Trattoria Gigli turned out to be one of those perfect little restaurant finds - the kind that makes you want to keep it secret but also tell everyone about it. When we say tiny, we mean TINY - we're talking three or four tables max, which means it fills up faster than you can say "pasta."

The place has this incredibly cozy vibe, like you've stumbled into someone's personal kitchen in Italy that somehow got transported to Nikko. The food isn't just good-for-Nikko good, it's legitimately excellent Italian cooking that would hold its own anywhere.

Pro tip: Don't just walk by hoping to get in later - if you see an empty table, grab it! With so few seats, you might not get another chance. This place ended up being our favorite restaurant in all of Nikko, which is saying something for an Italian spot in a Japanese tourist town!