Starting May 18, 2026, 21 Grand Mercure and Mercure hotel restaurants across Japan will be rolling out a seasonal summer dinner buffet. Building on the base concept of "Grand Mercure / Mercure Marché," the buffet introduces two seasonal themes — "World Street Food" and "Three Authentic Curries" — running through October 31.
Beating the Long, Hot Summer with a Festive Buffet
Japan's summers have been growing longer in recent years, stretching from May through October in many regions. The Grand Mercure / Mercure Marché summer buffet treats early summer, peak heat, and lingering warmth as one continuous season, presenting dishes designed to keep energy levels up even in the heat. This year's lineup emphasizes the joy of choosing, combining, and customizing, creating a festival-like atmosphere the whole family can enjoy.
Theme 1: "World Street Food" — A Global Food Festival for the Family
Street food — easy to eat without chopsticks or cutlery — takes center stage with favorites from food stalls around the world. Diners can enjoy the same item in multiple ways by switching up sauces and seasonings, making for a family-friendly marché experience full of fun and variety.
Takoyaki (Japan)
A quintessential Japanese street food, these octopus balls work as a light snack for children, and pairing them with ponzu, mentaiko mayonnaise, salsa, cheese sauce, or guacamole turns them into a crowd-pleasing appetizer for adults as well.
Falafel (Israel and the Middle East)
Chickpeas are mashed, shaped, and deep-fried into these croquette-like bites. Served alongside vegetable fritters, they can be paired with guacamole, salsa, mustard, and other dipping sauces for a range of flavor variations.
Assorted French Fries (Various Countries)
Popular with kids and adults alike, the fries come in various shapes and can be seasoned to taste with options such as nori salt or butter soy sauce.
Tapioca Drinks and Sweets (Taiwan and more)
Using the soft drinks at the buffet's drink station along with soft-serve ice cream and cereal, guests can create their own original tapioca drinks and parfaits.
Taiyaki (Japan)
Churros (Spain)
Egg Tarts (Portugal)
Theme 2: "Three Authentic Curries" — Spice Your Way Through Summer
Three widely beloved curry varieties make an appearance, each already familiar to curry fans across Japan. Side options — including tandoori chicken, naan, butter rice, duo rice, tortillas, and baguette — are available to pair freely with the curries. A dedicated spice station lets guests further customize heat levels and aromas to their liking.
Butter Chicken Curry
A well-balanced curry with the richness of butter and the tang of tomato. It pairs well with tandoori chicken and warm vegetables from the buffet, and can also be drizzled over tandoori chicken wrapped in naan or tortillas.
Green Curry
The mellow sweetness of coconut combines with the fragrance of green chili and herbs. Try it over "duo rice" — a blend of chewy wild rice and aromatic basmati — alongside warm vegetables for an interesting twist.
Hotel Original Curry
Each hotel's head chef creates a unique house curry, with some showcasing local ingredients — such as Omi beef at Grand Mercure Biwako Resort & Spa.
Tandoori Chicken
Chicken marinated in yogurt and a blend of spices, then roasted to a fragrant finish. It's known for its deep, aromatic spice profile and juicy texture.
Spice Station
A dedicated extra-spice corner offers garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, coriander powder, and an oil infused with vadouvan (a spice blend with South Indian roots), among others. Guests can add heat, shift the flavor profile, and experiment to find their perfect combination.
Other Recommended Dinner Buffet Items (Year-Round)
Boeuf Braisé (Braised Beef)
A classic French dish born from the art of slow-cooking meat to perfection. The beef is braised low and slow to draw out maximum flavor, served alongside healthy quinoa. The accompanying carrots are seasoned with locally sourced miso from each hotel's region.
Fish Quenelle
A signature dish of Lyon, France, originally developed by female cooks in the 18th century. Ground fish is blended with flour and shaped into dumplings — a French-style fish cake — served in a rich bisque (shellfish-based cream soup) with a duxelles (mushrooms, onion, and herbs sautéed in butter) for depth of flavor.
Vegetable Wellington
Inspired by the classic Wellington named after the Duke of Wellington, this vegetarian version replaces beef with roasted vegetables and mushrooms wrapped in crisp pastry, finished with a seasonal sauce. It delivers a satisfying sweetness from the vegetables and deep umami from the mushrooms.
For full buffet details, visit http://accor-resorts-japan.jp/buffet/
Buffet Overview
Period: May 18 (Mon.) – October 31 (Sat.), 2026 (scheduled)
Hours: Dinner 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM (8:30 PM last entry)
Restaurants: Restaurant names are shared across all hotels.
- Grand Mercure: "Le Sensoriel"
- Mercure: "Locavore"
Price: Included in the hotel accommodation plan
Notes:
- Some hotels may have different periods or hours; please check each hotel's website.
- Guests booked on plans without dinner will be charged additionally.
- Ingredients, sourcing regions, and availability periods are subject to change.
- All images are for illustrative purposes.
Participating Hotels:
- Grand Mercure Nasu Highlands Resort & Spa (Tochigi)
- Grand Mercure Minami Boso Resort & Spa (Chiba)
- Grand Mercure Yatsugatake Resort & Spa (Yamanashi)
- Grand Mercure Hamanako Resort & Spa (Shizuoka)
- Grand Mercure Ise-Shima Resort & Spa (Mie)
- Grand Mercure Biwako Resort & Spa (Shiga)
- Grand Mercure Nara Kashihara (Nara)
- Grand Mercure Wakayama Minabe Resort & Spa (Wakayama)
- Grand Mercure Awaji Island Resort & Spa (Hyogo)
- Grand Mercure Beppu Bay Resort & Spa (Oita)
- Grand Mercure Okinawa Cape Zanpa Resort (Okinawa)
- Mercure Miyagi Zao Resort & Spa (Miyagi)
- Mercure Urabandai Resort & Spa (Fukushima)
- Mercure Nagano Matsushiro Resort & Spa (Nagano)
- Mercure Toyama Tonami Resort & Spa (Toyama)
- Mercure Kyoto Miyazu Resort & Spa (Kyoto)
- Mercure Wakayama Kushimoto Resort & Spa (Wakayama)
- Mercure Tottori Daisen Resort & Spa (Tottori)
- Mercure Kochi Tosa Resort & Spa (Kochi)
- Mercure Fukuoka Munakata Resort & Spa (Fukuoka)
- Mercure Saga Karatsu Resort (Saga)
All-Inclusive Stay
Dinner and breakfast are both served buffet-style — eat whatever you like, as much as you like (image)
Relax in the open-air hot spring bath or sauna (image)
The lounge offers beer, wine, and local specialty drinks (image)
Alcoholic beverages at the restaurant and drinks at the lounge are included in the accommodation rate, allowing guests to fully unwind in the open-air hot spring baths and saunas. Both dinner and breakfast are served buffet-style, with local specialty menus popular at each hotel's respective location.
