Visit Nara

With its high pitch thatched gambrel roof and nostalgic watermill, Inaka Ryori Kusanoe looks like a fairy-tale farmhouse. Inside, the decor is a mix of rustic and elegant, with table and tatami seating. Although the restaurant calls its lunches “country cooking”, the presentation in lacquered lunch boxes is closer to sophisticated kaiseki, and the prices reflect that. It is an ideal lunch stop after visiting Toshodaiji and Yakushiji temples, with a quiet atmosphere with views of the surrounding gardens.