Restaurant in Mie, Japan · Inside Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suites
La Mer
575Pearl PointsTabelog-awarded French with a real ocean view.

About La Mer
La Mer at Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suites is the most consistently recognised French restaurant in Mie, holding Tabelog Bronze Awards every year from 2017 through 2026 and a score of 3.99. Dinner runs 17:30 to 21:00 with a seafood-focused menu and serious wine program. Budget JPY 20,000 to JPY 29,999 listed, with actual spend often higher once wine is included.
Who Should Book La Mer — and When
If you are planning a special-occasion dinner in Mie's Shima peninsula and want French cuisine with an ocean setting, La Mer at Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suites is the clearest answer in the region. The dinner-only format (17:30 to 21:00, last order 19:30) suits couples and small groups who want to commit to a full evening rather than a quick meal. The Tabelog score of 3.99 and consecutive Bronze Award wins from 2017 through 2026 — plus three consecutive selections for Tabelog French WEST's top 100 , confirm this is the most consistently recognised French restaurant in western Japan outside the major cities. If your trip to Mie includes a night at a quality hotel, this is the dinner to anchor it around.
La Mer, Shima , A Closer Look
La Mer operates on the fifth floor of Shima Kanko Hotel The Bay Suites, with an ocean view that makes the setting directly relevant to the experience rather than incidental. The kitchen's emphasis is firmly on fish and seafood , the venue flags this explicitly , which aligns well with Mie's position as one of Japan's primary seafood prefectures, known for Ise lobster (ise-ebi) and pearl oysters. A sommelier is on hand and the wine program is a deliberate focus, making this a reasonable choice if wine pairing matters to your group.
Pricing sits at JPY 20,000 to JPY 29,999 per head at the listed rate, though review-based spend data suggests many diners land closer to JPY 50,000 to JPY 59,999 once wine is included. Budget accordingly, especially if you plan to explore the wine list in depth. A 10% service charge applies on leading of food and drink. For context, this positions La Mer at the upper end of what Mie's dining scene offers , comparable in price to Edo Machi Sugimoto in the sushi category but in a notably different format. If you are coming from outside the region, it is worth noting that HAJIME in Osaka and Gion Sasaki in Kyoto operate at similar or higher price points with Michelin recognition, but La Mer's seafood-forward French approach in this coastal location is not something those city restaurants replicate.
The dress code at dinner is smart casual , no T-shirts, shorts, ripped jeans, or beach sandals. This is worth noting if you are arriving from a day of outdoor activity in Shima. The room seats 88 guests (currently at reduced capacity), which means this is not an intimate counter experience. Private rooms are unavailable, and the venue cannot be booked for exclusive private use. For a smaller, quieter dinner, that is worth weighing. Children of elementary school age and above are welcome with a kids menu available, which makes this viable for family trips, though the price point and dress code suggest it works leading for adults.
The La Mer The Classic restaurant at the adjacent Shima Kanko Hotel The Classic (ground floor) operates the same dinner hours but also serves lunch (11:30 to 14:00, last order 13:30), with lunch prices in the JPY 10,000 to JPY 14,999 range. If the dinner price is a stretch, a lunch visit to The Classic is a practical way to access the same kitchen at roughly half the cost. Review-based spend at The Classic dinner tracks at JPY 30,000 to JPY 39,999, somewhat lower than The Bay Suites venue. Both properties share the same phone number (+81-599-43-1211) and allergy protocol.
Allergy requests must be submitted by reservation at least five days before your visit , same-day declarations may result in delays or inability to accommodate. The hotel can handle up to 28 designated allergen categories, but the kitchen is shared and trace contamination is possible. This is clearly communicated and worth reading if allergies are relevant to your group.
Getting here: the venue is a five-minute walk or two-minute shuttle bus ride from Kashikojima Station on the Kintetsu Limited Express line. Free parking is available on site for those driving. The Kintetsu Limited Express from Nagoya takes roughly two hours; from Osaka Namba, around two hours fifteen minutes. This is remote by Japanese dining standards, and the journey is part of the commitment. For food and travel enthusiasts building a western Japan itinerary, La Mer pairs naturally with a broader Mie exploration , see our full Mie restaurants guide for context, or browse our Mie hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide to build out your stay.
Booking La Mer
Booking difficulty is low relative to comparable restaurants in Japan's major cities. Unlike high-demand Tokyo counters such as Harutaka or Atomix in New York, La Mer does not require weeks of advance planning for most dates. Online reservations are available. The 100% cancellation fee for same-day cancellation (whether or not you contact the restaurant) is strict , confirm your travel plans before booking. Allergy requests require at least five days' notice, so book with enough lead time if this applies to your group. For weekend evenings during peak travel periods in Shima (spring cherry blossom season and the summer holiday period in particular), booking one to two weeks ahead is sensible.
Quick reference: Dinner 17:30–21:00 (L.O. 19:30), open year-round, smart casual dress code, 10% service charge, free parking, +81-599-43-1211.
How La Mer Compares in Mie
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Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I book La Mer?
A week or two advance notice is typically enough — La Mer does not carry the booking pressure of high-demand Tokyo counters. That said, online reservations are available and the cancellation policy is strict: 100% charge for no-shows and same-day cancellations. Book ahead to avoid losing your spot, and flag any dietary needs at least five days before your visit.
What should I wear to La Mer?
Smart casual is the stated dress code, and the venue enforces it at dinner: T-shirts, shorts, ripped jeans, and beach sandals are explicitly not permitted. A collared shirt or blouse with trousers or a dress covers the requirement. This is a hotel restaurant with ocean views and a Tabelog Bronze Award, so leaning slightly more formal than the minimum is the safer call.
Can La Mer accommodate groups?
Private rooms are not available at either the Bay Suites or The Classic location, and neither venue accepts private hire, so large groups will be seated in the main dining room. The Bay Suites location seats 88 (operating at reduced capacity); The Classic seats 196. Groups wanting a semi-private setup should check the venue's official channels — shared-space dining is the default format here.
Does La Mer handle dietary restrictions?
Yes, with conditions. The hotel has a documented allergy policy covering 28 specific ingredients, but all requests must be flagged at the time of reservation and no later than five days before your visit. Same-day declarations will be handled as best as possible but may cause delays. Note that dishes are prepared in a shared kitchen, so trace allergen exposure cannot be fully eliminated — guests with severe allergies should call ahead to discuss their specific situation.
Location
731 Agocho Shinmei, Shima, Mie 517-0502, Japan
Mie, Japan
Compare La Mer
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Mer | Easy | ||
| Hinode | Seafood | Unknown | |
| Komada | Sushi | Unknown | |
| Wadakin | Sukiyaki | Unknown | |
| Edo Machi Sugimoto | Sushi | JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999 | Unknown |
| Nikawa | Yakitori (Grilled chicken skewers), Creative | JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999 | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Mie for this tier.
Also Consider
- Hinode — Seafood, Seafood
- Komada — Sushi, Sushi
- Wadakin — Sukiyaki, Sukiyaki
- Edo Machi Sugimoto — Sushi, JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999
- Nikawa — Yakitori (Grilled chicken skewers), Creative, JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999
La Mer is the clear choice if French cuisine and a hotel dining room setting are what you want in Mie. Against Komada and Edo Machi Sugimoto in the sushi category, La Mer sits at a similar or higher price tier but offers a completely different format — a large-room French dinner service rather than an intimate counter. If you are weighing sushi versus French for a special occasion meal, the decision comes down to format preference rather than quality: both Komada and Edo Machi Sugimoto hold their own award credentials, but La Mer's consecutive Tabelog Bronze wins from 2017 through 2026 represent an unusually long track record of consistency for a restaurant this far outside a major city.
For value, Nikawa at JPY 15,000 to JPY 19,999 covers creative yakitori and is a more accessible entry point if the La Mer price point is a stretch. Hinode in the seafood category is the most direct competitor in ingredient focus, though it operates in a different cuisine format. If you specifically want Mie seafood without the French structure, Hinode may be a better fit. For the sukiyaki tradition, Wadakin is a separate category entirely and not a direct alternative to La Mer.
The honest comparison for La Mer is less about Mie peers and more about what you are willing to travel for. From Osaka or Nagoya, the Kintetsu journey to Kashikojima takes around two hours. La Mer's award consistency and ocean setting make that journey defensible for a food-focused trip to the Shima peninsula — but if you are not already planning to be in the area, HAJIME in Osaka or Gion Sasaki in Kyoto offer Michelin-tier dining without the detour. La Mer earns the trip when Mie itself is the destination.
Hours
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 17:30 - 21:00 L.O. 19:30
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