South Cafe

Beachy vibes, tasty food

One thing I miss a lot about living in Australia is the abundance of cafes close to beaches, with those relaxed vibes and tasty eats. Possibly the closest I've come to that feeling is at South Cafe, in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. Situated on the Izu Peninsula, it's a spot with great beaches - so it was nice to have somewhere with a great menu too. They have menu items such as salads topped with fried chicken or fried fish, burgers, enchiladas, veggie sandwiches, pizza, pasta, curry - the list goes on. As for drinks, they have some really great smoothies, and they also have a range of alcoholic beverages if that takes your fancy - mojitos seemed to be popular on their menu (although we were driving, so that was a no for us - maybe next time!) The service was quick and friendly despite it being basically a full house (we arrived right at lunch time when we visited). We will definitely be back if we are in the area. Do note that they close every Thursday if you're planning to visit during the week.