I had long ago noticed Milano 'a Riccione's sign along Wakamiya Oji (Kamakura's main street), but had never taken the place seriously, mostly because of its absurd name (imagine a restaurant called "New York 'at Cape Cod'" or "San Francisco 'at Mendocino'". Riccione is an insignificant town on the sea, hundreds of miles from Milano).
A while back, though, my girlfriend (practically my wife), having found their site, informed me that not only they produce themselves all their herbs and vegetables, but they are a member of the Slow Food Movement.
So, I decided they were worth a visit after all.

Next to their door, a sign says more or less "We are a slow food restaurant. We have nothing precooked, and your meal is completely prepared after your order. If you don't have time, please go to a fast-food restaurant". Cigarettes are forbidden.
All very well about the cigarettes, I thought, but after so much pretences and stuffiness they had better be good.
The place, with its red bricks and white walls, looks indeed like what it is, and the air smells of rosemary and tomatoes. Little wonder: on your table there's a vase with some fresh rosemary and oregano.
These people truly don't fool around, and you are soon surrounded by waiters and sommelliers takning care of your welfare. The menu (alas only in Japanese), accompanied as it is by the big blackboard full of dishes of the day, is sure to keep you busy for a while.
Only one disappointment: in spite of the presence of a wood oven, they have just four kinds of pizza. And those, like La Voglia Matta's, fail the crust test. As all Italians know, the center of a pizza must be thin, but the edges well raised and puffy. Their pizza is completely flat and dry-looking. Strange, for their home-made breads (whole wheat, semolina, focaccia and with olives) are excellent.

We decided to stay light, and ordered tripe, mixed appetizers, spaghetti with tako ragout (sic), and pappardelle (a kind of tagliatelle) with ricotta and spinach. All excellent and really Italian: no foreign accents. We finished the meal with a glass of home-made limoncello each and a dessert.

A Riccione is very good, and certainly way better than another more famous Kamakura venue, Taverna Rondino. Prices are not terribly low but (with the exception of meats), not particularly high either. Simply put, if you want to have Italian food in Kamakura, don't look any further: this is what you are looking for.

To get there, from Kamakura station go to Wakamiya Oji and turn left. You will see a Riccione's sign after 500 meters.