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2024.8.9
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Shops with good views in Shiga and Lake Biwa

[2024] 13 restaurants with a view at Lake Biwa, Shiga

Shiga Prefecture attracts many people with its rich natural views. We have picked up 13 recommended spots where you can be soothed by the beautiful Lake Biwa and peaceful countryside scenery. This summer, why don't you spend a luxurious time enjoying delicious food and sweets along with the spectacular views that only Shiga can offer? (TEXT/Moko Shihara, EDIT/Moe Sawamura)

1.[At NINA SPICE STAND, the view of Lake Biwa spices things up.

The horizon of magnificent Lake Biwa stretches out beyond the running train in a rural landscape. NINA SPICE STAND] offers a panoramic view of this picturesque scenery. As a restaurant specializing in spice cuisine, it offers lunch plates with a choice of dishes such as its famous tandoori chicken and vegan chili con carne. Don't miss the welcome of the signature dog, Totomaru.

Interior view of NINA SPICE STAND
Lunch plate at NINA SPICE STAND

Lunch plate for 1,400 yen, including tender tandoori chicken with seven spices, today's soup, and appetizers

NINA SPICE STAND

  • Nina Spice Stand
  • 630-1 Kitahira, Otsu-shi, Shiga
  • 13 min. walk from JR Hira Station
  • Tel: None

2.[French cuisine at Vie d'été and the scenery of Lake Biwa will satisfy all five senses / Omi Imazu

Vie d'été is a lakeside bistro that offers an extraordinary experience in an open space. The view of Lake Biwa sparkling beyond the rows of trees looks like an overseas beach resort. Dale Oliver, a native of South Africa who has worked in Europe and the Middle East, specializes in bold and beautiful contemporary French cuisine. The unique combinations of dishes that resonate with the senses should be enjoyed with the delicious wines of the new continent.

Vie d'été
Vie d'été Crispy bacon crusted roast pork filet, cold hummus, verde sauce

Summer Menu: Crispy Bacon Crusted Roast Pork Fillet, Chilled Hummus, Verde Sauce, 1,850 yen. Enjoy innovative dishes that change seasonally.

Vie d'été

  • Videte
  • 1-8 Kitagomi, Imazu-cho, Takashima-shi, Shiga
  • 18 min. walk from the bus stop "Kitagiguchi".
    7 minutes drive from JR Omi Imazu Station
  • Tel.0740-20-6954

3.A resort-like atmosphere on the shore of Lake Biwa [Terrace Kitchen anju] / Sakamoto, Hieizan

This café offers a lineup of healthful delicacies that fuse the essence of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Western cuisines. After passing through the curtain of a sky-blue house that reflects the shore of Lake Biwa, you will find a relaxing oriental-style space. Enjoy the refreshing comfort of terrace seating facing the cove, overlooking Lake Biwa.

Interior view of Terrace Kitchen anju
Lunch at Terrace Kitchen anju

Lunch includes two entrees, a small plate, soup, and dessert for 2,178 yen. The menu changes weekly, and the colorful dishes will satisfy both your eyes and your stomach!

Terrace Kitchen anju

  • Terrace Kitchen Ange
  • 4-1-21 Shimosakamoto, Otsu-shi, Shiga
  • 16 minutes walk from JR Hieizan Sakamoto Station
  • Tel. 077-578-2090

4.Café in the sky overlooking Lake Biwa [Biwako Terrace] / Shiga

At Biwako Terrace, visitors can enjoy a sense of openness as if floating in the sky at the summit of Biwako Valley, which is 1100 meters above sea level. After getting off the ropeway, which is made entirely of glass, you will find three observation decks and a vast site dotted with restaurants and cafes, where you can enjoy a spectacular view from any location.

Biwako Terrace
Biwako Valley (Terrace) North Terrace Cafe Stand Black Curry

Lake Biwa Black Curry available at North Terrace Cafe Stand, 1,300 yen per piece © Alpina BI Co.

Biwako Valley / Biwako Terrace

  • Biwako Valley / Biwako Terrace
  • 1547-1 Kido, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
  • About 10 minutes by car from JR Shiga Station
    5 minutes drive from "Shiga IC" of Kosai Road, Nishi-Otsu Bypass
    *Ropeway round trip adult 3,500 yen, elementary school student 1,500 yen, infant 1,000 yen
  • Tel.077-592-1155

5.A picturesque scene draws you in [Pâtisserie & Café Chérie / Omi Hachiman

A patisserie and cafe in a house in Omihachiman. The beautiful western lake surrounded by greenery spreads out before your eyes, and you can enjoy the lakeside scenery of flocks of waterfowl and orange sunsets. The owner, who has trained in France, carefully bakes special cakes one by one, using an abundance of seasonal fruits. Enjoy the beautiful sweets like jewels and the spectacular view to your heart's content.

Patisserie&Café Chérie
Angel Eyes at Patisserie & Café Chérie

Cheesecake covered with raspberries Angel's eyes 3024 yen (whole)

Patisserie&Café Chérie

  • Patisserie & Cafe Sherry
  • 5017-1 Shimotoyoura, Azuchicho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture
  • 3 minutes drive or 19 minutes walk from JR Azuchi Station
  • Tel.0748-25-0305

6.Taste the bounty of the mountains at Hitomi Sanso, surrounded by nature / Higashiomi

An old thatched roof house built about 200 years ago has been relocated to this inn, which is limited to one group per day. You can also have a meal on a day trip (reservation required), and you can enjoy dishes made with char and local vegetables while sitting around the sunken hearth. In a land surrounded by nature, be healed by the quiet passage of time.

Hitomi Sanso
Hitomi Sanso

One-plate lunch of salted grilled rockfish, sashimi, and 10 side dishes for 2,500 yen

Hitomi Sanso

  • Hitomi
  • 1691 Mandokoro-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture
  • Short walk from bus stop "Nyorai-do
    About 20 minutes by car from "Yokaichi IC"
  • Tel.0748-29-0112

7.Seasonal cuisine in a beautiful satoyama [Kanou Shoujuan Sunai no Sato] / Nango

The "Juchousei-no-Sato" was created by the nationally renowned Japanese confectionery brand "Kano Shoujuan" to take advantage of the nature of the satoyama. 63,000 square meters of land is dotted with a Japanese confectionery workshop, a tea ceremony room, a bakery, and a sweet shop. Visitors can enjoy seasonal dishes and sweet treats made with seasonal ingredients while gazing at the scenery that changes from season to season, such as the pure white blossoms of plum trees in spring and the lush greenery of summer.

Kano Shojuan Juchosei no Sato
Kano Shojuan Juchosei no Sato

Miyama Tsuzura bento box lunch box (3,850 yen) with sashimi, soup, and dessert in a two-tiered box filled with seasonal ingredients (reservation required at least two business days in advance).

Kano Shojuan Juchosei no Sato

  • Kano Shojuan Sunai no Sato
  • 4-2-1 Ryumon Oishi, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
  • 30 minutes from JR Ishiyama Station by car or shuttle bus (free of charge)
    About 20 minutes by car from Kasatori IC
  • Tel.077-546-3131

8.Cheers at [German Restaurant Wurzburg] by Lake Biwa! / Otsu

At [German Restaurant Wurzburg], you can enjoy German beer and German home cooking on the shores of Lake Biwa. The dishes served here are created by chefs who trained in Otsu's sister city of Würzburg, recreating the authentic flavors of the area. Enjoy a relaxing time while looking at Lake Biwa from the terrace seats.

Terrace seating at German Restaurant Wurzburg
Wurzburg Grilled Sausage Platter

Assorted 3 kinds of grilled sausages 2,900 yen

German Restaurant Wurzburg

  • Germany Restaurant Wurzburg
  • 5 Yumihama, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
  • 11 min. walk from Nishiki Sta. in Keihan
  • Tel.077-526-3500

9.You can enjoy the luxury of only the sky, Lake Biwa, and mountains [Minna no Ie Tokiiro Terrace] / Nagahara

A café in a detached house that opened in Sugaura Village, Nagahama City, right on the top of Lake Biwa. Three former nurses at a local clinic provide a nutritionally balanced lunch plate. You can enjoy home-cooked meals to your heart's content in a restaurant near the surface of Lake Biwa, as if you were floating on it.

Minna no Ie Tokiiro Terrace
Minna no Ie Tokiiro Terrace Hamburger Lunch

The hamburger steak lunch comes with three side dishes, soup, and rice for 1,200 yen. Lunch plates that include a main hamburger steak, crab cream croquette and fried shrimp are also available.

Minna no Ie Tokiiro Terrace

  • Minna no Ie Tokiiro Terrace
  • 1484-1 Sugaura Okude, Nishiazaicho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture
  • 3 minutes by car from JR Nagahara Station
    1 hour and 40 minutes by car from "Kyoto Station
  • Tel.0749-56-2934

10.[Seikousha Cafe Levant's terrace seats overlook Lake Biwa / Takashima

[Located near Shirahige Shrine, this café offers a beautiful view of Lake Biwa and a menu that makes the most of local ingredients. Produced by an architectural firm that has worked on wooden houses, the interior uses a variety of woods and has a modern Scandinavian atmosphere.

SEIKOUSHA CAFE Levain
SEIKOUSHA CAFE Levain chiffon cake

Chiffon cake carefully made with Kutsuki heirloom eggs, rice flour produced in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, and pasteurized milk from Kisugi Dairy 550 yen

SEIKOUSHA CAFE Levain

  • Seikosha Cafe Levain
  • 296-1 Ugawa, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture
  • 10 minutes drive from JR "Omi Takashima Station".
  • Tel.0740-20-1331

11.Overlooking a calming blue gradation [Cafe Koan] / Shiga

The owner, Mr. Shimizu, who has lived in Shiga Prefecture for about 30 years, wanted to share the never-ending charm of Lake Biwa with as many people as possible! The container-style café was started by the owner, Mr. Shimizu, who has been living in Shiga Prefecture for about 30 years. On a clear day, the blue gradation of the sky and Lake Biwa fills the view. The peaceful scenery is perfect for a day when you want to rest your tired mind and refresh yourself.

Cafe Koan
French Toast Burger at Cafe Koan

Limited to six servings a day, the French toast burger and a drink set for under 500 yen is 1100 yen. Fluffy and chewy French toast sandwiched with homemade patties, bacon, sautéed onions and lettuce.

Cafe Koan

  • Cafe Coan
  • 1224-2 Kido, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
  • 16 min. walk from JR "Shiga Station".
    50 minutes from "Kyoto Station" by car
  • Tel.070-8471-5644

12.Relax at a window seat at the renovated Eight Hills Delicatessen / Hikone

Eight hills delicatessen is an American Northwest-style delicatessen with an eat-in space on the second floor, with a view of Lake Biwa from the west window and Mount Ibuki from the northeast window. Enjoy the beautiful view and a choice of about 30 different types of charcuterie and side dishes made from local vegetables.

eight hills delicatessen
eight hills delicatessen quiche plate

The quiche plate of 1,650 yen includes a choice of four or five types of quiche, bruschetta, and seven types of side dishes, and includes soup and a drink. Lunch menu is available only from 11:00 to 14:30.

eight hills delicatessen

  • Eight Hills Delicatessen
  • 3181 Yasakacho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture
  • 6 minutes on foot from the bus stop "Yasaka"
  • Tel.0749-28-0837

13.[cafe.822 (cafe Hachinny) is a special place with a view of the Seta River / Seta

cafe.822] is located by the Seta River, which leads to the Uji River in Kyoto. From August 2024, lunch plates such as hamburg steak, chicken cutlet, and taco rice will be available. This is a place to relax on a sofa and enjoy the view of the Seta River through the large windows.

cafe.822
cafe.822 Shrimp Filet-O-Fish Panini Set

The Shrimp Filet-O-Fish Panini Set for 1,450 yen includes fries and a drink. The panini is a luxurious panini with fried fish topped with a generous amount of tartar sauce and plump shrimp, accented with cheddar sauce.

cafe.822

  • Cafe.Hachinini
  • 24-50 Kayanoura, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture Tiara Otsu 1F
  • 6 minutes drive or 23 minutes walk from JR "Seta Station".
    40 minutes by car from "Kyoto Station
  • Tel.077-548-7611
*Please note that the information contained herein is subject to change without notice.
*Since this site uses automatic translation, the translation may differ from the original Japanese content.

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