Quarto is an Italian restaurant in Sannomiya, Kobe. It’s a fair way from the main Sannomiya street, though. A restaurant in a spot like this? I wondered… But wherever it is, people clearly know about it and come find it…

The place

The atmosphere is really nice. Sannomiya is the heart of Kobe to begin with, and Kobe is where people from Osaka come for dates… In a way, this might be the most date-oriented restaurant in the whole Osaka area right now. Even if it’s a bit far from the main drag, for a couple on a date, making the trip out to a place like this is just part of the date.

Interior

Well… couples and women make up the overwhelming majority. Frankly, it’s not the kind of place for a middle-aged guy… and the prices aren’t cheap, which makes that even more true… (Middle-aged guys care more about value for money than atmosphere…)

Orange juice

It was fine…

Sangria

It had a very refined taste; I suspect they use ginger or some other special recipe.

Nose ginger ale

It’s a ginger ale from a region called Nose, and even though it’s a bottled ginger ale, the fizz and the water itself taste so refined. Looking it up, it seems to have been discontinued… I was amazed that a taste like this was even possible.

Bread

I think this was something like an otoshi appetizer; both the bread and the cheese were good.

Interior

The proportion of dating couples really is overwhelming… This is Kobe…

Salad

Made with fresh vegetables.

Hamo fritto with grilled eggplant and paprika

Crispy, thick-cut fried hamo (pike conger) with a smoky grilled eggplant sauce; it was such a perfect dish. A dish where the degree of cooking and the sauce come together this exquisitely… It had been a while since a plate of food left me in awe. I feel like I only have this kind of experience once or twice a year these days… Compared to before, the things that move me have really dwindled… This one plate is 2,400 yen, so for a high-end restaurant it isn’t expensive, but it isn’t great value for money either, so once again I thought this is the ideal place to make a good memory on a date.

Margherita pizza

With a margherita pizza, the cheese, tomato and basil have to work in harmony, and maybe because the basil aroma is strong, the balance here is exquisite. It seems like something special goes into it for that refined touch, and I got curious about what the secret is… This pizza runs about 2,000 yen, so again, not cheap.

Went to the restroom and found this…

It seems to be a group that runs a wide range of restaurant businesses.

Interior

Great atmosphere, reasonable prices, and the food is, well, fantastic… And on top of that, there’s no break time. This is a restaurant with a genuinely clear reason to exist. It’s the kind of place I’d want to visit again. I paid about 10,000 yen for all this, so if value for money is your thing, there’s really no need to go out of your way. There are plenty of places worth going to at half the price…

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