Local Guide
6 recommended lunches in Nasu Kogen (from popular restaurants to hole-in-the-wall stores)

The Nasu area, a resort area on the plateau, is dotted with delicious restaurants of various genres. Each is unique and the quality of the food is high, so much so that many people travel to Nasu for lunch. In this issue, we will introduce some of the best lunch restaurants popular among locals, ranging from hideaway restaurants where you can enjoy ingredients unique to Nasu to set meal restaurants that boast of their generous portions. We hope you enjoy a relaxing time that will add color to your travel memories.

Satoyama restaurant where the bounty of the land fills your heart and soul from season to season

The July menu features steamed wild landlocked salmon wrapped in bamboo bark as the main dish,
The July menu features steamed wild landlocked salmon wrapped in bamboo bark as the main dish, "Lunch of wild landlocked salmon" for 2,200 yen.

A satoyama cuisine restaurant quietly nestled deep in the forest. You can enjoy a variety of creative dishes using wild vegetables and local produce. Seasonal menus are prepared using seasonal ingredients, with natural ayu (sweetfish), mushrooms, and yams appearing from time to time. The summer-only "Lunch of Wild Yamame (mountain trout)" is a menu offering a complete taste of summer, combining natural landlocked salmon covered with the aroma of Japanese pepper, a basket of five mountain delicacies, tempura, vegetables cooked in Yoshino sauce, rice with condiments miso, soup, and dessert. The soothing taste of the wild herb tea served after the meal is also exceptional. For meat lovers, the menu featuring Tochigi wagyu beef is also popular.

A relaxing space for adults where a fresh breeze blows through

Feel the change of the seasons from the trees seen through the large windows.
Feel the change of the seasons from the trees seen through the large windows.

The elegant building that appears at the end of a small path in the forest has the atmosphere of a refined inn. Two large wooden tables welcome you in the dining room, where you take off your shoes and are guided in. The owner is particular about the design of the chairs, which have low seats so that diners can enjoy their meals in a comfortable and stable position. There is also a space for selling Mashiko Pottery, so you can enjoy choosing your favorite dishes before or after your meal. The spacious terrace seating is also pet-friendly. Enjoy the view of the rice paddies beyond the grove of trees while savoring the bounty of nature's rich flavor.

Local Guide Comment
You can enjoy carefully prepared dishes that make the most of the flavors of the ingredients, as if you were visiting a friend's vacation home. The terrace seats, where you can hear the chirping of wild birds from the forest, are also very comfortable.
Nasu no satoyama ryori (Nasu satoyama cuisine) Souka-juku
  • Address 2164-43, Terako-hei, Oaza Terako, Nasu-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi MAP
  • Direction Approximately 25 minutes by car from JR Nasu Shiobara Station / Approximately 15 minutes from the Nasu Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway
  • Business Hours 11:00~L.O.14:00, 18:00~22:00
  • Regular holiday Mon. and Tue.
  • TEL 0287-77-7023
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Memo Reservations required for dinner at least one day in advance.

A restaurant specializing in exquisite pasta with a peaceful view of the pasture

Thai-style peperoncino with shrimp and asparagus
Thai-style peperoncino with shrimp and asparagus" 1,080 yen and handmade cake "St. Mark's" 400 yen

Opened in 1994 by three sisters who love to cook, this restaurant specializing in pasta and cakes has continued to provide hearty hospitality and quality food since its replacement in 2020. The "Thai-style peperoncino with shrimp and asparagus" is a must-try, al dente pasta dish with an aromatic garlic flavor. The handmade cakes with original recipes and crispy baked pizzas are also recommended. Don't miss the special weekday lunch, which includes a daily pasta or pizza dish, salad, and a drink.

Dogs are welcome on the Restaurant's terrace.

The restaurant's interior, with the deep tones of a timeworn log house, is relaxing and comfortable.
The restaurant's interior, with the deep tones of a timeworn log house, is relaxing and comfortable.

Enjoy lunch in an open atmosphere with a meadow spreading outside the window of the Finnish log house. The pasta is a generous 120 grams, and there are always 35 different dishes on the menu. Under the motto of "serving only what we think tastes good," the restaurant carefully selects high-quality ingredients, such as fresh local eggs "Goyo-eggs," milk, and highland vegetables from Nasu. Even in high season, the restaurant's sincere pursuit of flavor, such as preparing each pasta meal in individual pans, has long supported the restaurant's popularity.

Local Guide Comment
We recommend the wide variety and hearty pasta menu as well as the cakes handmade at the restaurant, which have a gentle sweetness. The warm atmosphere of this restaurant, loved by the locals, is very appealing.
Kuusi
  • Address 4388-5, Takaku Hei, Nasu-cho, Nasu-gun, Tochigi MAP
  • Direction Approximately 22 minutes from JR Nasu Shiobara Station by car / Approximately 9 minutes from the Nasu Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway
  • Business Hours 11:00-17:00 (L.O.) *Lunch service is available from 14:30 on weekdays.
  • Closed Wednesdays (closed the next day if Wednesday is a national holiday), winter (around mid-January to mid-February), January 1
  • TEL 0287-64-4646
  • Parking Free of charge

Taste red meat in a retro-modern American lodge

J.F. Kennedy Cut
J.F. Kennedy Cut" (150g premium lean steak with rice or bread/steak sauce): 1,580 yen

Located in a quiet area of Nasu, this steak restaurant is well known for its American-style beef menu. The "Premium Red Meat Steak," made from carefully selected young beef up to 18 months old, fills the mouth with the rich flavor of the meat. You can select from a wide range of red meat sizes, from 120g "M. Monroe Cut" to 1kg "Bill Gates Cut". The name of the menu, given by the owner who loves America, is also noteworthy. Once you have enjoyed the original flavor of the meat with salt and pepper, you can enjoy changing the taste along with toppings such as soy sauce-based steak sauce, truffle salt, and wasabi (except for the steak sauce, which is extra).

Modern artistic decorations and chic music will make your heart skip a beat.

Retro objects collected by the owner during his stay in the U.S. are here and there.
Retro objects collected by the owner during his stay in the U.S. are here and there.

The restaurant has a good old-fashioned American atmosphere, with blues and classic rock music playing comfortably in the background. Three semi-private rooms on the second floor, up a stairwell, offer a relaxed atmosphere for a leisurely lunchtime experience. Each room has a different interior design, which is also attractive. During lunch time, popular menu items such as "Nevada-style hand-kneaded hamburger steak" and "premium red beef yakiniku," both made with luxurious minced red meat, are all priced at 1,000 yen. The restaurant is well known as a casual place to enjoy the best of red meat.

Local Guide Comment
The owner has the profile of a professional musician who made his CD debut in the United States. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with pictures of musicians and guitars, allowing customers to enjoy high-quality red meat steaks in a lively mood.
Mr. BEEF
  • Address 205-540 Shinbayashi, Yumoto, Nasu-cho, Nasu-gun, Tochigi MAP
  • Direction Approximately 29 minutes from JR Nasu Shiobara Station by car / Approximately 18 minutes from the Nasu Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway
  • Business Hours 11:30 - L.O. 15:00, 17:00 - L.O. 21:00
    Subject to change depending on the season.
  • Closed Tuesdays (open on national holidays), Wednesdays
  • TEL 0287-76-7729
  • Parking Free of charge

Enjoy traditional Italian cuisine in the highland breeze

Lunch
Lunch "B course" with appetizer, salad, main dish, dolce and drink 2,300 yen (tax included)

A Restaurant where you can enjoy Italian cuisine using local ingredients in a space surrounded by trees. The owner's son and his wife, who are in charge of cooking, are authentic chefs, having trained at starred restaurants in Italy. The "B course" lunch with dolce is highly recommended. The photo shows the "rigatoni" of tomato stewed tripe (beef stomach), which was selected from the main pasta dishes. The appetizers are colorfully arranged with fried bread "zeppoline" scented with green laver and Italian ham, and the dolce "panna cotta" made with the traditional Piedmontese method is an unforgettable gem.

Authentic Italian cuisine at a Restaurant in the Forest

A chic and sophisticated restaurant reminiscent of an adult's hideout
A chic and sophisticated restaurant reminiscent of an adult's hideout

Although the restaurant is located along the main street of Nasu Kogen, once you step inside, you will find yourself in a quiet forest. The view of the trees through the large windows is like a painting, and its beauty is impressive. The menu features a variety of unique regional dishes that the chef and his wife have encountered in their travels throughout Italy. You can enjoy the depth of Italian cuisine, which has a variety of charms in each region. In between lunch and dinner, enjoy the café menu, which includes "cannoli," a Sicilian pastry made of pie dough filled with ricotta cheese cream.

Local Guide Comment
This famous restaurant has been popular since its opening as a Cafe Restaurant in 1997. In the corner of the restaurant, you will find miscellaneous goods and tableware selected by the owner's wife with a good sense of style, making it an enjoyable place to pick up souvenirs.
Dining Cafe Boriji
  • Address 2731-12 Takaku Otsu, Nasu-cho, Nasu-gun, Tochigi MAP
  • Direction Approximately 26 minutes from JR Nasu Shiobara Station by car / Approximately 15 minutes from the Nasu Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway
  • Business Hours 11:30 - 21:00 (L.O. 19:30) *Lunch: 11:30 - L.O. 14:30, Dinner: 18:00 - L.O. 19:30
  • Closed Wednesdays (open on national holidays), Tuesdays twice a month (check website)
  • TEL 0287-78-2776
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Memo Reservations required by two days in advance for dinner on weekdays, except during peak season.

Taste hearty country cooking in a nostalgic old private house

Pokopenzen
Pokopenzen" 1,300 yen, a combination of the restaurant's popular menu items

A Japanese-style restaurant where you can enjoy traditional home-style cooking in an old house that was moved from a residence built in 1928. The restaurant boasts delicious rice balls and rice cakes made from "Nasu no Shiratori Rice" carefully produced by local farmers under contract. The manager recommends the "Pokopenzen. It is a satisfying menu that includes a set of the restaurant's specialties such as Gomoku Okowa (rice with five different ingredients), which you can feel the flavor of the rice as you chew it, Ankomochi (rice cake) with just the right amount of sweetness, Kenchin Udon (udon noodles) with a gentle flavor using local vegetables, simmered dishes, and desserts.

Let yourself be healed by simple Japanese cuisine and hospitality

Nostalgic Showa-era features such as the sunken hearth and porch are here and there.
Nostalgic Showa-era features such as the sunken hearth and porch are here and there.

After passing through the cobblestone approach and entering through a small doorway, you will find a warm space with rustic wooden tables. The veranda seats, which surround the Dining Area in an L-shape, offer a special place to enjoy a peaceful meal while gazing at the greenery of the well-manicured garden. The "Mochi Zammai," which includes five kinds of rice cakes (kinako, anko, sesame, natto, and grated radish), a small bowl of cooked rice, zoni, pickles, and dessert, is popular for its smooth texture and the full flavor of the rice cakes.

Local Guide Comment
In addition to table seating, the restaurant has a large number of tatami room seats, making it popular among the elderly and with children. It is especially crowded on holidays, so early arrival is recommended.
Chaya Usaburo
  • Address 2727-344-2727-344 Takaku Otsu, Nasu-cho, Nasu-gun, Tochigi MAP
  • Direction Approximately 24 minutes from JR Nasu Shiobara Station by car / Approximately 10 minutes from the Nasu Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway
  • Business hours<12月～3月>Sat., Sun., Holidays 11:00~L.O.14:30, Weekdays 11:30~L.O.14:00
    <4月～11月>Sat., Sun., Holidays 11:00~L.O.14:30, Weekdays 11:00~L.O.14:00
  • Closed Tuesdays (check website), December 31, January 1
  • TEL 0287-78-7322
  • Parking Free of charge

A set meal restaurant popular with children for its good taste and generous portions

Tori Karaage Set Meal
Tori Karaage Set Meal" 950 yen, consisting of fried chicken, shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup, cold tofu, and oshinko

This Dining Area is popular among locals as well, offering hearty set meals at reasonable prices. The menu offers a variety of safe, classic dishes such as curry rice, pork cutlet, and miso ramen. Recommended is the "Tori Karaage Set Meal," a dynamic serving of extra-large fried chicken. The fried chicken thigh chunks are slowly deep-fried at a low temperature of 180°C, resulting in a crispy outside and a plump, juicy inside. It is a popular dish among regular customers, offering an excellent balance of satisfaction and price.

The second-generation owner has taken over the restaurant's unpretentious atmosphere and sense of security.

Sofa seats in the restaurant overlooking the attached fishing pond.
Sofa seats in the restaurant overlooking the attached fishing pond.

The at-home, clean restaurant has table seating as well as a small tatami room, making it a comfortable place to spend time with children. Dishes for children, such as plates, spoons, and forks, are provided and can be shared, and the "fried pork cutlet set meal," "pork cutlet bowl," and "loin cutlet set meal" are also popular menu items among repeat customers. The carp fishing pond next to the restaurant offers unlimited fishing for 1,000 yen per day. How about a day of relaxing and enjoying a hearty meal and carp fishing?

Local Guide Comment
Since opening here 30 years ago, this set menus restaurant has enjoyed stable popularity among locals as well as tourists. Parking space is spacious, making it an easy place to stop by.
Itouen
  • Address 1-306, Takaku Hei, Oaza, Nasu-cho, Nasu-gun, Tochigi MAP
  • Direction Approximately 24 minutes from JR Nasu Shiobara Station by car / Approximately 13 minutes from the Nasu Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway
  • Business Hours Open 11:00-15:00, 17:30-20:30
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • TEL 0287-78-0568
  • Parking Free of charge

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.