Local Guide
6 recommended lunches in Tsuchiura/Tsukuba area

The Tsuchiura/Tsukuba area in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture has many lunch restaurants that we recommend for each spot, ranging from a stylish large cafeteria in Tsuchiura Station to a bakery cafe in Tsukuba City that was renovated from a warehouse to a popular kama-age udon restaurant at the foot of Mt. We have also carefully selected other excellent lunches that you should check out if you are visiting the Tsuchiura/Tsukuba area, such as authentic Neapolitan cuisine using ingredients from Ibaraki Prefecture and hearty hamburgers.

Japanese-style café with a sense of history and elegance, where you can relax with homemade bread.

Kura Biyori Lunch
Kura Biyori Lunch" 1,738 yen (including today's main dish (meat/fish), soup, assorted deli, salad, 3 kinds of bread, and drink)

This bakery-cafe with terrace seating is located in a renovated rice warehouse of the Numajiri Family Residence, a registered tangible cultural property. Many people visit for the bread made with great care by the skilled "bread bangers" in the adjoining workshop. Of course, freshly baked bread is an essential part of the daily "Kura Biyori Lunch. A basket of half-size loaves of bread is available, from which you can choose three. The main dish in the photo is the "Salmon with Herbs". Smooth sweet potato soup, winter melon and bitter gourd with sesame paste, and a salad with plenty of leafy greens beautifully adorn the bowl.

See the beauty of each season in the 1,500 tsubo garden

A Japanese garden lush with Japanese maples, red pines, and crape myrtle bushes
A Japanese garden lush with Japanese maples, red pines, and crape myrtle bushes

The first floor is a bakery store, and the second floor, with its eye-catching handmade Japanese paper lamps, has a relaxing attic-like atmosphere. The best seats on the terrace are for two near the entrance, where a beautiful Japanese garden with cobbled gravel spreads out before you. The bakery's recommendation is the "Burdock Cheese France" with plenty of black sesame and cheese and a crunchy burdock salad. The "Maple Melon Pan," which has won a bread contest in Tsukuba City, is also a gem.

Local Guide Comment
The main building with a magnificent thatched roof on the premises is the Italian restaurant "Toemon" affiliated with Kuraray Sun. The original bottled "anchovy butter" is a perfect match for baguettes, and once you try it, you will become addicted to it. It is sold on the first floor of Kurabiyori.
Kurabiyori
  • Address 38-1 Konda, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 15 minutes drive from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 10:00-17:00 (Lunch time: 11:00-14:30)
  • Closed Mondays, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, Obon Holidays, Year-end and New Year holidays
  • TEL 029-857-4118
  • Parking Available

Excellent hamburgers created by experience and inquisitiveness

M.S.B Burger (with French fries) 1,705 yen (eat-in)
M.S.B Burger (with French fries) 1,705 yen (eat-in)

M.S.B. is a restaurant specializing in hamburgers and sandwiches, run by the owner, who studied at a famous hamburger restaurant in Tokyo. The "M.S.B Burger" is a spicy signature dish made with homemade corned beef, a 120g hand-kneaded beef patty, fresh vegetables, and plenty of jalapenos. The corned beef is made by marinating the beef shoulder in spices and letting it rest for a week. The corned beef has a special flavor unique to this restaurant that has undergone numerous prototypes. The buns baked by a popular local restaurant, Pan de Megumori, have just the right amount of sweetness and elasticity to support the hearty ingredients.

Enjoy a gourmet burger in a cozy atmosphere

The clean and simple American vintage style interior
The clean and simple American vintage style interior

The stylish restaurant, reminiscent of an American diner, offers table seating as well as a small tatami room. There is also a diaper changing area in the restroom, making it a safe place to spend time even with babies. Everything is home-made, including the ketchup, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, and other ingredients, which really bring out the flavor of the tomatoes. Potatoes are boiled and deep-fried with each order so you can enjoy their crunchy texture. During lunch time only, you can order a salad with caraway dressing, onion rings, and a drink for +165 yen.

Local Guide Comment
The hamburgers, made with the finest ingredients, are delicious even when cold, and are also popular for take-out. Reservations made in advance by phone are recommended.
M.S.B hamburger & sandwich
  • Address Aggreable 1F, 3-8-4 Sakura, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 17 minutes drive from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 11:00 - 16:00 (L.O. 15:30) *Lunch time (weekdays only) - 15:00, Take-out - 18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
  • Closed Closed on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Year-end and New Year holidays, and on occasional holidays.
  • TEL 029-869-8006
  • Parking Free of charge

A variety of buffets with superb hamburgers at a large restaurant in a station

Japanese-style hamburger steak with soy sauce onion sauce + salad, side dish buffet, drink and soup bar
Japanese-style hamburger steak with soy sauce onion sauce + salad, side dish buffet, drink and soup bar" 2,090 yen

Located on the 2nd floor of "Play Atre Tsuchiura" directly connected to JR Tsuchiura Station, this is a large dining hall with 150 seats in total. The main dish and buffet set menu are generous in volume, and the lunch favorite is the "Japanese-style hamburger steak with soy sauce onion sauce. The hamburger steak is made with Awaji beef-based ground beef and grilled hot on a griddle, making it juicy and giving it a strong meaty flavor. The buffet salad includes six kinds of toppings such as bean sprouts and green leaves. There are eight side dishes and two soups, including "Chili Tomato Stewed White Beans and Spiced Vegetables" and "Eggplant Arabiata."

Full of fun beyond the buffet image

Exciting designs such as symbols and graphic art for each spot, including bicycles, kids, etc., are everywhere.
Exciting designs such as symbols and graphic art for each spot, including bicycles, kids, etc., are everywhere.

On the open-air atrium floor, there are sofas and tables where you can relax, tatami rooms where you can stretch out your legs like a living room, and a counter that is convenient for a one-person lunch, accommodating all kinds of ways to spend your time. At the drink bar, you can enjoy various ways to add to your daily routine, such as making soda with the soda maker or enjoying flavored tea with orange juice squeezed from the juicer. The "Salad Box (with one drink)," which includes a salad and side dishes from the buffet in a box for takeout, is also well received.

Local Guide Comment
A ping-pong table is permanently installed at the back of the tatami room, where you can enjoy ping-pong for free. If you are worried about lack of exercise, why don't you try sweating after lunch?
NANAIRO Eat at Home!
  • Address 1-30 Ariake-cho, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki, Japan Play Atre Tsuchiura Station Lobby 2F MAP
  • Direction Directly connected to JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 11:00 - 21:00 (L.O. 20:00, Drink L.O. 20:30), Friday and Saturday - 22:00 (L.O. 21:00, Drink L.O. 21:30) *Lunch time is 11:30 - 14:30 (L.O. 14:00) all day
  • Closed Closed irregularly (same as Play Atre Tsuchiura)
  • TEL 029-825-7716
  • Parking Parking is available in cooperation with Play Atre Tsuchiura: 1 hour free for purchases of 500 yen or more, 2 hours free for purchases of 3,000 yen or more (varies in some cases).

Tuck into kamaage udon noodles in the town in front of the gateway to Mt.

The udon menu includes kama-age udon (thick/thin noodles) from 600 yen and col udon (thin noodles) from 720 yen.
The udon menu includes kama-age udon (thick/thin noodles) from 600 yen and col udon (thin noodles) from 720 yen.

A restaurant specializing in kama-age udon located in the suburbs of Tsukuba City. The owner, who trained at the famous "Ichichu" restaurant in Osaka, is proud of his handmade udon noodles and tasty dipping sauce, which he has inherited from his master. Choose from four sizes of kama-age udon: small, large, extra-large, and shiranami (for 4 or 5 people). Grate some ginger from Kochi Prefecture, pour the dipping sauce from a large tokkuri, and wait about 10 minutes (about 5 minutes for thin noodles). When the udon arrives, just take a sip and enjoy the aroma of the wheat and the smooth texture of the noodles. The best part is that you can enjoy changing it up with a variety of condiments such as sudachi, tenkasu, and tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce).

A restaurant where tradition and pride in one's heritage reside

The interior of the restaurant has been remodeled, making use of the beams and pillars of the historic storehouse.
The interior of the restaurant has been remodeled, making use of the beams and pillars of the historic storehouse.

The refreshing space with its large wooden pillars, which can still be seen after passing through the white curtain, was restored as an old private house by a local architectural design firm, Satoyama Kenchiku Kenchiku Kenkyusho. After taking a bowl of yunomi (tea bowl), a cup of soup stock, and an oshibori (hand towel), which are provided at the front of the restaurant, you take a seat and place your order at your table. The tasteful handwritten characters on the Kasama-yaki rice bowls and sake cups were individually inscribed by the owner and his wife during the time before the restaurant was launched. The owner's store, Ichichu, also has a bowl on display on a shelf inside the store.

Local Guide Comment
While waiting for your udon noodles to finish boiling, enjoy the service menu of tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce and soy sauce) made from kombu (kelp) and bonito (skipjack tuna). The "white rice balls" go perfectly with the tsukudani and will keep your chopsticks going.
Kamaage Udon Noodle Shop Aoyama
  • Address 186-2 Hojo, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 25 min. by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 10:30-15:00 (L.O. 14:50 *Close when sold out. Take-out available after 15:00)
  • Closed Thursdays, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays (open on national holidays)
  • TEL 029-846-5789
  • Parking Free (across from the store)

Houjicha-scented hamburgers at a Japanese tea store

Mozzarella shiso cheeseburger with French fries
Mozzarella shiso cheeseburger with French fries" 1,400 yen

This Japanese tea specialty store and cafe is run by the owner, who was born in a tea manufacturing store in Shizuoka. The menu includes hamburgers with original buns kneaded with hojicha tea, Japanese snacks, and other specialties that go well with tea. The popular "Mozzarella Oba Cheeseburger" is hearty and refreshing, with a meaty patty and melted mozzarella cheese. The lettuce and onions are crispy, and the aroma of the shiso leaves fills your mouth as you bite into it. Be sure to enjoy the crispy, freshly fried French fries.

Discover the taste and depth of tea at a Japanese-style cafe

Tables scented with Japanese cypress and sofa seats with comfortable Tatami mat seats
Tables scented with Japanese cypress and sofa seats with comfortable Tatami mat seats

The owner's attention to detail can be seen here and there in the refined yet relaxing interior, including wallpaper with tea leaves painted on it, custom-made chairs with tatami mats on the seats, and original Hasami-ware mugs with a rustic texture. Tea leaves available for purchase include six types of sencha, Japanese flavored teas such as "sencha & cinnamon," and gyokuro from Shizuoka Prefecture, starting at 8 grams. The "owl" logo package, known as a good-luck charm, makes a perfect gift. There is a dedicated take-out window, so you can easily order and pick up your order.

Local Guide Comment
The hojicha buns are baked by "Couronne," a popular bakery in the Tsukuba area. The buns alone are also popular for their delicious taste.
OwL
  • Address CENTRAL88 1F, 2-14-16 Ninomiya, Tsukuba, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction Approx. 22 min. by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 11:00 - 20:30 (L.O.19:00), Saturday - 21:00 (L.O.20:00)
  • Closed Wednesdays, Year-end and New Year holidays
  • TEL 029-858-3855
  • Parking None (1 hour free parking in Dobong Park Parking lot for customers who spend more than 1,000 yen (parking ticket required).

A famous Italian restaurant where you can encounter authentic Neapolitan cuisine

Lunch
Lunch "B Course (with dessert and drink)" 2,500 yen, including an appetizer or salad, pasta or pizza, and a choice of meat or fish dish

A southern Italian restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Neapolitan cuisine. The "firmer pizzas," certified by the "True Neapolitan Pizza Association," are very popular. Three types of lunch courses are available, and we recommend the hearty "B Course. The "Neapolitan appetizer platter" of about seven items, including arugula salad and smoked swordfish, is a dynamic dish that can be mixed and matched. The main course changes every two weeks, and on the day of the interview, it was the "Margherita," a pizza royalty, and the "Sea bream aqua pazza," a fish dish. After the meal, enjoy lemon cake and espresso to soak up the afterglow of the course.

Enjoy the authentic taste of Naples in a casual atmosphere

Grilled at a high temperature of 400-500 degrees Celsius all at once
Grilled at a high temperature of 400-500 degrees Celsius all at once

The bright red wood-fired oven, which was brought in by boat from Italy when the restaurant opened in 2007, is the very face of the restaurant. Pizzaiolo, or pizza chefs, bake the pizza at high temperatures all at once, resulting in Neapolitan pizza with a crispy, savory surface and a chewy interior. The atmosphere is cozy and unpretentious, as if you are in a Neapolitan trattoria. The second nearby restaurant specializes in pizza and offers more casual Neapolitan pizza.

Local Guide Comment
For pasta lovers, the "Tonarelli with Octopus in Meat Sauce," a single item on the menu, is a must-try. The chef has been making this dish ever since he first encountered it in Rome, and it is a dish that holds a special place in his heart.
TRATTORIA E PIZZERIA AMICI
  • Address 286-1 Teshirogi, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 20 min. by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 11:00 - 14:30 (L.O. 14:00), 17:30 - 23:00 (L.O. 22:00)
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 029-852-5885
  • Parking Available
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.