Nara · Food
Where to Eat in Nara: 15 Places for Kakinoha-zushi, Mochi, Narazuke and Naramachi Lunch
15 places to eat · checked October 20, 2026
15 places to eat in Nara, grouped by what you eat
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 20, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Hiraso Nara shop柿の葉ずし 平宗 奈良店
Kakinoha-zushi (persimmon-leaf sushi) shop and restaurant · Naramachi
A kakinoha-zushi maker's Nara shop: the main building sells to take away and the annex (hanare) serves meals. An assortment of kakinoha-zushi with miso soup or clear soup is ¥1,650. The tourism association lists a cha-gayu (tea porridge) set and Miwa somen on its menu.
Kakinoha-zushi. The tourism association also lists a cha-gayu set here.
- Access
- 10 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station, 15 from JR Nara Station, 100 m south of Sarusawa-ike pond.
- Hours
- Main building (sales) 10:00–20:30; annex meals 11:30–20:00 (last order); may change by season
- Closed on
- Every Monday (other days are on the shop's calendar)
2Kakinohasushi Hompo Tanaka, Nara Honten柿の葉すし本舗たなか なら本店
Kakinoha-zushi shop with eat-in tea room · Kintetsu Nara Station
The Nara main shop of a kakinoha-zushi maker, at the entrance of the Higashimuki shopping street. It sells kakinoha-zushi and the maker's own sushi; its Kakinoha-chaya eat-in area opens 11:00–16:00. During Golden Week, the Shosoin Exhibition and New Year, special menus replace the a-la-carte sushi.
Kakinoha-zushi, at the station.
- Access
- Right outside Kintetsu Nara Station, in front of the Gyoki statue fountain. Kofuku-ji and Nara Park 5 minutes on foot, Todai-ji 20, Kasuga Taisha 30.
- Hours
- 9:00–19:00; Kakinoha-chaya 11:00–16:00; may change without notice
3Nakatanidou中谷堂
Yomogi (mugwort) mochi shop · Higashimuki shopping street
A mochi shop known for pounding yomogi mochi at high speed in front of customers. The shop says the fast pounding is needed to make good mochi, not a show. It may close early when sold out.
Yomogi mochi.
- Access
- 5 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station: east gate, exit 3, then along the Higashimuki shopping street.
- Hours
- 10:00–19:00 (may close early when sold out)
4Senjuan Yoshimune, Nara Sohonten菓匠 千壽庵吉宗 奈良総本店
Wagashi shop with warabi-mochi tea room · Oshiage-cho
A sweets shop whose tea room, Senju Saryo, serves warabi-mochi and drinks, mostly on weekends and holidays from about 13:00 to 16:00. The tea room cannot be reserved. No shaved ice is served at this shop.
Warabi-mochi, tea room on weekends and holidays.
- Access
- 15 minutes on foot from exit 1 of Kintetsu Nara Station; 500 m north of the Prefectural Office East crossing.
- Hours
- Shop 10:00–18:00; tea room mostly weekends and holidays, about 13:00–16:00, and the days and hours vary
- Closed on
- Shop closed only on 1 January
5Mori Naraduke森奈良漬店
Narazuke (sake-lees pickles) shop · Todai-ji Nandaimon
A pickle shop in front of the Todai-ji south gate (Nandaimon) selling narazuke, vegetables pickled in sake lees. The tourism association says narazuke has a history of over 1,300 years.
Narazuke.
- Access
- 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station; 2 minutes on foot from the Kasuga Taisha Daibutsuden-mae loop bus stop.
- Hours
- 9:00–18:00 (longer on event days)
- Closed on
- Open every day
6Yamazakiya Honten山崎屋 本店
Narazuke shop and souvenir arcade · Higashimuki shopping street
A narazuke shop that also sells sweets, sake and other souvenirs. A Nara souvenir arcade (Nara Miyage Yokocho) is behind the main shop and Cafe GROOVY is on the second floor.
Narazuke and souvenirs.
- Access
- 3 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station, 10 minutes from JR Nara Station, in the Higashimuki shopping street.
- Hours
- 10:00–18:30
- Closed on
- Open every day
7Imanishi Honten今西本店
Narazuke shop · Kamisanjo-cho
A narazuke maker's shop on Kamisanjo-cho. The shop's site gives its reception and opening hours as 9:30–18:00.
Narazuke.
- Access
- Kamisanjo-cho 31, Nara. The shop's site gives no walking time from a station.
- Hours
- 9:30–18:00
- Closed on
- Wednesdays and the third Sunday of the month (other days at times)
8Harishinはり新
Japanese restaurant in a townhouse (Asuka-nabe) · Naramachi
A Japanese restaurant in a former Edo-period money changer's house. It serves a Matsukado-style lunch box of Nara ingredients, and Asuka-nabe (a chicken-and-vegetable hot pot in milk and broth) only by reservation, by 15:00 on the previous business day.
Asuka-nabe by reservation.
- Access
- About 12 minutes on foot from exit 2 or 3 of Kintetsu Nara Station; about 20 minutes from the east exit of JR Nara Station.
- Hours
- Lunch 11:30–15:00 (last order 14:00); dinner 18:00–21:00
- Closed on
- Mondays (open if Monday is a holiday, with the next day off); Thursday evenings
9Awa Naramachi粟 ならまち店
Restaurant of Nara ingredients (reservation only) · Naramachi
A restaurant in a Naramachi townhouse built around Yamato traditional vegetables and Nara ingredients. It takes reservations only, by phone or online. A dinner course of Yamato beef and vegetables is ¥6,800.
Reservation only.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station.
- Hours
- 11:30–14:30 (last entry 13:00, last order 14:00); 17:30–21:00 (last entry 19:00, last order 20:30)
10French o-mo-ya Naramachifrench o・mo・ya奈良町
French restaurant in a late-Edo townhouse · Naramachi
Creative French cooking from seasonal ingredients from around Nara, served on Shigaraki ware in a late-Edo-period sukiya-style townhouse. It serves lunch and dinner.
- Access
- 14 minutes on foot from JR Nara or Kintetsu Nara Station.
- Hours
- Lunch 11:30–13:30 (last order); dinner 17:30–19:30 (last order)
- Closed on
- Mondays and Tuesdays
11Yoshoku Haru洋食 春
Western-style (yoshoku) restaurant in an old house · Naramachi
A yoshoku restaurant in an old-house setting in Naramachi. The menu centres on hamburg steak made from twice-ground Yamato beef and Yamato pork.
- Access
- Konodo-cho 14, Naramachi. The restaurant's site gives no walking time from a station.
- Hours
- 11:00–15:00 (last order)
- Closed on
- Wednesdays
12cervo biancoチェルボビアンコ
Italian restaurant and gelato · Naramachi
An Italian restaurant in Naramachi with stone-oven pizza (Margherita ¥1,200, made with Nara tomatoes) and gelato made in the shop every morning, from ¥500. Dinner is served only with advance reservation.
- Access
- About 13 minutes on foot from exit 2 of Kintetsu Nara Station; about 14 minutes from JR Kyobate Station.
- Hours
- 11:00–17:00 (food last order 16:00, drinks 16:30); dinner by advance reservation
- Closed on
- Irregular holidays
13Kamameshi Shizuka, Koen shop志津香 公園店
Kamameshi (rice cooked in an individual pot) · Nara Park
The Nara Park branch of a kamameshi restaurant. The tourism association notes that kamameshi restaurants are popular in Nara and lists Shizuka.
- Access
- 15 minutes east of Kintetsu Nara Station (as the shop states it).
- Hours
- Weekdays 11:00–15:00 (last order); weekends and holidays 11:00–16:00 (last order); may change at short notice
- Closed on
- Tuesdays (open if a holiday), and one irregular day a month
14GRANCHA (Kamameshi Chazuke)釜めし茶漬け GRANCHA
Kamameshi and chazuke restaurant · Kintetsu Nara Station
A kamameshi specialist close to Kintetsu Nara Station that also serves lunch. The shop cannot take foreign-language reservations by itself and points visitors to SAVOR JAPAN for booking.
- Access
- Immediately next to Kintetsu Nara Station, in the shop's words.
- Hours
- 11:00–16:00 (last order); 17:00–19:00 (last order)
- Closed on
- Wednesdays
15Senjutei千寿亭
Miwa somen restaurant (Sakurai, day trip) · Miwa, Sakurai
The restaurant of the Miwa somen maker Ikeri, in Sakurai, which the tourism association calls the birthplace of somen. Cold somen with tempura is ¥1,380 and hot mushroom nyumen ¥1,230; the menu also has kakinoha-zushi. It is not taking reservations.
Day trip to Sakurai.
- Access
- About 13 minutes on foot from JR Miwa Station; about 30 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by car from Sakurai Station.
- Hours
- 11:00–16:00 (last order 15:00)
- Closed on
- Second and fourth Thursdays and Fridays, as printed on the shop page; closed at year-end and on 1 January
Good to know
Nara's local dishes are kakinoha-zushi (mackerel or salmon pressed on vinegared rice and wrapped in a persimmon leaf), narazuke (vegetables pickled in sake lees), cha-gayu (rice in roasted green tea), Miwa somen and mochi. Most of the places below are within 15 minutes on foot of Kintetsu Nara Station, either in the Higashimuki shopping street or in Naramachi; the Miwa somen restaurant is in Sakurai and is a day trip.
Closing days decide the order of a day here. Hiraso and Harishin close on Mondays, o-mo-ya on Mondays and Tuesdays, Kamameshi Shizuka on Tuesdays, Yoshoku Haru, GRANCHA and Imanishi Honten on Wednesdays. Awa Naramachi takes reservations only, Harishin serves Asuka-nabe only if booked by 15:00 the previous business day, and cervo bianco serves dinner only with advance reservation.
Most lunch kitchens stop taking orders between 14:00 and 16:00: Harishin at 14:00, Yoshoku Haru at 15:00, cervo bianco's food at 16:00. The shops that sell take-away kakinoha-zushi, mochi and narazuke open from 9:00 or 10:00 and close between 18:00 and 20:30.
Dish, shop and closing day
Where each local dish is on this page and when the shop is closed. Closing days are as each shop's own site states them.
| Dish | On this page | Where | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kakinoha-zushi (and a cha-gayu set) | Hiraso Nara shop · Tanaka Nara Honten | Naramachi · Kintetsu Nara Station | Hiraso Mondays · Tanaka not stated |
| Mochi and sweets | Nakatanidou · Senjuan Yoshimune | Higashimuki shopping street · Oshiage-cho | Nakatanidou not stated · Senjuan shop 1 January only |
| Narazuke | Mori Naraduke · Yamazakiya Honten · Imanishi Honten | Todai-ji Nandaimon · Higashimuki shopping street · Kamisanjo-cho | Mori and Yamazakiya open every day · Imanishi Wednesdays and the third Sunday |
| Lunch in a Naramachi townhouse | Harishin · Awa Naramachi · o-mo-ya · Yoshoku Haru · cervo bianco | Naramachi, 10–14 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara | Harishin Mondays and Thursday evenings · o-mo-ya Mondays and Tuesdays · Yoshoku Haru Wednesdays · cervo bianco irregular · Awa not stated |
| Kamameshi | Kamameshi Shizuka Koen shop · GRANCHA | Nara Park side · next to Kintetsu Nara Station | Shizuka Tuesdays · GRANCHA Wednesdays |
| Miwa somen | Senjutei | Sakurai, 13 minutes on foot from JR Miwa Station | Second and fourth Thursdays and Fridays, as printed on its page |
By kind of trip
Local dishes first
Hiraso and Tanaka both sell kakinoha-zushi. Senjutei serves Miwa somen and also has kakinoha-zushi on its menu, but it is in Sakurai.
Hiraso Nara shop · Kakinohasushi Hompo Tanaka, Nara Honten · Senjutei
Pickles to carry home
Mori Naraduke, Yamazakiya Honten and Imanishi Honten all sell narazuke, and Tanaka sells kakinoha-zushi at the station. Mori and Yamazakiya are open every day; Imanishi is closed on Wednesdays and the third Sunday.
Mori Naraduke · Yamazakiya Honten · Imanishi Honten · Kakinohasushi Hompo Tanaka, Nara Honten
A sweet stop
Nakatanidou is 5 minutes from Kintetsu Nara and closes at 19:00. Senjuan Yoshimune sells sweets until 18:00 and serves warabi-mochi in its tea room on weekends and holidays. cervo bianco makes gelato every morning.
Nakatanidou · Senjuan Yoshimune, Nara Sohonten · cervo bianco
Sit-down lunch in a townhouse
All four are in Naramachi. Harishin's last lunch order is 14:00, Yoshoku Haru's 15:00, and Awa Naramachi's last entry is 13:00. o-mo-ya's lunch last order is 13:30.
Harishin · Awa Naramachi · French o-mo-ya Naramachi · Yoshoku Haru
Booking rules to check first
Awa Naramachi takes reservations only. Harishin needs a booking by 15:00 the previous business day for Asuka-nabe. cervo bianco serves dinner only with advance reservation. GRANCHA says it cannot take foreign-language reservations and points to SAVOR JAPAN.
Awa Naramachi · Harishin · cervo bianco · GRANCHA (Kamameshi Chazuke)
Questions
What are the local dishes of Nara?
Kakinoha-zushi is mackerel or salmon salted, laid on vinegared rice and wrapped in persimmon leaves. Narazuke is a pickle made with sake lees, with a history of over 1,300 years. Cha-gayu is cold rice in roasted green tea. Miwa somen comes from Sakurai, said to be the birthplace of somen. All four are described by the Nara City Tourism Association.
Where can I buy narazuke near Nara Park?
Mori Naraduke is in front of the Todai-ji south gate and is open 9:00–18:00 every day. Yamazakiya Honten is in the Higashimuki shopping street, 3 minutes from Kintetsu Nara Station, open 10:00–18:30 every day. Imanishi Honten opens 9:30–18:00 and is closed Wednesdays and the third Sunday.
Where can I have lunch in Naramachi, and what has to be booked?
Harishin (lunch 11:30–15:00, closed Mondays), Awa Naramachi (reservation only), o-mo-ya (closed Mondays and Tuesdays), Yoshoku Haru (closed Wednesdays) and cervo bianco (irregular holidays). Asuka-nabe at Harishin must be booked by 15:00 on the previous business day.
Can I eat Miwa somen in Nara city?
Of the places on this page, Hiraso lists Miwa somen on its menu according to the Nara City Tourism Association. Senjutei, the restaurant of the somen maker Ikeri, is in Sakurai, about 13 minutes on foot from JR Miwa Station, open 11:00–16:00 and not taking reservations.
Which of these are closed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday?
Monday: Hiraso Nara, Harishin, o-mo-ya. Tuesday: o-mo-ya and Kamameshi Shizuka (open if a holiday). Wednesday: Yoshoku Haru, GRANCHA and Imanishi Honten. Mori Naraduke and Yamazakiya Honten are open every day.