Located in Kuwabara, in the northernmost part of Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo, near the Kyoto border is HOVEL kusayama (instagram.com/hovel_kusayama). Set in a quiet mountain settlement, the café is reached by increasingly narrow roads that lead into the forest and countryside up a steep hill. Its elevated location offers beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, making the journey there part of the experience.

The restaurant opened in April 2017 as a secluded mountain restaurant, with a strong focus on nature, wood-fired cooking and a relaxed connection with its surroundings. Its remote setting and small scale give it the feeling of a hidden retreat rather than a typical roadside restaurant.

The food centres around wood-fired and charcoal cooking, with stone-oven pizza, homemade bread, seasonal vegetables and grilled meats among its specialties. The menu changes with the seasons, and during some periods the pizza menu is replaced by a taco menu, adding a completely different character to the food. Ingredients are treated simply, allowing their natural flavours to come through.

Coffee and drinks are more of a supporting element than the main attraction. HOVEL is primarily a place to enjoy a meal, with coffee, herbal tea and other drinks available alongside the food. It is better understood as a mountain restaurant with a café-like atmosphere than as a specialist coffee shop.

The design has a charming rustic mountain-house aesthetic, combining simple wooden architecture with a natural, handmade feeling. The main dining space is a low, single-storey building, while the kitchen is housed in a separate cabin-like structure. Firewood is stacked around the property, reinforcing the connection with wood-fired cooking. Inside, warm timber, simple furniture and natural materials create a cosy atmosphere with a subtle European countryside feel.

The main attraction is the setting itself: HOVEL kusayama feels like a hidden retreat in the mountains. Surrounded by trees and open countryside, the combination of mountain views, rustic buildings, outdoor spaces, firewood and seasonal food creates an experience that feels far removed from everyday life. It is a place to visit not simply for coffee or food, but to enjoy the atmosphere and spend time immersed in nature.