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Food and Drink · Japan · Updated October 2026 · 10 min read
Dinner is one of the quiet joys of a Nozawa trip. The best Nozawa Onsen restaurants are small, family-run and full of steam on a winter night. You walk in from the snow, slide the door shut and order something warm.
For a mountain village, the choice is surprisingly good. There is century-old soba, serious sushi, smoky yakitori and tabletop barbecue. A wave of Australian skiers has added burgers, pizza and steak to the mix.
This guide covers the best places for dinner, from traditional Japanese to Western comfort food. It also explains what to order, when to book and how dining here differs from the city.
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A note on seasons. Nozawa is mainly a winter village. Many restaurants open from December to March and change their hours with the snow. Some close in the green season. Check current opening times before you go, and book ahead in January and February.
Nozawa Onsen Restaurants at a Glance
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Soba Daimon | Soba noodles | A traditional lunch or dinner |
| Tengu Sushi | Sushi | A special night |
| Wakagiri | Sushi and Japanese | Chirashi and fair prices |
| Izakaya Sakai | Yakitori, izakaya | Skewers and sharing plates |
| Jisaku | Izakaya | Slow dinners, vegetarian options |
| Billiken Shokudo | Japanese home cooking | Hearty, cosy meals |
| Banri | Korean-style yakiniku | Groups |
| Akebi-Tei | Okonomiyaki | A local favourite |
| mont | French, fire-cooked | Fine dining |
| Kaze No Ie | Italian | Pasta in the village centre |
| Genki Burger | Burgers | A quick, filling dinner |
| The Corner Steakhouse | Steak and burgers | Western comfort food |
Traditional Japanese Restaurants
The best meals in Nozawa are often the simplest. These are the places for soba, sushi and the slow, warming food of a Japanese winter.
Soba Daimon
Soba Daimon has been run by the same family for close to a century. The buckwheat noodles are handmade, and the room is small and warm. It works just as well for a long lunch as it does for dinner.
Order a bowl of hot soba on a snowy day, or cold soba with dipping sauce if you have been in the onsen. Expect a short wait at busy times.
Best for: soba with history · Price: moderate
Tengu Sushi
Tengu takes sushi seriously. The dining room is sleek, and the fish is treated with real care. It is one of the more refined meals in the village.
Save it for a special night, and book well in advance.
Best for: a sushi splurge · Price: higher · Reservations essential
Wakagiri
Wakagiri is a long-running Japanese restaurant with sushi at fairer prices. The chirashi, a bowl of rice topped with sashimi, is the dish people come back for. Staff are known for being helpful with dietary needs.
Best for: chirashi and value · Price: moderate
Billiken Shokudo
Billiken is a beloved local eatery in the old part of town, near Asagama bath. It serves hearty Japanese home cooking in a cosy, unpretentious room. Portions are generous, and the welcome is warm.
Best for: comfort food after skiing · Price: moderate
Izakaya and Yakitori
An izakaya is a Japanese pub that serves small plates to share. It is the most social way to eat in Nozawa, and the best way to try a little of everything.
Izakaya Sakai
Izakaya Sakai is known for excellent yakitori, grilled skewers cooked over charcoal. The braised pork is another highlight. It is small and popular, so reservations are a must.
Best for: yakitori · Price: moderate · Book ahead
Jisaku
Jisaku is a small izakaya with tatami and Western seating. The menu is built for sharing, with good vegetarian options. Order the nagaimo steak, a crisp potato cake made from sticky Japanese yam.
It suits a slow, relaxed dinner with friends.
Best for: sharing plates and vegetarians · Price: moderate
Totorina
Totorina is a tiny yakitori bar with great value skewers. Seats are few, so book ahead or arrive early. Many visitors rate it as their best dinner in the village.
Best for: small and authentic · Price: low to moderate
Barbecue, Teppanyaki and Okonomiyaki
Cooking at the table is part of the fun in Nozawa. These spots work especially well for groups.
Banri
Banri is a yakiniku restaurant where you grill your own meat over a private barbecue. It is loud, social and great for groups. Order a mix of cuts and let the night run long.
Best for: group dinners · Price: moderate
Tanuki Teppanyaki
At Tanuki, the chef cooks on a flat iron grill in front of you. Grilled salmon and seasonal vegetables are among the highlights. It is a lively choice for a celebration.
Best for: a show with dinner · Price: higher
Akebi-Tei
Akebi-Tei serves okonomiyaki, savoury Japanese pancakes loved by locals. The chef takes real pride in the quality of the cooking. It sits in the west of the village and is a good low-key dinner.
Best for: okonomiyaki · Price: low to moderate
Fine Dining in Nozawa
mont
mont is one of the newer names in the village, set inside a former ryokan. The menu is French in style, built on seasonal local produce. Much of it is cooked over an open fire in the room.
It is the most refined dinner in Nozawa. Book early, especially in peak weeks.
Best for: a memorable night · Price: high · Reservations essential
Haus St Anton
Haus St Anton is best known for its cafe and homemade jams. In the evening, it serves a European-style dinner menu. Bookings are needed in advance, often a couple of days ahead.
Best for: a European dinner · Price: moderate to high
Western Comfort Food
After a week of Japanese food, sometimes only a burger will do. Nozawa has you covered.
Genki Burger
Genki Burger is run by a Niigata and Melbourne partnership, and it shows. The burgers are big, generous and made with care. It gets busy, so takeaway is a good option.
Best for: a quick dinner · Price: low
The Corner Steakhouse
The Corner Steakhouse serves quality steaks and burgers in a relaxed room. Its avocado cheeseburger is the house favourite. It suits families and anyone craving familiar food.
Best for: steak night · Price: moderate
Kaze No Ie
Kaze No Ie is a small Italian restaurant on a second floor in the village centre. A husband and wife have run it for years, cooking with real love for the cuisine. The pasta is the reason to come.
Best for: Italian · Price: moderate
Local Food to Try
Nozawana is the village’s own vegetable, a leafy green famous across Japan as a pickle. You will see it served with almost every meal. Oyaki, stuffed dumplings from Nagano, make a good snack between runs.
Look out for eggs and vegetables cooked in the village hot springs too. It is a small taste of how closely daily life and the onsen are linked here. Our guide to the Nozawa Onsen public baths explains more.
Tips for Eating Out in Nozawa
Book ahead for dinner in January and February. The village fills up, and the small places seat only a handful of people.
Carry cash. Many family-run restaurants still prefer yen, and a few take cash only.
Eat early or late. Most restaurants fill between 6pm and 8pm, right after the onsen and après rush. Some kitchens also close earlier than you might expect.
Ask your lodging for recommendations. Hosts often know which places have changed hours or are booked out that week.
Planning the Rest of Your Trip
Dinner pairs naturally with a day on the snow. Our Nozawa Onsen ski resort guide covers the mountain. For drinks after dinner, see the best bars in the village.
If you are still planning, start with getting from Tokyo to Nozawa and where to stay in the village. For a guided winter day, try this Nozawa Onsen winter experience. A full list of village restaurants is on the official Nozawa Onsen tourism site.
Keep Exploring
The Complete Nozawa Onsen Travel Guide
Breakfast and Coffee in the Village
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Nozawa Onsen restaurants?
Soba Daimon, Tengu Sushi and Izakaya Sakai are among the most loved. mont offers fine dining, while Genki Burger and The Corner Steakhouse cover Western food.
Do you need to book restaurants in Nozawa Onsen?
Yes, especially for dinner in January and February. Many restaurants are small and fill quickly.
Are Nozawa Onsen restaurants open in summer?
Some are, but many reduce hours or close outside the ski season. Check before you visit in the green season.
Do restaurants in Nozawa take card?
Some do, but many family-run places prefer cash. Carry yen to be safe.
Is Nozawa Onsen good for vegetarians?
There are options. Jisaku has good vegetarian dishes, and soba restaurants can often adapt. Ask about dashi broth, which usually contains fish.
What food is Nozawa Onsen known for?
Nozawana, a pickled leafy green that comes from the village. Soba and oyaki are also local favourites.
Final Thoughts
The best Nozawa Onsen restaurants are rarely the biggest. They are small rooms with a handful of tables, run by families who have cooked here for years.
Book ahead, carry cash, and come in from the cold hungry. A bowl of soba after the onsen is hard to beat.
Some nights, dinner is the best part of the day.
Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, OneLife may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is a small village where hours change with the seasons, so please check current details before you go.