The BARN BY ODIN

The Barn by Odin is one of Niseko’s true originals — an OG from the pre-boom era, long before the area became the global winter destination it is today. Despite the rapid evolution around it, The Barn has quietly and confidently held its standard, never needing to chase trends to stay relevant. Set within a charming rustic space, the restaurant delivers refined French cuisine with a focus on quality over quantity. The menu is deliberately limited, but that restraint is its strength — what they choose to serve, they execute exceptionally well. Each dish is thoughtful, balanced, and precise, allowing the ingredients and technique to speak for themselves. From the moment we arrived, the staff set the tone for the evening. Warm, welcoming, and genuinely attentive, their hospitality elevated the entire experience without ever feeling forced or formal. It’s the kind of service that makes you feel like a valued guest rather than just another reservation. We opted for the tasting menu, and it was nothing short of exquisite. Course after course arrived beautifully presented and expertly crafted, showcasing classic French foundations with a quiet confidence. Every bite felt intentional, refined, and memorable. At ¥16,000 per person, it certainly sits on the premium end of dining in Niseko. But considering the consistency, craftsmanship, and overall experience, it was worth every penny. The Barn by Odin is a reminder that true excellence doesn’t need reinvention — just integrity, passion, and time.

Service was awesome and the truffle butter fixes everything. Portions were miniscule for what you pay, and honestly a little bland. Wagyu was as soft as butter. The fish was a bit overcooked, very tender but a little dry. Go here if you're missing European food. Service was top notch and very attentive.

My friends and I visited The Barn by Odin on December 14 to celebrate a friend’s birthday. As our group was relatively large, I contacted the restaurant in advance via email to make the reservation, explain that it was a birthday celebration, and inform them of our friend’s food allergies. Prior to our visit, the restaurant’s responses were prompt and polite, and they even kindly offered to prepare an allergy-free birthday cake for an additional charge. This gave us a positive impression before arriving. Unfortunately, the actual dining experience almost completely ruined what was meant to be a birthday celebration. Upon arrival, the server greeted us by saying, “Oh hi, you’re here for the birthday celebration dinner, right?” We were all shocked and could only respond, “It’s supposed to be a surprise.” The surprise was immediately ruined, and there was no apology or attempt to remedy the situation from the staff. This was followed by an extremely slow and poorly managed service flow. We were seated at around 6:00 PM, ordered our drinks promptly, yet waited nearly an hour before the drinks were served. The first dish also took over an hour to arrive and was merely a small, unremarkable appetizer. For the second course, we chose oysters, which unfortunately contained shell fragments and were served at room temperature. Some guests later experienced stomach discomfort, raising serious concerns about food safety. Even more alarming, one of our friends discovered a used piece of chewing gum inside a folded napkin before even starting the meal and almost used it to wipe their mouth. This level of hygiene is completely unacceptable. When we reported this to the staff, they simply denied responsibility and offered excuses, without any formal or sincere apology. Although the pace of service slightly improved after repeated complaints, the overall service remained chaotic and unprofessional. Throughout the entire evening, there was no proper apology from the restaurant. In the end, the only compensation offered was a 50% discount on drinks, which was entirely disproportionate to the overall experience. We had dined at The Barn by Odin several years ago and had an acceptable experience, which is why we chose to return for this special occasion. However, this visit was deeply disappointing in terms of service quality, food standards, and hygiene. This will be our last visit, and we will not recommend this restaurant to others.

Based on the all around reviews and regard for The Barn, my 6-person group had high expectations for our dining experience. Unfortunately, our experience could be summarized as completely disappointing and an overall waste of our only group dinner in town. Initially service was very communicative and prompt when we were seated to take our beverage and food order, inclusive of bread, starters and mains. However, the feeling was fleeting as we waited 45 minutes only to receive an update that the kitchen was behind. After 55 minutes, we complained about the wait for any bread or starters. Ironically, the kitchen’s back up miraculously was resolved following our complaint and at 10pm our entire meal came out at once - hot starters (soups) and entrees at the same time. This made for the impossible decision to eat either the hot starters (soups) first or allow the soups to sit in order for the main dishes to be hot. What was even more disturbing was one of our main wagyu steaks was nearly frozen on the inside but hot on the outside. After inspection, the chef agreed it was substandard and had to remake the dish. This meant one diner did not have a main course while everyone else had their food. After waiting an hour for food, our total eating duration lasted 15 minutes for what was considered a high caliber restaurant. We found that the overall service was lacking as we waited for water refills and the only response to our prolonged wait time was due to the kitchen back up. For a restaurant that is generally regarded as top quality in the area, the overall experience was anything but high quality. During the meal, we spoke about what food we could get after to fill our hunger and chose to go to the nearby convenience store after for food. As one looks to dine at The Barn, I’d consider the ambiance superb. That said, if you’d like a timely meal that lives up to the great quality of Japan overall, you’re better off going to any of the various food trucks nearby or stopping by a Lawson’s to make sure you leave eating something that is both tasty and doesn’t leave you wanting more for a single dish that is more than $50 a person.

Exquisite french fine dining, warm atmosphere and decor :) every dish was perfection, staff were very lovely

Food was well executed by the kitchen. Be fitting its fine dining vibes. Service could be better. Junior service staff were attentive, let down by manageress who helped serve a fish dish, but forgotten to include the sauce which was crucial for the dish！We were wondering why the dish was so bland！ Overall a pleasant experience.

Food is not good especially for the price. We did the fish menu and only the first course (tuna) was somewhat decent. The second course was “pasta” which was a single under cooked and under seasoned ravioli with minced lobster and the final course was mushy fish as other reviews have mentioned. Definitely not worth coming to. To make it worse, after we were the only guests for first 40 minutes of service, they decided to put a family of four (with two kids watching movies without headphones) directly next to us while the entire restaurant was empty.

Went there for dinner with my partner, it was lovely. We had cocktails to start and then the tasting menu. Food was really tasty, highlight on the foie gras and wagyu beef filet. Great service and ambiance! I recommend !