Restaurant in Mie, Japan
Tabelog-awarded French with a real ocean view.
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.
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 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 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.
For most dates, one to two weeks ahead is sufficient. La Mer is easier to book than French restaurants of comparable award standing in Tokyo or Osaka. Weekend evenings during Shima's peak travel seasons , spring and the August holiday period , can fill faster, so earlier is better then. If you have allergy requirements, book at least five days in advance as requests must be submitted at reservation time.
Smart casual is required at dinner. No T-shirts, shorts, ripped jeans, or beach sandals. Given the JPY 20,000 to JPY 29,999 price point and the hotel setting, err toward neat trousers and a collared shirt or equivalent. The lunch service at La Mer The Classic appears to follow the same standard , confirm when booking if you are coming straight from outdoor activities in Shima.
The Bay Suites venue seats 88 guests (currently operating at reduced capacity), so groups of reasonable size are practical here. Private rooms and exclusive venue hire are both unavailable, so large private events are not an option. For group bookings, contact the restaurant directly at +81-599-43-1211. Groups with allergy requirements need to notify at least five days before the visit.
The kitchen's stated emphasis is on fish and seafood, which makes sense given Mie's coastline and its reputation for premium seafood including Ise lobster. The wine program is a deliberate focus with a sommelier available, so pairing is worth exploring. Specific current menu items are not available in our data , check the restaurant's website at miyakohotels.ne.jp or call ahead for the current set menu format. For French seafood benchmarks at a global level, Le Bernardin in New York operates in the same culinary territory.
Yes, but with clear constraints. The hotel can accommodate up to 28 designated allergen categories, but allergy requests must be made by reservation at least five days before your visit. Same-day declarations may not be fully accommodatable. The kitchen is shared, so trace allergen exposure is possible. If your allergy is severe, the restaurant's own policy notes they may need to decline service for your safety. Contact +81-599-43-1211 or book via the hotel website to flag requirements at the time of reservation.
| 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.
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.
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.
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.
The database notes the kitchen is fish-focused, and the Bay Suites location's Tabelog description frames the menu around seafood. Both locations have a sommelier on staff and a wine-focused drinks list, so pairing through the sommelier is a practical move at JPY 20,000–29,999 per head for dinner. Specific dishes are not documented here — check the venue website or call +81-599-43-1211 for current menu details.
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.
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 17:30 - 21:00 L.O. 19:30
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