Restaurant in Ibaraki, Japan
Six seats, one course, book ahead.
La Stalla is a six-seat Italian restaurant in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, holding Tabelog Bronze three consecutive years (2024–2026) and a spot in the Italian EAST Top 100. The fixed course runs approximately 17,600 yen per person including tax, with one evening seating only. Book ahead — the restaurant closes on nights without prior reservations, and this is the kind of place where the intimacy is the point.
Six seats. One course. One seating per night. La Stalla in Tsukuba has been running this format since December 2015, and it has earned Tabelog Bronze every year from 2024 through 2026, plus a spot in the Tabelog Italian EAST Top 100 for 2025. The course is priced at 16,000 yen excluding tax (approximately 17,600 yen including tax at current rates) — a serious but justifiable commitment for Italian cooking at this level in Ibaraki. If you want a considered, intimate dinner rather than a busy restaurant meal, book it. If you need a flexible menu, à la carte options, or a large table, look elsewhere.
The number that matters most here is six. La Stalla seats six people in total, with no private rooms and a maximum party size that matches that number exactly. This is not a restaurant where you are one of many tables cycling through a service. It is a room where the cooking is directed at a handful of people for one sitting each evening, starting at 7 PM. That spatial constraint is the entire value proposition: the attention-to-table ratio is high because it cannot be otherwise.
The physical setting is described as a relaxing space on the second floor of a residential-scale building in the Matsushiro district of Tsukuba. The Tabelog classification lists it as a hideout location, which is accurate in the sense that you are not stumbling across this place. Getting here requires intention: from Tsukuba Station, take the Matsushiro Circulator Bus (C15) from bus terminal stop 4, exit at Matsushiro 2-chome, and walk five minutes. The bus departs every hour at 25 and 55 minutes past the hour. Parking is available for roughly three cars if you are driving.
For a special occasion, the format works in your favour. The restaurant explicitly accommodates celebrations and surprises, accepts strollers, and is pet-friendly — an unusual combination that signals a relaxed rather than stiff atmosphere. There is no listed dress code, which means smart-casual is appropriate and formality is not expected. Wine is available. Credit cards are accepted (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners). Electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted, so plan accordingly.
The Tabelog score of 3.98 for 2026 (with a 4.02 recorded for 2025) places La Stalla in the tier of restaurants that have demonstrated consistent quality across multiple review cycles, not a single strong year. Earning Bronze three consecutive years and landing in the Italian EAST Top 100 is a meaningful signal in a country where Tabelog scores are notoriously difficult to move. For context, Tabelog Bronze and Top 100 selection in the Italian category in eastern Japan puts La Stalla in company with restaurants that regularly draw diners from Tokyo, roughly 60 kilometres southwest. That is a real credential for a six-seat operation in Tsukuba.
The course format means there is no decision fatigue on the night. You are not choosing between dishes; the kitchen makes those decisions. This works well for date nights and celebratory dinners where the experience itself is the point, and less well if a guest has significant dietary restrictions , the database notes that you should contact the restaurant directly if bringing children, which implies a similar approach applies to dietary needs. Reach the restaurant at 090-8101-7656 to discuss requirements before booking.
Booking is listed as easy, but note that the restaurant closes on days without prior reservations, which means last-minute availability is not reliable. The five-day operating window (Wednesday through Sunday, evenings only) gives you fewer entry points than a seven-day restaurant, so plan at least a week ahead for weekend dates. The website is la-stalla.net. Online reservations are available.
For those building a broader Ibaraki itinerary around this dinner, see our full Ibaraki restaurants guide, our Ibaraki hotels guide, and our Ibaraki bars guide. If you are interested in other serious small-format restaurants across Japan, HAJIME in Osaka, Harutaka in Tokyo, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, and akordu in Nara offer comparable intimacy at higher price points. Outside Japan, Le Bernardin in New York City and Atomix in New York City represent the same philosophy of a tightly controlled format delivering outsized consistency.
Bottom line: La Stalla is the right booking if you want a proper occasion dinner in Ibaraki, you are comfortable with a fixed course at around 17,600 yen per person, and you are willing to get to Matsushiro on a weekday evening. The format rewards the committed diner. It does not reward the spontaneous one.
Quick ref: 6 seats / 17,600 yen incl. tax / Wed–Sun evenings only / reservation required / credit cards accepted / no QR pay.
There is no stated dress code, and the restaurant's own atmosphere is described as relaxing rather than formal. Smart-casual , a collared shirt or a neat outfit , is appropriate and in keeping with the price point (around 17,600 yen per head). Overdressing is unlikely to be a problem, but you do not need a jacket or tie. The room is small and the vibe is closer to a private dinner than a hotel restaurant.
La Stalla has six seats in total and no separate bar seating listed. The entire room functions as an intimate counter-style space rather than a restaurant with distinct zones. Everyone present is essentially at the same experience. If you are interested in the counter-style Italian format more broadly, that is exactly what La Stalla delivers , but it is the whole room, not a separate bar option within a larger venue.
The database does not confirm specific dietary accommodation, but the reservation notes explicitly say to contact the restaurant directly if bringing children, which implies the kitchen will discuss needs in advance rather than accommodating them automatically. Call 090-8101-7656 or enquire via the website at la-stalla.net before booking if you have restrictions. For a fixed-course-only restaurant at this price, raising this before you arrive is essential, not optional.
The two most directly relevant comparisons are Nonna Nietta, an Italian and pasta restaurant in Ibaraki priced at JPY 10,000–14,999, which is the better choice if you want Italian without the full commitment of a fixed course at La Stalla's price level; and YOSHIKI FUJI, an innovative restaurant in the JPY 20,000–29,999 range, which is the right move if you want to spend more and go further into the tasting menu format. Yoshicho is another option worth checking depending on your cuisine preference. For the full picture, see our Ibaraki restaurants guide. If you are also planning the wider trip, our Ibaraki experiences guide and Ibaraki wineries guide are useful companions.
Yes , this is one of the stronger cases for booking La Stalla. The restaurant explicitly supports celebrations and surprises, the six-seat format means the room is never crowded, and the fixed course removes the awkwardness of everyone ordering separately. The Tabelog Bronze award across three consecutive years (2024–2026) means the quality is consistent, not a one-time peak. At 17,600 yen per person including tax, it sits at a price point that signals occasion without being Tokyo-luxury expensive. For comparable intimate occasion dining elsewhere in Japan, Goh in Fukuoka and 1000 in Yokohama offer a similar density of attention in a small room.
Dinner only. La Stalla operates from 19:00 and there is a single nightly seating. The Tabelog budget data lists both lunch and dinner in the JPY 15,000–19,999 range, but the reservation notes confirm the course starts at 7 PM and no daytime service is mentioned in the operational hours. If you are planning around the restaurant, build your day in Tsukuba with the dinner as the anchor rather than expecting a midday option.
The maximum party size is six, which matches the total seat count. A group of six can book the entire restaurant as a private use arrangement , that option is listed as available. For groups of two to four, you will be sharing the room with other guests unless you book private use for the full six-seat space. Call 090-8101-7656 to arrange private use for a group, especially if it is for a celebration. Groups larger than six cannot be accommodated.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Stalla | Easy | — | |
| Nonna Nietta | JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 | Unknown | — |
| Yoshicho | Unknown | — | |
| YOSHIKI FUJI | JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between La Stalla and alternatives.
No dress code is listed for La Stalla, but the format — a single evening course at JPY 16,000 per head in a six-seat room — points toward neat, relaxed dinner attire rather than casual. Think a clean shirt or blouse rather than a suit. The venue describes its space as a relaxing environment, so nothing overly formal is required.
La Stalla has six seats total and no bar seating is listed in the venue data. The entire restaurant seats a maximum of six people, and the format is a single prix-fixe course starting at 19:00. Every seat is, in effect, the full experience — there is no casual counter or à la carte option to drop into.
The venue notes that guests bringing children should check the venue's official channels, which signals some flexibility on request. However, La Stalla runs a single fixed course with no menu alternatives listed, so dietary requirements are not accommodated as a standard offering. Contact them directly before booking — the phone number on record is 090-8101-7656.
For Italian in Ibaraki at a similar price point, La Stalla's Tabelog Bronze status and inclusion in Tabelog Italian EAST 100 for 2025 makes it the most recognised option in the region. If you want a larger group setting or à la carte flexibility, you will need to look toward Tokyo's Italian scene. Yoshicho and YOSHIKI FUJI offer alternatives worth considering if your priority is broader format or cuisine range.
Yes — the exclusivity of six seats and a single nightly course makes it a natural fit for a celebration. The venue explicitly lists celebrations and surprises as a supported service, and private use of the entire restaurant is available, which means a party of up to six can book the whole space. Contact in advance if you want the kitchen to acknowledge the occasion.
La Stalla only operates in the evening — service runs 19:00 to 22:00, Wednesday through Sunday. There is no lunch service, so dinner is the only option. The single course is priced at JPY 16,000 excluding tax (revised from JPY 17,600 from January 2026).
The maximum party size is six, which also happens to be the total seat count. That means a group of six books the entire restaurant by default. Private use is listed as available, so if you have a party of two to six and want an exclusive room, this works well — just note there are no private rooms within the space, it is the full venue or nothing.
Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 19:00 - 22:00
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
