Address - 4-12-4 Hamadayama, Suginami-ku, Tokyo Opening hours - 11:00am to 2:00pm and 6:00 pm to 9:30pm. Closed on Mondays Map - See directions Telephone - 3318-7316 Menu - In Japanese and English CC - OK

With the onset of middle age, many of the small pleasures of life, for example waking up in the morning in a reasonably good mood, go down the tubes. Can't be helped. But let's not forget that, on the other hand, one has the privilege of being able to afford, and the sophistication to feel the need for, a meal in a place like La Pacchia. Well hidden from the public's eye in Hamadayama, it's a true Italian restaurant even in the total absence of staff or customers from that nation.

A pleasant place in spite of the comparative crowding, it has a wood oven to make pizza, which here is small but real Italian and consequently good. The menu isn't very long, but definitely interesting. It seems the young Japanese cooks at La Pacchia do not like standard recipes, and indulge in the preparation of dishes that are somewhat unusual, but traditional in inspiration. What do I mean? For example tagliatelle with cubed zucchini, eggs and Italian bacon. And the handmade noodles are oustanding in texture and taste, definitely the best I have tasted in Japan. What can I say? If you live in the neighborhood, go. It will cost you 5,000 yen at least, but it will be worth it.

Where it is: Get out of the Inokashira Line Hamadayama Station, go straight ahead towards the Inokashira Dori, cross it, and walk to the right for some hundred meters until La Pacchia.

La Pacchia has a branch in Ikejiri Ohashi.

Tel. 5430-8897
Shibuya-ku, Ikejiri 3-19-13. Also closed on Mondays.