Heianraku in Takayama

Fantastic food and service. Owners were very friendly. Best to make reservations before visit. Highly recommend !! :)

Actually the best experience I've ever had with any restaurant. Hospitality is way over any imaginable expectation, meals so delicious and owners impossibly great people. I recommend to everyone.

Wonderful family run restaurant with amazing food and personal service. Great vegan options and understanding of different dietary requirements. A must visit. Also extremely reasonable cost and a great ambience. The set menu was amazing and they did a vegan version for myself and a meat version for my partner to accommodate us both. The food is highly recommended and the gyoza were out of this world. The sake tasting was also very informative and interesting. Booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.

Very friendly couple. Made sure our dining experience was the best that they can offer. Not surprised it's number 1 on tripadvisor. Highly recommended!

This was by far the best restaurant in more than 30 days in Asia. It is small and cozy, so be prepared to make a reservation or arrive early. The owners are SUPER welcoming and nice, and they actually do the food too in front of you! Ask for suggestions because there are many options. Very good place to vegan and vegetarian people too.Awesome! Wish we have one more day here to comeback!

Excellent food and service...and reasonable price.

Try the sake if you go there, it's delicious ! The staff is just incredibly nice and helpful. I spoke Japanese but I heard them speak perfect English with other guests.The vegetarian options were my favorite part, absolutely delicious !

Absolutely love this cosy restaurant with the two great hosts. The owners serves great chinese dishes that just brings warmth to the soul on a bitter and wet freezing cold day. Though some may think it's simple fare but each dish had its natural flavours balanced and brought out to its very best. service is personal and impeccable. Highly recommend the gyoza as well as the Yaki Miso with Egg together with a bowl of steaming warm rice. Hida Miso Ramen here was awesome on a cold day, bringing warmth to our cold body. May I say, the home brewed umeshu is delicious!!! ** Edited to add: MUST TRY THE HOME MADE BLACK SESAME SOY MILK PUDDING!!!!

It was THE BEST. The best meal we have had in Japan and the owners are lovely! Even went on their honeymoon to the suburb we live in in Australia.

I was delighted to run across this great, intimate “slow food” restaurant run by a husband and wife, that serves vegetarian and meat dishes, and caters to celiacs (gluten-free) as well as to Buddhists (food without garlic and onions). The offerings include gyoza dumplings and a menu of traditional dishes. Both dishes (mixed stir fry and gyoza) I ordered tasted delicious and the ingredients were very fresh. There are only 2 tables and a long counter with chairs facing the kitchen. The couple who run the restaurant are the sweetest, nicest people ever and make you feel like a guest. This creates a great atmosphere inside of warmth and relaxation. I heard the other people complementing their food also. While waiting for my meal I was brought hot tea and vegetable appetizers and hot broth... I’m happy restaurants like this still exist...

Our family had a good time here two weeks ago. Relaxing vibe and the amazing meatballs. Highly recommended!

Really nice fresh food, cooked in front of you with absolutely amazing hosts/owners! Possibly the nicest, most welcoming people we've ever met. They adored our two kids, spoilt them with making origami together, chocolates, signing their name in the atlas etc. Also had a lot of vegetarian options for those that way inclined.

We were the last customers, on a auspicious Japanese day(winter solstice), we were showered with desserts, jasmine teas and mostly the warmth of the couple running the shop. Food is cooked in front of you. It gives you a warm home cooked feeling. Go there and have good food and great hospitality.

Great place to eat, and an absolute must if you or your family have any type of dietary restrictions. My wife is a celiac, and it's the first place we're we could order a proper homemade meal with absolute trust. We were so delighted that we booked for the following day before even before finishing our dinner. For the extra mile, the couple operating the place are absolutely wonderful, nice and attentive people. If there were six stars, they would deserve it. Thanks!!!

An amazing experience. Highly recommended. Heianraku not only has delicious high quality home made style food but also is managed by two incredibly kind and welcoming hosts. I really recommend the local potato dish called koimo. It's super yummy.

Very good food and they were super nice!! Very English friendly and overall a great vibe!!

If you’re planning a trip to Takayama you have to come here! The owners are lovely and we felt at home as soon as we walked through the door. The food is amazing, I’d recommend the vegetarian set for 2 and the homemade plum wine. One of the best vegetarian meals we have eaten in Japan.

Wonderful hosts. Delicious food. A must visit restaurant in takayama especially for vegetarian/ vegan. A lot of options. Nice and comfy place for great food. Please reserve before you visit as they have very limited slots ( takes 5 people for every half hour).

What a find! Food was amazing and what wonderful entertaining hosts. So warm and friendly. Great for anyone with any dietary requirements. All meals cooked to individual dietary requirements so graciously.

It stays open on New Years Eve and New Years. It serves great Chinese Food. The best is their Gyoza. It's served piping hot and fresh the way they should be. Its run by a couple and the woman is very friendly and informative. She is able to speak in many languages.

The place is great, a bit small but great. Great local food and the hosts they are asking a little too many questions, like where you from and so on, but are very kind and are always smiling. higly reccomended.

No.1 restaurant in TripAdvisor. Eat here almost everyday when we visited in Jan and Dec 2015. It's where the local eats and drinks! Owned by a cute couple. Wife always wear a kimono. 3rd generation to runs it.The ambience of this small restaurant is super nice. Very vintage and old school. And the food they serve is yummy!Best gyoza I had in the whole JapanPrice is reasonable.

Extremely friendly couple that ensures that your meal will be the best experience. What they serve is not just food, they also serve a homely experience.For me it was like going to Grandma's and my time there was nothing but comfortable and enjoyable.Please visit this place for yourself if you ever find yourself in Takayama

Amazing experience and more than excellent customer service. The food was amazing and the owners made us feel like at home. Definitely, you must visit them if you are around Takayama, speechless experience.

Today, we're more vigilant about vegan, local and/or organic food. It's important, but yet the most important thing is forgotten: love. Places where food is cooked with love are even more difficult to find. This place is one of the few of them. Food, service, atmosphere, everything here is full of love. My best dining experience in Japan. "Thank you very much." :)

We had the most amazing experience here. Food is really delicious with vegan and vegetarian options. The hosts running the place are supremely gracious and welcoming. Must visit if you are in Takayama. We can’t thank enough the lady host for being so kind and welcoming, she made our day and we had a memorable meal here...

Best dining experience we have had in Japan, loved every minute. The food was top notch, every part of the dinner we had was delicious. Most of all the hosts were so welcoming and kind, made us feel right at home.

This is the best place to eat, the food is delicious and makes you feel at home, try the Hiroshi's special Black sesame pudding. Naoko-san and Hiroshi-San are amazing and wonderful people, I wish I can go there again soon.

A good ending for the night in Takayama. A must-come place to feel the warmest hospitality from a couple who serves the great local food n Japanese style Chinese food~~Super super delicious!

Inexpensive set meal (900¥) with staff which speaks very good English. They also care about food allergies. You nay choose your meal according to your food preferences instead of selecting a specific dish.

Amazing food and a the most kind and heartwarming host. It’s a tiny mom and pop restaurant, the wife speaks amazing English and she’s super kind.The food is also incredible. Best tofu of the entire trip. The meatballs are delicious.I would highly recommend. Make a reservation prior to arriving in Takayama as it is often sold out.

Forget about everything you know about good hospitality. This is what I call a 5-star treatment. The restaurant is managed by a very cute couple that makes you fill like part of their family, taking your dining experience to another level.

Last night we had the best dining experience in Japan. Lady was so hospitable, kind and amazing. We ate delicious ramen, homemade almond pudding as dessert and you must try their homemade plum wine! She brought a World Atlas and we marked where we are from. It was so cool place to it! When she was saying good bye to us she gave us a chocolate bars for all of us to go home safe and not hungry at all. Lovely lady!

Must book the day before you go, there are only 2 tables and a couple counter spaces. The owners are so lovely and understanding with vegan and vegetarian needs. Practically everything has a vegan/veggie alternative. We had the curry ramen (both veggie and normal) with gyoza each and they were all amazing. At the end we were given a very full world map to add ourselves to, along with some origami to keep and lots of chocolate biscuits. Had a very nice time and would definitely go back.

Absolutely lovely couple that run this traditional restaurant. We tried pretty much everything and have to say the hospitality is outstanding as is their cuisine. Definitely local and provides a calm ambience away from any remaining crowds. We can only recommend this place!P.s. I got the ramen and Gyoza and they were awesome.

Very authentic, local, small restaurant where a Japanese couple serve delicious Chinese food. Any dietary wishes can be satisfied on the spot and you get the feeling the whole experience revolves around you.A lot of reviews state how nice the owners are, this can not be said enough. After our dinner, the husband insisted on driving us back to our hotel. I have never experienced hospitality on this level before. I would give 6 stars if I could.

Best food we've had in Japan so far. They put in a lot of effort to make each person's experience individual, and it's all incredible value for money. Get in quick before they (rightfully) double the prices.

The ratings/reviews speak for themselves - chinese dishes with a japanese twist/interpretation. Somewhat simple(ish) dishes but so well executed - very tasty and value for money. Service and customer interaction is amazing and they really go out of the way to make you feel welcomed / get to know you. Left with happy stomachs and happy hearts - thanks for the great dining experience!

An amazing experience! The owners were so nice and speak great English. I would 100% visit again. The food was also amazing.

Very, very good service and food is even better. Run by an old couple, wife speaks good English, husband ok too

Best Chinese food we've ever had and the food highlight of our trip. The service was amazing and heartwarming, so nice! The pricing was very reasonable. Extremely accommodating of dietary restrictions. Simply perfect. Highly recommend making a reservation a day in advance (we did it via their facebook page)

Generous portions at an extremely reasonable price. For 1,000 yen you'll get a set menu including a delicious starter, soup and main. I got the fried chicken and found it to be some of the best fried chicken I've had in quite a while. Double-fried to perfection, tender and packed with flavor. The cherry on top is the hospitality of the lovely couple running the place. Truly genuine people, real smiles, constantly cheery and willing to help. They went the extra mile to even thank us for visiting one day later over Facebook messenger (who does that!) just proving how much they appreciate each visitor. Do yourself a favor and visit them as soon as possible.

Lovely in every way! Excellent food and Hiroshi and Naoko do everything to make you feel at home and enjoy your dinner as much as you possibly could. Best place to go in Takayama! Thank you so much ♡

Come here, and it will feel like coming home. The couple who runs this place feel like they are your travel mama and papa; they are friendly, curious, and hospitable, never over bearing, and genuiny sweet. They also clearly love interacting with their diners. Oh, and the food is top notch. Every component of every dish receives thought and care, and it shows. In some ways, this looks and feels like a home-cooked meal in unassuming hole-in-the-wall kind of place (to be clear, the atmosphere is warm and homey), but the food is waayyy beyond what most people can cook at home and truly wonderful.

the BEST meal we had in Japan during our three week stay in the country. A little mom and pop shop with INCREDIBLE food and service. It was so good we made our whole group come back the next night!!! We had a lot of different items from the menu over the two nights we went and seriously everything was incredible. A MUST GO if you're in Takayama!!!

Gluten Free Heaven! The owners are lovely people and Naoko is a nutritionist so coeliac’s can eat safe here!Be sure to ask if she has any of her home made Umeshu and order the gyoza and black sesame pudding!!!

We came because of reviews and were not disappointed. The food is great. The hostess is the friendliest person on the planet. They also have vegetarian and gluten free for those with eating disorders. We had set for 2 with fired chicken and pork meat balls. Chicken was good. Pork gyoza and meat Nalda were excellent.

An amazing meal! The food was reasonably priced and so delicious, and the hosts were so welcoming. Be sure to make a reservation in advance as the restaurant is very popular!

Food is delicious, perfect for vegans and vegetarians. The owners (mama and papa) were welcoming and very accommodating, i felt like i was at home. They also speak very good english! Would recommend if you are visiting Takayama.

If you choose one place to eat in Takayama, this is it. The service and friendliness of the owners and each delicious and unique dish set it apart from other restaurants. From the moment we stepped into the cozy restaurant we were greeted with such warmth. The restaurant was fun to be in with so many interesting items on display. The menu had many options to please vegans, vegetarians and non-vegetarians.We opted for the 2 person meal set which came with appetizer, salad, soup, plus 2 main dishes of our choice and fried rice, finished by a flavorful Almond dessert and tea. We found all the dishes to be delicious.The Umeshu plum wine was homemade along with some other condiments. So nice!!!I’m always looking for the vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants in Japan. I found great one!