Hotels & ryokan with fine dining in Japan

From 「nôl」at DDD Hotel to Muni Alain Ducasse at Muni Kyoto, there are other hotels & ryokan with fine dining in Japan to plan a trip around.

All great journey needs a culminating moment — an experience that forms the heart of the trip. It could be an exhibition, a hike, or a cultural experience, but why not put your palate first? Japan is full of gourmet getaways, with menus bursting with creativity; these are the places to save up for and plan for your next trip.

Here’s some of our best pick – Enjoy your night & meal!

• Ventinove (Gunma) – Kawaba village in Gunma, home to one of Japan’s sacred mountains, is where Ventinove’s chef-owner, Yusuke Takeuchi, was born. After closing his popular Tokyo restaurant, he opened Ventinove in Kawaba in 2022, and he’s renowned for its expertly crafted meat dishes inspired by his training in Tuscany.
  You have to get lucky if you want to stay overnight – One bedroom only !
• Auberge Espoir (Nagano) –  A high-end French restaurant in Tateshina highland, specializes in wild game and fine wines. Nagano offers both popular ingredients like highland vegetables and lesser-known wild herbs, mushrooms, and game meat.
  At Auberge Espoir, the menu changes with the seasons, highlighting in-season delicacies, with wild products as the star. Enjoy a luxurious meal in an elegant setting, paired with fine vintages.
  The rooms are simple, but try to stay the night so you can relax and appreciate the nature and the starry sky.
• Cuisine régionale L’évo (Toyama) – If you are among those who believe that anticipation of a great meal is half the enjoyment, then you will love the journey to L’evo. L’evo’s avant-garde local cuisine bypasses the stereotypes of both traditional French cuisine and Japanese cooking.
  Chef Eiji Taniguchi regularly forages for ingredients in the forests surrounding the restaurant and has built a network of collaborators who share the best from their farms, breweries and vineyards.
  Although only three groups (of a maximum four people) can stay at the auberge each night.
• Sower (Shiga) – Sower, a restaurant at L’Hotel du Lac in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, embodies terroir through its deep integration with the surrounding landscape. Overlooking Lake Biwa, the restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the lake and garden.
  Chef Coleman Griffin creates exclusive dishes that celebrate local ingredients from the lake, sea, and mountains, blending influences from Japanese, French, and Nordic cuisine to reinterpret the history and food culture of Kohoku and Northern Lake Biwa.