On May 28, Hotel New Akao (1993-250, Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture) opened to the media for the first time its new “Main Dining Nishiki Terrace Area,” which will be open only during the summer season.
The new restaurant will be attached to the existing buffet restaurant, Main Dining Nishiki, and will be the hotel’s first terrace where guests can enjoy meals outdoors. Located along the shore of Nishikigaura, a scenic spot in Atami, the restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine using ingredients from Izu and Shizuoka prefectures while enjoying the view of Sagaminada Sea, the sound of waves, and the sea breeze directly in front of the restaurant.
Hotel New Akao is currently undergoing a major renovation in stages from this spring through February 2027, and the opening of the “Main Dining Nishiki Terrace Area” is the first phase of the project.
Hotel general manager Noboru Kume, referring to Hotel New Akao’s history of more than 50 years with its spectacular scenery, introduced the terrace area, saying, “The sound of the waves, the smell of the ocean, and the breezes that seem to rise from the sea, all can be enjoyed as part of the dining experience.
The restaurant also emphasizes a system that allows guests to transition directly from activities such as the ocean pool adjacent to the terrace to dining, and is enthusiastic about “creating a space where guests can seamlessly enjoy everything from ‘fun’ to ‘food’ as part of a new The hotel is enthusiastic about “proposing a new kind of stay in a space where you can seamlessly enjoy everything from ‘fun’ to ‘food'”.
The hotel is open not only to hotel guests but also to visitors, including tourists and local residents of Atami, and the message was sent that “we hope you will enjoy this special space,” which will be open only during the summer season, “with all your senses.
The menu is a la carte and includes, for example, “Spaghettini with Aji Aji from Sagami Bay and Anchovies” (2,200 yen), “Margherita Pinsa with Fresh Mozzarella from Kodawari Milk” (2,300 yen), “Izu Lemon Tartar Mozzarella Burger” (2,300 yen), “Shizuoka Sodachi Beef Tagliata with Amagi Wasabi Abbinamento” (2,980 yen).
The appetizer menu to be enjoyed with drinks and the after-dinner dolce also incorporate plenty of local brand-name ingredients and seasonal fruits.
According to Executive Chef Goh Fukudome, the menu was inspired by the spectacular view of the Hotel New Akao, which is called a “unique location. The “textures” of the dishes are also a key point of interest, with “crunchy and crispy textures associated with the cliffs that rise up in front of you” being used to accentuate the dishes.
Pinsa, a pizza-like dish that can be easily picked up and eaten, is also characterized by its crispy texture. The terrace area is “like a secret base,” he said, promoting the marriage of space and cuisine.
The terrace area is open from 11:00 to 16:30 (last order 16:00) and is basically used as a lunch or cafe. However, the restaurant also focuses on a “drinking menu” that can be enjoyed during the daytime.
In addition to the standard menu of craft beers, wines, limoncello and mocktails, the hotel’s original craft gin “SEACLIFF HOTEL NEW AKAO EDITION” has been developed for the opening of the terrace.
It is a collaboration with SEACLIFF Atami Distillery, the only sake brewery in Atami City, and although colorless and transparent in appearance, it has a botanical flavor with subtle hints of Atami habanori, Atami orange, Shizuoka tea, and Shizuoka lemon, which are uniquely blended.
It can be enjoyed on the rocks or with soda (900 yen each), or as a cocktail such as a gin and tonic (1,200 yen) or Negroni (1,320 yen).
The location on the precipitous cliff, the sound of the waves, and the mild climate of Izu all combine to make you feel as if you are “having lunch in Amalfi.
According to Michio Kamaya of SEACLIFF Atami Distillery, Habanori is “a very rare seaweed that can be found right there, under that cliff, for only about one week a year,” and he describes the taste of the original gin as “a citrus aroma, with a soft sencha flavor and a slight minerality in the aftertaste that only seaweed can give. It has a citrus aroma, a soft sencha flavor, and a slight aftertaste of minerals unique to seaweed.
He also mentioned the hand-applied label with an embossed and hidden map of the area where the hotel is located, and the bottle’s attention to detail with its beautiful glass stopper, and invited the guests to “taste it with this location.
The terrace area has a total of 20 seats. The restaurant will be open only during the summer season, and will be open from June 1 to September 30, 2026. Business hours are from 11:00 to 16:30 (last order 16:00). In case of rain, visitors will be guided to indoor seating in the “Main Dining Nishiki”.
© Source travel watch