Restaurant in Akita, Japan
Akita's award-winning Italian, reservations required.
giueme in Daisen, Akita serves Italian cuisine shaped by Akita’s rivers, forests and fields. Must-try plates include Piedmont-style stewed veal with mushrooms and red wine vinegar, handmade pasta with seasonal Akita vegetables, and a wild boar ragu that highlights local game. The kitchen, led by a chef trained in Italy, presents multi-course set menus at lunch and dinner that change with the season. Recognized with a Tabelog Bronze Award 2025 and a 4.19 score, giueme pairs precise technique with rustic ingredients. Expect warm, intimate dining rooms, clear flavors, and courses that emphasize texture, mineral broths, and clean, balanced sauces.
If you are planning a celebratory dinner in Akita and Italian cuisine is on the table, giueme is the clearest recommendation in the prefecture. A six-consecutive-year Tabelog Bronze winner (2021 through 2026) with a score of 4.17 and three selections for the Tabelog Italian EAST Top 100, this is not a restaurant you stumble across — it is one you plan around. For a special occasion meal in rural Akita, nothing in the Italian category comes close on credentials.
Opened in September 2014, giueme operates as a house restaurant on the outskirts of Daisen (Omagari), about 10 minutes by taxi from JR Omagari Station. The format is course-only, served simultaneously to all tables — both at lunch and dinner. Dishes are at the kitchen's discretion, which makes this a trust-the-chef experience rather than a la carte browse. That format suits celebrations and date dinners well; it removes decision fatigue and keeps the pacing deliberate. The room seats 20, has no private rooms but can be taken over entirely for groups of up to 20, and carries a relaxed, stylish character consistent with its house restaurant setting.
The wine program is taken seriously here , the venue flags a specific focus on wine, and sake and cocktails are also available. BYO is permitted with a glass fee of ¥550 per glass, which is worth knowing if you want to bring something particular for a celebration. A birthday or anniversary dessert with a message can be arranged at booking , request it in advance.
Dinner runs ¥8,000–¥9,999 per head at listed rates, though reviewer spending averages suggest ¥10,000–¥14,999 is more realistic once drinks are included. Lunch is priced at ¥4,000–¥4,999 listed, with similar upward drift in practice. A 10% service charge and a ¥550 cover charge apply from May 1st onward. Credit cards (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX) and PayPay are accepted. Parking for approximately 10 cars is available on site.
One practical note worth flagging: giueme is closed Wednesday and Thursday, and operates Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. Dinner service runs 18:30–22:00 with a simultaneous start at 18:30. This is a genuine late evening , last orders are not rushed , which makes it a workable option for visitors arriving from further afield who need the extra travel buffer before sitting down. Check the official website for irregular closures; the kitchen sometimes closes for sourcing days.
Prices are under revision from May 1st. Confirm current course pricing directly via the website at giueme.com before booking.
Reservations are required , walk-ins are not accepted. Book by the day before at minimum. Given the award consistency and small room size (20 seats), weekend dinner slots fill faster than the booking difficulty rating suggests, particularly during Omagari Fireworks Festival season in late July to early August. Weekday lunch is the most accessible slot. Reservations can be made by phone; if the kitchen is out sourcing, leave a voicemail with your contact details. Declare allergies, dietary restrictions, and any time constraints at booking , the kitchen needs this before finalising the course.
giueme is built for the special occasion diner: anniversaries, milestone birthdays, or a deliberate date night away from city crowds. The simultaneous-start course format means it works leading for groups arriving together on time rather than a quick solo dinner between trains. Solo diners are not excluded, but the course-only format at ¥10,000+ in practice makes it a meaningful commitment for one. Families with school-age children should note that children are required to order the adult course , there is no children's menu.
Address: Yachizoe-100-1 Tomaki, Daisen, Akita 014-0044. Open Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun , lunch 12:00–15:00, dinner 18:30–22:00. Closed Wed and Thu. No dress code. Non-smoking throughout. Tabelog score: 4.17. Google rating: 4.5 (134 reviews). Booking: reservation only, by the day before at minimum. Phone: 0187-73-5053. Website: giueme.com.
For more dining options in the region, see our full Akita restaurants guide, and explore hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences in Akita.
The format is course-only with no menu choice , dishes are at the kitchen's discretion. Declare allergies and any time constraints at booking. Both lunch and dinner start simultaneously for all tables, so arrive on time. Budget ¥10,000–¥14,999 per head at dinner including drinks, not just the listed course price. It is a house restaurant outside central Omagari, so factor in taxi time from JR Omagari Station (about 10 minutes).
Book at least one day before, but for weekend dinner at a 20-seat award-winning restaurant in a small city, two to three weeks ahead is safer. During Omagari's fireworks festival period (late July to early August), book further out , demand in the area spikes sharply. Weekday lunch is the easiest slot to secure.
For a special occasion, dinner is the better call , the ¥8,000–¥9,999 course gives more depth, and the 18:30–22:00 window allows a genuinely unhurried pace. Lunch at ¥4,000–¥4,999 is the better value entry point if you want to test the kitchen before committing to the full dinner experience. Both are course-only with simultaneous starts.
Yes , this is one of the clearest special-occasion choices in Akita. Six consecutive Tabelog Bronze awards, a wine-focused program, and the ability to arrange a birthday or anniversary dessert with a message all point in that direction. The full-venue buy-out (up to 20 people) works for milestone group dinners. Request any celebration arrangement at booking.
The kitchen asks that you declare all allergies and restrictions at the time of reservation , since the course is chef-driven with no a la carte flexibility, advance notice is the only way they can adjust. Contact via phone (0187-73-5053) or through the website at giueme.com. The venue also notes a health and wellness menu orientation and a focus on fish.
You do not order , the course is entirely at the kitchen's discretion. This is a trust-the-chef format. The venue flags a specific focus on fish and a health and wellness menu orientation. Wine pairings are worth considering given the program's depth. Declare any preferences or restrictions at booking rather than on the night.
Technically yes, but the course-only format at ¥10,000+ in practice (including drinks and service charge) makes it a significant solo spend. The 20-seat room and simultaneous-start format are oriented toward groups and couples. Solo diners are not turned away, but for a quick or casual meal, this format is not optimised for it. If solo dining flexibility matters more than the Italian course experience, consider Shuhai in Akita instead.
For a kaiseki alternative at a comparable or higher price point, Nihon Ryori Takamura is the strongest local option. For Italian specifically, affetto akita is worth comparing. f and Kyu offer further variety in the Akita dining scene. If you are comparing giueme against destination Italian restaurants elsewhere in Japan, akordu in Nara or Goh in Fukuoka operate at a different scale, but giueme's award consistency makes it credible in that conversation for its region.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| giueme | Easy | ||
| Nihon Ryori Takamura | Kaiseki | Unknown | |
| affetto akita | Unknown | ||
| f | Unknown | ||
| Kyu | Unknown | ||
| Shuhai | Izakaya (Japanese style tavern) | JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999 View spending breakdown | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Akita for this tier.
For Japanese cuisine, Nihon Ryori Takamura and Shuhai are the clearest alternatives in the prefecture. affetto akita is the natural comparison if you want Italian in a more central Akita City location rather than making the trip to Daisen. f and Kyu cover different cuisine formats but are worth considering for special-occasion dining in Akita. None of these carry giueme's six-consecutive-year Tabelog Bronze record, which is the strongest documented credential in the local field.
Every seat runs on a simultaneous-start course format — you choose your course in advance, and dishes are decided by the kitchen. Walk-ins are not accepted, and reservations must be made by the day before at minimum. The restaurant operates from a house on the outskirts of Daisen, about 10 minutes by taxi from JR Omagari Station, so factor in transport. There is no dress code, and parking is available for around 10 cars.
Yes, but you need to flag allergies at the time of booking — not on the day. Because the entire table shares the same course and dishes are at the kitchen's discretion, last-minute requests are not practical. The venue notes a fish-focused approach and a health and wellness menu orientation, but specifics should be confirmed directly via reservation.
Book at least one day before, which is the restaurant's stated minimum. Given the 20-seat room, Tabelog Bronze status every year since 2021, and inclusion in the Tabelog Italian EAST Top 100, weekend dinners fill faster than that minimum suggests. For Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evenings, aim for a week or more in advance. Reservations can be made by phone (0187-73-5053) or check the official website at giueme.com.
Lunch is the value entry point: the listed course price runs ¥4,000–¥4,999, roughly half the dinner rate of ¥8,000–¥9,999. However, review-based spending data suggests actual costs skew higher at both meals, so budget ¥10,000–¥14,999 per person to be safe. If price is a factor, lunch gives you the same course format and kitchen at a meaningfully lower outlay. Dinner suits celebrations where the full evening format (18:30 simultaneous start, service until 22:00) is an asset.
Yes — this is where giueme earns its strongest recommendation. The kitchen can prepare a dessert with a personalised message for birthdays and anniversaries if you request it at booking. The venue supports parties over 2.5 hours and can handle surprises and celebrations. For a private buyout, the full 20-seat room is available for exclusive use.
There is no à la carte menu — giueme runs course meals only, with dishes determined by the kitchen. You select your course level when booking, and the table shares the same menu. The kitchen has a documented focus on fish and a health-oriented approach to ingredients, but specific dish details are not disclosed in advance and change at the restaurant's discretion.
Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 15:00 18:30 - 22:00
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