inside; presumably, during cherry blossom season, it's...

A must experience if you’re in the area, even if you’re not it’s worth the trip alone. I was lucky enough to stay when the trees were in bloom, a truly magical experience. Everyone was very welcoming and the food was outstanding. If you’re lucky enough to stay the night, please go to the morning Buddhist service, you won’t regret waking up early for it. Don’t follow Google maps if you’re walking, follow the flags up the trail, it’s shorter and a fantastic little hike up through a...