I'll be honest - I'm not a big pasta guy. Sure, I like spaghetti and meatballs as much as the next guy, but when it comes to pasta focused restaurants, I'm often left feeling like everything on the menu looks the same. So you can imagine how surprised I was to find a pasta place that impressed me in pretty much every way. That place was Kamakura Pasta. Since there are other locations of this same restaurant, including at least one in Yokohama, it's worth mentioning that I visited the Zushi location, which isn't far from Yokosuka Airforce Base.
Upon entering the restaurant the first thing I noticed was how modern and clean it was. The entrance has a wide open space with plenty of room for a large party to remove their shoes. In fact, the entire first floor is made up of mostly open space - a rare but welcome sight in Japan, especially if you have children. Incidentally, while removing your shoes is necessary here, they make it convenient with many small lockers available for free to store them while you dine.
Moving on to the second floor where the dining area is located, you'll be greeted by the typically hospitable Japanese staff. Both Western and Japanese style seating is available, so you can choose which you prefer. Given the beautiful atmosphere, I was surprised to find there is also a family Japanese-style dining area. It is mostly walled off (to decrease the chance of escaping children?), and includes an adjacent room specifically for young kids to play in. Having two young children as I do, I can say this was a great addition, allowing the adults to enjoy the food and conversation without worrying about too much else.
Speaking of food, the pasta here is incredible. The menu is expansive, though not expensive, with something for everyone. They even managed to fit in some Japanese style dishes in what seems to otherwise look very Italian. If you like seafood, as I do, the shrimp and broccoli pasta was exquisite. There are also other standard favorites with toppings like ham, various vegetables, and the like. One of the additional great things about this restaurant is the all-you-can-eat bread. The cooks regularly make fresh bread for everyone to enjoy. There are many different kinds of bread too: cheesy, milk, herb, and more. As a bread lover, I was very pleased by this!
While there is no shortage of pasta restaurants in Japan, I think it's safe to say Kamakura Pasta stands out. If you've just spent the morning exploring Kamakura, the lunch menu will let you restock the carbs without breaking the bank so you can get out and explore some more. At the same time, I imagine this would be a fantastic place for a date night. However you go, I highly recommend giving it a try.
