Before I moved to okinawa I thought the only option for dining out would be Japanese food. Boy, was I wrong! okinawa has a huge variety of restaurants to choose from. There are Italian, Chinese, American, French, Filipino, Korean and of course Japanese restaurants to fill whatever craving you may have! One place I have found that I completely fell in love with was this tiny little Italian place called the Rose Garden.

The Rose Garden is located on highway 330 right near the McDonald’s (my kids fav!). There is very limited parking, so if you are going with a large group call ahead and carpool. The Rose Garden offers a wide variety of Italian classics as well as house specialties, all served in eye-pleasing, mouth watering courses. I am not easily impressed, but I was extremely impressed with the excellent service provided. Not only is the staff bi-lingual (at least enough to provide great service), but they also are on the spot with anything you may need.

On our first visit I was charmed with the romantic atmosphere. There are candles and flowers on each table and soft music playing in the background. From the lights to the paintings gracing the walls of this tiny place I found the atmosphere to be intoxicating. Then the food arrived!

The Rose Garden offers course meals, which have somehow become lost in restaurants today, and I love them. They also have a great drink menu with some very nice wines. From the fettuccini, spaghetti, cacciatore and fresh steamed veggies to their house specialty Rose Garden Chicken, which is absolutely delectable, the food was delicious! Even the house salad vinaigrette is great!

After a long time deciding over the heavenly dessert choices, we finished with a cheesecake dessert. Now, being from New York, I am very picky about cheesecake! And as I came to expect, it too was wonderful! With dessert came coffee, which was a fantastic Colombian blend. The owner of the restaurant even came over and introduced himself and asked us how our meal was. And you can bet I told him!

I discovered the owner was American, and former military, who has lived on okinawa with his wife since he left the service. A very warm and friendly gentleman, Mr. Payne explained that customer service is number one and that his customers are what matters most. They use only the finest ingredients and you can truly taste it! His dedication to service and his love of delicious food have made the Rose Garden a favorite of everyone I know! I had always wondered why I hadn’t seen advertising for it before, but after my first visit I knew. Word of mouth is better than any other form of advertising!

So if you are looking for a fabulous tasting dinner in a great place with a romantic atmosphere and at a very reasonable price, the Rose Garden is your place! Go in and enjoy the wonderful aroma and taste of fine Italian dining… on okinawa!