Western-style restaurant Watanabe

I heard that there is a Western-style restaurant in Himeji, Hyogo, where there is a long line of people waiting in line every day, so I went to the restaurant, Western-style restaurant Watanabe, to see what it is like. According to Google Maps, the restaurant is located in a place where tourists can drop by on their way from JR Himeji Station to Himeji Castle, and I thought it would be a good chance for me to visit. In fact, there are many customers who come from far away because of the restaurant’s reputation…

Unlike other high-end Western-style restaurants in Kobe, it has a homey atmosphere… Western-style restaurant Watanabe is like this…

Although it was a weekday, I left home so that I could arrive at Western-style restaurant Watanabe at 10:30 a.m., 30 minutes before opening time, assuming there would be a line before the restaurant opened. I arrived almost on schedule and was able to get pole position, but when I saw the crowd of customers that followed, I thought to myself, “I’m glad I came early…”. I was sitting on a chair set up in front of the restaurant and waiting, and about 10 minutes later, customers started to gather, and by the time the restaurant opened, there must have been about 15 people there… By the time I finished my meal and left, there was a line at the restaurant. If it was not a weekday but a weekend or a holiday, the line might have been very long.

Once inside the restaurant, there were a total of 16 seats, including 4 counter seats and table seats, in a cozy space with a woody and bright interior. Unlike the high-end Western-style restaurants in Kobe, this restaurant has a homey atmosphere. If the food is this good, it’s bound to be popular. It is also OK to bring children, so if you don’t mind waiting for a while before entering the restaurant, it is an easy place for families to visit.

Three different kinds of mainstay menu items can be enjoyed! How was the W Lunch, the signature lunch menu at Western-style restaurant Watanabe, when I actually tried it?

Let me introduce you to the signature lunch menu item I ordered at Western-style restaurant Watanabe that day, the W Lunch (priced at 1,600 yen plus tax). About 5 minutes after being seated, corn soup is brought out first…

It was cold that day, so the warm soup was really helpful. When my body had warmed up a little after drinking this soup…

W lunch and rice were brought in front of me. This one-plate dish is a hamburger steak with plenty of demi-glace sauce, crab cream croquettes, and fried prawns. A luxurious lunch with three kinds of Western-style mainstay dishes… “That’s not a ‘W’! I was just about to reply, “It’s not a W!” when I remembered that the owner’s name was Mr. Watanabe.

Let’s start with the hamburger steak… The hamburger steak was so firm that I felt it rebound when I put my chopsticks to it. The demi-glace sauce on the hamburger was rich and thick, but not too acidic or aromatic, and had a slightly bitter taste that adults like. The sauce was not too prominent, but rather brought the flavor of the meat to the forefront while subtly adding on the flavor of the sauce.

Next to the crab cream croquette, the surface was fried crispy and slightly hard, while the inside was filled with a thick cream filling. The rich and thick flavor of the cream and the slight aroma of crab are irresistible. The blend of this cream and demi-glace sauce is also good for a different flavor. Thank you for putting the sauce not only on the hamburger but also on this croquette! I feel like I’m in the right place.

And last but not least, the fried prawns. Of course, the prawns inside are plump and juicy. The batter on the outside was fried crispy, and the homemade tartar sauce was less acidic than I had expected.

I left the restaurant after enjoying Watanabe’s signature lunch menu, “W Lunch”. As one would expect, there is a long line even on weekdays. All the hard work of getting up early that morning and coming all the way to Himeji was well worth it. If there is a restaurant like this near my house, I would want to go there. As a casual Western-style restaurant near Himeji Station, this restaurant should be on your list in advance.

Other lunch menus at Western-style restaurant Watanabe (prices do not include tax)

• Pork Cutlet Lunch 1,300 yen
• Omelette Rice Lunch 1,300 yen
• Daily Special Lunch: 1,300 yen (Oyster Fritters with Tartar Sauce was on the menu that day)

Note: Lunch salad (+300 yen), a large serving of rice (+100 yen), and fried shrimp (250 yen per shrimp) can be added during lunch time only.

Beef cutlets prepared by Grill Suematsu are also available… Access to Western-style restaurant Watanabe is an 11-minute walk from the nearest station, Himeji Station on the JR Sanyo Main Line.

At Western-style restaurant Watanabe, Beef Cutlet, one of Kobe’s specialties, is also available. The owner is from Grill Suematsu, a popular restaurant in Sannomiya, so that alone is like a guarantee that high-quality beef cutlets are available. Well, as of February 2025, the price is 2000 yen plus tax (single item), which is also the quality of a high-class restaurant, but… if you are thinking, “I want to eat delicious beef cutlet, but I don’t want to go to Kobe…”, you should try the beef cutlet here. 

Here are the details of the restaurant…