Must-Visit Spots During Cherry Blossom Season! 5 Restaurants Near Kenrokuen Garden Where You Can Taste the Spring of Hokuriku Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Mar 05 2024

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Must-Visit Spots During Cherry Blossom Season! 5 Restaurants Near Kenrokuen Garden Where You Can Taste the Spring of Hokuriku

Kanazawa's Kenrokuen, selected as one of the "Top 100 Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots," is a must-visit destination this season. In the vicinity of Kenrokuen, we've selected five restaurants worth stopping by on your way to or from cherry blossom viewing. Located in a popular area brimming with the atmosphere of a castle town, indulge in exquisite cuisine featuring the finest seasonal ingredients from Kaga and the Hokuriku region.

See full listings of French restaurants found in and around Kanazawa and Ishikawa.

1. A la ferme de Shinjiro

Experience the flavors of Kaga and Noto in a French restaurant run by Kanazawa Winery & Organic Farmhouse in a traditional townhouse.

"A la ferme de Shinjiro" is a French restaurant located in Owari-cho, near Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle, housed in a renovated Taisho-era townhouse. It is operated by Kanazawa Winery, which specializes in wine production using grapes from Ishikawa Prefecture. Offering only set menus for both lunch and dinner, the restaurant serves dishes made with seasonal local ingredients, including organic vegetables and wheat grown on their own farm, as well as fresh fish directly sourced from Kanazawa Port and Noto markets.

The charming townhouse features a winery on the 1st floor and a restaurant on the 2nd floor. With an open and serene atmosphere, the main dining area and small private rooms offer a tranquil dining experience. The beautiful earthen walls, finished using three types of soil from the grape fields of Kahoku-gata, Anamizu, and Suzu, add to the ambiance. In addition to their own brewed wines, tableware such as Kutani ware and Wajima lacquerware further enhances the presentation of the dishes.

A la ferme de Shinjiro

Open: [Monday,Thursday-Sunday, National Holidays, Day Before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 1:30 pm) / Dinner 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 8:00 pm)
Closed: Tuesday, Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 13,000 JPY / [Lunch] 7,000 JPY
Access: 20-minute walk from Kanazawa Station on the JR Hokuriku Main Line, 1-minute walk from Owari-cho bus stop, 7-minute walk from Musashigatsuji/Omicho Ichiba bus stop
Address: 1-9-9, Owari-cho, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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2.Kagayasuke Main Branch

For enjoying the seasonal seafood of Hokuriku, sushi is the way to go! There's also a variety of unique dishes unique to Kanazawa.

Just a 3-minute walk from the east exit of JR Kanazawa Station, "Kagayasuke Main Branch" is a restaurant where you can enjoy carefully crafted dishes made with selected ingredients from the Hokuriku region. The sushi rice is made from Noto-grown Koshihikari rice. They offer a "Chef's Choice Nigiri" where they listen to your preferences and prepare the best ingredients of the day, as well as dishes like "Gyoku," made by delicately grilling a mixture of egg and sweet shrimp to fluffy perfection, and a recommended miso soup with thick and juicy locally harvested clams.

With over 60 years of history, "Kagayasuke" exudes a serene atmosphere befitting of a longstanding establishment. The spacious counter seats on the first floor allow for leisurely dining and engaging conversations with the proprietor. Additionally, the 2nd floor offers tatami rooms suitable for receptions and other occasions (reservation required; separate usage fees apply). A wide selection of local sake that pairs well with the bounties of the mountains and sea of Hokuriku is available, and the vessels holding the "homemade delicacies" are adorned with Kutani ware or works by local Kanazawa artists. It's a place where you can savor the flavors and ambiance of Ishikawa to the fullest.

Kagayasuke Main Branch

Open: [Tuesday - Sunday, Holidays] 12:00 - 00:00
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 3,800 JPY
Access: From JR Kanazawa Station Kenrokuen Exit (East Exit), a 3-minute walk.
Address: 2-19-15 Honcho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Map
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3. Ishiya

Taste and atmosphere cherished by food connoisseurs. Enjoy specialty and local cuisine at a long-standing traditional Japanese restaurant in Kanazawa.

A mere 8-minute walk from JR Kanazawa Station, "Ishiya," established in the second year of Keio (1866), is a venerable traditional Japanese restaurant that has been cherished by food enthusiasts for generations. Renowned for dishes like the "Jibu-ni" and the signature dish "Manjubai Ishiyaki," ordered by nearly every visitor, Ishiya offers meticulously crafted courses featuring the flavors of local ingredients and regional cuisine, all to be savored alongside fine Hokuriku sake.

Both the exterior and interior of the restaurant harmonize the refined elegance of Japanese modern style with the traditional atmosphere of Kanazawa. From the sophisticated counter seats exuding a sense of luxury to semi-private table seats and sunken kotatsu-style private rooms, as well as spacious banquet halls, the restaurant offers various dining settings. Not only does it devote meticulous attention to the preparation of dishes, but it also values creating spaces where people can savor them, engage in conversation, and forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life, providing moments of relaxation and tranquility.

Ishiya

Open: [Tuesday-Sunday, National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm *Reservation required by the day before / Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 8,000 JPY
Access: 5-minute walk from Omicho Market
Address: 2-8-3, Hikoso-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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4. Wafuchuka Shoryutei

Experience the elegant fusion of Japanese and Chinese cuisine unique to Kanazawa.

Take a bus from JR Kanazawa Station to the Godochoshamae stop. Located a bit away from the tourist areas, "Wafuchuka Shoryutei" is a Japanese-style Chinese restaurant nestled within a single-house restaurant wrapped in reddish-brown walls. Here, you can enjoy Chinese cuisine using plenty of Kanazawa's local ingredients in a banquet-style setting. At lunchtime, you can enjoy reasonably priced set menus like the "Umi Lunch" and "Yama Lunch," featuring weekly selections of seafood and mountain delicacies.

The restaurant features a reddish-brown exterior reminiscent of the vast lands of Fujian Province in China, as well as a garden where you can enjoy the changing seasons' scenery, creating a beautiful and unique atmosphere that perfectly complements the stage for savoring traditional Japanese-style Chinese cuisine in Kanazawa. In addition to the spacious hall facing the garden (capable of accommodating up to 130 guests), there's also the "Phoenix Room," with a large round table for 20 guests, along with seven private rooms. These private rooms make it an ideal choice for company trips or group outings.

Wafuchuka Shoryutei

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, Holidays, Day Before Holidays] Lunch 11:30 - 14:30 / Dinner 17:00 - 22:00 (last order 21:00)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 4,500 JPY / [Lunch] 1,500 JPY
Access: Take a bus from Kanazawa station bound for the Ishikawa Prefectural Office and get off at the Eki-nishi Godochoshamae stop. It is a 5-minute walk from the bus stop.
Address: 3-5-35 Sainen , Kanazawa, Ishikawa Map
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5. Restaurant Ringo-to-Wakaba

Authentic creative French cuisine with carefully selected ingredients in a retro and stylish atmosphere.

Nestled quietly in the Jusamachi area on the west side of Kenrokuen Garden, "Restaurant Ringo-to-Wakaba" is a place where you can savor authentic, creative French cuisine in a retro and cozy setting. Featuring locally sourced ingredients such as Kaga vegetables and Shiga Prefecture's "Okazaki Ranch" Omi beef, as well as carefully selected materials like mushrooms directly imported from France, the chef presents a variety of meticulously crafted dishes. A must-try dessert is the "Mont Blanc Made Before Your Eyes," prepared right in front of the guests.

With its retro signboard and display adorned with apple trees, "Restaurant Ringo-to-Wakaba" is easily recognizable, exuding an elegant charm. The exterior boasts an understated sophistication. Inside, the ambiance is refined, with a simple yet stylish décor that accentuates the warmth of wood. Alongside the open kitchen's counter seats and regular tables, the restaurant also offers private rooms for a more intimate dining experience. Adding to the nostalgic atmosphere are vintage Western tableware sourced by the chef himself and antique Imari porcelain dishes, enhancing the pleasure of dining in this nostalgic setting.

Restaurant Ringo-to-Wakaba

Open: [Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm (L.O. 1:30 pm) [Tuesday - Sunday] Dinner 6:00 pm - 12:00 am (L.O. 11:00 pm)
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 2,000 JPY
Access: 10 minutes on a local bus from JR Kanazawa station. Walk from Katamachi bus stop.
Address: 1-6-6, Kata-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Map
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Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.