Have you heard of LUCE WINE&TAPAS, a discreet wine bar tucked away in Minamimachi, Kurashiki City?
This casual wine bar is charming for its owner, who asks what you’re in the mood for that day and serves a wine to suit your taste.
The tapas—dishes that pair well with wine—are also delicious.
There’s prosciutto sliced right in front of you, juicy sausages so filling you could make a meal of one, and the popular tripe stewed in tomato sauce.
It’s a place wine lovers can’t resist, and some people even come here on their own.
It’s about a 10-minute walk from the Bikan Historical Area, making it a hidden gem you’ll be glad to know about!
Together with the three members of “Astro LAVENDER,” who are active in music mainly in Okayama, we’ll introduce LUCE WINE&TAPAS, a great place for a drink after work or after a meal.
The information presented here was current when the article was published in September 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A space to relax and chat at the U-shaped counter
LUCE WINE&TAPAS is a small wine bar with eight counter seats.
The counter is U-shaped, and one of the bar’s charms is how close you are to the owner and other customers.
Apparently, many customers stop by alone after work or for a nightcap. Conversations with the owner, Ise, and other customers often get lively, and customers naturally become friends with one another.
The bar has a variety of wine bottles on display, sure to delight wine lovers.
There are more than 100 kinds of wine available at LUCE WINE&TAPAS—too many to count.
More than 80 percent are Italian wines, with a wide range of flavors to choose from.
Even if you don’t know much about wine, you can relax: the owner, Ise, asks about your preferences and recommends a wine.
Tell them what kind of wine you like, and the moment it’s poured is so exciting.
The models from “Astro LAVENDER” ordered sparkling wine.
Sparkling wine is a perfect fit for a girls’ night out.
The owner, Ise, chose a wine that was light and easy to drink, even for women.
Cheers!
From snacks and pasta to dessert! The LUCE WINE&TAPAS menu
“TAPAS,” as in the bar’s name, refers to small dishes served with wine.
They’re perfect for enjoying a leisurely meal while chatting.
Here’s the menu at LUCE WINE&TAPAS.
Prices as of September 2019.
There are plenty of snacks that look like they’d go well with wine.
There’s also pasta and dessert, so you’re covered if you’re feeling hungry.
Besides wine, they also serve digestifs, beer, highballs, and more.
Just looking at the menu makes you hungry!
Now, let’s take a look at some of the owner Ise’s recommendations.
A perfect match for wine! Recommended tapas
First, we ordered the Parma prosciutto salad (800 yen, tax included).
The prosciutto on top of the salad was sliced right in front of us!
It was finished with a sprinkle of grated cheese, making it a perfect match for wine.
Next, we ordered the popular tripe stewed in tomato sauce (800 yen, tax included).
“Tripe” is the Italian word for a cow’s second stomach.
In Japan, this part is commonly called “hachinosu” (honeycomb tripe).
It’s one of Italy’s classic ingredients for stews.
It was very tender, with the sauce clinging to it, and delicious. There was no unpleasant smell, so I think even people who don’t like offal would enjoy it! It paired perfectly with wine.
Last was the homemade sausage (800 yen, tax included), which was also on the day’s menu for Harenomino Kurashiki 2019.
It’s just one sausage, but it’s quite substantial!
Even while it was cooking, its wonderfully juicy aroma filled the air and made us hungry.
The meat was exceptionally juicy, and the aroma of herbs filled my mouth. It’s filling enough to make a meal of one sausage!
It paired exceptionally well with the wine, and I polished it off in no time.
The tapas menu is extensive, ranging from light and refreshing dishes to hearty options.
You might want to ask the owner, Ise, for recommendations that pair well with the wine of the day.
Cigars are another draw—you can enjoy one late at night
You can smoke a cigar late at night, when there are no diners in the restaurant. (Note: cigarettes are not allowed.)
Owner Ise is a certified cigar specialist, and is a cigar expert as well as a wine expert.
Cuban cigars from their country of origin cost more than 2,000 yen each in Japan, making them quite expensive and difficult for beginners to try.
However, the restaurant also stocks relatively inexpensive cigars from Honduras and Jamaica, so beginners can enjoy them starting at 500 yen.
They say grappa, a digestif, pairs wonderfully with cigars.
Try visiting late at night, when there are fewer diners.
“LUCE WINE&TAPAS,” beloved by its regulars
“LUCE WINE&TAPAS” was in its third year in 2019.
Many customers come in on their own, and apparently return for “one more drink” before heading home after a night out near the station.
During our visit, one of the female regulars came in and gave owner Ise a souvenir from her travels.
With just eight seats, the U-shaped counter creates a comfortable sense of closeness. Conversation naturally gets going, and before long, customers find themselves chatting and becoming friends with owner Ise and the other patrons.
The owner’s warm personality is certainly part of it, but the casual atmosphere at “LUCE WINE&TAPAS” may also be one reason people want to come back again and again.
When we asked owner Ise about his plans for the future, he smiled and said, “As long as we don’t go under, we’ll just keep plugging along.”
From the Writer
At “LUCE WINE&TAPAS,” you can enjoy your favorite wine and snacks to suit your mood that day.
The interior has a casual feel, making it an easy wine bar to drop into on your own.
Whether you want to take your time enjoying wine, savor a cigar, or simply chat with someone, be sure to visit “LUCE WINE&TAPAS.”
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The prosciutto had a refined saltiness and umami! It went perfectly with the vegetables, and we finished it in no time.