Restaurant to Another World (Japanese: 異世界食堂, Hepburn: Isekai Shokudō) is a Japanese light novel series written by Junpei Inuzuka, with illustrations by Katsumi Enami. Shufunotomo have released five volumes of the series since February 2015. An anime television series adaptation produced by Silver Link aired from July to September 2017. A second season by OLM aired from October to December 2021.
The Western Restaurant Nekoya[Jp. 1] is a restaurant situated in a mundane corner of an undisclosed Tokyo shopping district which offers a lot of Japanese versions of Western dishes. It opens during usual business hours but is closed during holidays and weekends; with its usual clientele being the working class of the city. But secretly it is also open on Saturdays, as on this particular day it creates doorways to another world inhabited by elves, dragons, beastmen and other fantastic creatures, who enter the restaurant and partake of its exotic food, with many of them becoming regular patrons. But while Nekoya mainly offers food, it is also a place where relationships are forged, inspirations made, and salvation for the needy is provided.
The web novel was initially serialized by Junpei Inuzuka on the user-generated content site Shōsetsuka ni Narō from January 4, 2013, onwards.[5] Following the web novel's publication, Shufunotomo acquired the series for print publication. The first light novel volume, with illustrations by Katsumi Enami, was published on February 28, 2015, under their Hero Bunko imprint.[6] As of October 2021, six volumes have been published.[7] Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the novel.[8]
A manga adaptation illustrated by Takaaki Kugatsu launched in Square Enix's Young Gangan magazine in November 2016 and ended in June 2019. The manga shares the same first chapter about menchikatsu as the original web novel, but the second chapter is different.[11] Crunchyroll published the manga digitally in English beginning on July 2, 2017.[15] The manga is also licensed by Yen Press.[16]
A second manga adaptation by Morozawa Yamizawa titled Isekai Shokudō: Yōshoku no Nekoya (異世界食堂 ~洋食のねこや~, "Restaurant to Another World: Western Cuisine Nekoya") began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine on April 26, 2021.[17][18]
The author reported in a September 7, 2016, blog entry on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website that an anime adaptation project of the light novel series was in the works,[11] later revealed to be an anime television series.[34] The series aired from July 4 to September 19, 2017, on TV Tokyo, and was streamed with subtitles by Crunchyroll[35] and with an English dub done by Funimation.[36] Masato Jinbo directed the series and supervised scripts at Silver Link, with Takao Sano and Keiichi Sano adapted the original character designs for animation.[37][38] The opening theme is "One in a Billion" by Wake Up, May'n, while the ending theme is "Chiisana Hitotsubu" (ちいさなひとつぶ, "A Small Grain") by Kiyono Yasuno.[39]
On April 22, 2021, it was announced on the cover of the Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine's June 2021 issue that a second season had been greenlit for production.[18] OLM animated the second season, and Yasukazu Shoji replaced Keiichi Sano and Takao Sano as the character designer. The rest of the staff and cast members returned to reprise their roles from the first season.[40] The second season aired from October 2 to December 18, 2021.[41][42] The opening theme is "Onnaji Kimochi" by Kiyono Yasuno, while the ending theme is "Samenai Mahō" by Nao Tōyama.[43][44]
For the occasion of Meat Day (二九の日, niku no hi),[48] the Master serves free pork soup with the regular meals, which quickly gains the praise of the guests. At the same time, Alexander the half-elf visits his old friend, the sage Altorius, because he has decided to pay the Nekoya a visit to try out the croquettes which his late son, Emperor Wilhelm, enjoyed so much. He learns to his surprise that Yomi, his lost comrade-in-arms, was not killed in their battle against the demon god, but wound up on Earth and that the current Master is her grandson. Moved by the sentiment of this, he pays a visit to his family's graves and is greeted by his great-granddaughter, Princess Adelheid, who is also visiting her family's graves.