Michelin is pleased to present the new restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide Nara. In celebration of the fourth edition of the Guide dedicated to this prefecture, this year’s selection highlights the continued growth of the local food scene, with several new restaurants added to the list.
Nara Prefecture boasts a rich cultural heritage, offering visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history and culture of the ancient capital. The region’s geography is equally remarkable, with rivers and mountains that contribute to its flourishing natural resources. The southern part of the prefecture stands out, where local ingredients and the people themselves give the food culture a unique character. Nara’s iconic ingredients, such as Yamato vegetables, Yamato meats, Japanese duck, persimmons from Gojo City, and Miwa somen noodles from Sakurai City, all lend distinctive flavors to regional dishes. These delicacies are transformed into unforgettable culinary experiences, thanks to the dedication of many talented restaurant teams throughout the region.
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, comments: “Nara Prefecture has developed a unique culture, with its numerous World Heritage Sites, local ingredients, and renowned hospitality. This year's selection, which is filled with local charm, offers foodies and travelers an exceptional array of choices and is an invitation to discover this sophisticated destination. For example, the newly awarded MICHELIN Green Star and One Star restaurant SÉN beautifully conveys the bounty of the mountains and rivers in its retreat location, sharing the history and culture of the land through its cuisine. Another new One-Star restaurant, à plus, located on the grounds of a sake brewery, serves modern French cuisine using Nara ingredients, paired with sake.”
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The four Two MICHELIN Stars restaurants maintain their status as the very best tables in Nara
Since the MICHELIN Guide first stepped into the magnificent Nara in 2022, the prefecture proudly boasts four Two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurants, all of which have maintained their distinction in 2025. Oryori Hanagaki still amazes with its intimate one-party dining experience that takes guests on a unique menu journey showcasing the products and history of Japan. Masato Nishihara creates a beautiful culinary narrative at Tsukumo, where originality flows like tales from the old capital. NARA NIKON showcases the finest aspects of traditional Japanese cuisine, offering a relaxing experience shaped by seasons. Lastly, akordu caputres Nara’s rich history through a creative and imaginative lens. Chef Kawashima’s cuisine is deeply rooted in the land and character of Nara, incorporating modern Spanish influences.
Three restaurants are newly joining the selection with One MICHELIN Star
Three restaurants, freshly discovered by the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, make a sensational debut in this year’s selection, directly receiving One MICHELIN Star for their very high-quality cooking.à plus is a counter-style French restaurant located in Gose City, in southwestern Nara Prefecture. Nestled within the grounds of the Yucho Sake Brewery, it is helmed by Chef Tatsuya Kobayashi, a seasoned expert in French cuisine. Chef Kobayashi crafts modern dishes using locally sourced ingredients from Nara, thoughtfully highlighting the region’s unique charm. A distinctive feature of the restaurant is its curated sake pairings, showcasing selections from the brewery itself.
VILLA COMMUNICO is an innovative auberge located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, founded by Chef Daiki Horita. The chef emphasizes locally sourced ingredients from Nara, prepared using wood-fired techniques inspired by the traditional Wakakusa Yamayaki (mountain burning). The menu thoughtfully includes the names of the farmers and origins of the ingredients, sharing their stories with each guest.
SÉN is a modern yet deeply rooted restaurant tucked away in the mountains of Tenkawa Village, in southern Nara Prefecture. Housed in a renovated ryokan hall, it is run by Chef Toshiharu Sunayama, whose professional background spans both Japan and France. The restaurant showcases ingredients from Tenkawa Village and the Kumano River basin, capturing the natural richness of the surrounding mountains and rivers. Its signature course, titled “Watershed Cuisine,” beautifully conveys the region’s history and cultural heritage.
With these three new additions, and alongside the restaurants that have retained their distinction in 2025, the MICHELIN Guide Nara now recommends a total of 18 One Star establishments.
The innovative and committed approach of new One Star restaurant SÉN is rewarded with a Green Star
The MICHELIN Green Star recognizes the initiatives of groundbreaking restaurants that are fully committed to rethinking their impact and driving a strong gastronomic transition. One restaurant has been newly awarded the MICHELIN Green Star for its remarkable approach and dedication. The MICHELIN Guide selection team remains particularly impressed with the 6 other Green Star restaurants that continue to uphold their mindful approach to gastronomy.
Newly awarded restaurant SÉN also receives a MICHELIN Green Star for its eco-friendlier approach to gastronomy. Located in the village of Tenkawa in southern Nara Prefecture, the restaurant sources most of its ingredients from the surrounding area, including the nearby Kumano River, thus reducing food mileage. Local hunters provide game meat, such as deer and wild boar, as a way to make use of available natural resources. Firewood is sourced from thinned wood collected in Tenkawa, a region with a long history of forestry, contributing to forest management and revitalisation. In addition to focusing on local produce, the chef also emphasizes the region’s history, culture, and environment throughout the dining experience.
With this addition, Nara Prefecture now boasts 7 MICHELIN Green Star restaurants.
Tori Yamaguchi joins the Bib Gourmand selection
Introduced in 1997, the Bib Gourmand distinction rewards restaurants which, within the MICHELIN Guide selection, offer high-quality food at reasonable prices. These establishments represent a wide range of cuisines and invite diners to enjoy well-crafted meals without breaking their budget.
This year, Tori Yamaguchi, a yakitori restaurant in Kashihara City, has been newly added to the list. The owner, a local resident, ensures that the chicken is sourced from Nara Prefecture. Each skewer is precisely seasoned using salt, soy sauce, sake, and chicken oil, depending on the specific cut of meat.
Two restaurants are newly recommended for their quality food offerings
In addition to Starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants, the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors also recommends restaurants whose food quality is notable. To be found under the category of “Selected Restaurants”, these good restaurants are definitively adding culinary and restaurant concept diversity to the selection. This year they added 2 new restaurants to their selection, bringing the total of this kind of restaurants to 46.Gibier Ida is a meat and grill restaurant located inside a hotel overlooking the Sarusawa Pond, a well-known tourist site in Nara City. It specializes in meat sourced from Totsukawa a small village in southern Nara Prefecture, using both Japanese and Western cooking techniques to offer a wide range of flavors.
Tempura Hattori is operated by a chef who trained at Japanese restaurants in Nara and Kyoto. The restaurant focuses on tempura, integrating traditional elements such as hassun (a seasonal selection of small dishes) and items cured with kombu.Courses alternate between seafood and vegetable tempura, aiming for balance and variety throughout the meal.
The 2025 MICHELIN Nara at a glance:
A total of 83 restaurants are featured in this year's selection.
- 4 Two MICHELIN Star restaurants
- 18 One MICHELIN Star restaurants (of which 3 new)
- 15 Bib Gourmand restaurants (of which 1 new)
- 46 selected restaurants (of which 2 new)
- 7 MICHELIN Green Star restaurants (of which 1 new)
The hotel selection of the MICHELIN Guide complements the restaurant selection in Nara and is available free of charge on the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection showcases unique properties both in Japan and throughout the world.
Stay in amazing places. Eat unforgettable meals. Take the MICHELIN Guide app wherever you go.
