Restaurant in Nikaho, Japan
Akita's only serious French option. Book ahead.
Remède nikaho is the only French fine dining destination in Nikaho and earns Tabelog Bronze Awards in both 2025 and 2026 alongside selection for Tabelog French EAST Top 100. Dinner runs JPY 20,000–29,999 per head in a 16-seat house restaurant with Sea of Japan-sourced ingredients. Book at least a week ahead for weekends; lunch at JPY 10,000–14,999 is the best entry point for first-timers.
If you're comparing French dining options in rural Akita, Remède nikaho is the clear answer — there is no comparable alternative in Nikaho itself. More usefully, it holds its own against urban French restaurants in Japan's major cities: a Tabelog Bronze Award in both 2025 and 2026, a Tabelog score of 3.92, and selection for Tabelog French EAST "Tabelog 100" 2025 put it in the same conversation as award-winning French restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka. For a 16-seat house restaurant in a small coastal city between Akita and Yamagata, that credential is worth paying attention to.
Remède nikaho opened in April 2018 and operates out of what is described as a house restaurant with a garden entrance — look for the stone wall sign reading "Sankyo Holdings" or "Sankyo Club" at the front. The main dining room holds 16 seats, with a private room available for up to 8 guests (horigotatsu-style sunken seating, with a 500 yen per person surcharge). The space is described as stylish and relaxing with spacious seating , more intimate country-house than urban fine dining box. For a first-timer, expect a quieter, more personal atmosphere than you'd find at a Tokyo French restaurant of comparable standing. Private use for up to 20 people is also available, which makes it a workable venue for exclusive events.
The kitchen's identity is built around Akita's local ingredients, with a particular focus on fish , Nikaho sits on the Sea of Japan coast, which matters for what lands on the plate. The approach is French cuisine filtered through hyperlocal Akita sourcing. A 10% service charge applies, and dinner runs JPY 20,000–29,999 per head based on review data; lunch comes in at JPY 10,000–14,999. Both sessions are course format. For context: at those dinner prices, you are in the same bracket as mid-tier omakase and kaiseki in Tokyo , the question is whether the cooking justifies the destination. The award record suggests it does.
The wine program is taken seriously , a sommelier is on staff, the list is described as wine-focused, and BYO is accepted with a corkage fee of JPY 3,000 per bottle (including tax and service). Sake and shochu are also available. Dinner operates on a one-drink minimum per guest. For groups bringing their own bottles, factor the corkage into your per-head budget.
Booking is reservation-only and must be made at least one day in advance; online reservations are accepted via the restaurant's own booking site at remede.jp. Given the small room and award recognition, booking a week or more ahead is sensible for weekends, though availability is generally easier than equivalent-rated restaurants in Tokyo. The cancellation policy is strict: 50% fee two days out, 70% one day out, 100% same-day. Group bookings trigger 100% cancellation fees from three days prior, so don't hold a tentative reservation speculatively.
Getting here requires some planning. By car, it's roughly five minutes from Nikaho IC , exit the interchange, go straight, turn left at the end, and the restaurant appears after the first traffic light on your right. Parking is free, with 25 spaces across the road in the TDK Health Insurance Gymnasium parking lot. By train, it's about 10 minutes on foot from JR Nikaho Station. From Akita Airport, allow approximately 45 minutes by car. If you're combining this with a broader Akita itinerary, see our full Nikaho restaurants guide and our full Nikaho hotels guide for accommodation and dining context nearby.
See the comparison section below for how Remède nikaho stacks up against French and fine dining peers in Japan.
If you're building a broader Japan fine dining itinerary, Remède nikaho sits in an interesting position geographically. It's well off the Michelin-mapped Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka axis, which means far less competition for tables and a distinctly different sourcing story. For French technique applied to Tohoku ingredients, this is a specific proposition you won't replicate in a city restaurant. For comparison with other regional Japanese fine dining destinations, see affetto akita in Akita and akordu in Nara. For fish-forward French cooking at the highest level internationally, Le Bernardin in New York City remains the reference point. Within Japan, Goh in Fukuoka and Gion Sasaki in Kyoto offer useful comparisons for award-level regional restaurants that take local sourcing seriously. See also our Nikaho bars guide, Nikaho wineries guide, and Nikaho experiences guide to plan the rest of your visit.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Remède nikaho | — | |
| HAJIME | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Harutaka | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| L'Effervescence | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| RyuGin | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| HOMMAGE | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
How Remède nikaho stacks up against the competition.
Yes, up to 20 people seated and 30 standing for private hire. A private room (horigotatsu sunken seating) is available for up to 8 people at an additional 500 yen per person (minimum 2,000 yen for groups of 4 or more). For group cancellations, 100% fees apply from 3 days out, so commit only when the plan is firm.
The database does not document specific dietary accommodation policies, so check the venue's official channels via remede.jp before booking. What is confirmed: a children's menu at 3,000 yen exists for children aged 6 and under, and a shorter course option is available for children aged 7 and older — so the kitchen does adapt formats when notified in advance.
Book at least one day in advance as an absolute minimum, but given the 16-seat capacity and Tabelog Bronze status for both 2025 and 2026, booking further ahead is advisable — especially for weekends. Online reservations are available through remede.jp. Note the cancellation policy: same-day no-shows incur a 100% fee, so treat this as a firm commitment once made.
There are no comparable French or fine dining alternatives within Nikaho itself. If you're willing to travel within Akita prefecture, options broaden — but Remède nikaho's Tabelog score of 3.92 and selection for the Tabelog French EAST Top 100 in 2025 put it well above typical regional competition. For the Tohoku region, it is the most credentialled French option on Tabelog's published rankings.
Yes — the restaurant explicitly supports celebrations, including birthday plates, and the private horigotatsu room works well for parties wanting separation from the main 16-seat dining room. The dinner price of JPY 20,000–29,999 per head (plus 10% service charge) matches the spend level most people associate with a milestone meal. BYO is also permitted with a 3,000 yen corkage fee per bottle, which is useful if you want to bring something particular.
Lunch at JPY 10,000–14,999 is roughly half the cost of dinner (JPY 20,000–29,999) and runs noon to 14:30. If your priority is value, lunch is the stronger choice. Dinner adds the one-drink minimum requirement and runs until 22:00, suiting those who want a longer, more structured evening. Both share the same Tabelog-recognised kitchen, so the quality differential is price and format, not substance.
Smart casual is the stated recommendation. The restaurant specifically asks guests to avoid beach sandals for all, sleeveless tops for men, and bra tops worn as outerwear for women. It also requests guests skip heavy perfumes or hair products to preserve the aromas of the food and drink — a practical note given the enclosed dining environment and 16-seat room size.
Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun, Public Holiday, Day before public holiday 12:00 - 14:30 18:30 - 22:00
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