I went out for lunch as everywhere was full due to the Gion Festival float procession. I chose a set menu with a choice of appetizer and main pasta dish, with the option to add a glass of wine for an extra 100 yen. The appetizer included vichyssoise, Milano salami, pork pate, and lentils. For the pasta, I had spaghetti with fried eggplant and minced octopus in tomato sauce, as well as spaghetti carbonara with smoked ham (speck) and bitter melon. The noodles were chewy and the sauce coated them well, making it delicious.

The appetizers are incredibly delicious. You can even eat the bones of the sweetfish. The corn potage, Spanish omelette, rice salad - all worth mentioning for their deliciousness. The bread was not warm at first, which was disappointing, but as you chew, the sweetness and umami come out. The pasta was tasty, but honestly just average. It was a generous portion and good value for money! Around 2000 yen. The tiramisu dessert was also delicious with a pleasant bitterness. Very satisfied.

I had lunch at an Italian restaurant located very close to the hotel where I stayed. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere with a limited number of seats, giving it a hidden gem vibe. I was able to get a table without a reservation. I ordered the lunch set for 2000 yen, which included an assortment of appetizers, bread, pasta, and a drink. The appetizer assortment was very luxurious, and my favorites were the pork terrine and potato quiche. The pork terrine had a great texture and rich flavor. It paired surprisingly well with the vegetables. The moist and flavorful potato quiche was a delight, especially with its salty seasoning. I enjoyed the homemade bread with a refreshing olive oil drizzle. The bread had a chewy texture and a rustic wheat flavor that I liked. The pasta was spaghetti with a tomato sauce made with minced seafood and fried eggplant. The tomato sauce had a strong acidity that complemented the eggplant well. The eggplant soaked up the tomato sauce, releasing a burst of flavors when bitten into. The seafood mince added a nice texture contrast, especially the chewiness of the squid and octopus. I ended the meal with a black coffee. It was a satisfying lunch experience with attentive service in a cozy setting. Thank you for the delicious meal.

The other day, while traveling on a Kyoto City bus, I saw a really delicious-looking restaurant from the window. I immediately searched for it and made a reservation over the phone. It's called "Pucchiro" and it's a trattoria right in front of Omiya Matsubara bus stop. People were making reservations one after another due to the time difference, and in no time, the restaurant was full (including us). It's a very popular place! Despite its cozy size, the tables were spaced out well, showing that they were mindful of infection prevention measures. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was just as good as it looked from the outside. Since it was a Sunday, the only option for lunch on weekends was the 1900 yen course. When I made the reservation, they made sure to confirm it, but I was actually happy to leave it to them! The "colorful assorted appetizers including salad" was a vibrant and voluminous dish. Delicious. For the next course, there were so many options on the menu that it was exhausting to read through them all (exaggerating). There were choices like upgrading to handmade fresh pasta for an additional fee or selecting premium ingredients, offering a wide variety. It's always nice to have a lot of choices on the menu. Pucchiro was even more delicious than my first impression, no, it exceeded my expectations. Regular customers were having just pasta for breakfast, showing that it's truly a local restaurant with a homely feel. Not only the food, but everything about the atmosphere was warm and pleasant. Although we quietly ate and quietly returned home as usual without interacting with any of the staff (lol), I felt like I wanted to keep coming back to this restaurant for a long time.

I tried to make a reservation at Nanoto, but couldn't get a reservation and ended up visiting Pucchiro who had not been able to go. I made a same-day reservation for Sunday lunch and was able to secure a spot. [Atmosphere] It is a small Italian restaurant with a cozy, homely atmosphere, with only a few tables for 4 people and 2 people. The proximity to the staff is also close, making it a comfortable place to be. [Food] The menu for lunch on weekends and holidays consists of a 1980 yen course only. It was mentioned that they offer à la carte at night. For lunch, the set includes appetizers, pasta, bread, and a drink, with a choice of 3 basic pasta dishes and an additional fee to choose from 4 of 7 types. I ordered horse meat red wine stewed ragu sauce with new burdock tagliatelle for an additional 400 yen, and 2 types of desserts for an additional 250 yen. Additional white wine and desserts are quite reasonable in price. The appetizers include scallop herb breadcrumbs, Italian omelette with plenty of ingredients, vegetables, and salad, which is quite substantial. The scallops were fluffy and freshly baked, and the omelette was delicious. It's nice that they serve warm dishes. The pasta had a lot of new burdock on top of the ragu sauce, making for an impactful visual. The combination of horse meat and red wine aroma, along with the earthy aroma of burdock, created a gentle flavor. The pasta was chewy and had the best texture of fresh pasta. The desserts were banana and rum raisin cake and tiramisu. The quality of the desserts was unexpectedly high given the price, especially the banana and rum raisin cake, which was moist and not too sweet, with a natural sweetness from the banana and the aroma of rum raisins being a perfect match. With its generous portion, delicious taste, and affordable price, I was able to enjoy the best lunch. I am very satisfied.

Good evening, everyone. I'd like to briefly write about the Italian restaurant I visited in Kyoto the other day. The restaurant is located right in front of my hotel, and I decided to go there for dinner since the hotel has a nice lounge. The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere with a small seating area. I was torn between the daily specials like oven-baked child-bearing sweetfish and the regular menu items like pork terrine, rice croquettes, and tripe stewed in tomato sauce. I ended up choosing the pork terrine, child-bearing sweetfish, rice croquettes, and tripe stew. The pork terrine was delicious and paired well with a glass of red wine. The child-bearing sweetfish was tender and flavorful, served with grilled eggplant. The rice croquettes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, filled with cheese, rice, and meat sauce. The tripe stew had a rich tomato flavor with a unique tripe aroma and a chewy texture. I also ordered a pasta dish called Cacio e Pepe, which was simple yet delicious, made with butter, cheese, and black pepper. The hand-made pasta was a highlight. The total cost was less than 4000 yen per person. The restaurant seemed to be popular among locals, as I saw them celebrating a birthday there. I look forward to visiting again and trying more of their recommended dishes. Enjoy your dining experiences, everyone!

Today, I wandered around the south side of Shijo-Omiya, which is fairly close to the hotel. I spotted a nice-looking Italian restaurant called Pucchiro. The atmosphere was good, so I decided to give it a try. They had taken measures against COVID-19, with tables spaced apart and occasionally opening the door for ventilation. The blood orange juice was delicious, probably made from fresh frozen oranges, maybe Tarocco. The first dish that came out, Trippa stew Montalcino style, and homemade focaccia were amazingly good and I was impressed. I thought this place was great... and ended up ordering too much - gratin, two pasta dishes, risotto, cake, and espresso. In any case, it's a reasonably priced and wonderful Italian restaurant♪

I visited around 12:10 on a weekday. Even though it can be fully booked around 12:00 on weekdays, there was luckily one table available. I chose the Milan course for 1050 yen, and for an additional 500 yen, I selected the "Spaghetti with Karasumi Aglio e Olio" because I like linguine noodles. The noodles were just as I expected, with a round cross-section making it easy to feel the edges of the noodles. It was a luxurious dish with plenty of karasumi, rich and delicious. Maybe choosing a pasta with more ingredients would have been better for my body, but the salad and bread were also delicious. Overall, I recommend this restaurant.

Today, for the second stop, I decided to try a restaurant with a simple menu lineup. The lunch options included a salad, bread, and a pasta dish called "Roma" for 1,050 yen (tax included), and a dish called "Milano" which included bread as an appetizer for 1,550 yen. I chose the Roma option as I knew I wouldn't be too hungry. For the pasta, I could choose between meat sauce, aglio e olio, and prosciutto and onion tomato sauce. There were also options to add mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, penne with bottarga aglio e olio for an additional 300 yen, or fettuccine carbonara, or amatriciana for an additional 400 yen. I decided on the meat sauce and entered the restaurant. Upon entering, a male staff member seated me at a table for four near the entrance. The interior of the restaurant had a color scheme of white and brown, with paintings, plates, and bottles decorating the walls and shelves. It reminded me of a cozy Italian tavern. As I looked around, the bread and salad were served, along with olive oil for dipping. The bread was slightly warm, soft, and moist, more like the skin of a meat bun than traditional bread. The olive oil had a subtle salty flavor, but was mostly tasteless. The salad consisted of green leafy vegetables with thin slices of salami-like ham, and the dressing was mild. The main pasta dish arrived in a large bowl, emitting a professional aroma of sauce that was a far cry from the usual store-bought options. The pasta was surprisingly hot when I dug in. The sauce was brownish, and as I twirled it around the fork, I could smell the flavors. The lack of condiments on the table, like grated cheese or Tabasco, was noticeable, but I didn't feel the need to alter the taste as the dish was satisfying on its own. I finished the pasta, feeling content with the flavors. Since I had no plans for the rest of the day, I decided to linger and ordered a hot coffee for 200 yen. It was a regular coffee, not espresso, but the aroma was delightful. The chair I sat on had a comfortable rattan seat that provided just the right amount of support. I noticed that the staff tended to seat customers near the entrance, perhaps to give the impression that the restaurant was bustling, or maybe to reserve the tables further inside for upcoming reservations. After enjoying the ambiance, I decided to visit the newly opened "Ume-Koji Kyoto Station" to see if the plum blossoms had bloomed.

It's a stylish Italian restaurant. The pasta lunch is reasonably priced. I think you could choose from about 3 different types of pasta, but I chose Puttanesca. The tomato sauce with olives was nice. Overall, it's not bad, but I wish there was a bit more quantity. Maybe another lunch option would have been better... Well, in terms of price, I can only afford the pasta lunch.

I went to Kyoto to see the autumn leaves and was drawn to a photo of delicious pasta for lunch, so I decided to go to this restaurant. It's located a little away from the station. There were two lunch sets available, and I chose the Roma and Milan pasta for 1550 yen. Some pasta options cost extra. I wanted to try the taro telle, so I ordered it with an additional cost. The appetizers arrived and they were all excellent. The pasta dish with Japanese beef neck red wine stew and hand-pulled white kidney bean taro telle was flavorful but not too heavy. It was delicious, but I ended up feeling quite full. My companion ordered the smoked salmon and fresh tomato cream sauce fettuccine, which was a bit too rich for their taste. It seemed to be a popular restaurant as more and more customers kept coming in. Thank you for the meal.

During a 5-night, 6-day trip to Kyoto, we got tired of having Japanese food every day and tried to make a reservation for an Italian restaurant, only to be told that it was fully booked for the weekend. However, we were able to try again the next day after finishing our day trip to Kyoto University. It was within walking distance from our hotel. The seating arrangement was good, the interior was cozy and felt like home, and there was no intrusive background music. The dishes that came out were all excellent, with flavors that pleased our taste buds. They also took good care of my wife, who has an egg allergy. If only our stomachs were bigger to enjoy more of the delicious food. The landlady's care and conversation were enjoyable, and we had a great time chatting with her. When we were leaving, she even let us take a photo together. A few years ago, I was surprised to find a small Western-style restaurant in Kumamoto that had received a Michelin star. But after experiencing the meticulous and high-quality dishes there, I understood that Michelin inspectors value quality over prestige and fame. I hope this restaurant will be discovered by more people soon, but at the same time, I also wish it could remain a best-kept secret for regular customers.

★Affordable yet authentic Italian cuisine^ ^ It was delicious~!★

In Shijo-Omiya, there is a rare Italian restaurant with a sophisticated atmosphere. For lunch, you can get a salad, bread (focaccia), and pasta (with meat sauce) for 1,050 yen. I had been here once before but didn't write about it. The salad has a refreshing dressing, a slice of salami adds a nice touch, and the paprika is tasty. The focaccia comes with olive oil and is warm and delicious. The pasta is hot, with short pasta and plenty of meat sauce, but the flavor is lacking. It's light and not heavy, but the taste is a bit underwhelming. The portions are generous, so you'll leave feeling full. It's a popular spot for gatherings of women.

Prosciutto salad, cheese gratin, mushrooms, porcini.

The blended coffee has just the right bitterness and a good aftertaste. The homemade salsiccia is a specialty.

I had the seafood ragu pasta for lunch on Sunday. It was full of flavor and seasoned perfectly! I couldn't finish my bread, but they kindly wrapped it up for me. I will definitely come back again.

1. White Cabbage Potage 2. Spicy Lamb Salsiccia 3. Tripe

Around 12:15 on Saturday, there were 3 groups of customers in the restaurant when I entered. I ordered a 1550 yen lunch set, which included appetizers, bread, and pasta. I chose the classic handmade pasta with meat sauce. Since I was short on time that day, I quickly finished the appetizers (a salad and pickled vegetables among 7 varieties) and the homemade bread arrived promptly. I finished it quickly as well, even overtaking the neighboring customer who arrived before me. The kitchen seemed to notice my pace and served the main dish, the pasta, at just the right time. The pasta, with its chewy texture and flavorful meat sauce, mixed well with the cheese and was quite delicious. The appetizers included barley salad and omelette, offering a variety of flavors to enjoy. Although I was a bit disappointed that there was only a small amount of prosciutto, overall the dishes were subtly seasoned, making it a good choice for a non-alcoholic lunch. The homemade bread was large, and the portion of the pasta was generous, providing more than enough carbohydrates. I came and went quickly like the wind this time, but the restaurant had a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere, making me want to come back and enjoy a leisurely meal next time.