10 Best Restaurants
Hakone’s hot springs sit among wooded slopes, art museums and villages linked by mountain railway, cable car and boat. Gora is convenient for bathing and sculpture gardens, while Sengokuhara offers quieter forest stays and museums. Around Lake Ashi, cedar-lined paths lead to shrines and reminders of the old Tokaido road. Stay overnight to enjoy a ryokan dinner and a private soak, and keep plans flexible: Mount Fuji views and ropeway journeys depend on the weather.
The Fujiya
Miyanoshita, Japan
The Fujiya’s main dining room makes an occasion of a meal before the first course arrives. Painted ceiling panels and elaborate carving frame a room that has welcomed diners since 1930. The cooking follows the hotel’s French tradition, with the formality and measured service to match. Book it for a leisurely lunch or dinner when the setting matters as much as the food, and check the current menu before reserving.
A grand French dining room
The Hiramatsu Sengokuhara Restaurant
Sengokuhara, Japan
Italian cooking is the focus of the restaurant at Hiramatsu’s small Sengokuhara hotel. Seasonal ingredients shape the courses, while the two dining rooms offer different settings: one looks towards water and trees, the other displays works of art. Wine and non-alcoholic pairings can accompany the meal. Dinner is also available to visitors staying elsewhere, making this a useful choice for a planned evening out; reserve ahead and arrange the journey back to your accommodation.
Italian tasting menus in a quiet hotel
Kaiseki KADAN
Gora, Japan
Kaiseki KADAN serves seasonal Japanese courses in the former Western-style villa within Gora Kadan’s grounds. The setting gives a meal a different character from dining inside a modern ryokan, with a sequence of carefully arranged dishes that changes through the year. It is open for lunch and dinner to visitors as well as hotel guests. Book a table in advance and discuss dietary needs directly, since the available vegetarian course does not cover every dietary requirement.
Seasonal Japanese dining in a former imperial villa
Mori-meshi Miyanoshita
Miyanoshita, Japan
Mori-meshi offers a relaxed alternative to the formal dining rooms of Hakone’s hotels. Its Miyanoshita branch sits near the station, with a warm wooden interior and Japanese cooking built around local ingredients. Fish, vegetables and a sake list give a meal plenty of scope without requiring a long tasting menu. Choose it for an informal lunch or evening with friends, and make sure you reserve the Miyanoshita branch rather than another restaurant with the same name.
Local ingredients and an informal sake dinner
Takeyabu Hakone
Motohakone, Japan
Takeyabu takes soba seriously, from grinding the buckwheat to making the noodles by hand. Simple preparations let their texture and flavour stand out, while buckwheat dumplings and grilled miso offer reasons to order beyond a single bowl. The owner’s unusual decorative touches give the setting a character of its own. Go for a considered lunch, check opening arrangements before travelling, and do not assume that buckwheat noodles are suitable for a gluten-free diet.
Handmade soba and distinctive surroundings
Restaurant Cascade
Miyanoshita, Japan
Cascade serves the Western-influenced Japanese cooking that has become part of Fujiya Hotel’s identity. Curry is a particular draw, with the hotel’s carefully prepared stock bringing depth to a familiar dish. The room recreates a historic banquet space, retaining stained glass and carved details that make lunch feel special without the full ceremony of the main French dining room. Choose it for classic hotel cooking and book ahead during busy travel periods.
Classic hotel curry and yoshoku
Tamura Ginkatsutei Main Restaurant
Gora, Japan
The dish to come for is tofu katsu-ni: tofu filled with minced pork, fried and then simmered with egg. The combination is softer and lighter in texture than a conventional pork cutlet, with a savoury broth bringing it together. Despite the name, it is not a vegetarian dish. The main restaurant is close to Gora station, making it a practical lunch stop; check the reservation or queue arrangements before arriving.
Gora’s distinctive tofu cutlet
Restaurant Emoa
Sengokuhara, Japan
Emoa brings a cheerful, informal French lunch to the grounds of the Lalique Museum. Large windows look towards the garden, while seasonal main courses can be paired with a deli and dessert buffet. Breakfast is another reason to visit, with egg dishes, croissants and local vegetables. The restaurant can be used without entering the museum. Individual tables are allocated on arrival, so allow some flexibility, especially at weekends. Arrive early for a quieter start.
A garden lunch and elaborate desserts
Caffè Terrazza Ukai
Sengokuhara, Japan
The café restaurant at Hakone’s Venetian Glass Museum offers a comfortable pause between the galleries and gardens. Seasonal pasta and other Western dishes make it suitable for lunch, while desserts work well with a later visit. Large windows and terrace seating draw the surrounding landscape into the experience, and scheduled live music adds to the atmosphere. Check museum admission and performance arrangements before visiting, and order food rather than drinks alone during the lunch period.
A relaxed museum lunch with live music
Amasake Chaya
Hatajuku, Japan
This thatched teahouse is a memorable stop along the old Tokaido road. Come for charcoal-grilled mochi and a cup of amazake, the naturally sweet, non-alcoholic drink made here from rice and rice koji. The low-lit interior, earthen floor and hearth give the building much of its appeal. It is a place for a snack and a rest rather than a full dinner, particularly rewarding before or after a walk on the historic route.
A historic tea and mochi stop