Food & Nightlife

Appi Kogen Restaurants Appi Kogen has a large range of high quality restaurants for evening dining and they all have English menus so you won’t be left pointing at food models. For those staying in Appi accommodation, restaurant meals can be purchased or are included in accommodation packages via a coupon system. The pensions include meals as part of the accommodation package.

At the Appi Grand Hotel there are five restaurants: Japanese; Chinese; French; Korean BBQ; and a buffet restaurant with a variety of cuisines (which is also fabulous for breakfast and lunch). Interestingly the hotel has “investigated the concept of anti-aging dishes and applied it for dinner menu in hotel restaurants since 2006. Seasonal and local ingredients are used and cooked as anti-aging dishes at Japanese”! Whilst it’s questionable as to whether the food makes you younger, the meals are definitely delicious!

A highlight of the Appi Grand Hotel dining is Nanashigure, the Japanese restaurant. Here they serve a large range of superb cuisine in a restaurant setting or in private dining rooms. It’s possible to order set meals or a la carte.

The Appi Grand Villas also have several restaurants. One highlight is the Lobelia Izakaya at Appi Grand Villa 1, although it’s more of a restaurant than an izakaya per se. Lobelia has a casual festive atmosphere and they serve a huge range of yummy Japanese treats.

Appi Kogen has a large range of eateries and restaurants for lunch. See the facilities and services page for more information. For something special, try lunch at either the Appi Ranch tea rooms or the adjacent kamakura (small igloos). Here they serve cuisine that features the Appi Ranch dairy products such as cheese fondue, milk seafood hot pots, delectable ice-cream, and other delicious dairy based desserts. The Appi Ranch won't be operational during 2011-12 but is due to re-open in 2012. In the meantime the kamakura lunch will operate next to the hotel.

Bars & Nightlife The nightlife is fairly sedate at Appi Kogen which is pretty usual for a Japanese ski resort.

The resort tries to encourage some apres ‘appiness at the Tea Lounge “Sassari” with happy hour discounts on beers and cocktails from 4:30-6pm.

The Appi Grand Hotel has a couple of bars that open from 6pm until midnight, but there is some potential that the bars may be deserted if you don’t take your own crew. Bar Po is a charming cocktail style lounge which is beautiful for a quiet drink, whilst the San Remo Pool Bar has a more casual atmosphere to partake in some drinks, appetizers and a game of pool.

It seems apt whilst in Japan to get into the culture of karaoke, and the cheesier the song the better! For a small fee you can book out the karaoke box if you have a small group, or if you really want to party on you can book out the large karaoke room.