Nara is one of those places many people have on their “want to visit” list and that was certainly the case when our family arrived in March. With all four of us being vegan, it made my research for where to eat so much more exciting and that’s when I discovered this cafe.
Vegan Cafe Ramuna is a 100% vegan cafe in Nara that opened in February 2018 It’s run by one lady and offers vegan lunches and dinners. The meals are made from whole foods and are organic and additive-free where possible – she also hand-makes all her baked items!
In my eyes, this cafe is a must-visit if you want to explore Nara, but there are a few things you should know before visiting.
Let me tell you more!
Vegan Cafe in Nara
This cute cafe is tucked away on a quiet street, 5 minutes away from the very popular Nara Park so it’s the ideal place to come after visiting the deers. However, It’s only open three days a week (info further down the article) so make sure to plan accordingly.
We arrived 10 minutes after opening time and the cafe was mostly filled. They have seating both inside and out and I felt lucky we were able to get in as it was filling up very quickly. Clearly, they’re very popular!!
Vegan Cafe Ramuna in Nara is definitely somewhere to enjoy when you’re not on a tight time schedule. The pace here is very ゆっくり- chilled and laid back and you’ll be advised that there will be a bit of a wait which wasn’t an issue with us.
With only one lady running the show most of the time, things take time which was enough to deter some people. However, when we visited, the owner had a helper, they are both so friendly and warm and felt like you’d popped into your aunties for lunch.
The Interior
Vegan Cafe Ramuna has a very homely and cosy feel to it, almost like a home away from home. The interior is rather quirky and the owner is clearly a cat lover with numerous themed paintings and charming cat objects around the cafe. Every time you’d look around, you’d spot a new cat object which was rather fun!
The inside features a lot of wood, from the walls to the tables and chairs, adding to the cosy atmosphere. It reminded me a little of this vegan cafe in Nikko!
Inside there are three sets of tables and chairs and also an area that has traditional raised tatami flooring where you can sit and eat. There is room for a few people outside, and it’s the perfect place to enjoy the warm weather.
Vegan Cafe Ramuna Menu
We were given a fully English menu which made ordering super easy, some items had pictures too which gives you a good idea of what you’ll receive.
This vegan cafe in Nara has 8 main items in total which were more than enough to choose from, but what got me super excited was seeing that they had vegan soft-serve ice cream in Japan, from a machine!!!
Originally I wanted to order the dandan noodles but the owner hadn’t received her order and didn’t have any more noodles to cook up. I was slightly disappointed but that didn’t last for long.
I’m glad I tried something that wouldn’t be my usual first choice – let me show you what we ordered!
Brown Rice Lunch Plate
This brown rice lunch plate was what I ended up ordering and it was exactly what I needed. It was fresh, full of flavour and super tasty.
I was especially impressed with the gratin which was just so creamy and delicious! I’m yet to try another savoury dish like this anywhere else in Japan, so I was incredibly happy to have this rich taste back in my palette.
¥1,480 +tax (£8.50/ $10.62)
Vegan Hamburger Lunch Plate
Jonny ordered this burger lunch set and much like the brown rice set, it came with a leaf salad, seasonal side dish, gratin using soy milk and miso soup.
I can’t actually remember if the burger was filled with sorghum or falafel, I want to say sorghum but I can’t be sure (oops, sorry!)
I remember how flavorful the vegan burger was! It was served in a fantastic bun and the portion size was just perfect. Jonny absolutely loved every bite of it!
In Japanese terms, this is a pretty expensive meal. However, I think it’s very much worth it – not only do you get a great-tasting burger but you also get to try delicious and healthy side dishes too.
¥1,700 +tax (£9.81/ $12.19)
Amazake Soy Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream
The thing I was most looking forward to was the soft serve ice cream!! Although since being here, I’ve had plenty of vegan ice lollies, I hadn’t had a proper creamy soft serve in probably 6 months and I was really missing it.
So we had to order one (or four, one each for everyone, haha!) I got one with mango sauce which was so DREAMY! I don’t know if it was because I had gone so long without one or simply because it’s just really good ice cream but, it really was everything I had wished for.
It’s creamy, velvety and beautifully sweet! It would have been more than enough on its own but the mango sauce gave it another depth of flavour, a tang and sweetness to the ice cream.
The portion was really generous too, much bigger than you would get in a typical cone!
Just Ice Cream: ¥550 +tax (£3.17/ $3.95)
Topped with mango sauce: ¥650 +tax (£3.75/ $4.66)
Another place to check out that does great ice cream is this place in Tokyo!
Other information
Ramuna is cash only so make sure you have some on you or pop into a convenience store before you visit!
Takeout is also an option, but you will have to factor in the waiting time.
They have a small section in the cafe selling imported goods that can be hard to find in Japan as well as vegan tote bags and loads of informative vegan posters and leaflets in Japanese.
Some of the things you can get are easy-to-eat packs of curries, organic pasta sauce, jams, vegan butter, vegan tuna, tins of jackfruit etc
Things that are close by
- Nara Park: 5 min walk
- Todaiji Temple: 14 min walk
- Nara National Museum: 10 min walk
- Yoshikien Garden: 12 min walk
Vegan options close to Vegan Cafe Ramuna
V = Vegan, VO = Vegan Options
- ONWA | V | 26 min walk, 18 min bus
- Kururu | V | 13 min walk
- Mos Burger | VO | 23 min walk
- China Dining Hiten | VO | 13 min walk
- Wakakusa Curry | VO | 12 min walk
How to get to Vegan Cafe Ramuna
Address:
1028-5 Takabatakecho, Nara, 630-8301
Nearest station:
17 min walk from Kintetsu Nara Station
23 min walk from Nara Station
Open:
Monday, Saturday & Sunday 12:00 – 16:00 (LO 15:00), 18:00-21:00 (20:00)
Phone:
0742-42-9395
We had such a nice and relaxed vegan lunch in Nara. Back in England, I probably would have stayed away from main dishes like the ones we chose and opted for the less healthy-looking items on the menu. But since moving to Japan, I really LOVE and appreciate meals like it.
My favourite way of eating is being able to try lots of different flavours and textures during a meal and I was able to do just that with the set meal at Vegan Cafe Ramuna (CBD Green is also a great option for this). It’s so tasty and healthy too which my body appreciates as it no longer feels bloated or sicky after a meal.
As long as you’re not on a packed schedule and you bring cash, this could be the perfect location for you to have vegan food in Nara. I’ll certainly be going back next time I visit, even if it’s just for ice cream!
If you visit, let me know what you think!
Tip: Try and come close to open time to ensure a shorter wait!
