Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan｜Au Depart - Cinq fers

Spectacular food and service, amazing price and outstanding service. Every bite was damn delicious. I ordered a set course with a seafood pasta and venison meatloaf. It started with a sashimi type of appetizer and a salad with smoked salmon, quiche and an apple radish dressing. The pasta came after. It was a little bland for me, but I tend to go for much stronger flavors. Next came a root vegetable soup, this was so good as I'm usually not a big fan of soups. The main was the meatloaf in a red wine sauce, which was great. The dessert was a bit of tiramisu, strawberry icecream and a macaron with camomile tea. Perfect! I will go again one day.

Outstanding food, ambience, service and value for money.

Visited for lunch during a three-day weekend in October 2023 I made a reservation online in advance, and they were flexible when changing the date. You can get there in less than 5 minutes by walking a little west from Karuizawa Station. Children were playing in the park in front of the residential area. There was a large parking lot, and some other customers came by car. Even when people came with babies and small children, they welcomed us warmly, and the store was spacious enough that strollers could be placed next to the desks. The lunch course was ¥2,500 and included an appetizer, pasta, main course, and coffee or tea after the meal. Since I came all the way to Karuizawa, I chose Nagano white wine (¥1,000) from today's wine list. It was slightly carbonated and very delicious. The appetizer is smoked salmon topped with salmon roe. It had a nice smokey aroma and went well with the wine. For pasta, you could choose between tomato sauce and salted scallop and mushroom pasta. I chose salt pasta, and it was a delicious pasta that brought out the flavor of the mushrooms and scallops, giving you a taste of autumn. The main dish is tartare with tuna and avocado, and lots of vegetables. Is the bread freshly baked? It came out and it was delicious so I ordered another. Dessert was included for an additional 400 yen, but I was full so I gave up. When I saw the people ordering it, I regretted that I should have had a dessert using Shine Muscat. The inside of the restaurant has large windows that allow you to see the trees outside, and the orange tablecloths create a bright atmosphere that makes it very relaxing. I would like to visit you again when I come to Karuizawa.