WHERE TO EAT IN NARA WITH KIDS?

I have a few blog posts on Nara, but I have decided to put all of our favourite family-friendly Nara eateries in one spot. 
See my blog post here on playgrounds and other options when enjoying Nara with kids here. 

Use google maps to plan your trip to Nara.  It doesn’t really matter if you arrive into JR Nara Station or Kintetsu Nara Station – just use the easiest option from your starting point. 

Extra Nara tip:  If you love a slower pace when you travel – most people day trip to Nara .. but how about spending the night? It’s just a lovely sleepy little quaint town in the evening. You’ll love it.

One more tip: Please watch small children when they are feeding the deer. These deer are very much used to people and can be bold and a bit rough.  They are not dangerous but can push over small children to get to food or accidentally scratch them with antlers.

 

Family-friendly Quiche Cafe in Nara
Le Case.   It’s a mini hike up hill slightly from Todaiji, but wander up the hill to Le Case for a Japanese take on French Quiche.  You can see deer on the walk there (deer that aren’t necessarily surrounded by tourists.)   This restaurant accepts walk-ins (if there is space) and reservations (as you hotel to call on your behalf.)  If the restaurant is super busy you can also get takeaway.   This restaurant is approx 10 mins by taxi from JR Nara Station or approx 5 mins from Kintetsu Nara Station.  Quiche options include Four cheese quiche, beef quiche, quiche lorraine, plain quiche etc.
They accept most major credit cards.

LE CASE, NARA
奈良市春日野町158 奈良公園内
WITHIN NARA PARK, 158 KASUGANOCHO, NARA
OPEN 10AM-5PM (LAST ORDERS 4PM) * May close earlier if they sell out of quiche.
CLOSED TUESDAYS 

Gluten Free and Vegan Cafe
This cafe is called Vegan Cafe Onwa and is  7 mins walk from JR Nara Station. Takeaway is also available.  They serve meals and desserts.  They do accept reservations. 
Menu options include fried soy meat bowls, a daily “vegan plate” and salads.  There are also vegan desserts.  This cafe has free wifi. 
VEGAN CAFE ONWA
奈良市三条大宮町3-23
3-23 SANJO-OMIYACHO, NARA
OPEN 11AM-5PM (OPEN UNTIL 8PM ON SAT) 

Vegan Ramen
Vegan Ramen by Playpen Friends is 800 metres from Kintetsu Nara Station.  Please note; all dishes here contain scallions, onions, chives, shallots and garlic.
VEGAN RAMEN BY PLAYPEN FRIENDS, NARA
奈良市登大路町59-12 2階
2ND FLOOR,  59-12 NOBORI-OJICHO, NARA
OPEN 10AM-5PM
CLOSED TUESDAYS 
 

Sushi train restaurant 
Popular sushi train chain Kurasushi has a branch in Nara.   It is 8 minutes by cab (approx 2000 yen) from Nara Station.  The restaurant is fully automated and smoke-free.  They accept most major credit cards.  It’s kind of “in the suburbs” so you’ll properly get to dine like a local with the locals.  They don’t accept reservations but they do have 156 seats within the restaurant so I think you’ll be fine.
I would expect lunch or dinner to come to around 1500 yen per adult ( depending on how many places you get through, of course.)
Kurasushi have a list of all of their food with common allergens here. (Kurasushi is great when dining with kids and there are lots of cooked non-raw sushi options but if you really love sushi you may be a little disappointed with the raw-fish quality / some have found that the fish meat is a bit frozen in the middle.  See here for my tips on what to do in Japan if your kids like to eat westernized versions of sushi or california rolls etc.) 

KURA SUSHI NARA FURUICHI BRANCH
奈良市古市町1352-1
1352 FURUICHICHO, NARA-SHI 
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM

Vegan Onigiri (Rice Balls)
Did you know that there is an onigiri spot with lots of vegan onigiri options in Nara just in the shopping mall next to the shop where you can watch mochi pounding (it’s called Nakatanidou.)   The onigiri shop is called  Omusubi Bansyun.  They accept most major credit cards. 
OMUSUBI BANSYUN
OPEN 11AM-6PM 
CLOSED THURSDAYS 
NARA-MACHI SHOPPING ARCADE, 13 KOMYOINCHO, NARA

 

Gyukatsu (if you’ve heard of Tonkatsu -it’s the same thing but, instead of pork, it is beef)
If you are looking to try Gyukatsu – Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Nara Park is just 7 mins walk from Kintetsu Nara Station.
This is a great spot for a lush tasting dinner or lunch with a reasonable price tag at a restaurant that also allows children, I recommend Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu for Kobe Beef and Wagyu.   It’s a Beef Cutlet restaurant.  It is high quality beef, crumbed and fried so that the outside is crunchy and served with a range of sauces (dipping sauces) and rice.  The restaurant is entirely non-smoking.   They have an English menu.   Please note that this restaurant is cash only. 
This restaurant welcomes children and babies.
Each meal is 1000-2000 yen.  You can see the full Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu menu here. 　This restaurant accepts reservations and walk ins.  

GYUKATSU KYOTO KATSUGYU NARA PARK
奈良市登大路町30 登大路バスターミナル 2Ｆ
2ND NOBORIOJICHO BUS TERMINAL, NOBORIOJICHO, NARA
OPEN 11:30AM-7PM (LAST ORDERS AT 7:30PM)

 

Steak in a family-friendly restaurant with all you can eat bread and salad
10 mins in cab (approx 1,300 yen) from the Nara Station is Steak Gusto – Gusto is a family restaurant in Japan but when they are a “Steak Gusto” it means that they, obviously, also offer steak but also have all-you-can-eat-bread and salads. 

This restaurant accepts most major credit cards.  They accept reservations and walk-ins. 

STEAK GUSTO NARA KASHIWAGICHO
奈良市柏木町459
459 KASHIWAGICHO, NARA
OPEN 11AM-MIDNIGHT (OPEN FROM 10AM ON WEEKENDS)
＊Just a few doors down from this restaurant are branches of the most incredible Japanese second hand shops “Book Off” and “Hard Off” – please please go inside and take a look ! So many treasures inside !

Next to Steak Gusto Nara Kashiwagicho…is
…is all-you-can-eat Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki Restaurant Syabu-Yo. 
This entire restaurant is non-smoking. 

Diners choose the amount of time they would like to have unlimited meat brought to their table (usually 60 or 90 mins) and that price also includes access to a salad and vegetable buffet and ice-cream.  The instructions on how to make your meal at the table are here on the Syabu-Yo website but the staff will also help you.   My kids prefer sukiyaki to shabu-shabu as it is so sweet and more-ish.

This style of restaurant is tricky if everyone has different dietary requirements (for example if one family member is vegetarian etc) as all the food is cooked in one pot. I guess you could get around this by getting two tables with two separate pots.   Sometimes they have pots like the one pictured below that has two sections. This is mostly so you can cook two different flavours but it could also work for a meat side and a veg side too, I guess.

To eat here I would budget for around 2000 yen per adult.   The entire restaurant is non-smoking. Syabu-Yo accept most major credit cards. 
If you like this restaurant – I’m pretty sure you will! Then you are in luck as you can always google your closest Syabu-Yo branch as they are all over Japan. 

SYABU-YO, NARA KASHIWAGICHO
奈良市柏木町459
459 KASHIWAGICHO, NARA
OPEN 11AM-MIDNIGHT

 Just 10 mins walk from Syabu-Yo and Steak Gusto is Kashiwagi Park which has quite a nice playground !
This park has lovely new and clean public toilets too – with change tables too. 

See here if would like to try Kaiseki dining with children with Nara. 

A gluten free meal in Nara with kids
If you are looking for Gluten Free Meals in Nara, I recommend walking 8 mins away from Kintetsu Nara Station to Big Mountain Cafe & Farm.   The cuisine is Hawaiian / Japanese.  There are vegan options available.  I recommend the homemade lemonade.   This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. To eat here, I recommend budgeting approximately 3000 yen per person.   Big Mountain Cafe & Farm also has a kids menu and there is space to store a stroller while you dine. 
BIG MOUNTAIN CAFE & FARM
奈良市西新在家町20
20 NISHI-SHINZAIKECHO, NARA
OPEN 11:30AM-8:30PM (LAST ORDER AT 7:30PM) 
CLOSED TUESDAYS & EVERY 3RD WEDNESDAY

 

Adorable Donuts
Floresta Nara have the cutest donuts.  
Floresta Nara is 2 mins walk from Kintetsu Nara Station. This is just a donut store so there are no tables to “dine in.”

FLORESTA NARA
奈良県奈良市小西町8-1 ラフィーヌ東洋ビル1階
GROUND FLOOR, LAFINU TOYOU BUILDING,KONISHICHO, NARA
OPEN 10AM-7PM
CLOSED TUESDAYS 

 

Vegan Ramen
Take a taxi for 10 mins to vegan restaurant “Vegan Cafe Ramuna” 
This is a completely vegan restaurant.  Lots of pro-vegan style merch for sale here.  Meal options include noodles, salad, sandwiches, buddha bowls, mushroom pizza, vegan chicken and vegan burgers. Some items are sold to be taken and cooked at home too (which can be great if you want more vegan options to eat later in your stay.)   Please note that they are only open on weekdays. Cash only.  
If you decide to walk – it takes 18 mins on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station or 6 mins from Nara Park.   They do accept reservations. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.  They have an english menu. 
VEGAN CAFE RAMUNA 
1028-5 TAKABATAKECHO, NARA 
OPEN WEEKDAYS ONLY MIDDAY-8PM (ASK YOUR HOTEL TO CALL AHEAD AS IT IS A SMALL BUSINESS THAT CAN CHANGE OPENING TIMES OFTEN) 
*Please ask your hotel to call to confirm their opening hours. They are a small business and close suddenly if a family member is sick.