Part of the appeal of staying in an onsen town is the knowledge that your ryokan will stuff you silly for both dinner and breakfast. But some of us have a sweet tooth that is hard to satisfy with just a helping of fruit or small dessert. When your taste buds tingle for that rush of sugar, you won't mind the walk (or drive) up the insanely curvy driveway to the hilltop cafe of Ciel.
It's hard to interpret which aspect of the cafe the owners intended to represent with the chosen name - Ciel means "sky" but also "heaven" in French. To be sure, the views here are second to none. Sitting on a ridge above Kurokawa Onsen, diners have clear views from the massive picture windows of the imposing Kujo mountains in Oita prefecture to the north. Come in winter and these peaks are snow-capped - you'll be glad of the cozy indoor space. In summer, however, a large terrace allows diners to take their food or drinks out to the wooden lounge chairs to soak up the cool breezes that blow through this valley while the rest of Japan swelters.
The view of the dessert case inside is equally enticing, however, and travelers can expect typical French pastries such as mille feuille (layers of cream and wafer like cake), mont blanc (with heaping chestut cream) and fruit tarts in flavors like apple and pear. You can have dessert only or choose a set, which includes tea or coffee.
Should you arrive over the lunch hour, Ciel also offers three or four meal options. The choices may come as a bit of a surprise for a purportedly French cafe, but the most popular lunch special is borscht (Russian stew). There is also a unique tomato pizza (served on a flatbread rather than a crust) and a Thai green curry option. Set meals come with soup, salad, bread and a drink, but for a small fee you can add in one of those sumptuous pastries as well.
Ciel is located on the south side of Kurokawa Onsen town on the road to Oguni. It's easy to reach in 2-3 minutes by car from the center of town. From the main bus stop, walk west along the main road and you'll soon see the driveway leading up onto the ridge.
