Most of the Spanish restaurants we list in Japan are in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Restaurante Estella is in Karuizawa, in Nagano Prefecture, which its own record describes as an upscale resort area one hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train. It is the only venue we list in the town.
This profile is drawn from the restaurant's own description in our directory. Where the record is silent, so are we.
What the restaurant says about itself
Estella calls itself a small restaurant offering authentic Spanish cuisine and local produce. It was founded in 2012.
The record describes the cooking as a mix of two sources: the finest imported Spanish ingredients, and produce sourced locally. The stated aim is dishes that capture the essence of Spain. The record does not name signature dishes, so we will not name any here.
The chef
The restaurant is run by owner-chef Sato. The record connects Sato with Restaurante Cabo Mayor in Madrid, and says the chef learned Spanish cooking methods from Javier Sierra, Carlos Valenti, Miguel Jiménez and Pedro Larumbe, described as maestro and mentors.
The restaurant also sets out how it thinks about its job. It says it wants more Japanese diners, and more tourists, to experience Spanish cuisine that does not deviate from the essentials.
Practical details
- Address: 11-16 Nakakaruizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano 389-0112.
- Lunch: 11:30 to 14:00, listed for every day of the week.
- Dinner: 17:30 to 20:30, listed for every day of the week.
- The listed dinner hours end at 20:30. Check the current hours before you travel.
See the listing on our Karuizawa page.
Spanish kitchens elsewhere in Japan, outside Tokyo
If you are travelling around Japan, these venues outside Tokyo also describe their chefs' or owners' links to Spanish cooking in their own records:
- El Jardin, Nagoya: chef and owner Keisuke Mutsuura trained in restaurant kitchens throughout Spain, and the record names paella and caldoso made with seafood.
- Bodega El Lagar, Kyoto: a small restaurant owned by a married couple with more than 20 years of experience in Spanish cuisine, cooking dishes from different regions of Spain.
- Rias by Kokotxa, Ise-Shima, Mie: New Basque cooking inspired by the culinary philosophy of San Sebastián chef Daniel Lopez, using seafood and produce from the region.
Our guide to Spanish restaurants in Japan beyond Tokyo covers more of them, and every listing is on our Japan page.
