Restaurant located near JR Nara station. The owner is the chef who also teaches vegan cooking and gluten-free cooking. Offers a daily lunch set comprising several dishes like salad, steamed vegetables, and fried items: set comes with brown rice and soup. A la carte dishes like ramen and udon are available. For some items you will have a choice between dairy or non-dairy. Note that the vegan food is also gluten-free; halal options are available. Night time is kaiseki cuisine with reservation required. Open Tue-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm.
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Last update on 23 Aug 2024 by EmmaCebuliak
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Added by Junjie on 05 Jul 2013
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101 Reviews
First Review by JesseD
CarlosdeLaxe
Points +13
Friendly owner and staff - Edit
We found this restaurant with this app and it was amazing. The staff is very friendly and the owner even took us with her car to the park! Food was very tasty!
Read moreGuest
KeithHong
Points +121
Vegetarian eatery near Nara train station! - Edit
Small vegetarian eatery tucked in a residential district a few minutes walk from the Nara JR train station. Extremely friendly lady boss took the time and effort to explain the various ingredients that are commonly found in Japanese food which may not be suitable for vegans / vegetarians. Food wise, thoroughly enjoyed the soup ramen, and when the lady boss saw me pinching my friend's tofu and konnyaku jelly to try, she gave me a complimentary small dish, and it was really really good - savoury tofu, which tastes a little like cheese, had bits of chewy konnyaku jelly, vegetables and mushroom mixed in, giving the dish this very interesting taste and texture! Based on memory, there were a few choices to choose from, including four dishes and soup, ramen, and udon, while sets include drinks (coffee / tea) and desserts fruits.
Read morePros: Friendly service, good food!
Cons: Location rather obscure
Guest
AmanG
Points +17
Nara- September 18 - Edit
Easy to find using the app as a lone traveller , true vegetarian family run restaurant with delicious food and different options. Yoshiko san and her family were delightful. I cannot thank Yoshiko san enough for helping me in the true Japanese spirit and going beyond as a host. Very selfless and helped me find a few things in Nara I would not have found without her help.
Read moreThanks again and I will definitely visit again.
Updated from previous review on 2018-10-28
Pros: Food, Yoshiko san and her family, Close to JR station and markets
Cons: Closes early
Guest
ferchoeci
Points +15
Recomendable!!! - Edit
Es un restaurante muy bonito, hablan inglés y español. La comida es increíble. Es cerca a la estación principal de trenes.
Read morePros: Clima agradable. Muy cordiales.
Guest
okanstick
Points +16
simply perfect - Edit
High quality, with lots of love and great atmosphere. The owner was so polite and very open at the same time. This is a rare experiance that is a must! Also the cost was good aswell
Read morePros: good food, atmosphere, nice lady
Cons: nothing
Guest
NikkiLivermore
Points +28
Fabulous - Edit
Had a wonderful vegan meal there last night, lots of interesting dishes were presented with full explanation of ingredients and cooking process, very Japanese also
Read moreGuest
Vege4u
Points +31
My best vege meal in Japan - Edit
Friendly service and the foods are good. This shop offer the pure vegetarian meal without onion and garlic.
Read moreGuest
gb420
Points +29
fresh vegan japanese food - Edit
The owner even closed the restaurant early to drop us at the top of the hill to explore the temples! could not recommend more highly
Read moreGuest
thecholl
Points +117
Lovely gem in Nara - Edit
This is a small little restaurant in Nara is about a ten minute walk from the station. Limited seating, so get there relatively early. There was a choice of about 3 things for the lunch menu. We chose the daily lunch which proved a great choice. Lovely food, lovely people and a lovely place. Catering for vegans on request.
Read moreGuest
travvy
Points +11
so friendly and tasty - Edit
A short walk from the train station this was such a nice break from the touristy hustle and bustle of Nara! Excellent food using the best ingredients. Loved the set lunch. So nice to have such great vegan options in downtown Nara. Owner is friendly to a fault. She was so kind to us as weary travelers. Thanks so much!
Read morePros: top notch ingredients, close to train station, friendly staff
Cons: sometimes overly talkative staff
Guest
RichardWhittaker
Points +86
Deserves 6 Stars - Edit
This place obviously caters for tourists, but in the best way possible. The owner does everything she can to make your experience a memorable one. Only set lunch available, but it was incredible. The vegetables used were more flavoursome than any I'd tasted before, but was little coincidence because the owner knew exactly where her ingredients came from and used them aptly. She speaks very good English and was very talkative and generous to all the customers. Probably the best food I had in Japan.
Read moreGuest
Nutriella
Points +56
Best vegan ramen ever - Edit
We stopped here for lunch after visiting the deer park (it's maybe a 20 minute walk away) for a rest from the heat. While being a vegetarian restaurant, they are more than happy to cater for vegans and can make nearly all the dishes vegan! We had the ramen which came with a little side dish and some green tea and I can not speak highly enough of the quality.
Read moreThe owner was so lovely and offered lots of information about the origins of all the ingredients (all organic non GMO), it was so great to be served by someone who seems so genuinely interested in her food and her customers.
It is definitely a worthwhile stop off when in Nara!
Guest
TahliaChloe
Points +68
Owner is the nicest lady ever - Edit
The service here is amazing, the owner is such a nice person! When we arrived she got is to put stickers on the world map on the wall which she keeps to record where all her visitors are from, and we left a little note in her guest book. She also took a photo of us, she seems to really love what she does and gets so excited about all the foreign customers she gets.
Read moreThe lunch set was delicious, all so fresh and tasty. The dessert was a little pan fried cake thing and some fruit, which was a perfect little finish.
She even offered to drive us to the Nara deer park!
Pros: Service is fantastic, Food delicious
Guest
ValentinVanNhut
Points +21
best organic vegetarian restaurant in Nara - Edit
It is amazing I want to come here every day!
Read moreNon gmo, organic food, vegetarian or vegan
Very nice lady
Guest
egwyn27
Points +41
Incredibly welcoming - Edit
We received such a warm welcome at Kinatei. The food was lovely and the owner goes above and beyond what is expected of a host. After we finished our delicious meal, she drove us to the deer park and gave us food to feed them! A wonderful introduction to Nara- thank you!
Read moreGuest
edandorin
Points +17
Great place in Nara - Edit
A great vegan place in Nara.
Read moreWe had a lunch set and Udon soup which was amazing.
Yoshiko and her family are so nice and helpfull, we got great tips and even a drive to the temple.
Highly recommended
Pros: everything
Cons: nothing
Guest
taysesame
Points +150
Only vegan place in Nara? - Edit
This was the only place I found to eat in Nara. It was great! I got the lunch set, but would have liked to try the ramen as well. Owner is a long-time vegan. They also gave me a ride to the deer park : )
Read more5 stars for existing and offering healthy vegan food : )
Pros: Friendly Staff, Japanese Food!
Guest
justvegan.co
Points +31
what an experience - Edit
not only was the ramen fresh and tasty but the owner is the most amazing lady you will ever meet.
Read moreshe gave us an amazing experience, great conversation but also drove us to the deer park and gave us food to feed them.
If your ever around here this is a must!
thank you soo much for having us!
Guest
AngusWarfield
Points +15
Great food, generous owner! - Edit
My partner and I came here in February on a day trip to Nara. She is allergic to shellfish so we chose to eat vegan while in Japan. We both had the udon noodles with ginger which was made with organic vegetables, non-gmo soy meat and purified water. Tasted great! The highlight though was the owner's hospitality. She was well versed with the allergy card and spoke good English. After we'd finished eating, she proceeded to take us on a mini tour through town and dropped us at Nara Park. Worth a visit!
Read morePros: Vegan friendly, Friendly staff, Healthy
Cons: Couldn't fault it!
Guest
Marxwasright
Points +16
delicious food and amazing hospitality - Edit
Hands down the best set menu meal I have had in Japan, flavoursome and decent quantity for the price. The owner enthusiastically discussed how she made the meal and engaged in polite conversation. However, she also drove us to the deer park (it was pouring rain), gave us food to feed the deer and gave an informative tour of the local tourist attractions as well as dropping myself and my partner off at the todaiji temple. If you are going to Nara to stay for a few days or even just for a day trip, this is a MUST and I highly recommend it. I will be returning on my next trip to Japan (I hear she runs an all vegan Airbnb as well for anyone planning a trip)
Read morePros: great tasting food , all organic, no GMO, different set lunch menu every time
Guest
Frostygopher
Points +6
Carnivore and loved it - Edit
Checked out restaurant on a whim with my vegetarian girlfriend and found a hidden gem. Delicious food, and the owner provided fantastic service!!! She even offered to give us a ride to a local temple
Read more10/10 would go again!
Pros: Delicious, Great service, Quiet atmosphere
Cons: None
Guest
alexanderamanda88
Points +72
Best meal I had in Japan - Edit
If you are in Nara, you should DEFINITELY eat at Kinatei. The owner is extremely nice, and her food is incredible. This was the best meal I had in Japan, and I will 100% return on my next trip to Japan.
Read morePros: Incredible food, Wonderful owner
Guest
DougVeggie
Points +13
Great food, fantastic service - Edit
It was a fantastic experience at Kinatei. Yoshiko is very friendly and spoke to us in English, describing all of the delicious food. The food is very good value, 1200 yen for a tasty lunch set that was all vegetarian. She even took us to Nara park after the meal. If you are a vegetarian or Vegan who is visiting Nara, I would highly recommend that you take the time to enjoy a meal here!
Read morePros: fully vegetarian with vegan options. great value.
Cons: limited hours
Guest
AsafZippor
Points +15
wonderful vegeterian lunch - Edit
very good and plenty to choose from, vegeterian set menu or vegeterian curry or vegeterian ramen. food made with true love and concern for healthy nutrition. the owner and her daughter were so kind and caring! just a couple of minutes walk from nara station so easy to get here!
Read moreGuest
EmmaCebuliak
Points +1887
Recommended Vegan/Vegetarian Spot in Nara City - Edit
I've been here once for dinner and once for lunch, and both times enjoyed it a lot.
Read moreYou'll have the best experience if the woman owner is there, as she is genuinely so friendly, enthusiastic and careful about the food. She likes to explain what each dish contains and where the ingredients are from.
They describe the cuisine as a Japanese-Chinese fusion, which mainly consists of rice, miso soup, and an assortment of accompaniments like veggie patties, and veggies done a variety of ways. Although not everything is fully vegan, they've always been very careful to make sure my food is vegan.
The second time I went with a friend, it was raining, and she lady insisted on giving us a ride to the station in her car on her own way home.
If you're in Nara, it's definitely worth a visit!
Remember you need a reservation for dinner.
Updated from previous review on 2016-08-23
Pros: Food is nice, Lunch price is reasonable, Very friendly owner
Cons: A bit far from Nara Park, Dinner is on the more expensive side
Guest
mgates000
Points +19
Hidden Gem - Edit
We were so happy to come across Kinatei on our trip to Nara! Eating vegan in Japan can be difficult without proper planning and finding this place was refreshing. The food was great and the friendly owner shared helpful tips on how to avoid animal products used in common Japanese dishes. The set lunch menu was both filling and delicious!
Read morePros: Food, Atmosphere, Customer Service
Guest
flexo
Points +20
Even got a photo of us! - Edit
We came here in April this year after finding it on the happycow app; the tourist centre at the park also knew about it. It would probably be a bit tricky to find without GPS.
Read moreWhen we arrived we discovered that we'd just missed the lunchtime opening hours, but as it happened the owner saw us outside and opened up again just for us! (We were so happy; it seemed like Nara has very few restaurants!)
The owner was very friendly and we loved the map on the wall on which she had us put a sticker on our hometown.
The food was also delicious. I can't remember what we paid since were just happy to have been fed after a busy day in Nara!
When we had finished eating the owner looked up train times for us, and seeing that we were going to miss one, even drove us to the station after locking up. Thank you so much!
Pros: Great food, Extremely friendly owner
Guest
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