A friend from Nara Prefecture told me, “There’s a really good bakery in Nishinomiya, and I’m thinking of going there to buy some bread,” and I was so surprised!!
“Wait! You’re coming all the way from Nara? Nishinomiya has lots of great bakeries, but where, where?”“Namaze Hutte!”
Honestly, it was the first time I’d heard of it, I had never heard the name before!
So I decided to Google it… and it turns out it’s a bakery that only sells by reservation!!! It seems to be the shop opened in 2016 after the hugely popular Osaka bakery Boulangerie Takeuchi relocated here (^O^)／
For Nishitsu, that meant we absolutely had to go!! After getting through the brutal reservation phone battle ← I’ll explain that later (^_^;),
and 
went to check it out.
目次
The Bread We Bought at “Namaze Hutte”
First, let me introduce the bread we bought〜
As you’d expect, bread doesn’t exactly photograph in a flashy way, and you can’t really tell what’s inside either (^_^;)
So here’s the breakdown↓
1. Small Loaf with Muscat Grapes and Iyokan Citrus
Not “raisins,” but muscat grapes! Not orange peel, but iyokan! On the day we bought it, each flavor stood out nicely in the fluffy bread. The next day, the dough had settled into a moist texture, and the iyokan aroma and muscat sweetness had become mellow (^O^)／
2. French Bread with Marron Glace and Tuscan Hazelnuts
It’s French bread, but on the softer side, without that crisp outer crunch. Still, the texture is definitely French bread. Since it says Tuscan, maybe the hazelnuts are from Italy… I didn’t look that far into it, but since they went out of their way to name it that, maybe so (^_^;) The marron glace is mixed in, giving it a gentle sweetness (^ ^) The next day, I sliced it, lightly toasted it, and spread butter on it. It was incredibly good!
3. Natural Yeast Focaccia with Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Gruyere Cheese
Our shachou, who isn’t great at gourmet-style comments, said, “It’s kind of like pizza…” And yes, it feels like slowly savoring a deep, flavorful pizza.
One piece is pretty hefty, so if you ate it alone, this might be enough to fill you up.
The next day, all the flavors had come together even more, and it was moist and delicious (^ ^)
4. Cappuccino Panettone (Coffee, Cinnamon, White Chocolate)
Sorry, I don’t have a cross-section photo… The top had a crisp texture kind of like melon bread, and the inside was moist. Shachou noticed the cinnamon first, but for me, the white chocolate flavor came through first! Even shachou, who isn’t big on sweets, enjoyed it.
5. Natural Yeast Chocolate and Marcona Almond
Marcona almonds are Spanish almonds known as the queen of almonds (^O^)／ The dough has a firm bite, and of course you get the almond flavor, but the chocolate texture and taste are also strong. Each piece is big, so the next day I sliced it and lightly toasted it. The chocolate melted, and it was delicious (^O^)／
How to Buy Bread at “Namaze Hutte”
It’s completely reservation-only!
【How to Reserve】
① Reservations are accepted by phone only every Monday. (Reception hours are 10:00〜14:00)
② Pickup is from 10:00〜14:00, Tuesday through Friday of that week
I actually called and made a reservation.
I called from my mobile phone, started dialing at 9:55, and finally got through at 11:35 (^_^;) The number of calls: 446… At some point I was just being stubborn. I did well hanging in there for 1 hour and 40 minutes! ←This is what the invisible line looks like
There are urban legends saying public phones or landlines are easier to get through on, so it might be worth trying.
I’ve also heard it’s easier to connect in the afternoon, but then you risk hearing, “Reservations are closed!” That’s a tough call (^_^;)
So, to see what kinds of bread you can buy, check this month’s bread on the Namaze Hutte website and place your order.
You can choose your pickup day from Tuesday to Friday, but it may be good to have a few possible dates in mind in case they say your preferred day is full…
【How to Pick Up】
① Enter the shop and tell them the reservation name on the right side
② There will be bread available to buy that day lined up, so choose what you want ← You don’t have to buy any, but everyone was ordering like they were about to clear the shelves. The hot sandwiches are toasted for you at the shop, and you can eat them on the bench in front.
③ Pay at the register on the left side ← Cash only. Some people were buying so much I thought, “Is this really just payment for bread??” But of course they were, because the parking lot was full of cars with license plates from other prefectures!! People come from far away.
Even for Nishinomiya residents, this bakery is so close, yet so far, because reservations are hard to get ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
The hot sandwich and coffee looked like this↓
It was such a cold day that snow was fluttering down, so the hot coffee and warm, crisp sandwich really hit the spot (^ ^)
Inside “Namaze Hutte”
At the back of the shop, you could see a large stone oven↓ Of course, it’s wood-fired. The interior has a high ceiling and feels like it was built with great care for wood.
Bread lined up↓ We arrived around 11:00, so there was plenty on display (^O^)／
Even just looking at the photos, every loaf looks incredibly delicious ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
Exterior of “Namaze Hutte”
A mountain-hut-style shop located a little off Route 176, up a slope.
There is parking for 12 cars next to the shop.
Shop Information for “Namaze Hutte”
Here it is on the map↓
- Address・・〒669-1101 1285−221 Namaze, Shiose-cho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture
- Phone number・・0797-24-2712
- Public transportation・・15-minute walk from JR Namaze Station, 7-minute walk from Hankyu Bus Morikobashi stop
Related links・・Website Tabelog
Final Thoughts
That was how we unexpectedly learned about the bread from “Namaze Hutte.” Nishinomiya has plenty of delicious bakeries, but this bread felt unlike anything from any other bakery. ← It’s hard to explain, but “one of a kind” feels like the right phrase.
Even if you have a reservation, you’ll still line up. That’s because everyone ends up buying lots of the bread available that day.
So on the drive home, the car is filled with the happy smell of bread!
This time Nishitsu bought the “Bread Set of the Month” and the “Small Loaf with Muscat Grapes and Iyokan Citrus.” The bread of the month seems to change every month. It was the kind of bread that makes you want to take on the reservation phone battle again just to taste it ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
Bread lovers, definitely go!!!!
By the way, “Hutte” apparently means a hut or mountain lodge built for climbers or skiers to stay or rest in.
