Akordu

Akordu in Nara holds two Michelin stars and a premise worth the trip on its own: modern Spanish cuisine filtered through Nara's ancient food culture. Chef Kawashima Hiroki works with Yamato vegetables, wild herbs foraged from surrounding mountains, Yoshino cedar-smoked fish, and local agricultural products, shaping them with pintxos-style plating and Spanish technique. The open kitchen lets you watch the process from a sleek, contemporary dining room. Wine pairing skews toward Spanish and natural bottles chosen to complement the ingredient focus. The restaurant sits at the edge of Nara Park, so deer wander within view. Reservations book out several weeks in advance.