Update-date: Oct 19 2024
Located about an hour away from Tokyo by train or car, Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture is dotted with charming shopping streets and shrines, making it perfect for a day trip. We have picked out restaurants where we can enjoy a special lunch or dinner. Not only is the food delightful, but the atmosphere is also exceptional. Why not visit with family, friends, or a significant other during the warm season when outings are most enjoyable?
1. Japanese Cuisine [Hanajin]
A restaurant to visit for special occasions, where we can enjoy all handmade dishes.
Located just two minutes from both Hon-Kawagoe Station and Kawagoe-shi Station, Hanajin is a detached house restaurant that beckons for special occasions. The owner personally prepares everything from appetizers to desserts, all handcrafted with meticulous care, earning high praise for their dedication. Guests can slowly savor dishes made with carefully selected ingredients, including natural tuna and sea bream.
The restaurant offers a stylish and tranquil space that allows guests to forget the hustle and bustle of daily life. Each room is a private tatami room with sunken kotatsu, and the number of seats can be adjusted according to the number of guests. Enjoy a special moment while being hosted by the energetic proprietress.
Nihonryori Hanajin
Open: [Wednesday- Sunday, Holidays, Day Before Holidays] Dinner 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm (L.O. 8:00 pm) / [Weekend, National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm (L.O. 1:30 pm) When reservations are very busy, we will extend opening hours until 4 pm.
Closed: Monday, Tuesday. If the holiday is a Monday, we will open with a reservation.
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 8,000 JPY
Access: 2 minutes from Hon-Kawagoe station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, 2 minutes from Kawagoeshi station on the Tobu Tojo Line.
Address: 2-12-23 Nakaharamachi, Kawagoe, Saitama
More Details Reservation
Closed: Monday, Tuesday. If the holiday is a Monday, we will open with a reservation.
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 8,000 JPY
Access: 2 minutes from Hon-Kawagoe station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, 2 minutes from Kawagoeshi station on the Tobu Tojo Line.
Address: 2-12-23 Nakaharamachi, Kawagoe, Saitama
More Details Reservation
2. Eel Cuisine Specialty Restaurant [Unasho]
Plump and tender, yet delightfully fragrant eel served in an atmospheric traditional townhouse.
A corner of the former flower district from the Taisho era, 'Mari Benten Nagaya', has been designed with the wish to cherish connections with people, transforming it into an eel specialty restaurant. The recommended dish is the "Seiro," where the eel, once grilled, is then steamed in a bamboo steamer, resulting in both the eel and rice becoming fluffy. It is a dish where grilled eel is placed on top of rice coated with eel sauce and then steamed to perfection. By steaming the eel after grilling, it becomes tender and soft while retaining a deliciously aromatic texture.
The restaurant features counter seats and table seats on the first floor, and private rooms on the second floor, making it versatile for various occasions. The polished wood's sheen and gloss, along with the interior that reflects years of history, add to its charm. At night, beautiful light spills through the lattice windows when the lights are turned on. Lunch primarily offers set menus, which are also recommended for individuals. In the evening, reservation is essential for course meals, making it perfect for tourists, dates, business entertainment, and family outings.
Unasho
Open: [Tuesday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day Before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:00 pm) / [Tuesday - Saturday, Narional Holidays, Day Before National Holidays] Dinner 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:30 pm)
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 6,000 JPY
Access: 16-minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station / 2-minute walk from "Fudanotsuji" bus stop / It's located along the Benten Yokocho Street
Address: 1-14-13, Motomachi, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama
More Details Reservation
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 6,000 JPY
Access: 16-minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station / 2-minute walk from "Fudanotsuji" bus stop / It's located along the Benten Yokocho Street
Address: 1-14-13, Motomachi, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama
More Details Reservation
3. Western Cuisine [Milky Way]
Enjoying traditional flavors with music
Located near the traditional storehouse-style town, the modern building of [Milky Way] serves as a landmark. The restaurant's most popular dish is the 'Omelette Rice', where fluffy eggs gently melt in the mouth. This dish has been cherished as a signature menu item for over 20 years, offering a nostalgic, rustic taste with plenty of volume. Additionally, the Japanese-style vegetable spaghetti is another popular choice.
The restaurant, featuring a modern concrete structure with wood bases and a piano, offers a chic dining-bar atmosphere. Additionally, several times a year, professional musicians perform live jazz sessions. Why not spend a delightful time at this restaurant enjoying delicious food along with pleasant music?
Milky Wave
Open: [Tuesday - Sunday] Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:15 pm) [Saturday, Sunday] Dinner 6:00 m - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:15 pm)
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 1,500 JPY
Access: Exit Seibu Shinjuku line (Hon-Kawagoe station); walk 5 minutes past the "Fuda no Tsuji" intersection on Chuou street, and you will find it on the left.
Address: 17-2 Shita-machi, Kawagoe, Saitama
More Details Reservation
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 1,500 JPY
Access: Exit Seibu Shinjuku line (Hon-Kawagoe station); walk 5 minutes past the "Fuda no Tsuji" intersection on Chuou street, and you will find it on the left.
Address: 17-2 Shita-machi, Kawagoe, Saitama
More Details Reservation
4. Italian [Brighton Cafe]
Enjoy chewy, fresh pasta in a naturally open and airy space.
Located just a 5-minute walk from Seibu Railway's Hon-Kawagoe Station and a 13-minute walk from JR Kawagoe Station, Brighton Cafe is a stylish cafe bar with a garage-like single-story construction. The owner, who honed his skills for 10 years at an Italian restaurant in Tokyo, offers a menu that includes a popular dish featuring rich and creamy sea urchin pasta made with chewy fresh pasta. The restaurant also boasts a wide selection of wines that pair wonderfully with dishes, including the popular homemade thick sausages.
The restaurant, filled with the sounds of surf music, features a relaxing ambiance enhanced by greenery hanging from the ceiling. On weekdays, the restaurant offers five different types of daily-changing pasta, attracting regulars who visit daily to enjoy this atmosphere. The terrace is a delightful spot where guests can dine with their pets. At night, the light spilling from the large terrace windows creates a cozy and relaxing environment.
Brighton Cafe
Open: [Sunday - Tuesday,Thursday - Saturday,Holidays,Day Before Holidays] Dinner 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm (last order 9:00 pm) / Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm (last order 2:00 pm)
Closed: *Please contact us if you wish to charter
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
More Details Reservation
Closed: *Please contact us if you wish to charter
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
More Details Reservation
5. Woodfire Grill [Kawagoe Woodfire Cuisine -In The Park-]
They use local, fresh ingredients, boldly grilled over a wood fire.
Directly connected by a pedestrian deck from the west exit of Kawagoe Station and just a one-minute walk away, Kawagoe Firewood Cuisine -In The Park- is conveniently located. They proudly cook with locally sourced fresh ingredients on a central firewood grill in the restaurant. The finishing touch is the 'Memory Spice'. You can enjoy customizing your flavor with a selection of ten spices carefully chosen from around the world. Especially recommended from the grill menu is the "Today's Fresh Fish from the Market - Firewood Grilled," where the essence of fresh fish sourced from the market is richly captured.
The interior of the restaurant is themed around a 'park', offering a natural and open dining space filled with the warmth of natural materials such as plants, stones, and wood. It resembles a park-like atmosphere where one can slowly savor authentic wood-fired cuisine. Dining while watching the flames soar is an extraordinary experience.
Kawagoe wood-fired cuisine [In the park]
Open: [Weekday] Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm (last order 2:30 pm)[Sunday,Saturday,Holidays] Lunch 11:00 am - 3:30 pm (last order 2:30 pm)Dinner 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (last order 8:00 pm)[Weekday,Holidays,Day Before Holidays] Other 6:30 am - 10:00 am (last order 9:30 am)[Sunday,Saturday] Other 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (last order 4:30 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 6,000 JPY
More Details
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 6,000 JPY
More Details
Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.
