Japanese
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. 民荟食事 family-style restaurant using local produce. Vegetarian options stated on menu, most of these are vegan suitable but check with staff. The vegetarian hot pot is vegan. Some English spoken. Open Mon 11:00am-3:00pm, 5:00pm-9:00pm, Thu-Sun 11:00am-3:00pm, 5:00pm-9:00pm. Last orders 2pm and 8pm.


Venue map for Suzuya
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25 Reviews

First Review by lavender25

ghansman

Points +1043

Vegan
21 Jul 2024

Come hungry, leave happy

Excellent dining experience in Takayama. A few vegetarian/vegan main dishes on the menu, as well as some appetizers. Staff are attentive (without being too much), and super friendly. I had the vegetarian hotpot with udon noodles added, along with an appetizer of different pickles. I needed help finishing everything - it was all super yummy, as well as filling! Good selection of sakes and other drinks too.

A reviewer below posted about a negative experience. It doesn't reflect my experience at this restaurant at all. (Perhaps she had unrealistic expectations for mid-afternoon dinning in a country where it is typical that restaurants shut down for a few hours been lunch and dinner rushes.)

kavinj

Points +13

Vegetarian
11 May 2024

Worse experience in Japan in the last 2 weeks

We’d the worst experience in Japan in this restaurant. It was the loudest restaurant we’ve been in Japan. Full of tourists who came in buses and the Japanese waiters who even louder than them (unlike any Japanese we’ve seen). Before we entered the place they did tell us that they will shut at 2:30. While our little son was eating at 2:30 they told us to stop eating and leave the place. That we thought was so rude and so not hospitable. Food wasn’t bad but be ready to take an unauthentic Japanese experience in this small town.

Pros: Decent food, Just a good show out up for tourist, Cant think of any

Cons: Full of group tourist, Not interested in solo or small family , Loud, noisy and very rude

ghansman

21 Jul 2024

Hmm. You were told ahead of time that the places closes at 2:30, and you're upset because ... the place closed at 2:30 ? It's not uncommon in Japan for restaurants to shut completely for an afternoon break. Staff go home, and/or are otherwise no longer working. Based upon what you write above, it seems to me that the issue is a tourist's sense of entitlement - not the restaurant and its hard working staff.

Marcel76

Points +23

Mostly Veg
28 Apr 2024

Veggie choices available

Small choice of vegetarian dishes available. Good food and friendly staff.

GayaBenSira

Points +52

Vegetarian
15 Apr 2024

Loved this place!

There were 2 vegan options for main dishes, I took the nave option. It was large, filling, very delicious.
The host is one of the most charismatic and lively people we’ve met.
There will be a line outside probably, be prepared.

Pros: The food, The atmosphere , The staff

maxgarciau

Points +40

Vegan
03 Apr 2024

you CAN make a reservation!

NOTE: this is not a review about the food! Just a tip for other travellers!

We were told that we couldn’t make a reservation on their website/google, but you definitely can - we went and they were fully booked out and a bunch of tourists had made the same mistake as us. Try their Japanese website instead of their English one for more up to date info. Especially on weekends/busy nights.

Theo74130

Points +84

Vegan
20 Oct 2023

Meilleure expérience en restau de ma vie

Accueillant, drôle, humain, rapide, délicieux. Toutes les cases sont cochées pour ce restaurant atypique. Le cadre, le personnel, les plats, vous êtes totalement coupé du temps et passé un excellent moment de découverte. J'ai pris le plat végétarien et je n'ai pas cherché à savoir s'il y avait du poisson ou non dans le bouillon. Ça fait une semaine que je n'ai rien mangé de correct, je laisserai ce combat pour quelqu'un d'autre. Quoi qu'il en soit je vous la conseille. Si il pleut et que vous attendez dehors, pensez à un parapluie car l'abri est un peu de fortune haha

Pros: Personnel, Plat, Cadre

Annanascomosus

Points +37

Vegetarian
20 Oct 2023

Delicious!

Food was tasty, healthy and quick! Owners are super friendly. Well worth the wait!

Pros: Tasty, Friendly

Cons: 30 min waiting time

Happyerica

Points +21

Vegetarian
10 Aug 2023

Excellent food and great atmosphere

Just great! Was able to have dinner with my family (half is vegetarian half is not) and we all got good Japanese food which is a rare thing in Japan. I enjoyed the hotpot and my daughter the veggie & tofu miso roast. Atmosphere is great; staff is really engaging. All in all: definitely recommend.

glickmd

Points +152

Vegan
16 May 2023

Delicious local cuisine

Hoba miso and wild vegetable soup were both delicious. Not common to find vegan versions of these local dishes, so it was nice to be able to try them here.

Updated from previous review on 2023-05-16

Pros: Local, fresh cuisine, Nice portions, Friendly staff

Cons: Limited vegan options, A little pricey

AlexBates

Points +42

Vegan
23 Jan 2023

Beautiful atmosphere and lovely staff

One of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had. The staff were so lovely and accommodating and the food was delicious. A really exciting and traditional eating experience for any foodies.

BrianPak

Points +566

Vegan
25 Nov 2022

Hot pot on cold day

Very filling meal on a cold day. Staff were very friendly and accommodating to my vegan needs. No Dashi!

Pros: Vegetarian/vegan options

VernaAu

Points +54

Vegetarian
12 Nov 2022

Delicious, friendly experience

The restaurant was able to accomodate us at an early time slot as they had tour groups for the evening from 7. We were able to pre-order and had Vegetarian Yaki (vegan miso). Would love to go again!

Pros: Vegan options, Great atmosphere, Helpful friendly staff

Cons: Limited menu options

Hanna3933

Points +1000

Vegan
23 Jul 2022

I like Hoba-miso!🌿

They're kind staffs and tasty Takayama foods!✨
Hoba-miso was good and I like those smells!

DeanneFerguson

Points +145

Vegan
23 Jan 2021

All round a wonderful experience

The owners were super lovely and the food amazing, I highly recommend going here if your in Takayama.

brrrandl3s

Points +303

Vegan
07 Oct 2020

Delicious MISO!

No dashi and staff understand veganism! I love this restaurant because it’s one of the only places in Takayama where you can eat more local/traditional dishes. Plus the staff are so super friendly and always offer to take your picture while your miso is cooking over the little fire.
Because we were there during an off peak time and because of COVID the city wasn’t as busy as it usually is, because of this we think restaurant times aren’t accurate so I would call before arriving.

Pros: Staff understand veganism, Great flavour, Local cuisine

Cons: Menu could be slightly more clear IMO

Nana123

Points +410

Vegan
10 Nov 2019

No dashi!

Lovely little place with a few vegan items on the menu. The staff are knowledgeable and dashi can be switched out for a vegetarian option on request (which is even mentioned on the menu). The atmosphere was cosy and they explained all the components of our meal to us. Would definitely recommend it.

Pros: Knowledgeable, helpful staff , Dashi-free options

Floor86

Points +17

Vegetarian
12 Oct 2019

Friendly & cozy place

Cute little restaurant. The food was good, not too fancy but good. The staff is very friendly and even knows a few words in your country’s language to make you feel at home.

Rombout67

Points +121

Vegan
13 Jul 2019

Nice atmosphere, friendly, but very small portions

Very warm welcome, friendly accommodating staff. The vegan/vegetarian options are little and what’s more, very small portions

Pros: Friendly

Cons: Too small portions for us

Kirtana

Points +32

Vegan
04 Jul 2019

Fun traditional Takayama restaurant with vegan options

We had a blast at this place. Service was excellent! We weren’t ravenous so the two dishes we shared were perfect. We had the vegetarian miso soup which you boiled at the table filled with mountain vegetables and tofu and the vegetables and tofu atop miso paste that you grill on top of a leaf. It came with one side of rice and a tiny bit of edamame. If I went again I would maybe ask if I could pay for more tofu added. Definitely recommend for a fun traditional experience. It also wasn’t smokey when we went but people are grilling meat so that might bother someone.

Pros: Fresh local vegetables , Friendly service , Fun experience

Cons: Meat heavy restaurant

LizSwinton

Points +131

Vegan
10 Jan 2019

Fabulous food experience

We dined here in the depths of winter and very much appreciated the cosy atmosphere, interesting decor and warm, inviting environment. This is a traditional style Japanese restaurant and the majority of the dishes are cooked by the diner, at the table. The English speaking waitress was very helpful in guiding us to the vegan options in the menu, and suggested adding noodles to the hotpot as well as the mound of vegetables. We were pleasantly surprised at the freshness of the vegetables on offer, considering the season. We chose edamame, French fries, vegetable hot pot with in house veggie based miso and a bbq style veggie plate. It was all delicious. Highly recommend.

Pros: Great food experience cooking at the table, Vegan options, Charming and English speaking staff

Fresus

Points +113

Vegan
02 Oct 2018

Very nice staff, good takayama experience

It's a typical japanese restaurant, with a very friendly staff.
I had the vegan nabemono (some veggies and tofu cooked on the table in a broth). It included "edible mountain plants", so basically some green veggies I never had before. It was good, but not exceptional.
They also serve Hida beef, so it's a good place to go in Takayama if you're with non-vegs who want to try it.

PaulaDadic

Points +13

Vegetarian
12 Aug 2018

Good traditional food for meat eaters who are travelling with vegies

They were able to cater for all. The food was very tasty and felt authentic. Surprisingly the vegie dish on a leaf was very tasty too. The staff were friendly.

sp13490

Points +106

Vegan
25 Oct 2017

Delicious vegetable hot pot

I believe I paid about 1400 yen for a personal vegetable hot pot. It was really delicious and the staff were very helpful with explaining everything and ensuring we were happy! The novelty of cooking at the table was exciting. My non veggie companions also enjoyed their meals but some dishes were pretty expensive.

We sat at a traditional Japanese table a little bit out of the way of the main restaurant, a lot of the rest of the restaurant was taken up by a big tour group so we were grateful for the peaceful alcove.

Pros: Helpful staff , Nice atmosphere

Cons: Limited options , A little expensive

CaitL

Points +111

Vegetarian
22 Jul 2017

Fantastic food and helpful staff

This place is lovely, very helpful staff, knew what vegetarian means, clarified no fish stock etc. Very helpful in how to eat hotpot. Great for dining with non-veggies. Would recommend for traditional Japanese style food.

lavender25

Points +292

Vegan
06 Apr 2017

do not recommend

My partner accidentally ordered a non-vegetarian item and we realized before it got to us so we canceled it right away. The hot pots are listed as costing over 3,000 so we assumed it would be enough to share but it was just a tiny bowl of mostly mushrooms, not even on a separate plate like normal hotpot. After the confusion the waitress avoided our table and someone brought our check over before they finished delivering our food. My partner thinks it was them asking us to leave as soon as possible. They refilled the tea glasses of all the tables around us but skipped ours even though I finished my tea within 2 minutes of arriving. I noticed they didn't deliver the check to the table next to us until they were finished eating. Do not go here. Plenty of better places in the area.




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