Flying Stag
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
- Shin-Ōmiya Station · 9 min walk (Kintetsu Nara Line)
- Hours
- 12:00–21:00 daily
- Admission
- Free (food and drink orders required)
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Best time to go
- Saturday and Sunday evenings from 17:00 for live music performances alongside bar service
Hours can change on holidays — check the official site before travelling.
About
Located inside the upscale JW Marriott Hotel Nara, Flying Stag is a sophisticated lobby lounge and bar that offers a refined alternative to Nara's quiet nightlife. Worth visiting for its stunning, large-scale deer tapestry and curated selection of local craft beers, sake, and signature botanical cocktails. Expect a plush, tranquil atmosphere perfect for a relaxed evening drink or a premium afternoon tea experience.
What Japanese guides note
Flying Stag functions as the open-plan first-floor lounge and bar inside JW Marriott Hotel Nara, situated next to the Nara Prefectural Convention Center. Daytime hours center around formal afternoon tea collaborations incorporating local teas from Tsukigase's Uekubo Tea Farm, while evening hours shift to craft cocktails and whisky service. Non-hotel guests are welcome without cover charges, though groups with minors must conclude their visit before the 20:00 age cutoff.
Details from local sources
- Guests under 20 years of age are not permitted in the lounge and bar after 20:00. [source]
- Nara-based contemporary artist Chiharu Rona's artwork 'Meguru,' crafted with colored pencil layers, mother-of-pearl inlay, and handmade washi, is displayed inside the venue under the hotel's artist-in-residence program. [source]
- The lounge hosts regular live music performances by local musicians every Saturday and Sunday. [source]
- The carpet pattern across the lounge floor is custom-designed after the silhouette and ridges of the surrounding Nara mountains. [source]
Insider Tip
Try the signature 'Flying Stag' cocktail, which features locally distilled craft gin and Nara-sourced botanical ingredients.
Frequently asked
Do I need a reservation to visit Flying Stag for afternoon tea?
Yes, reservations are strongly advised for afternoon tea sessions as seating fills up. Bookings can be made online via TableCheck or by telephone. Note that cancellations incur a 50% charge two days prior, 70% one day prior, and 100% on the day of the reservation.
Are children and teenagers allowed inside the bar in the evening?
Children and teens are welcome during daytime afternoon tea and early dinner hours, but hotel policy prohibits guests under 20 years of age from entering the lounge after 20:00. Families traveling with younger children should schedule their visit during the 12:00 to 17:00 afternoon tea window.
How do I get to Flying Stag from Nara's main rail stations?
Guests can avoid the 9-minute walk from Shin-Ōmiya Station by using the complimentary hotel shuttle bus. The shuttle operates regular circuits connecting JW Marriott Hotel Nara directly with both Kintetsu-Nara Station and JR Nara Station throughout the daytime, stopping right at the main hotel lobby entrance.
Our Nara walking tours
On the same walk
Photos
