The story
LA TRACE is a French restaurant at 2-1-5 Omiyacho, Nara-shi, and its kitchen holds a Michelin One Star for 2026. The restaurant opened in 2016 and cooks a monthly set course built around Nara produce.
Owner-chef Sato Ryo trained in Burgundy and worked at Restaurant FEU before opening in Nara. He visits growers himself and chooses ingredients through conversation with them. Seasoning and heat timing shift with the size of each ingredient, the air in the room, and how quickly the guests are eating.
Hirahira Farm supplies around 100 kinds of organic vegetables, from leaf lettuce and herbs to root crops and Western varieties. Some dishes exist only because of those vegetables. Yamato-jidori chicken comes from Masa chick farm in Nara city, raised free-range, and it forms the base of a clear consommé served early in the meal. Tenkawa ayu and Miwa somen also appear on the menu.
The interior uses Nara cypress, with six counter seats and two tables for four. Gault&Millau awarded the restaurant 15 points for 2026. Wine is chosen by tasting each pairing, and summer ayu is matched with a sake from a Nara brewery for its clean, river-like character. Tea-based cocktails and sake also appear in the pairings. Guests eat the full course, so the pace follows the table.
Recognition
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