Did you know there’s a restaurant very close to the Bikan Historical Area where you can enjoy dinner by candlelight?
Creative French cuisine enjoyed in the gentle glow of more than 100 candles is perfect for celebrating a special occasion.
Introducing Candle Taku Watanabe-tei, a restaurant for special-occasion dinners such as wedding anniversaries, as well as marriage proposals.
The information provided was current when this article was published in March 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A space where you can relax surrounded by the glow of more than 100 candles
Candle Taku Watanabe-tei is a space where Japanese and Western styles come together, in a storehouse dating back to the Taisho era.
It opened in 2015 as a candle dining restaurant where guests can enjoy a meal surrounded by the gentle glow of candles.
As soon as you take your seat, you’ll be captivated by the beautiful candlelit space.
There are more than 100 candles inside the restaurant.
▼The striking chandelier in the center alone uses 40 candles.
You can enjoy the glow of candles in a variety of colors and shapes as you dine.
The candlelit space feels like a private room, making it easy for the two of you to enjoy a lively conversation.
Dinner course menu at Candle Taku Watanabe-tei
At Candle Taku Watanabe-tei, creative French cuisine is prepared by a chef with 39 years of experience who previously worked at “Tokyo Sheraton Bay.”
The dinner menu is renewed every two months, so you can always enjoy dishes brimming with seasonal ingredients.
On the day of our visit, we ordered the chef’s choice course.
Dinner prices start at ¥6,000, including tax.
The “Venison Carpaccio with Beetroot Ravigote Sauce” features venison from Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture, with a red ravigote sauce. There’s yogurt sauce beneath the baby corn, and its subtle tartness whets the appetite.
The “Shirako Wrapped in Potato with Browned Butter” has a crisp outer layer of finely shredded potato, with soft, creamy shirako inside.
The browned butter sauce has a hint of wasabi, showing the care taken with every detail.
The “Mussel and Chorizo Soup” is a tomato cream soup made with a mussel base.
It contains tteokbokki and chorizo for an extra kick, and the combination of moderate spiciness and the soft texture of the tteokbokki was excellent.
It was also delicious with the eight-grain baguette and homemade milk bread.
The “Mushroom Duxelles and Amadai with Banana Coulis and Spice Essence” comes with three sauces. A mixture of finely chopped mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms with fresh cream is served beneath the amadai.
The amadai, which can be eaten with its scales, pairs wonderfully with each of the sauces.
They were all so delicious that it was hard to decide which sauce to try.
The main course, “Roasted Duck Breast Rouennaise,” is roast duck topped with rouennaise sauce (a sauce made by mixing chicken liver into reduced red wine).
The meat is tender, and the black pepper’s sharp kick and the sauce make for a superb flavor.
Dessert is “Nuts and Cassis Mousse with Carrot and Apple.”
The orange-colored carrot and apple sorbet and the burdock and walnut ice cream beneath it both had a refreshing taste.
After your meal, you can choose coffee or tea.
The dishes arrive at just the right pace, with a comfortable amount of time between courses, making it a pleasure to slowly feel your appetite satisfied.
Every dish tasted new to us, and it was fun to discover combinations that made us think, “I never would have thought to put these together!”
▼There’s also a separate building that can be booked as a private room for dining.
The separate building can be reserved for groups of three or more, but it may not be available as a fully private room when the restaurant is busy.
To be sure you can reserve it, booking for six or more people is recommended.
For example, if you’d like to use the separate building for a marriage proposal, you can reserve it for an additional ¥10,000.
▼After your meal, you can also shop at the candle shop on the second floor.
The candle shop stocks only popular products from Pegasus Candle, a candle manufacturer with the largest share of Japan’s bridal industry.
Among them, the Squash candle glass (¥600, tax included) is said to be a best-seller.
When the Squash candle glass is lit, it casts beautiful, long rays of light radiating outward.
The beams of light sway from side to side with the flickering flame, beautifully decorating the tabletop.
A card-shaped candle just 3 mm thick from Kurashiki Seiro, which won the 2017 Good Design Award.
It burns while melting the surrounding wax, with almost no dripping.
This one-of-a-kind candle, which highlights the beauty of its light, is highly regarded overseas.
In the second half of the article, we spoke with Inoue Yoshiharu, manager of Candle Taku Watanabe-tei, about happenings and highlights at Candle Taku Watanabe-tei.
- Models: Yabunao and Yuricheru
- Photography: Yoshino Nako
Candle Taku Watanabe-tei Information
| Name | Candle Taku Watanabe-tei |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-5-19 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-435-3930 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Dinner: 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. Gallery & Candle Shop: 11:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday and Tuesday Except on public holidays and when events are held |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available Reservations are required for both lunch and dinner. Telephone reservations: 086-435-3930 Hours: 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. ※As calls often cannot be answered during business hours or around opening and closing times, online reservations are recommended. Online reservations Deadline: 9:00 p.m. the day before |
| Seating | 32 seats total (22 in the main hall and 10 in the detached room): ・Three tables with four seats each ・Five tables with two seats each ・Five two-person tables in the detached room, accommodating up to 10 guests |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Candle Taku Watanabe-tei |
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