Open Travel Guide
Restaurants in Saitama

Best Restaurants in Saitama 2026

How to eat well in Saitama at every budget, and the local dishes you shouldn't leave without trying.

By Updated Reviewed by Daniel Mercer

Saitama has 27+ restaurants and places to eat covered in this guide, led by Kawagoe Ichinoya, Unagi Denbe and Kasho Umon Ichibangai. Each entry below includes the practical details — what it costs, when to go, and how to plan around it.

Saitama Prefecture is Tokyo's underrated northern neighbor — a landlocked prefecture where the Edo-period streets of Kawagoe, the world's largest railway museum collection, bonsai gardens tended for a century, and the moss-phlox hills of Chichibu sit within an hour of the capital, all at a fraction of Tokyo's crowds and prices.

Top restaurants

Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.

Japanese unagi (eel)

Kawagoe Ichinoya

¥3,000–8,800 ($20–59)4.5/5

A Kawagoe eel restaurant tracing its history to 1832, serving charcoal-grilled unaju in the Kurazukuri warehouse district.

Known for: Charcoal-grilled unagi (freshwater eel) prepared in the Kanto kabayaki style, a Kawagoe river-town tradition dating to the Edo period

2-23 Matsuecho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0063
Japanese unagi (eel)

Unagi Denbe

¥3,500–8,800 ($23–59)4.4/5

A traditional-style eel restaurant on Kawagoe's warehouse street known for its tiered unaju grades and Edo-period atmosphere.

Known for: Long-established eel house near the Kurazukuri warehouse street, offering multiple grades of unaju

1-8 Saiwaicho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0062
Japanese sweet potato confectionery

Kasho Umon Ichibangai

¥300–1,200 ($2.01–8.04)4.3/5

A Kurazukuri-street confectionery shop where steamed sweet-potato buns and a compact imo set meal are served just behind the counter.

Known for: Kawagoe sweet potato (satsumaimo) confectionery and a small sweet-potato set meal served behind the storefront

1-13 Saiwaicho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0062
Japanese sweet potato confectionery

Dokan Honten

¥200–900 ($1.34–6.03)4.4/5

A long-running Kawagoe sweets shop specialising in imo-yokan, the dense sweet-potato jelly synonymous with the town's Edo-period nickname 'Koedo'.

Known for: Multi-generation imo-yokan (sweet potato jelly) specialist on the Kurazukuri warehouse street

6-1 Renjakucho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0061
Japanese candied sweet potato

Iwata Daigaku Imo

¥150–500 ($1.00–3.35)4.3/5

A Candy Alley stall known for its distinctive round-cut daigaku imo, thinly glazed and eaten on the walk through Kashiya Yokocho.

Known for: Round-sliced daigaku imo (candied sweet potato) coated in a light honey glaze, sold walk-and-eat style on Candy Alley

Kashiya Yokocho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0063
Japanese soba

Chasoba Kotobuki-an Kuranomachi

¥900–2,200 ($6.03–14.74)4.4/5

A soba house on Kurazukuri street operating for more than a century, known for blending local matcha into its buckwheat noodles.

Known for: Cha-soba — buckwheat noodles blended with Kawagoe-grown matcha, served on the Kurazukuri warehouse street since the Meiji era

1-1 Saiwaicho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0062
Japanese Musashino udon

Musashino Udon Takekuni Sayama Sasai

¥600–1,100 ($4.02–7.37)4.4/5

A Sayama noodle house hand-kneading Musashino-style udon, the thick and firm regional variant central to Saitama's noodle culture.

Known for: Hand-kneaded Musashino udon — thick, dark, firm-textured noodles dipped in a rich pork-and-vegetable tsukejiru broth, a Saitama regional style distinct from Sanuki udon

2998-11 Sasai, Sayama, Saitama 350-1327
Japanese Musashino udon

Musashino Udon Takekuni Shin-Tokorozawa

¥600–1,100 ($4.02–7.37)4.3/5

A neighbourhood Musashino udon shop near Shin-Tokorozawa Station, serving thick hand-cut noodles in a rich pork dipping broth.

Known for: Sister branch of the Sayama udon house, serving the same thick hand-cut Musashino noodles near Shin-Tokorozawa Station

667-14 Iwaokacho, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-1102

Restaurants by cuisine

Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.

Japanese

Kawagoe Ichinoya

¥3,000–8,800 ($20–59)

Unagi Denbe

¥3,500–8,800 ($23–59)

Kasho Umon Ichibangai

¥300–1,200 ($2.01–8.04)

Dokan Honten

¥200–900 ($1.34–6.03)

Iwata Daigaku Imo

¥150–500 ($1.00–3.35)

Chasoba Kotobuki-an Kuranomachi

¥900–2,200 ($6.03–14.74)

Musashino Udon Takekuni Sayama Sasai

¥600–1,100 ($4.02–7.37)

Musashino Udon Takekuni Shin-Tokorozawa

¥600–1,100 ($4.02–7.37)

Musashiya Chichibu

¥800–1,800 ($5.36–12.06)

Jinjinbaa

¥700–2,500 ($4.69–16.75)

Buko Shuzo Brewery Shop and Tasting Counter

¥500–2,500 ($3.35–16.75)

Yao Honten Sake Brewery Tasting Room

¥400–2,000 ($2.68–13.40)

Musashi-ya Omiya

¥800–1,300 ($5.36–8.71)

Shokudo Tamori

¥700–1,200 ($4.69–8.04)

Unagi Uosho Omiya

¥2,800–6,500 ($18.76–43.55)

Kumagaya Gyoza Kaikan

¥500–1,400 ($3.35–9.38)

Kumagaya Ekimae Gyoza-tei

¥550–1,300 ($3.68–8.71)

Fukaya Negi Yakiniku Tei

¥2,200–5,000 ($14.74–33.50)

Kawagoe Kurumaya

¥900–1,800 ($6.03–12.06)

Tokinokane Coffee

¥500–1,300 ($3.35–8.71)

Kawagoe Beer Kurabar

¥1,000–3,000 ($6.70–20.10)

Sayama Tea House Chagashi

¥600–1,500 ($4.02–10.05)

Nagatoro Ayu-no-Sato

¥600–2,000 ($4.02–13.40)

Kawagoe Menya Musashi

¥750–1,200 ($5.02–8.04)

Kawagoe Kashiya Yokocho Senbei-tei

¥100–500 ($0.67–3.35)

Kawagoe Kappo Ippei

¥6,000–15,000 ($40–100)

French

Chichibu Wine Cafe Terrasse

¥1,500–4,500 ($10.05–30.15)

Dining etiquette & tips

Navigate the local food scene confidently.

Tip

Tipping practices vary — check local customs. Service charge is often included.

Tip

Restaurants may close between lunch and dinner. Plan meals around local dining hours.

Tip

Popular restaurants may not take reservations — arrive early or be prepared to wait.

Food budget guide

What to expect at different price points.

Level Price Description
Budget $5-15/meal Street food, local eateries, and simple restaurants.
Mid-range $15-40/meal Sit-down restaurants with good service and varied menus.
Upscale $40+/meal Fine dining, international cuisine, and premium experiences.

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