La Luce (Kamakura)

Restaurant Details

※ This is the page for the Italian restaurant in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, not to be confused with the similarly named restaurants in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, or Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Guests are requested to ensure that they have the correct page before making a reservation.

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Kamakura has its fair share of attractions — several winding hiking trails, a scattering of temples and shrines, quaint little cafes — but one of the most surprising attractions is this Italian restaurant on Komachi Street.

Though it may be located in the busiest part of Kamakura, La Luce is a quiet and cosy spot on the second floor. As its name suggests — meaning “light” in Italian — the afternoons fill the space with sunlight, and an abundance of natural wood gives it an easygoing atmosphere.

Visitors will find no a la carte menus at La Luce, only an omakase course menu that changes with the whims of its head chef and owner, Ogawa Makoto. Trained in Italy, he brings the full weight of his experience and skill to every course menu he devises. He is particular about showcasing the appeal of local ingredients; one day he might have local-caught flounder carpaccio as an appetizer, and the next day diners might be presented with grilled eggplant and mushrooms, as the chef waxes lyrical about Kanagawa’s mineral-rich soil giving the vegetables an unparalleled flavor.

The primary draw is not just the exquisite food, but also, the chef himself. Brawny and stout, Chef Ogawa’s background in baseball gives him an imposing build, not unlike that of a wrestler. But his easy smile, infectious laugh and attentive service make him an embodiment of the restaurant’s name. Even more so than saying the meal was delicious, he is happiest when a customer says that the meal was “fun”.