Novotel Nara (Nara City, Nara Prefecture) is serving a limited-time "Japanese-Western Afternoon Tea with Nara Shoraku Wagashi and Autumn Flavors" from Tuesday, September 1 through Saturday, October 31, 2026.
The lineup centers on Nara-style wagashi crafted by local confectionery shop Nara Shoraku, including "Maboroshi no Ureshi Ume Kogane" and "Maboroshi no Ume Awayuki Kagiroi," alongside chestnut yokan and jonamagashi, paired with sweets that bring in autumn flavors such as persimmon, fig, Shine Muscat grapes, chestnut, and matcha.
The savory lineup, shaped by Novotel Nara's own approach, includes a pizza that highlights the aroma of cep mushrooms, a dish pairing Nara-grown autumn eggplant with tuna, Yamato-fu French toast soaked in the rich flavor of crab miso, and rice coins topped with eel and cream cheese.
For drinks, a special matcha latte uses matcha from "Zenkyu Matcha," grown in Uji, Kyoto. The delicate sweetness of the wagashi and the refined richness of the matcha come together for a distinctly autumn tea time.
The menu brings Nara's traditional wagashi together with Western touches for a refined tea time.
An Autumn Afternoon Tea Featuring Nara Shoraku's Signature Wagashi
The afternoon tea incorporates confections from Nara wagashi shop Nara Shoraku, bringing a seasonal, distinctly Nara sense of tradition to the menu.
"Nara Shoraku Maboroshi no Ureshi Ume Kogane" is made with ume from trees over 200 years old, using a variety of plum native to Japan — one of the shop's signature confections. "Nara Shoraku Maboroshi no Ume Awayuki Kagiroi" combines the juice of "phantom plum" Sugita ume with agar, simmered down for a fragrant, delicately sweet-and-sour treat.
Other wagashi on the menu include "Miyabi — Chestnut Yokan and Matcha," which balances the refined bitterness of Uji matcha with the sweetness of chestnut yokan; "Persimmon — Hanamochi," a jonamagashi shaped like persimmon, one of Nara's autumn specialties, made with gently sweet, smooth strained bean paste; "Autumn's Arrival — Maple Leaf, Azuki," styled after autumn foliage with rice-flour dough and Hokkaido azuki bean paste; and "Pumpkin — Hanamochi," a lightly sweetened confection made with domestic rice flour and azuki bean paste shaped like a pumpkin.
Japanese-Western Sweets Featuring Autumn Flavors
Alongside the wagashi, the menu also includes Japanese-Western sweets shaped by Novotel Nara's own sensibility.
The "Fig Monaka Mont Blanc" pairs Nara's rich figs with a Mont Blanc, an autumn staple, sandwiched between crisp, toasted monaka wafers, bringing together the lightness of Japanese confectionery with the flair of Western pastry.
The "Shine Muscat and Mascarpone Mini Dorayaki" tucks juicy Shine Muscat grapes and rich mascarpone mousse into a soft, chewy dorayaki for a sweet with a strong seasonal presence.
The "Nara Persimmon and Uemura Farm Milk Blancmange with Yamato Tea Jelly" layers Nara persimmon and Yamato tea jelly over a smooth blancmange made with fresh milk from Uemura Farm, a dairy farm with a long history in Nara — a dish built entirely from Nara ingredients.
Cep Mushroom Pizza and Savories Featuring Nara Ingredients
The savory lineup brings in the scent of autumn along with ingredients from Nara.
The "Cep Mushroom Pizza" uses dough made from two varieties of Nara-grown wheat, aged for five days at low temperature and baked in a high-temperature pizza oven, delivering the rich aroma of cep mushrooms alongside the deep flavors of the season.
"Nara Autumn Eggplant and Tuna with Mori Nara-zuke" marinates Nara-grown autumn eggplant in aged balsamic vinegar, pairs it with seared tuna, and tops it with Mori Nara-zuke pickles for an extra layer of flavor.
"Crab Miso French Toast — Yamato-fu" is a Nara-style French toast made with hand-grilled Yamato-fu, a wheat gluten cake containing Nara-grown mountain yam, soaked through with the rich flavor of crab miso.
"Eel and Cream Cheese Rice Coin — Yamatokoriyama Sanotokomai Rice" pairs yuzu-scented cream cheese with the deep flavor of grilled eel, served on a rice coin made with Sanotokomai, a specially cultivated Hinohikari rice grown in Yamatokoriyama.
"Conger Eel Terrine in Jelly — Julienned Ginger Accent" layers grilled conger eel and carefully seasoned shiitake mushroom set in jelly, finished with a touch of julienned ginger.
"Marinated Shrimp and Fried Shrimp Heads — Scented with Nara's Wooden-Barrel Soy Sauce 'Kimajime'" marinates shrimp raised for extra flavor in Nara's wooden-barrel-brewed soy sauce, "Kimajime," and serves it alongside crisply fried shrimp heads so nothing goes to waste.
A Matcha Latte Made with Uji, Kyoto Matcha
The afternoon tea also offers a drink to enjoy alongside the wagashi: hot and iced matcha lattes made with matcha from "Zenkyu Matcha."
The matcha, stone-ground from first-flush tea leaves grown in Uji, Kyoto, brings out a refined flavor and richness that pairs well with both the wagashi and the Japanese-Western sweets.
The iced matcha latte offers a refreshing option for the lingering warmth of September, while the hot version is designed for a calm, unhurried moment as autumn deepens.
The afternoon tea brings together Nara Shoraku's wagashi and a fragrant matcha latte, offering a taste of the traditional charm shared by Nara and Kyoto.
Menu
| Category | Items |
|---|---|
| Nara Shoraku Wagashi | Maboroshi no Ureshi Ume Kogane / Maboroshi no Ume Awayuki Kagiroi / Kobore Yuzu / Hadare Yu / Miyabi — Chestnut Yokan and Matcha |
| Jonamagashi | Persimmon — Hanamochi / Autumn's Arrival — Maple Leaf, Azuki / Pumpkin — Hanamochi |
| Japanese-Western Sweets | Fig Monaka Mont Blanc / Shine Muscat and Mascarpone Mini Dorayaki / Nara Persimmon and Uemura Farm Milk Panna Cotta with Yamato Tea Jelly |
| Pizza | Cep Mushroom Pizza |
| Savory | Nara Autumn Eggplant and Tuna with Mori Nara-zuke / Crab Miso French Toast — Yamato-fu / Eel and Cream Cheese Rice Coin — Yamatokoriyama Sanotokomai Rice / Conger Eel Terrine in Jelly — Julienned Ginger Accent / Marinated Shrimp and Fried Shrimp Heads — Scented with Nara's Wooden-Barrel Soy Sauce "Kimajime" |
| Drinks | Coffee / Zenkyu Matcha Latte / Tea (pot service), Dilmah Tea Selection |
Dilmah, which supplies the tea leaves for the tea service, is a company under contract with the Accor Group. Alongside producing high-quality tea, Dilmah also supports childcare, education, and programs for people with disabilities.
Overview: Japanese-Western Afternoon Tea with Nara Shoraku Wagashi and Autumn Flavors
| Period | September 1 (Tuesday) to October 31 (Saturday), 2026 |
| Hours | Seatings begin at 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM (120-minute seating; last order 90 minutes after start) |
| Price | ¥4,500 per person. Reservations accepted until 3:00 PM the day before (reservation required). Price includes 10% consumption tax and service charge. |
Menu items may change depending on ingredient availability. Photos show a serving for two.
About Social Lounge (Cafe & Bar)
Location: Novotel Nara, 1F
Hours: 11:30 AM to 10:30 PM (last order 10:00 PM)
Seats: 31
Social Lounge is decorated with andon lanterns featuring "shippo" (interlocking circles), a traditional Nara motif symbolizing connections between people. It's a space where guests and the local community can cross paths, with an atmosphere that shifts throughout the day while staying comfortable at any time.
About Novotel Nara
• Name: Novotel Nara
• Opening Date: September 4, 2024
• Hotel Operator: Accor
• Location: 7-1-45 Omiyacho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
• Access: 8-minute walk from Shin-Omiya Station / 10 minutes by bus or 6 minutes by car from Nara Station
• Total Rooms: 264 rooms
• Facilities: Lobby and welcome area, Social Lounge, restaurant, wellness area, large public bath, gym, two banquet halls and meeting rooms, executive lounge, outdoor terrace and bar
• Website: https://www.novotelnara.com/
