The first spot we’d like to introduce is Deli & Cafe Mitsuki. This spot is a food court connected directly to Hakone-Yumoto Station by a deck, so you can quickly stop by right from the station. You don’t have to worry about getting wet on a rainy day! They serve a variety of Japanese and Western foods here, and it is guaranteed to be enjoyed by a wide variety of customers, regardless of age or gender.

You can enjoy your meal while enjoying the view of the changing seasonal landscape of Hakone from the terrace seats. You can see the Kawazu cherry blossoms from February through March. The Hayakawa River also flows right before your eyes, and you can relax to its serene sound.

A particularly popular menu team is the Hakone Sanroku Pork Burger Set (1,250 yen, tax included). This burger is made with juicy minced pork raised is the Hakone mountains, and crisp, Hakone cabbage, sandwiched between two hamburger buns. You can add ketchup, mustard, and sauce as you like. It is also possible to order as a take-out item, so you can eat it as you walk around.

"Hakone Onsen-Shukuba Machi Ramen" priced at 780 yen (including tax) is a famous dish. (However, it is not available as of October 2023.) This dish is only available for dine-in, and it is suggested for those who want to relish their meal slowly at their seats. The restaurant provides complimentary Wi-Fi and power outlets at the counters for recharging electronic devices.

Another thing you might want to try out during your visit is the “Nama-Tofu Shake (vanilla)” (600 yen, tax included), the menu item which also boasts #1 rank in terms of popularity. Hakone is known for its clean, clear, water, and therefore tofu made from this clear water and brine is also a specialty product of the area.

The Nama-Tofu Shake comes in different flavors, such as vanilla, strawberry, mango, and matcha. We highly recommend the vanilla shake, as its flavor tends to bring out that of the soybeans used to make the tofu even more.

Additionally, there is a wide variety of other menu items, including Hakone Tofu Waffles, curry, fried chicken, and fries. With the exception of the ramen and the waffles, these items can be ordered as take-out. Why not order something to enjoy while walking around the area?

Hakone Jinenjyo Yamasoba is a soba noodle shop situated just a 2-minute walk along National Route 1 towards Miyanoshita from the Hakone-Yumoto Station. The shop has remained true to its goal of utilizing only domestic ingredients since its establishment, and it is a beloved destination for both locals and tourists alike.

The inside of the shop has two floors, and has a calm, relaxing atmosphere with its wooden interior. This is the perfect place to relieve any fatigue from your travels around Hakone.

The tables on the second floor are made from single boards cut from trees over 700 years old. You can really take in the history here as you enjoy your soba noodles.

The most popular item in this shop is the Jinenjyo Tororo Soba (1,350 yen, tax included). All menu items offer the option to choose hot or cold. For today’s meal, we chose cold. Mix the tsuyu soup stock well with sticky yam and egg yolk, vegetables, and yakumi (grated condiments), then add the soba noodles inside.

The soba tsuyu is a blend of 3 different types of bonito, and is made with natural water of Hakone. It seems this soup contains many secrets that only enhance the flavor of the soba even more.

The Yamatake Soba is particularly popular amongst foreign tourists (1,450 yen, tax included). It had six kinds of mushrooms for a very healthy soba dish. Some other items extremely popular with tourists are the Hiyashi-Ten Soba (1300 yen, tax included) and Ten-don (average grade: 1,550 yen, tax included; upper grade: 2,100 yen, tax included).

Hakone Jinenjyo Yama Soba is a great place to relax and unwind, surrounded by the warm, calming atmosphere of the trees. By all means, do try to enjoy their richly flavored soba and soups when you can!

Next up, there's a restaurant called YUBADON NAOKICHI, which is situated on the street that runs parallel to the Hayakawa River, just in front of Hakone-Yumoto Station. The restaurant specializes in YUBADON and tofu dishes. Their signature dish is the famous Yuba-don, which has been widely covered in various media and consistently ranks high in the Hakone Gourmet Ranking.

The shop, originally named Onsen Ryokan Gakoen, was opened in 1959. However, after undergoing in-store renovations 12 years ago, it re-opened as Yubadon Naokichi. It seems to have been transformed into a daytime restaurant without changing the atmosphere of the inn.

Located along the Hayakawa River, you can witness the changing of the four seasons across the river in the mountains from the window. As you take in the flow of the Hayakawa River, you can feel a sense of healing.

Originally opened as a hot springs inn, there was even a foot bath open to everyone where you could relieve the stress and fatigue from your travels. Along with the food, the hot springs are another point we would like to recommend on your trip to Hakone.

Here we have the infamous Yuba-don, 1,200 yen (tax included). This menu includes yuba and tofu made with the clean, delicious, local water.

Once upon a time, when the area was taken over by Hojo Soun, it is said that the Princess of that time was searching for clean, pure water to use for making lotions. That’s when she found the waters springing up from the middle of Hakone, now lending the name “Water of the Princess” to these springs. Yuba made from the Water of the Princess is said to boast the true flavor of Hakone. In this dish, the simmering yuba and the egg pair exquisitely well, forming a perfect harmony.

Yubadon Naokichi also offers delicious sweets, such as Yuba Zenzai and Tofu Zenzai (780 yen each, tax included). Please be sure to stop by and enjoy the taste of Hakone!

Finally, we would like to introduce HAKONE CURRY KOKORO, located on Taki-dori Street in Hakone-Yumoto. This restaurant specializes in Japanese-style curry. Made with a bullion simmered for over 5 hours and an original blend of 17 different spices, this slowly-cooked curry is sure to bring ease to your tired body and soul!

There are 24 seats inside the shop, including counter and table seats. It is a relaxing space where you can enjoy a calm, leisurely time.

The curry served in this shop is prepared with water from the Tamadare-no-Taki Falls, called “Enmei-no-Mizu,” or “water of long life.” The water of Tamadare Falls is gentle on the body and helps maintain a mild alkalinity, containing a well-balanced mineral composition that helps rejuvenate the body.

The most popular item in the shop is the Kokoro Special (1,900 yen, tax included). The colorful vegetables in hot curry and the healthy black rice can be enjoyed in just about any menu item here; however, what sets this dish apart is the stewed meat and onsen tamago (slow-boiled egg). There is even a hearty cutlet on top of the rice! It is a delicious, special menu item, just like the shop Hakone Curry Kokoro itself.

We also recommend the instant curry pouches sold in the store as a souvenir! The one seen on the left in the photo, “Hakone Curry,” is an especially delicious one that tastes just like the curry of Hakone Curry Kokoro, in a pouch! With hearty cubes of meat, these pouches are the top recommendations for instant curry that comes closest to the taste of the shop itself.

Hakone Curry Kokoro is one of the best spots in Hakone to come to for a taste of curry that can only be found in this one shop. Please do stop by and try some hot curry!

Irorisaryo Hachiri, conveniently located beside the popular day-trip destination Hakone Yuryo hot springs, is easily accessible via a complimentary shuttle bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station. This brief three-minute ride, with buses running every 10 to 15 minutes, makes the restaurant an ideal stop during your Hakone adventure!

Upon entering the shop, you'll be greeted by the sight of an irori, or traditional Japanese fireplace, surrounded by tables for dining. This setup allows all to enjoy authentic irori cuisine in a rural village background where these sunken hearths are usually found. Our recommendation is, needless to say, the irori seating area that can take up to 60, where you can be surrounded by the aromatic fragrance of food being roasted over a slow fire.

The most popular item in the shop is the Daily Grilled Fish (980 yen, tax included). Cherry salmon, the fish depicted in this photograph, is available throughout the year, though you can also order ayu sweetfish during summer. All fish are slowly and carefully grilled for about 40 minutes until they can be eaten whole - bones and all!

The Irori Package (5,000 yen, tax included) is frequently ordered item because of the variety of vegetables, meats, seafood and other irori grilled food it offers.

Other dishes that can be found on the menu include ala carte items, set meals, soba, udon, shichirin charcoal grill, and a whole lot of other mouth-watering food. English menus are available upon request, to help tourists feel at ease ordering food here even if they may not understand Japanese. The skillfully crafted traditional decor of the restaurant also makes it possible for you to give not just your taste buds, but all of your senses a unique treat as you eat!

Next on our list is Bakery & Table Hakone, a bakery and restaurant that sits next to Lake Ashi and offers an unobstructed and spectacular view of the local scenery.

On the first floor, there is a terrace seating area equipped with a foot spa where you can enjoy freshly baked bread while soaking your tired feet in the refreshing spring waters of Lake Ashi. This spot is perfect for gazing at cruise ships and the area's quirky pirate ships interweaving between each other if that's something that interests you. Additionally, the shop sells towels that you can use to dry your feet after the foot spa, so you don't need to worry about bringing your own.

The building itself contains a bakery on the first floor, a cafe on the second floor, and the restaurant on the third. The bakery is always filled with the delicious aromas of all sorts of freshly made bread, which makes their offerings a joy to peruse.

The Rice Flour Curry Donut (390 yen, in case of take out, tax included) is the most popular baked goods here. As the name suggests, the bread is made using a mixture of rice flour and curry powder, giving it a chewy texture. This dough mix is then slathered with curry and rice crisps before being deep-fried into a perfect shade of golden brown. Stuffed within the bread is a special sauce and a boiled egg with a quality yolk.

Near the entrance of the shop on the ground floor is a cafe stand selling soft drinks and seasonal beverages. Don't miss what may be your one and only chance in Japan to relish a meal of bread and drink surrounded by grand natural sights with your feet soaked in a rejuvenating bath!

Here's our next recommendation: Italian restaurant La Terrazza Ashinoko, located in Ashinoko Terrace, a spacious facility that stands at a prime spot next to Lake Ashi and very near its boarding pier for cruise ships.

A highlight of this restaurant is that when it's sunny out there, you can actually choose to dine at the terrace seats outside instead, where the sweeping views of Lake Ashi's mountains and seasonal sights will serve to be a feast for all your senses!

La Terrazza Ashinoko is a shop that offers 30 different types of authentic Italian pizza, including the popular Neapolitan pizza. You can watch the skilled pizza maker baking pizzas using a wood-fired kiln that was made in Italy, which adds more to the experience. The ingredients used in making these delicious pizzas are fresh Hakone vegetables, seafood from Odawara and Numazu Port, Italian wine, and Italian cheese.

Depicted in the photograph is the restaurant's signature Margherita (2,000 yen, tax included) pizza. The dough was made using Italian flour in order to preserve its authentic taste, along with carefully chosen ingredients such as tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. These bona fide ingredients and the wood-fired kiln evoke the feel of an authentic Italian dining experience right in Hakone, and you would be remiss to skip this exciting experience!

Pizza's not the only thing on the menu, of course. Other items include pasta delicacies like Chewy Pork and Onion Sauce Handmade Pappardelle (1,700 yen, tax included), which uses Japanese pork as an ingredient. This is a great place for enjoying authentic Italian cuisine while being surrounded by Hakone and Lake Ashi's gorgeous greenery!

Our next recommendation is a mere two minutes walk from Gora Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway and well-known for its Tofu Katsuni (deep-fried tofu in broth). Established 48 years ago, this old-time restaurant has preserved the historical taste of its food that continues bringing delight to the taste buds of people of all ages even now.

Tofu Katsuni is the restaurant's signature dish and a specialty local food of Hakone and Gora. The dish uses specially ordered shakuri tofu, or scoops of freshly-made tofu that's still warm to the touch as an ingredient. This special tofu is also being used to prepare their popular "Gindofu" delicacy.

Tofu Katsuni Set Meal (1,738 yen, tax included) is the restaurant's most popular item. Besides their signature "Tofu Katsuni", the set meal also comes with rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables. Pieces of shibori-tofu (drained tofu) are mixed in with juicy Japanese minced pork, covered in batter, deep-fried in rice oil, topped with an egg cooked in an earthenware pot, and then served to hungry customers. The broth is made with smoked mackerel and spring onions or onions to bring out a sweetness that makes the rice easy to go down, one of the many reasons people love it so much!

Hakone is known for its clean and pristine water. The tofu made from this water is in great demand because of how fresh and tasty it is. So if you're in Hakone, you really don't want to miss this locally-made tofu, and one of the best ways to try it is through the restaurant's "Katsuni" broth food!

Yuzen is a Japanese restaurant located in the Sengokuhara area, and it's the last restaurant we are highlighting in this article. It is conveniently located next to the Hakone Tozan Bus stop at Hoshi no Oujisama, and there is also a highway bus station nearby for buses heading towards Shinjuku. This makes it easily accessible for everyone.

Renovated from an old-style folk house, the building's ceiling is taller than you would expect in restaurants, yet the spacious area is not uncomfortably packed with seats. Speaking of seats, the chairs and tables are made of solid timber wood to create that extra mood! Food like sashimi, tempura, and cooked red breams are made using fresh catches from nearby seas. All in all, the restaurant really makes you feel like you're in a secret hideout for adults with an olden Japanese twist!

Depicted in this photograph is the Japanese Beef Sukiyaki Style (1,600 yen, tax included), which, as its name suggests, is a sukiyaki Japanese hotpot designed to show off the mellow tastes of Japan to as many people as possible. The sheer popularity of the dish proves beyond a doubt it has definitely been successful in that respect. The small pot stays heated with a fire underneath it after arriving at your table, allowing you to enjoy a warm meal to the very end.

The restaurant's signature dish is Japanese Beef Steak and Grilled Eel on Rice (1,900 yen, tax included). After relishing your beef steak and rice, pour some hot stock on the rest of the bowl and finish it ochazuke style - an eating custom where green tea or soup stock is poured over a bowl of rice to make it tastier. For tourists who aren't used to Japanese condiments, the restaurant can also prepare a simpler Beef Steak on Rice (1,800 yen, tax included) that adjusts the original recipe to cater to international palates.

Of course, Yuzen serves plenty of other delicious Japanese cuisine as well. If you're up for something that's even more filling, the popular Japanese Beef and Tempura Dinner (7,650 yen, tax excluded) is a short course of seasonal vegetables, sashimi, Japanese beef, tempura, rice, red miso, and dessert that is available to anyone who makes a reservation for it at least one day in advance. If you already know the exact date you'll visit the restaurant, why not consider ordering this meal in advance, too?

The Naraya Cafe in Miyanoshita strikes a bold first impression with its outdoor foot spas. The establishment also has a cafe, gallery, and shop to go with their spas, and all of them are located within renovated 50-year-old buildings, which really enhances the experience of visiting a place with such deep history and culture to pass the time.

The cafe's interior is made of wood, which adds to the warm atmosphere. Make your order before heading to the foot spa to rest your tired feet. From light meals like hotdogs and oven-baked pizza, to sweets like soft serves, and even alcohol such as beer, the menu is wide and varied.

Their prided Naraya Set costs 850 yen (tax inclusive), which comes with a glass of matcha latte paired with monakas, Japanese wafer biscuits in the shape of the store’s mascot, Narayan (*800 yen for plain Matcha). You can choose from four flavors of red bean jam that change depending on the season, and you’re free to spread it onto the biscuits however you like.

The paste featured in the picture above is the murasaki-imo paste. The pairing of the crisp biscuit and the moderate sweetness of the paste has commendable synergy, their textures in harmony. The discreet bitterness of the matcha latte also goes exceptionally well with the sweetness of the paste.

Featured above are the Naraya Parfait and the Yuzu Squash at 680 yen and 500 yen respectively (tax inclusive). The parfait uses the same style as the Narayan Monaka, with four types of bean paste to choose from. The parfait consists of shiratama, bean paste, and creamy soft-serve ice. The Yuzu Squash is a refreshing carbonated drink that makes full use of the sweet aroma of yuzu jam. This is our recommendation for a hot day to quench your dry throat.

Resting your tired legs in a foot spa as you enjoy scrumptious sweets - doesn't the Naraya Cafe sound like the perfect resting spot?

Next up is the “Amasake-chaya” teahouse. If you’re taking the mountain bus, it’ll be right by the bus stop along the old Tokaido road. For those visiting Lake Ashi, this teahouse is our top recommendation.

Ever since the establishment of a checkpoint in the Hakone area during the Edo period, those visiting the capital have had to pass through here. After worrying whether they’d be able to pass the checkpoint or not, they would soothe their troubles by drinking tea here at the Amazake-chaya Teahouse. Taking a seat, they’d heave a sigh of relief: “I made it! Just a little more to Edo!” This shop has been giving travelers a reprieve for over 400 years.

The establishment is a Japanese-style house, with the faint lamps giving regal air, its rich history making any visitor think, “THIS is Hakone.” While English-speaking staff and menus written in English are available, it would be a waste not to take this opportunity to challenge yourself to speak in Japanese and experience what it was like for travelers during the Edo period.

The menu has also been unchanged since the Edo period, with their signature amazake (sweet rice wine), as well as rice cakes and jelly, dishes whose simplicity belies their deep history. We tried their famed amazake and “chikara mochi.”

The amazake costs 400-yen (tax inclusive) and is available both hot and cold. With a recipe unchanged since their establishment, not a single drop of sugar or alcohol is added to their mix, which makes it suitable for children and people weak to alcohol. The mild yet natural sweetness is sure to warm your body.

The chikara mochi “Uguisu” is 500-yen (tax inclusive) and uses green soybeans to make their kinako flour which gives it a pretty emerald hue. Baked from the morning using high-grade charcoal from ubame oak, it’s a seductively fragrant dessert.

From July onwards, they also start serving their shaved ice dessert which retains its simplicity just like its other items on the menu. Relive the journey of the old travelers of Edo as you rest and relax for a bit.

Next on our line-up is “Ninja Cafe Fuma”, located in the center of the Gara area, 2 minutes away from Hakone's Gora station. Hakone and Odagawa were originally the homes of the Fuma ninjas that served the Hojo clan from over 400 years ago. The owner of the cafe, a huge fan of ninjas, wanted to start a shop that would show the world the appeal of ninjas, and so opened this cafe.

As you enter the shop, you’re immediately greeted by ninja goods from all around Japan, as well as a shuriken throwing corner. It costs 300 yen (tax inclusive) for 6 tries. Hit the bullseye at least once and you’re rewarded with a commemorative trinket.

The owner is also garbed in ninja robes. The stuffed hawk sitting atop the tree inside the shop makes for a perfect photo to remember your experience here. The shop actually houses two types of trees, one maple, the other mountain cherry, which really reflect the changing of the seasons.

Here, those tired of eating washoku can enjoy some hot snacks from abroad. However, their most popular item is, as expected, their ninja sweets. The “Ninja Soft Cream” depicted above is 500-yen (tax inclusive) and has a shuriken cookie attached to it, made with no additional flavorings and black cocoa, a dessert with a dark side. It also comes in 2 different flavors: Milk and chocolate (not available as of October 2023).

Customers looking for souvenirs are also common, and as such their “Ninja Castella” biscuits which cost 450-yen (tax inclusive) are popular. While they’re all baked in the shape of a ninja, there lies a surprise chocolate-flavored “Happy Ninja” castella. The feeling of drawing lots while you dig out a snack makes this a sweet that adds an element of fun, its savory sweetness notwithstanding.

The eatery is only 2 minutes away from the station, but its location is a little out of the way. For a ninja shop, it’s surprisingly fitting for it to be located so discreetly.

4th on our list is the Plaisir de l’oeuf, a cafe near Gora Station located within the Hakone Museum of Photography. With the concept of “Revival of the 5 Senses”, the cafe boasts not only a delicious menu and sound environment but also the pleasure of the rustling winds as well as the chirping of the birds for you to pass your time.

The cafe’s signature pound cake is made by a patissiere who studied at the Ritz-Carlton Paris, who carefully made this cake by hand.

The picture on the left is their matcha au lait which costs 600-yen (tax inclusive), made with high-grade matcha, accompanied with a shot of brown sugar syrup to garnish your drink with. The cafe’s popular pound cake on the right is 450 yen (tax inclusive) and depending on the season uses different ingredients. The one shown here is made of cranberry and white chocolate, as well as sprinkles of pumpkin seeds to add a touch of summer.

Other than the pound cake, the cafe’s seasonal desserts also come in a couple of variations. On the left, their “Hydrangea Cake” is a blueberry rare cheesecake shaped like a hydrangea flower, commonly seen dotted about in the Hakone area, costing 600-yen (tax inclusive). The “Seasonal Parfait (Chocolate and Berry Parfait) on the right costs 800-yen (tax inclusive).

In autumn, the cafe serves goodies such as their “Buckwheat flour and Chestnut Cake” (600-yen tax inclusive), which uses buckwheat flour specially prepared by Kunihiro Takahashi, also known as the “god of soba”. In winter they have Roast Apples (700-yen tax inclusive), not to mention light meals such as Nepalese Chicken Curry and Croque Monsieur.

If you’re looking for the best cafe to experience Hakone’s natural beauty, this is it.

Finally, we have “craft & cafe ISAMIYA,” a 4-minute walk from the Hakone Yumoto Station’s Miyanoshita exit. About a hundred years back, the store’s owner re-purposed the place, which used to be a carpenter’s workshop, into a cafe that capitalizes on the venerable atmosphere of the buildings to produce an atmosphere like no other.

Inside the shop, the toys and puzzle boxes made those many years ago are displayed proudly, which adds to the nostalgia. While the Hakone Yumoto area has cafes aplenty, this one stands out with their sweets using tofu that is made from the natural spring water here!

The “Tofu Waffle” (980-yen tax inclusive) is made with said tofu without any extra additives and is featured prominently on the store’s banner. The skin is crispy while the inside is fluffy, which gives full attention to the flavors of the tofu, which explains why it’s one of the store’s prided dishes.

Their “Tofu Cream Sundae” (800-yen tax inclusive) also uses the same tofu. However, it’s affixed atop of the parfait, a rare sight even for sweets. The freshly prepared tofu and hand-made azuki beans match surprisingly well in this rare gem of a dessert.

Other than the above, the “Tofu Straight (Hot/Cold)” and “Tofu Latte (Hot/Cold)” are also great drinks that make full use of the tofu made with pure Hakone water, costing 500-yen (tax inclusive) and 600-yen (tax inclusive) per cup respectively.

Only at this cafe can you try sweets made from Hakone’s specialty tofu. What say you to a reprieve within a retro space accompanied with healthy tofu sweets?

Within the nature-filled Hakone region, many cafes abound for resting one’s tired body. Do pay a visit to take a break in one of these restaurants and cafes filled with the history and culture of one of Japan’s most famous tourist spots.