Where I Ate in Nagano City

One day of eating in Nagano City and it was a good one.

Nagano City wasn't originally the foodie stop of our trip, as that was Matsumoto. But the eating ended up being just as good, in a quieter, more incidental way. Here's everything I ate (and a few things I'd go back for) to help you figure out where to eat in Nagano City.

---

Tonkatsu at とんかつ専門店 からり

Tonkatsu lunch set at とんかつ専門店 からり

For lunch, とんかつ専門店 からり is a tonkatsu spot near Namikase Street, and this one stuck with me. The pork melted in my mouth, not in a greasy way, but in that tender, well-fried way that tonkatsu does when it’s done right. Free refills on cabbage and rice, which is always a win. It also comes with a pork and daikon miso soup. Come hungry.

---

Snacks on Namikase Street

Before you even reach the main gate of Zenkoji, Namikase Street will slow you down with the smell of deliciousness in the air. The renovated storehouses lining the street are packed with local Nagano treats, and this is where I did most of my snacking.

Oyaki

Oyaki

Oyaki are stuffed buns with fillings that range from vegetables to sweet bean paste, and they’re one of Nagano’s most iconic foods. They’re filling, they’re warm, and they’re exactly the kind of thing you want to eat while walking around in the cold. There were a few stalls selling them, so just grab one from whoever has the shortest line.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

My guilty pleasure. A simple thing, but there’s something about a warm roasted sweet potato on a cold day that just hits right. Eat it while it’s warm and don’t save it for later.

Apple Pie at Beni-Beni

Nagano is Japan’s top apple-producing prefecture, so apple-everything is fair game here. I stopped at Beni-Beni for their apple pie, and it was worth every yen. If you’re someone who always gets the apple pie, this one will not let you down.

---

Dinner & Sake at Nobuta (日本酒ときどきサワー のぶた)

After the temple and the snacking and the tonkatsu, we needed a proper sit-down dinner, and Nobuta delivered. It’s tucked into a narrow alley about a five-minute walk from Nagano Station, and it’s exactly the kind of place that feels like a local discovery even if everyone already knows about it.

The concept is sake-forward as the name literally translates to “Sake, and Sometimes Sours,” and the food is built around it: seasonal small plates, charcoal-grilled dishes, and a straw-fire cooking style they do right in front of you. The room is tiny (nine counter seats, one four-top), which means the energy is intimate and you’ll inevitably end up glancing at what the person next to you ordered and wanting it too.

Sashimi at Nobuta

We weren’t sure what to order at first, so the staff helped us pick crowd favorites based on how hungry we were. Dinner starts with a free appetizer of egg, tofu, and chicken, which was a nice touch. From there, we ordered sashimi: white hamachi, Spanish mackerel in ponzu, and wild-caught bluefin tuna, all charred before being sliced. We also had fresh oysters pan-fried in butter, deep-fried yellowtail fritters, and a vegetable appetizer medley. We ended the meal with steamed Hokkaido Kinki dressed in a dark soy-based sauce that wasn’t overly salty and perfectly restrained. That might have been the dish of the night.

Dinner at Nobuta

What is Hokkaido Kinki? Kinki (also called Kichiji rockfish) is a deep-sea fish caught in the cold waters off Hokkaido, known for its rich, fatty flesh that holds up beautifully to steaming.

The sake list was quite overwhelming for us since we aren’t sake connoisseurs by any stretch, so we asked them to pair for us. They walked us through a progression from sweet to dry, matching each dish as we went. The whole experience was 10/10 between the gracious service, delicious sake, and exquisitely prepared dishes.

One thing worth knowing: Nobuta fills up fast even on weeknights, so if you want to guarantee a seat, try to go early or check if they take reservations. We lucked out when we walked in and were told to keep our time to 1.5 hours instead of the usual 3 hours.

---

One Last Bowl Before the Train at Shinshu Soba Nakajima

On our way out of Nagano, we made one last stop: Shinshu Soba Nakajima, a standing soba counter tucked inside JR Nagano Station itself. This is not a destination meal. It’s a budget bowl you slurp down in five minutes while your travel companion hovers nearby, checking the platform sign. Cash only, ticket machine at the entrance, bowl back when you’re done.

The speed and simplicity of it are for the kind of traveler who wants one last taste of Nagano before the train doors close.

---

For more of my adventures and travel tips for Matsumoto and Narai-juku, check out the following posts:

---