Sumimoto

With over 130 years of history, Sumimoto is a long-established traditional restaurant in Nagahama. Located in the temple town at the gate of Daitsu-ji Temple—famous for its main hall and grand hall said to be remnants of Fushimi Castle, as well as a nationally designated scenic garden—it's the perfect place to enjoy local cuisine after a visit to the temple.

The restaurant serves only prix fixe courses for both lunch and dinner, featuring dishes made exclusively with natural, seasonal ingredients. From April to October, the kaiseki courses highlight fresh catches from Lake Biwa, such as biwamasu (a local trout), ayu (sweetfish), moroko (a small freshwater fish), and eel. From October to March, the focus shifts to rich, flavorful wild duck in their specialty kamo-nabe (duck hot pot) course. Each season offers three course options with varying numbers of dishes.
Pair your meal with seasonal sake selected by a certified sake sommelier, sourced mainly from breweries in Shiga Prefecture and other regions across Japan.

A must-try specialty is their funazushi, made with wild nigorobuna (a type of carp from Lake Biwa) and premium Omi Koshihikari rice, carefully fermented in wooden barrels. Other types of fermented lake fish are also available, and some kaiseki courses offer the chance to sample up to seven different varieties. Funazushi is available for takeout, and the fermented rice portion—called ii—is used to make unique cookies and pound cakes.

Please note that the restaurant is irregularly closed and often fully booked, so reservations are essential. Contacting them by email is the most reliable way to secure a spot.