La Cucina is a small Italian restaurant located near Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji station in Nara City. Situated in the basement of the Sanwa City building, in addition to the restaurant there is a small, enclosed courtyard where you can order a traditional Italian lunch or dinner. Beverages at La Cucina include not only local Japanese beers but also imported Italian beers, Guinness, and an extensive wine list.

The restaurant inside seats forty-eight people at the tables, four at the counter, and up to twenty on the terrace, so it may be advisable to make a reservation during peak periods. When I was there the restaurant was half full with a large group booking and half a few smaller ensembles.

My waitress, Mika, was a very attentive and friendly person. I like pizza most of all, so I ordered the special pizza with grilled octopus and slices of garlic and cheese as well as tomato. La Cucina also serves fish such as sea bream and various kinds of pasta, spaghetti and antipasto.

The pizza came after about 15 or 20 minutes and was a feast for the eyes. I also ordered a “tapa”, which is a small side dish of boiled cabbage and meat, sold as a set with an Italian beer for 700 yen. The octopus-topped pizza goes for about 1700 yen, though plain pizzas are available for less than that. The bill for one came to approximately 3000 yen, which I thought was quite reasonable considering what I had.

La Cucina is open for lunch and dinner most days and the beer garden opens up during the summer months. Diners can order from the a la carte menu or from a selection of set-courses, and the restaurant is also available for party functions, wedding parties and special occasions. If you would like to taste real authentic Italian food and atmosphere you can not do much better than La Cucina in Saidaiji. Great food and prices are quite reasonable too!