Restaurants in Nara
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Kana Kana
Inside an 80-year-old machiya in Naramachi, this simple, relaxing place serves healthy Japanese food, much of it (but not all) vegetarian. We recommend the kanakana-gohan set (daily lunch special). It's tricky to spot, since it hardly looks like a restaurant at all; look for the pile of rocks outside next to a house with a tree in its front yard.
reviewed
-
A
Bikkuri Udon Miyoshino
A simple place that does good-value sets of typical Japanese fare. Stop by and check the daily lunch specials on display outside.
reviewed
-
B
Mellow Café
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Cafe
Located down a narrow alley (look for the palm tree) not far from Kintetsu Nara Station, this open-plan cafe is a pleasant spot to fuel up for a day of sightseeing. The menu centres on pasta and pizza (there's a brick oven). There's an English sign and menu.
reviewed
-
C
Shizuka
The closest decent lunch option to Nara-kōen, Shizuka is a cosy little traditional restaurant that serves a Nara speciality known as kamameshi (rice cooked in an small iron pot with various vegetables, meat or fish thrown in). It's in a two-storey building that looks like a private home, with a white-and-black paper lantern-sign.
reviewed
-
D
Beni-e
If you want tempura without a lot of distractions, this tiny tempura specialist is likely to satisfy. It serves good tempura, hana, tsuki and yuki lunch sets respectively). It's located a little back from Higashi-muki arcade, behind Regal Shoes; go down the alley and look for the red writing above the door.
reviewed
-
E
Drink Drank
This is the sort of place you might just as easily find in New York or Melbourne. It serves a variety of fresh fruit drinks and light lunches including sandwiches and soup. If you want a break from Japanese food and feel like something light and casual, this might be the move.
reviewed
-
F
Ten Ten Café
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Cafe
Operated by a singer-songwriter, and a venue for lots of live music, this airy cafe is a fine spot for a drink or light meal in the Naramachi area. It serves a daily lunch special for ¥750. Look for the English sign and plants out front.
reviewed
-
G
Tempura Asuka
This reliable restaurant serves attractive tempura and sashimi sets in a relatively casual atmosphere. At lunchtime try its nicely presented yumei-dono bentō (a box filled with a variety of tasty Japanese foods) for ¥1600. There is an English sign.
reviewed
-
H
Don
The name is short for donburi (rice bowl) and this place takes the honours in the cheapest eats category. It’s healthy Japanese fast food and there’s a picture menu to make ordering easier.
reviewed
-
I
Tonkatsu Ganko
This tonkatsu (deep-fried breaded pork cutlet) specialist in the Higashi-muki arcade is around the corner from Kintetsu Nara and has an English menu.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
J
Nonohana Ohka
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Cafe
With indoor and outdoor garden seating, this cafe is one of our favourite places for a pick-me-up when in Naramachi. The cakes are usually very good here and they go down a treat with the excellent tea. Look for the glass front and the sign reading 'cafe'.
reviewed
-
K
Ayura Café
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Café
We highly recommend this tiny café for its wonderful (mostly veggie) set lunch or a quick cuppa.
reviewed
-
Kyōshō-An
An upstairs tea shop where you can enjoy green tea and a whole range of Japanese sweets.
reviewed
-
L
Tachibana
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Cafe
This friendly little cafe/gallery in Naramachi is a great place to sample a cup of green tea. Once you're done enjoying your tea, head upstairs to check out the wonderful collection of ceramics from Kyoto and Nara artists. There's no English sign at present, but the English/Japanese menu is displayed outside.
reviewed
-
M
Silk Road
If you've got kids in tow, head into the Yumekaze Hiroba dining/shopping complex across from the Nara National Museum to find this wonderful 'train-centric' restaurant. There are two huge model train layouts, which kids can actually control while eating bowls of standard Japanese curry rice and similar favourites.
reviewed
-
Kura
This rustic Naramachi restaurant specialises in oden, a stew of various foods like eggs, Japanese radishes and tofu simmered in a rich broth (it's better than that might sound). For a taste of old Japan, try this friendly spot.
reviewed
-
N
Kasugano
If you're exploring Nara-kōen, lunchtime often finds you somewhere between Tōdai-ji and Kasuga Taisha. A good choice in this area is Kasugano, a restaurant/souvenir shop at the base of Wakakusa-yama. Take a seat in the woodsy annexe cafe section here rather than the main tables in the shop area (the menu is the same). Dishes include things like tempura soba (¥800). It's the third shop house from the northern end of this strip. Note that most of the souvenir shops in this same strip also have on-site restaurants that serve similar fare and most have English menus.
reviewed
-
O
Falafel Garden
About midway along the Konishi shopping arcade, this felafel specialist is a great place for vegetarians and anyone in need of a break from noodles and rice.
reviewed
-
P
Doutor
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Cafe
If you just need a quick cuppa or an eat-in or takeaway sandwich, there is a branch of the coffee shop chain in the Konishi Arcade (a five-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara).
reviewed
