Restaurant in Akita, Japan
Akita ingredients, 11-course format, book ahead.
Affetto akita is Yurihonjo's most decorated restaurant — a 10-seat Italian counter with a Tabelog score of 4.03, Bronze awards in 2025 and 2026, and a course-only format built on seasonal Akita fish and produce. Dinner runs JPY 15,000–19,999 with wine; lunch offers strong value at JPY 6,000–7,999. Book at least a day ahead by phone.
If you have already visited affetto akita once, come back for dinner. The 11-course evening format gives the kitchen more room to work with Akita's seasonal ingredients than the 7-course lunch, and the wine pairing suggestions improve with each visit as the team learns your palate. This is a reservation-only counter with 10 seats, so securing a second booking is no harder than the first — but you do need to call at least a day ahead.
Affetto akita has been open since December 2017 in Yurihonjo (Honjo), a small city on Akita's Sea of Japan coast. It holds a Tabelog score of 4.03, won The Tabelog Award Bronze in both 2025 and 2026, and was selected for the Tabelog Italian EAST Top 100 in both 2023 and 2025. That track record across multiple award cycles, in a regional city far from Japan's main dining circuits, is the most useful signal here: this is not a one-year wonder.
The format is course-only. Lunch is a 7-course meal at 6,050 yen per person (plus a 550 yen cover charge). Dinner is an 11-course meal at 11,000 yen (plus a 1,100 yen cover charge). By Tokyo standards those are mid-range prices; in Yurihonjo they represent a genuine commitment. All-in at dinner you are looking at roughly JPY 15,000–19,999 per person once wine is added, which aligns with the Tabelog budget bracket. Lunch review-based averages run JPY 6,000–7,999, making the midday sitting the sharper value.
Wine is a deliberate part of the experience. The venue is noted on Tabelog as being particular about wine, and glasses start from 1,200 yen with staff-suggested pairings. Bringing your own bottle is permitted, which is worth noting if you are travelling with something specific from a sake or wine trip through the region. There is no formal sommelier designation in the data, but the pairing-first service approach puts this closer to a curated Italian wine bar than a standard local Italian restaurant. For a return visitor, the most direct upgrade from your first visit is to let the team guide the wine selection rather than ordering independently.
The room is compact: 10 seats, counter seating, no private rooms. The venue describes it as a relaxing, spacious counter, which in a 10-seat format means unhurried pacing. The kitchen focuses on fish from Yurihonjo and seasonal Akita produce shaped into Italian courses. That combination — local prefecture ingredients interpreted through an Italian course structure , is consistent with a wider movement in Japanese regional Italian cooking that venues like akordu in Nara and Goh in Fukuoka have also pursued. Affetto akita operates at a more accessible price point than either.
Getting here requires some planning. The address is AIBA Building 1F, Honjo 64, Yurihonjo City, Akita. From JR Ugo-Honjo Station it is roughly 15 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by taxi. There is private parking next to the building if you are driving. Sunday is closed as a rule, though exceptions exist by reservation. The restaurant is non-smoking throughout, and school-age children are welcome.
For diners coming from outside Akita, a useful pairing is the Nihon Ryori Takamura kaiseki experience for contrast on the same trip, or a broader sweep using our full Akita restaurants guide. If you are building an itinerary around regional Japanese Italian cooking more broadly, akordu in Nara is the closest conceptual peer at a higher price tier.
Among Akita's recognised dining options, affetto akita occupies a clear position: the most decorated Western-format restaurant in the prefecture at a price that stays under JPY 20,000 per head. Nihon Ryori Takamura is the natural comparison for a high-commitment dinner, but it is kaiseki, not Italian , the two are complementary rather than competing. If your trip allows two dinners, doing both makes sense; if you have one dinner to spend, your cuisine preference is the deciding factor.
For lower-spend alternatives, Shuhai (izakaya, JPY 8,000–9,999) is the practical option when you want Akita flavours without the course commitment. giueme, Kyu, and f round out the local picture; none carry affetto akita's award history across multiple years, which is the clearest differentiator when you are choosing where to spend a special-occasion budget.
Against the wider Japanese regional Italian field, affetto akita is notably more accessible than akordu in Nara or high-end Italian in Tokyo. If you are already making a trip to Akita and care about Italian cooking built on local produce, this is the most direct booking to justify. Difficulty is low: reservations open on a day-prior basis, and the 10-seat counter fills, but it does not require months of advance planning the way a HAJIME or Harutaka booking does.
Book at least a day ahead by phone (+81-184-44-8333) , reservations are required and walk-ins are not accepted. The format is courses only: 7 courses at lunch (from 6,050 yen) or 11 courses at dinner (from 11,000 yen), both plus a cover charge. The venue focuses on seasonal Akita produce and local fish shaped into Italian courses. Credit cards are accepted at dinner; bring cash as a backup for lunch. The room is a 10-seat counter, so expect an unhurried pace rather than a lively dining room.
For a different cuisine at a comparable spend, Nihon Ryori Takamura offers kaiseki. For a lower price point with Akita flavours, Shuhai (izakaya, JPY 8,000–9,999) is the most accessible option. giueme, Kyu, and f are also worth considering. See our full Akita restaurants guide for a broader view.
The venue does not publish a dietary restriction policy in its Tabelog listing. Given the set-course format and 10-seat counter, calling ahead (+81-184-44-8333) is the only reliable way to check. The kitchen focuses on fish and seasonal Akita produce, so pescatarians may find the menu naturally suited, but confirm directly before booking.
Yes, particularly for a birthday or anniversary dinner. The Tabelog listing specifically mentions birthday plates and celebration surprises as a service feature. At JPY 15,000–19,999 per head with wine, it is priced as a special-occasion dinner by Akita standards. The intimate 10-seat counter format suits couples and small groups better than a large celebration , maximum seating is 10, and private rooms are not available.
The venue has counter seating, and the entire 10-seat room is effectively a counter format. There is no separate bar area. All seating is at the counter, and the full course menu applies , you cannot drop in for a single glass of wine without a meal booking.
Dinner is the stronger choice if the course experience is the point. The 11-course dinner (from 11,000 yen) gives the kitchen significantly more range than the 7-course lunch (from 6,050 yen), and the wine pairing is more naturally paced over a longer meal. Lunch is the better value if budget is a constraint , review-based averages come in at JPY 6,000–7,999 versus JPY 15,000–19,999 at dinner. Note that lunch payment in cash is preferred.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| affetto akita | — | |
| Nihon Ryori Takamura | — | |
| f | — | |
| giueme | — | |
| Kyu | — | |
| Shuhai | JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999 View spending breakdown | — |
How affetto akita stacks up against the competition.
Book at least a day in advance — reservations are mandatory and must be made by the day before at the latest. The restaurant seats only 10, so availability moves fast. Dinner is an 11-course set menu at ¥11,000 plus a ¥1,100 cover charge per person; lunch is 7 courses at ¥6,050 plus ¥550 cover. Credit cards are accepted for dinner, but the kitchen requests cash for lunch where possible. Affetto akita has held Tabelog Bronze and been listed in Tabelog's Italian EAST Top 100 consecutively since 2023, which is the clearest external signal of quality available for Akita's Western-format dining scene.
For Japanese-format dining in Akita, Nihon Ryori Takamura and Shuhai are the recognised alternatives for a sit-down meal with comparable seriousness. Giueme and Kyu offer different formats and are worth considering if you want variety across a multi-day stay. If Italian is specifically what you want, affetto akita has no direct peer in the prefecture at this recognition level — its Tabelog Bronze and consecutive Top 100 Italian EAST listings set it apart from other Western-cuisine options in the region.
The venue data does not specify a formal dietary restriction policy. Given the fixed-course format (7 courses at lunch, 11 at dinner) and the kitchen's stated focus on Akita and Yurihonjo seasonal ingredients with a particular emphasis on fish, the menu has limited built-in flexibility by design. check the venue's official channels before booking — the phone number is 0184-44-8333 — to discuss any requirements.
Yes, and it's one of the stronger cases for a special-occasion dinner in Akita prefecture. The restaurant offers birthday plates and surprise arrangements, accepts BYO drinks, and can be reserved for private use for parties of up to 20 people. The 10-seat counter format keeps the atmosphere contained and personal rather than event-hall formal. At ¥15,000–¥19,999 per head for dinner all-in, it lands at a price point that reads as a genuine occasion meal rather than everyday dining.
Counter seating is available and is, in practice, the primary format — the restaurant has 10 seats total with no private rooms. There is no separate bar or walk-in bar service; the full set-course menu applies regardless of where you sit. Reservations are required for all seatings, so you cannot drop in for drinks or a casual counter snack.
Dinner is the stronger format if the budget allows. The 11-course dinner at ¥11,000 base (versus 7 courses at ¥6,050 for lunch) gives the kitchen more range to work through Akita's seasonal ingredients, and the Tabelog review-based average spend aligns with dinner being the intended showcase experience. Lunch is the practical entry point — lower spend, same kitchen, same sourcing philosophy — and works well if you are passing through Yurihonjo rather than making a dedicated trip. Note that lunch payments are requested in cash where possible.
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 13:00 18:00 - 20:00
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