Niwa Cafe Ishikawa

A couple of weeks ago a friend invited us out to dinner to Niwa Cafe in Ishikawa and it was awesome.
Firstly, they were really accommodating about vegetarian options. My friend rang the day before to check if they had vegetarian options (because pretty much everything in Japan seems to include meat or fish stock even if it appears vegetarian) and they said they did. They actually went out of their way because they knew we were coming to prepare vegetable stock and a bunch of dishes on the menu that were vegetarian (and delicious!).
The other fantastic thing about this restaurant was the fact that they have a dining room in the back for people with kids that includes a little play house with a kitchen inside so the kids also had a great time. The boys spent the whole night playing in the little kitchen while we got to sit around and chat. I was actually loving the food so much that I forgot to take photos of pretty much everything we ate. Between 3 adults and 2 kids we ate a lot including a mushroom and spinach gratin, mushroom and garlic in oil, vegetable risotto, spaghetti Bolognese, coriander salad, lentil salad, tomato and fresh ricotta salad and croque monsieur. Little G has already declared it as his favourite restaurant and wants to go back. We will definitely go back. I would also like to try it in the daytime.

Cafe Niwa

Kids play house with a play kitchen inside

Coriander salad

Tomato basil and ricotta salad and lentil salad

Croque monsier

Chocolate tart

Japan meets Australia