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Vegan
Japanese
Macrobiotic
Organic
Western
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Little cafe tucked away in the back streets serving lunch and dinner. Offers salads, fried soy meat bowl, a vegan plate that changes according to the season, burgers, and other Japanese dishes. In the afternoon there's high tea with cakes. Sake, beer and wine available. Chef owned, English is spoken. Lunchtime can be very busy, so reservations are advised. Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-5:00pm, Sat 11:00am-8:00pm, Sun 11:00am-5:00pm.
187 Reviews
First Review by Stella774
FlorenceUsagi
Points +27
Excellent little café - Edit
Onwa was recommended to us by the owner of a great pastry shop in Tokyo as we were looking for a good quality vegan café in Nara. Onwa is located next to the Nara train station. It is a little cozy place, well decorated, quiet and peaceful where you can sit on the first floor or in one of the two rooms of the second floor.
Read moreWe stepped by in the middle of the afternoon after visiting the Nara park with all the cute shika. The air conditioning was a blessing and the cold drinks we took refreshed and delighted us.
I also took a matcha cheesecake and my boyfriend a chocolate cake, which were vegan and gluten free. They were homemade and delicious with natural ingredients, not too sugary.
The staff was very kind and gave us all the information we needed. We really enjoyed our tea time at Onwa and highly recommend it if you plan a trip to Nara !
Pros: High quality vegan products, Cozy place, Located near the train station
Cons: No cons. Everything was perfect !
Guest
Miam43
Points +101
Great meals, amazing desserts - Edit
Nice café close to the station. We had the tacos meal and the karaage bowl. Both were great - we highly recommend the karaage bowl as we haven’t found it in Japan so far.
Read moreGreat desserts too 🤩
Guest
VeganAbroad
Points +1033
Worth a trip - Edit
Out of the way but worth the trip!!
Read moreGuest
croffi
Points +571
Delicious karaage (fried chicken) rice bowl - Edit
I was blown away by this cute cafe in Nara. I found it difficult finding fully vegan places in Japan so I was especially surprised at how delicious the food was.
Read moreI ordered the karaage rice bowl. The veggies were so fresh.
The staff was very friendly and attentive.
A quick walk from Nara station. I highly recommend you check it out!!!
There are also fresh desserts to eat there or to go.
The prices are reasonable, not more than non-vegan dish averages in Japan.
Updated from previous review on 2024-06-06
Pros: Delicious vegan food, Close to Nara station, Friendly staff
Guest
Ani_vegetarian
Points +97
Menü - Edit
I ordered a menu. The menu was served on a tray. There were various appetizers. It tasted delicious. I was very hungry and chose two pieces of cake for dessert. Chocolate cake and strawberry cake. It was very filling. I had matcha tea with it. The atmosphere was very cozy. I ate Japanese style on the floor. I can highly recommend this restaurant. It was a taste experience and the staff very friendly.
Read morePros: Menue, Various appetizers, Dessert
Guest
12munchies
Points +3861
that’s a really cute and cozy spot to be - Edit
I went there twice so far. As usually I ordered as many dishes I could eat so I have an overview, also it seemed to be very tasty and I was not disappointed.
Read moreThe portions are not so huge but therefore also really not expensive especially for that area.
They have a huge and great variety of cakes to eat there or for takeaway too.
I loved the Karaage (deep fried soy meat). My recommendation for that store. And also the chocolate tart and the chestnut cake.
Staff and owner are very friendly.
Maybe the entry isn’t so clear when you go there for the fort time so I added a picture as well.
Pros: Karaage on rice (super tasty with sweet vinegar), all the cakes , cute little kitchen
Guest
IlkaS
Points +1368
Cozy sweet spot with nice food - Edit
You have to have the plan to go there otherwise you would‘t find it.
Read moreWe had two tea sets (combo of drink and cake)
I had a matcha latte (with soy milk) and a cheesecake. Both really great!
Pros: Nice staff, Nice food and drinks, Nice staff
Guest
gurusimon
Points +882
Best cake - Edit
Maroon cake was creamy and perfect. Recommend the homemade Kombucha in combination.
Read moreGuest
JascintaMorton
Points +82
Fully Vegan and gf - Edit
So close to the Nara station, a good selection to choose from and they have desserts. Menu in japanese and English. Staff were super friendly too. Also reasonably cheap.
Read morePros: Variety of options , Sweets as well , English menu
Guest
BradBuilds
Points +135
Flavors were amazing - Edit
Everything was great. 10/10 will come back and try all the cake!
Read moreGuest
pawwalker
Points +29
Hidden gem! - Edit
Super cute and tucked away restaurant! Loved the food! Wish there had been more options to try but you can easily end up eating too much what’s already on the menu!
Read moreGuest
Lelu
Points +974
Sweet Cafe - Edit
The cafe is very close to the nara-station which is why we visited it.
Read moreWe were received super friendly.
The selection of cakes was large but the menu less which was fine.
I dont understand the comments why it did not taste, taste it was very good only the portions are very small.
Priced it has also been okay.
Guest
MarcelaP.
Points +904
Pricey - Edit
Food is beautifully served but the taste is just ok. This was probably the most expensive meal I have had in Japan.
Read moreBe careful with some tricks here: they make you order at least one meal per person in the group and if you want to order a dessert you need to order along with a tea set which bumps up the price.
Cons: Pricey
KaFraMi
Hello! The rule is “one order per person”. Not necessarily the meal…
Read moreGuest
tesssss
Points +6375
great karaage - Edit
i arrived shortly after they opened and was able to get a seat next to the kitchen. the upstairs seating area is reserved for bigger groups.
Read morei got a karaage bowl and a dessert set. the elements of the bowl were tasty, but it could have used some more seasoning or dressing. if i went back again i would just get a large order of the fried chicken cause it was bomb. it didn’t take much waiting for the food to come out.
the cheesecake was very good and the matcha was just okay. maybe it was my fault for getting iced. i wish they had coffee too.
the other desserts looked good, albeit pricey. if you are eating in, you have to get a drink and dessert together.
Guest
Antsoldier
Points +93
Great food - Edit
We ordered the 'vegan delight' and had some cake with tea/matcha afterwards. The food was delicious and the staff was very friendly.
Read moreHowever the matcha was too strong for our taste.
Updated from previous review on 2024-03-28
Pros: Food, Staff, Mostly locally sourced
Cons: Expensive
Guest
swaninspired
Points +466
Lovely lunch café - Edit
We sat in the Asian seating area upstairs where you take off your shoes and eat sitting on a cushion on the floor. The food was delicious and dished in a very aesthetically pleasant way. We had the "vegan delight plate", the taco plate and a banana chocolate cake / red bean soup with mochi as desserts. Quite a feast and well worth it.
Read moreGuest
gruszka_yogi
Points +286
Amazing food and matcha, floor seating upstairs super cosy - Edit
We loved this place! First meal in Nara which we were super hungry for. We arrived just after getting to Nara station and it was only a 10 minute walk away. Beautiful seating upstairs with traditional floor seats and mats. We loved it. The food was amazing. We had a vegan delight and karaage which we both mecha oishi! Would highly recommend, especially if looking for something close to the station. Amazing matcha as well.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-03-23
Pros: Options, Floor seating , Matcha
Guest
Ashhhhhh
Points +13
Delicious food - Edit
We dined in and all the food was delicious. We also had tea. Also delicious.
Read moreGuest
ladie_jadie
Points +204
Delicious! - Edit
Incredible food! So glad we visited here, only wish the cafe opened earlier.
Read moreGuest
LawdKarli
Points +123
Absolutely delicious food! - Edit
Absolutely delicious vegan/vegetarian food! Can't recommend this place enough. The girl serving was friendly, polite and explained everything in english very well.
Read moreBit of an interesting entrance. Not sure if there was another way in to the restaurant 😂
Would definitely come again! One of the best vegan/vegetarian foods we've had in the whole of Japan!
We ordered the organic ginger ale, Mikan juice, vegan delight and the shojin karaage bowl. All were delicious and beautifully presented!
Pros: Food, Atmosphere , Service
Cons: Not open past 5pm. Last orders around 4.30
Guest
KateGM
Points +666
- Edit
This was a perfect lunch space after a day of wandering around at Nara. Delicious, friendly staff and a great glass of their home made umeshu. We over ate because it was just all so good.
Read moreGuest
SophiaMT
Points +318
A Must Try - Edit
Beautiful little cafe a 20 minute walk from Kintetsu-Nara station. Onwa is tucked away behind a 7/11 in a residential area and the entry is a small step at the end of the fence. The lunch options were beautiful - I tried the karaage bowl which was fresh, filling, and SO tasty. The matcha latte was perfect for a cold day and also delicious. I sat upstairs with the low tables and floor seating and the staff are so lovely. I am so glad to have made the journey - it's a must try!
Read moreGuest
CristyPC
Points +296
Delicious macrobiotic food - Edit
We had a late lunch here and it was delicious. Great variety. Beautifully presented and super fresh tasty vegan GF food. It’s a lovely calm place to sit too.
Read moreWe also bought some vegan cheesecake for later and it was incredible!
Pros: Delicious fresh food , Incredible vegan cheesecake , GF
Guest
ToxicDose
Points +72
Hidden gem - Edit
Wouldn't have expected such a lovely Restaurant in that area. Place with good food, Tea and cake, everything is vegan. Owner is very charming too.
Read moreGuest
KayokoHashimoto
Points +396
The best vegan restaurant in Japan - Edit
Accept credit card, gluten free and vegan. Cakes look so lovely and delicious (Tried cheeseecake and delicious) English friendly environment #Veganuary
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-02-01
Pros: Cake, Matcha , Veggie plate
Guest
FaithUgates
Points +472
Cozy place and yummy foods - Edit
It was a satisfying lunch in my opinion. I had the vegan delight, it consists of a little bit of everything. I like the variety of it. They have enough selection of foods especially desserts. If I can fit all the cakes in my tummy, I would haha! With the help of the lady taking orders (I forgot her name), I finally chose their classic chocolate cake and paired it with a matcha latte. The cake was rich and very filling. Their location is near the train station (a little bit of a walk though) The place is cozy, really cute. #Veganuary #Veganuary
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-01-30
Pros: wide selection of desserts, all vegan
Guest
Francifra
Points +686
Amazing vegan stop in Nara - Edit
I had vegan Karage. The taste and texture were amazing. They also have a wide choice of desserts. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have one without buying a set. Anyway, it's definitely worth a stop when in Nara.
Read moreGuest
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