Delicious local food and wonderful spaces. 5 smart choices for lunch in Matsumoto
The atmospheric areas of Matsumoto City, such as the Metoba River with its beautiful seasonal scenery and Nakamachi Street, which retains its traditional storehouse townscape, are popular tourist destinations and are well-stocked with lunch spots. A key feature is the abundance of restaurants and cafes where you can enjoy a meal in spaces where the old and new intersect, such as renovated historic buildings that preserve the original landscape. Here, we introduce lunch spots where you can be fully satisfied with both the space and the taste.
1Moi Moi
This establishment, a renovated storehouse built in 1926 (the first year of the Showa era), operates as a cafe during the day and an izakaya at night. During the day, it offers a lunch menu centered on Japanese cuisine and soup curry.
The popular "Daily Obanzai Set Meal" comes with a main dish, two side dishes, rice, and miso soup. Since the menu changes daily, the contents are a surprise until you visit. The side dishes use ingredients like beans and vegetables, offering a well-balanced and hearty meal. It is popular with women for its healthy, vegetable-rich dishes.
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The interior, renovated from a storehouse, has a relaxing and calm atmosphere. The soup curry is irresistible, with sweet vegetables and tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat!
The interior of the storehouse is like a stylish bar
The exterior is a storehouse itself. Inside the building, which blends into the Matsumoto townscape, the interior features an open atrium that makes use of the old beams and pillars. The second floor, with its impressive exposed-beam ceiling and attic-like space, also offers raised seating areas where you can stretch your legs and relax.
At night, you can enjoy a menu centered on teppanyaki. The Kansai-style okonomiyaki, made with plenty of mountain yam for a fluffy texture, is a must-order dish. In addition, there is a wide selection of izakaya menu items, including various a la carte dishes.
2Chikufudo Matsumoto Nakamachi Branch
Located on Nakamachi Street, where a townscape of traditional storehouse-style buildings stretches out, "Chikufudo" is a long-established chestnut confectionery shop with its main store in Obuse Town, famous as a chestnut production area since the Edo period. The Matsumoto Nakamachi branch offers local cuisine and sweets that make luxurious use of chestnuts. The chestnuts used in their menu are exclusively high-quality domestic chestnuts, including Obuse chestnuts. The menu features dishes rich in local character, such as wild mountain vegetables and river fish.
The most popular item at the restaurant is the "Yamaga Teishoku" (mountain home set meal). It features chestnut sticky rice as the main dish, accompanied by simmered wild mountain vegetables, candied rainbow trout, and yam bulb with walnut dressing. The sticky rice, which spreads the natural sweetness unique to high-quality chestnuts, has an elegant flavor that pairs perfectly with the chewy texture of the glutinous rice. Furthermore, the flavorful miso soup, made with dashi stock from bonito flakes carefully shaved every morning, warms the heart.
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Everything is seasoned gently, and the chestnut okowa (steamed glutinous rice with chestnuts) fills your mouth with the sweetness and flavor of the chestnuts.
The interior is decorated with Matsumoto folk crafts
Passing through the shop and the courtyard, you will find the dining area. The calm space, furnished with Matsumoto folk craft furniture and decorated with items like Matsumoto Oshie Hina dolls, is exceptionally comfortable, making it easy to lose track of time while enjoying your meal or sweets.
After your meal, choose some delicious chestnut confectionery souvenirs at the shop. All of their chestnut sweets, made with 100% domestic chestnuts, are excellent gifts that are sure to please, making it hard to choose just one. Recommended items include "Dorayaki-yama," which features soft, moist dough filled with chestnut bean paste that is not too sweet, and "Kurizasa," a chestnut water yokan finished with high-quality agar instead of kudzu (available only from April to August). These items offer an impact of chestnut flavor that is second to none, even compared to Chikufudo's signature "Kuri Yokan" and "Kuri Kanoko," and their luxurious, satisfying taste is truly addictive.
- Chikufudo Matsumoto Nakamachi Store
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3-4-20 Chuo, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP 
Approx. 15-minute walk from Matsumoto Station
Take the Town Sneaker loop bus from Matsumoto Station and get off at "Hakari Shiryokan-mae" (immediately upon arrival)
Retail 8:00–18:00
Dining 10:00–18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
Closed Wednesdays (open on holidays and during busy seasons), closed New Year's Day
0263-36-1102
5 spaces in front of the store, etc.
3Jidaiokure no Yoshokuya Okinado
Okinado opened in 1933 (Showa 8) as the second-oldest coffee shop in Matsumoto. Loved by local regulars and tourists alike since its founding, the menu features Western-style dishes centered around Hayashi sauce and curry sauce.
The recommended lunch is the "Recommended Pork Steak," made with pork from the Misawa Farm in Azumino. The thick steak is grilled to perfection, crispy and fragrant on the outside while remaining moist and tender on the inside. It pairs perfectly with a fruity pineapple sauce.
Also, dishes using our rich, special Hayashi sauce, which is simmered for five days, have been long-time bestsellers. Among them, the "Volga Rice" is a dish that evokes a sense of nostalgia with its combination of omelet rice, chicken cutlet, and Hayashi sauce.
In addition, we offer exquisite flavors that will leave you impressed, from meals to desserts like our homemade pudding made with milk from Matsuda Dairy in Omachi.
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There is a wide variety of classic cafe menu items. Writing freely in the "Rakugaki-cho" (guestbook) on the table can also become a wonderful travel memory.
A retro atmosphere from the time of its founding
The building remains as it was when it was founded. While it has undergone repeated repairs, the interior, including ceramic lampshades and tables that have been used for many years, creates a nostalgic atmosphere. Once you step inside, the jazz or classical background music blends with the space, making you feel as if you have traveled back in time to the Showa era. Furthermore, the second-floor seating offers a wonderful view of the nearby Metoba River, allowing you to enjoy the changing seasons through the window.
- Old-fashioned Western-style restaurant Okinado
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- 2-4-10 Chuo, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 10-minute walk from Matsumoto Station
- Weekdays/Saturdays Lunch 11:00–15:30 (L.O. 15:00)
Dinner 17:30–21:00 (L.O. 20:00)
Sundays/Holidays 11:00–18:30 (L.O. 18:00) - 2nd and 4th Wednesday, December 29th–31st
- 0263-32-0975
- Paid (1 hour free at designated parking lots for purchases over 2,000 yen)
4creperie monkava
A specialty shop for galettes made with 100% Shinshu buckwheat flour and cider, a sparkling apple wine. Following the traditional methods of the Brittany region of France, the home of galettes, each one is baked to order.
The vegetables paired with the galettes, such as Shinshu-grown mushrooms, are sourced locally whenever possible. They are also topped with a fried egg and Swiss Gruyère cheese. Despite being more filling than they look, the healthy and gentle flavor means you can eat them without any guilt, and almost everyone, including women, finishes the whole thing. For those who want a little more, there are dessert crepes made with Shinshu wheat flour. The marriage of homemade salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream is a blissful flavor that will leave you enchanted.
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Our crispy yet chewy galettes, made with buckwheat flour from Shinshu, pair perfectly with toppings made from seasonal ingredients!
Enjoying galettes with cider is the Brittany way
With its deep blue walls and white doors, the interior is reminiscent of a private home in the Brittany region, featuring brown furniture that creates a chic, sophisticated atmosphere. As there are only 18 seats, it fills up quickly at lunchtime. It is best to make a reservation for lunch before you visit to ensure a smooth experience.
The organic French cider served at Creperie Mon Caba is a rare find that is not often available elsewhere. There is also Shinshu cider made from 100% Azumino Fuji apples, and part of the charm is being able to compare the two and enjoy their differences. Why not follow the local custom, enjoy a galette and cider together, and spend an elegant lunchtime?
- creperie monkava
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- Maison de Lotus 1F, 2-3-20 Ote, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 8-minute walk from Matsumoto Station
- Lunch 11:30–14:30 (L.O.)
Dinner 18:00–21:30 (L.O.) - Mondays *Irregular holidays on Tuesdays
- 0263-88-7188
- Free (3 spaces)
5Hikariya Higashi / Hikariya Nishi
A restaurant renovated from the main building and storehouse of "Hikariya," a prestigious merchant house built in 1887 (Meiji 20). Although there was a possibility of demolition at one point, the current owner opened the main building as the Japanese restaurant "Hikariya Higashi" in 2007 (Heisei 19), and the storehouse as the "Nature French" restaurant "Hikariya Nishi." You can enjoy a meal in a space that is sophisticated yet nostalgic and tranquil.
At "Hikariya Higashi," you can enjoy authentic kaiseki cuisine using local ingredients. You can enjoy the same flavors at lunch through kaiseki courses, set meals featuring Shinshu Wagyu beef, or the local specialty, sanzoku-yaki (fried chicken). A lunch recommendation is the "Marubako-zen Soba with 100% Buckwheat Soba." It features simmered dishes, braised pork belly, tempura, and sashimi served in a three-tiered round box, accompanied by 100% buckwheat soba made with Shinshu buckwheat flour. Each dish is prepared with time and care, offering elegant and profound flavors. The Japanese-style space, which boasts traditional beauty and is designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, makes your lunch even more graceful.
At Hikariya Nishi, you can enjoy natural French cuisine
"Hikariya Nishi" offers "Nature French" cuisine based on the concept of local production for local consumption, prepared by a chef who is a leading expert in macrobiotic cooking. For lunch, they offer course meals that begin with an amuse-bouche expressing the nature of Shinshu. You will be delighted by dishes that are not only delicious but also visually beautiful.
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There are Japanese and French restaurants on the same premises, both of which allow you to fully enjoy the rich flavors of Shinshu ingredients.
- Hikariya Higashi / Hikariya Nishi
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- 4-7-14 Ote, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 15-minute walk from Matsumoto Station
- Take the Town Sneaker East Course loop bus from Matsumoto Station and get off at "Hakari Shiryokan-mae," then walk for 3 minutes.
- [Higashi] Lunch 11:30–14:30 (L.O. 13:30)
Dinner 17:30–22:00 (L.O. 21:00)
[Nishi] Lunch 11:30–14:30 (L.O. 13:30)
Dinner 18:00–22:00 (L.O. 21:00) - Wednesdays
- Higashi 0263-38-0068 / Reservation only 050-3196-2211
Nishi 0263-38-0186 / Reservation only 050-3196-9444 - Hikariya dedicated parking lot (free)
MAP
- Nearby Hoshino Resorts facilities
Local supporter in charge of this article
- Yuka NiimotoActive Girl
KAI Matsumoto
Nagano Prefecture, Asama Onsen
A modern hot spring inn located in Asama Onsen that reopened in August 2026. You can enjoy a variety of bathing experiences, Shinshu wine, and gourmet Italian cuisine.
Access 15 minutes by taxi from JR Matsumoto Station
- Accommodation rate example
- Per person per night From ¥33,000