森の小さなレストラン♬ : Cresson River Side Story

I traveled to Nagano Prefecture for 3 nights and 4 days to collect stamps from the top 100 castles in Japan. Since I was there, I decided to visit Karuizawa, which has no castles at all. I was so eager to come here that I planned my entire schedule around securing a reservation at this restaurant.
The exterior of the restaurant is charmingly designed like a cute cabin in the woods, making it feel like stepping into a fairy tale. I could almost imagine Little Red Riding Hood sipping tea at a table on the terrace.
From the entrance, you walk through a hallway that resembles a hollowed-out log to reach the dining area. Since I had a reservation for 11 AM on a weekday, there was only one other group, allowing for a relaxed dining experience. The interior is bathed in light from tall windows, offering a view of the garden, making it feel like being in the forest. The song "Mori no Chisana Restaurant" by Aoi Tejima came to mind.
The chef personally brought out the dishes and provided detailed explanations. They use local ingredients for both the meat and vegetables as much as possible. However, the new onions are sourced from Awaji Island, and the onion soup was incredibly sweet and delicious. It’s made solely from the natural sweetness of the new onions, and it’s a seasonal menu item.
The sautéed Shinshu pork was cooked perfectly, moist, sweet, and delicious. True to the restaurant's name, there were dishes featuring watercress, including green watercress ravioli. Everything was delightful.
The dessert was incredibly cute, and when it arrived, I couldn't help but exclaim, "So cute!" It was beautifully presented on a lovely glass plate, adorned with flowers and meringue cookies, and I was truly impressed by how adorable it looked. You can feel the care that goes into making it, and it was absolutely delicious.
The teacups and coffee mugs were also lovely, with all illustrations hand-painted, perfectly matching the restaurant's image. As I was leaving, they showed me a variety of coffee cups, and I felt their intention to ensure guests enjoy every moment, making me want to return.
At the next table, there were guests enjoying afternoon tea starting at 11 AM, and it looked incredibly cute and delicious. While I was tempted by that, I still wanted to enjoy a meal.
There were many adorable souvenirs available, and I wanted to buy some, but I had to resist due to my upcoming plans.
While waiting in front of the restaurant before it opened, I noticed a truck and a shuttle bus stuck on the narrow road. It seemed one of them had to back up, and the truck driver looked frustrated. I thought it was lively around here with many new shops being built.
The shuttle bus was cute and red. After that, I headed towards the mountains to a viewpoint, standing at the border between Nagano and Gunma Prefectures. The view was breathtaking, and it’s definitely worth a visit.