[Part 2] Hotel Nikko Alivila Dining Guide: Sawa Breakfast, Aliacara Sweets & Dinner Booking Tips (Yomitan)

Hello everyone! I’m Karshu.
Today, I will report in detail on the exquisite gourmet experiences at Hotel Nikko Alivila, a very popular resort hotel located in Yomitan Village in the central part of Okinawa Main Island, along with important tips for using the restaurants smartly.

Speaking of Hotel Nikko Alivila, it is a resort hotel highly evaluated for its delicious dining experiences. In particular, the luxurious breakfast set at Japanese and Ryukyu Cuisine “Sawa” and the sweets buffet at the lounge are incredibly popular! This time, based on my actual stay, I will honestly share my satisfying experiences at the restaurants and lounge, and even my big mistake of missing out on dinner because I didn’t book in advance!

Highlights at a Glance

First, here is a summary of the key findings from my dining experience at Alivila:

• The breakfast at “Sawa” is highly recommended if your stay falls on its operating days!: The luxurious Japanese breakfast set served on an elegant red tray, and the experience of scraping your own brown sugar to make custom “brown sugar milk,” are absolute must-tries during your stay at Alivila.
• Aim for early hours for the sweets buffet at Lounge “Aliacara”: The quality of the cake sets and petit sweets buffet is outstanding. However, since the cake selection decreases later in the day, visiting early is a golden rule!
• Pre-booking is essential for guest-discounted dinners: Popular menus like the pork shabu-shabu set cannot be ordered without a pre-booking. The venues get extremely crowded on the day, so make sure to secure your table before your trip.

All Restaurants at Hotel Nikko Alivila

To make your trip even more satisfying, let me first introduce the variety of unique dining options available at Hotel Nikko Alivila.

6 Unique Dining Venues

There are currently 6 distinct restaurants and lounges actively operating in Alivila. Local ingredients are generously incorporated across all venues, offering a wonderful taste of Okinawa. (Note: The Chinese restaurant “Kinshasha” is currently closed.)

• Brasserie “Verdemar”: The main dining venue offering authentic Western and French cuisine incorporating fresh Okinawan ingredients in a casual setting. Its breakfast buffet is extremely popular.
• Japanese & Ryukyu Cuisine “Sawa”: Serving “Wa-Kyu” style dishes that blend authentic Japanese culinary techniques with Okinawa’s rich flavors, in a calm and relaxing Japanese atmosphere.
• Casual Buffet “Hanahana”: A buffet restaurant serving a wide variety of Japanese, Western, and Okinawan dishes. Highly popular among families and couples.
• Teppanyaki “Gosamaru” (Seasonal): A lively teppanyaki dining venue where the chef grills premium steaks and fresh seafood right in front of you.
• Beach House “Sol” (Seasonal): Located right before Nirai Beach, where you can enjoy an open-air beach barbecue accompanied by the soothing sound of the waves.
• Lounge “Aliacara”: A bright and classical southern European style lounge. You can enjoy an exquisite sweets buffet by day, and delicious signature cocktails during the evening bar hours.

For details, seasonal food fairs, and operating hours, please check the Hotel Nikko Alivila Restaurant Official Website.

[Stay Report] Elegant Petit Sweets Buffet at Lounge “Aliacara”

Using the service coupon received at check-in, we visited Lounge “Aliacara” for their petit sweets buffet! The moment we walked inside, we were wowed by the chic, classical southern European interior.

Looking up, dark brown wooden beams cross each other, and a beautiful blue glass chandelier hangs elegantly. Natural light floods in through the arched windows, and the ceiling fan rotates slowly, creating a perfect tropical resort vibe.

Here is the showcase for the sweets buffet. Chocolate cakes, jellies, and other items were lined up, but since we visited just before 4 PM (which was slightly late), some of the popular cakes were already sold out (crying). If you want to choose from a wide variety, I strongly recommend visiting earlier!

Taking a look inside the showcase, they had brown sugar warabi-mochi, yuzu jelly, strawberry jelly, roll cakes, and more! With both Western sweets and Japanese-style treats, it was hard to decide. Each treat is bite-sized, which is perfect for those who want to try a little bit of everything.

At the self-serve beverage corner, various juices and cold drinks were neatly arranged. You can pick your favorite drink to pair with the sweets—enjoying sweet treats while sipping a refreshing juice was a truly luxurious combination.

The menu features a wide selection of Okinawa-themed fruit drinks, such as pineapple, mango, guava, and shikuwasa (local citrus). They also offer seasonal specials like acerola frozen drinks and acerola tea, which all looked highly tempting.

There was also a page for flavored squashes and sparkling drinks. Colorful options like blue curaçao and passion fruit add to the tropical atmosphere, making it a great lineup for the evening bar hours as well.

A menu page filled with cocktails, beers, wines, and local awamori. Okinawan drinks like shikuwasa wine cocktails and draft Orion beer are fully represented. It’s a versatile lounge where you can enjoy sweets during the day and drinks at night.

Whisky lovers will also appreciate this page. The collection ranges from single malts and blended whiskies to premium choices like Suntory Hibiki 21 Years, representing a very authentic lineup. It’s perfect for a relaxing nightcap.

The final page lists their awamori cocktail collection and a QR code for the grand menu. Combinations like awamori with mango or passion fruit offer a unique local taste that I look forward to trying on my next visit at night.

Lounge “Aliacara” Menu Sheet

In addition to the petit sweets buffet, Lounge “Aliacara” offers a rich à la carte menu of food, desserts, and drinks. Here is a summary of the main menu items for your reference:

[Food Menu]

[Sweets Menu]

[Drink Menu]

[Stay Report] Dinner Mistake at Alivila!? Why Booking Restaurants in Advance is Crucial

As dinner time approached, we checked the in-hotel dining options. Guests staying at Alivila get access to various attractive discount menus across the restaurants.

This is the dining pamphlet available in the guest room. Many restaurants offer special course menus and buffets at guest-discounted rates, which is a wonderful benefit.

The back side lists attractive dishes like “Sawa” Shokado Bento (4,500 yen) or Shabu-shabu Set (4,500 yen), and the “Hanahana” Buffet (5,200 yen).

However, here is a crucial warning you must keep in mind!

It turns out “these guest-discounted menus cannot be ordered unless you reserve them in advance at each restaurant.” Since we did not book beforehand, we were unable to order the Shabu-shabu set at “Sawa” which we were really looking forward to… This was a major disappointment!

Moreover, trying to walk in for dinner without a booking was near impossible, as all popular restaurants were fully booked for the evening. Regrettably, we decided to give up on the hotel dinner and visit a local izakaya (Japanese pub) located nearby instead. (I will write a separate review of the delicious izakaya we visited, so look forward to it!) If you plan to stay at Alivila, I strongly, strongly recommend booking your preferred restaurant and menu well in advance!

[Stay Report] Signature Breakfast Review at Japanese & Ryukyu Cuisine “Sawa”

Our one-night plan came with breakfast included. After a peaceful night of sleep on the comfortable beds, it was time for the highly anticipated breakfast!

This is the stunning morning view from our room balcony. The clear blue sky, the beautiful color gradient of the sea, and the spire of the Alivila Glory Church shining in the green surroundings made it a perfect morning.

Although Alivila has multiple popular breakfast venues, it happened to be the operating day for Japanese & Ryukyu Cuisine “Sawa” during our stay, so we decided to eat there. Originally, we planned to go to Brasserie “Verdemar” which is famous for its Western buffet, but it already had a very long queue early in the morning and looked like it would take a long time to get in. We switched to “Sawa” as they could seat us relatively quickly, and this decision turned out to be an absolute jackpot!

Here is the Sawa breakfast set served on an elegant red tray. It features fresh local sashimi, grilled fish, sea grapes (umi-budo), and island tofu (shima-tofu), offering a luxurious morning experience. Note that the porridge and natto (fermented soybeans) on the right side of the tray were items I picked up freely from the self-serve buffet corner in the restaurant.
※Breakfast venues and schedules vary by season, so it is best to check the current schedule on the official website.

I topped my white rice with the sashimi, grated yam, and sea grapes from the set, poured their special dashi broth over it, and enjoyed it as an original dashi-chazuke bowl. The flavors were so rich and delicious that I was deeply moved!

Furthermore, my absolute favorite part of the Sawa breakfast was this station in the buffet corner:

This is their special brown sugar milk corner, featuring large chunks of raw brown sugar from Tarama Island and Iriomote Island. You can enjoy and compare the different local flavors of these two islands.

Here is a video showing how you scrape the large brown sugar chunk with your own hands! Every time you scrape, a sweet, rich aroma of brown sugar wafts through the air. Dissolving the freshly scraped sugar into cold milk makes a wonderfully sweet and rich beverage that is absolutely top-tier!

Hotel Nikko Alivila Information Sheet

Here is a summary of the detailed specifications for Hotel Nikko Alivila. Please use this to plan your trip!

Summary

The dining experience at Hotel Nikko Alivila is highly satisfying, from the elegant petit sweets buffet at Lounge “Aliacara” to the rich breakfast set and raw brown sugar milk experience at Japanese & Ryukyu Cuisine “Sawa.” My only regret was forgetting to book the dinner in advance, which prevented us from ordering the guest-exclusive menu. When you visit, I strongly suggest booking your dinner table early. We hope you enjoy a relaxing, elegant hotel stay with some fantastic local delicacies!

FAQ

Q1. Can I make dinner reservations on the day of my visit?
A1. While walk-ins are sometimes possible if tables are open, popular restaurants get fully booked quickly, and certain guest menus require advance notice. To secure your desired time and menu, it is much safer to contact them early.

Q2. Can non-guests use Lounge “Aliacara” or “Sawa”?
A2. Yes! Both are open to day-trip visitors at standard rates. The lounge is particularly recommended for a tea break during a scenic drive around Yomitan Village.