What to eat in Nara

Written by hand, not generated. Dishes, markets, timing and prices for Nara.

Eating in Nara: a local guide

Ancient temples and shrines sit in the middle of the city, and around them survive preserved foods — pickles, dried somen, pressed sushi. Restaurants close early here, so a common plan is to eat in Nara by day and take dinner in Osaka or Kyoto.

What people eat here

Kakinoha zushi
Salted fish on rice, wrapped in a persimmon leaf. It comes from how an inland region preserved fish.
Chagayu
A thin rice porridge cooked with roasted tea, descended from temple breakfasts.
Somen Miwa
Very fine dried wheat noodles, served chilled in summer and in hot broth in winter.
Narazuke
Vegetables pickled long in sake lees — strongly aromatic.
Kuzumochi
A translucent cake of arrowroot starch, eaten with soy flour and dark syrup.

Where the food is

Naramachi

A surviving quarter of old merchant houses, now partly converted into cafes and restaurants.

Higashimuki Arcade

The covered shopping street between the station and the park.

Around Nara Park

Snack stalls and tea houses along the sightseeing route.

Miwa

The somen producing district, with noodle makers and restaurants side by side.

When to go

A great many restaurants close early in the evening. Check hours before planning dinner here.
The area around the park is very crowded in cherry blossom and autumn colour seasons.
Somen is generally served cold in summer and hot in winter.

Worth knowing

The deer in the park go for food in your hands. Do not walk around holding it.
Kakinoha zushi travels well in its leaf wrapping. The leaf is not eaten.
Osaka and Kyoto are both about forty minutes away by train, which makes a day trip easy.
Narazuke is pungent and divisive. For a gift, choose a small pack.

What it costs — Six pieces of kakinoha zushi run JPY 1,000-1,500, a chagayu set JPY 1,500-2,500, and somen JPY 800-1,200.

See Nara restaurant picks Open the food map

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