Where to eat: the 13 best restaurants in Nagiso-machi

Decent soba after a trek from magome in the rain. The real deal was the lollipop (dont remember the name). Its a rice grilled in sesame miso and tastes amazing. The shop sells out quickly and can get crowded as there are not many other options in tsumago.

Little restaurant tucked away. Soba noodles looked home made, broth was delicious and omelette also good.

Great soba

(Translated by Google) I used it for cycling. I ate the egg tojisoba, and even though it was hot, the soba had a firm texture until the last bite, and it had a good flavor and was delicious. If there were a lot of people ordering two zaru sheets, the soba ran out pretty quickly, and the next person after me finished. (Arrival around 12:20) (Original) サイクリングで利用しました。 玉子とじそばを食べましたが、温かいそばにもかかわらず、最後の一本までずっと腰のあるお蕎麦で風味も良くて美味しかったです。 ざる二枚を注文する人が多いと結構早い時間でお蕎麦が無くなるようで、私の次の方々で終了でした。(12:20ごろ到着)

(Translated by Google) I visited this soba restaurant for lunch on a weekday in Tsumago, a historic post town on the Nakasendo road, deep in the Kiso Valley in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. The restaurant seats four tables, and although it was a little before 2 p.m., there were only two other groups of customers. The menu is quite simple, consisting of zaru soba and kake soba, with zaru soba costing 950 yen per bowl and 1,800 yen for two bowls. I had the zaru soba, authentic soba made by hand from buckwheat flour ground in-house in a stone mill in Shinshu, and it's apparently new soba at this time of year. The soba noodles that arrived were thinly sliced, with just the right amount of firmness and a strong soba flavor, and were quite delicious. I was very satisfied with the high quality of the soba, thank you for the meal. (Original) 長野県の山深い木曽谷の中にある中山道の歴史ある宿場町「妻籠」、そこに入っているお蕎麦屋さんです、平日のランチで利用してみました。 店内はテーブル４卓の席数、１４時少し前くらいと遅めの時間でしたがほかにお客さんは２組でした。 メニューはざるそばとかけそばくらいと実にシンプルなラインナップ、ざるそばは１枚９５０円、二枚で１８００円といったお値段です。 いただいたのはざるそば、信州のそばの実を石臼で自家製粉し手打ちしているという本格派のお蕎麦、しかもこの時期は新そばということです。登場したお蕎麦は細切りでほどよいコシとしっかりしたお蕎麦の風味が感じられてなかなかにイケますね、レベルの高いお蕎麦に大満足です、ごちそうさまでした。

(Translated by Google) The new soba noodles are delicious. The taste is more authentic than other restaurants. The soba soup also came out properly. One piece of colander is enough to fill you up lol. The store will close as soon as it is sold out. (Original) 新蕎麦めちゃうま。他のお店より本格的な味です。蕎麦湯もちゃんと出てきました。ざるは一枚で十分にお腹いっぱいになりますねー ww。売り切れ次第閉店となります。

(Translated by Google) After noon on weekdays, there are fewer people sightseeing in Tsumago-juku. There were no customers in the store, but When I saw the words ``authentic handmade soba,'' I entered the store hoping that it would be delicious. I ordered cold wild vegetable soba. The aroma of soba noodles and dashi soup wafts into your nose. The moment I took my first bite, I couldn't help but say, ``Delicious.'' The chewy soba noodles and aroma are irresistible. You can see that the material is good. The soup has a gentle seasoning that brings out the flavor of the soba. Wild vegetables taste fresh and have their original taste. If you want to eat delicious handmade soba noodles with good ingredients, this restaurant is recommended. There are many delicious soba restaurants in Nagano, but this was one of the best! I want to go again. (Original) 平日お昼過ぎ、妻籠宿観光の方が少なく 店内にはお客さんがいらっしゃらなかったが、 本格手打ちそばの文字を見て美味しいことを願い入店します。 冷たい山菜蕎麦を注文。 蕎麦と出汁の香りが鼻に抜けていきます。 一口目を入れた瞬間、思わず『うまっ』と言ってしまいました。 歯ごたえのある蕎麦と香りがたまりません。 素材が良いのがわかります。 つゆは蕎麦の味を引き立てる優しい味付け。 山菜は新鮮で本来の味を感じます。 素材が良く手作りの美味しい蕎麦を食べたい方はこちらのお店がおススメです。 長野には美味しいお蕎麦屋さんが多くありますが、中でも美味しいお店でした！また行きたいです。

Incredible restaurant with a nice at atmosphere at a reasonable price. If you're walking the nakasendo trail from Magome, this is an excellent lunch spot just before the main town which is a 10min walk away. I was there at 1230pm on a Friday and it was about 70% filled. Looks like its frequented by locals too. Soba, yam tororo and the roasted fish were all standout for me. Excellent service and credit card payment is available.

After getting off at Tsumago-juku, we leisurely walked to the tranquil restaurant, Goishichi, enjoying the surrounding scenery along the way. The restaurant serves seasonal dishes made with fresh ingredients, showcasing delicious mountain cuisine that complements the serene mountain views, providing a truly delightful dining experience.

The best meal I had by far in Magome / Tsumago. It is family owned and run, and you can really tell the difference. Food is cocked with lot of love, and is delicious. The lady owner is very friendly and helpful. The dining area has great views of the area and inner garden. Cannot wait to go back!

Visited twice recently as part of my Nakasendo trail walk holiday. Loved the soba and grilled fish. On the rainy day we visited, we had the otokuchi and Iwana set. We enjoyed the meal so much, we tweaked our walk plans to visit the restaurant once more. It meant a longer distance but was well worth it! Wife had the Iwana set again and I went for the Jinenjyo Tororo, my first proper experience of soba with wild yam, simply delicious! Will love to return in another season.

Lovely little restaurant. Highly recommend for an authentic local experience

Great tradional food, and the service is awesome! You MUST take the soba noddles! If you look for someplace to dine and relax after hiking in the area, that is definitely a great restaurant to stay. Enjoy!

Delicate dining made easy with the menu showing the sets u can order. Food served is also better than what u see on the menu. So order and eat with your eyes. I enjoyed the lunch there while overlooking the bonsai garden. Ordered the seasonal vegetable tempura set and otokichi teishoku.

Had a late lunch here and the service was good. Unfortunately they don’t provide water, you will need to buy them. Ordered tororo soba set lunch and was the last one for lunch. Can understand why they do so. Please buy your own drinks.

Great little cafe, basic with only a couple of tables outside but a great place to stop if you are walking through the Nakasendo trail. We started from Magome-juku station which is beautiful but a bit busy and walked towards Tumago-juku. The soba set was very tasty and cheap.

It was a very hot summers day when my partner and I stopped by and were delighted to find this little shop sold flavoured shaved ice. Such a refreshing treat at the peak of Magome Pass. 100% recommend the Blue Hawaiian shaved ice

I had a delicious cold soba set and gohei mochi at this place. The owner was very welcoming and kind, the food was great. If you are in the area and want a bite to eat, this is your place.

Shaved ice was a bit too sweet but the location is pretty and very welcomed in the middle of the Nakasendo hike!

You have to stop for the gohei mochi. Had that and some iced coffee on my hike 🤯.... it really hit the spot, and the folks were so kind 🥲. Well worth a stop.

When you are cold from hiking in the fall this is a lovely place to stop and have some hot tea and the local speciality goma dango. We could see the shop lady hand grinding the sesame paste through the kitchen window, so you know it is very fresh.

Delicious quick bites in a quirky atmosphere! Order from a ticket machine and enjoy. 🚻 Clean toilets 💵 Cash only

Our stomach saviour on a rainy Thursday in October when many shops seemed closed. Curry soba and egg with mountain veg soba was great and service was quick. Was quite fun to use the meal ticket machine.

There are quite a few soba shops in Tsumagojuku, and this spot is there most eclectic. They have some interesting decor with a space invaders table top machine, a wall of walkie talkies, and what looks like a mini car. On top of all that, the soba and gohei mochi were really good. I went with the zaru soba, which was fresh and tasty. The hot soba was delicious as well. And then the mochi was served warm and with sone relish that really went well with it. They have a ticket machine to purchase your food, so just go in and get in line. They also have some food things to purchase, such as your own mochi to take home and cook as you like. Service was fast and friendly.

This is a fantastic place. The icecream is good, but the proprietor maintains his own radio museum and is willing to use them. It was fantastic!

Very tasty udon! You order in q machine and the ladies bring you the food, very tasty.

Soba and curry udon are a must try.

We arrived on Thursday, the whole Tsumagome was with very few tourists. This restaurant was the only one opened in the street. The food was okay, however the environment was very relaxing.

I was walking the Nakasendo trail and happened upon this soba noodle place. I sat at a traditional-style table and ordered the broiled fish set menu and a cold sake. Perhaps I was just hungry from the hike, but everything had excellent flavor! While the soba and fish were good, the mushrooms and veggie dishes were even better. I just wish the servings were bigger! If you're out hiking, this is a great place to stop.

a must come if you are doing the famous nakasendo trail. good food good pleasant ambient.

A must come if you are on this trail. Food is delicious and pricing is reasonable.

Great food and cozy atmosphere. It all seemed to be homemade.

very cosy, traditional vibe :) the food was good, good pricing

A quiet little soba joint near the end of the Nakasendo trail from Magome to Tsumago with THE best hand-made soba noodles I had in Japan!

Nice little spot to have lunch when trekking from magome-nagiso vegetarian options are available

Walked from Nagiso station to Tsumago. Came upon this nice little shop. Owner can communicate in English. Ordered the gohei mochi and coffee set. I guess gohei means roasted. It tastes so unique. Crispy crust and little bit of sweetness on the outside. Soft inside. Just enough carbo replenishment for my next journey to Magome juku.

A nice lunch at Tsumago Juku. Highly recommend the beef steak as it is Shinshu beef. Very soft tender and flavourful with just abit of salt and wasabi. The cold soba was also refreshing in the summer heat. It is spacious and quiet with nice views all around. The only thing was there is no aircon, only some fans. Would be better to visit off summer months. Toilet is clean.

Very nice soba and Gohei mochi. The mochi was chewy and coated with a slightly charred sweet sauce. The sour bitter vegetable served as a good foil Soba was flavourful and had a good texture and best eaten with fresh wasabi

Delicious Soba-Noodle with excellent broth, vegetable and mushrooms. We thank you for offering this excellent vegetarian dish.

Great soba, great gohei mochi, love this piece! 😃

Excellent noodles and mochi! Definitely swing by here if you want to have a good meal and super sweet hosts

We had delicious hot soba and beer! Great food and fast service.

Very interesting local vibe village restaurant. Traditional Japanese house experience. Soba and dessert are both nice! Staff was super sweet with us.

English menu available. The soba were good but may be not enough...

(Translated by Google) I prefer ground soba noodles to Sarashina noodles, and I'm the type of person who puts more emphasis on the flavor of the soba than on the texture or how it goes down my throat. That's why I like the soba here so much that I always stop by. Magome and Tsumago are usually visited as a set, but Tsumago's streets and shops are more relaxed and nice. It's a shame that there have been fewer and fewer stores open since the coronavirus outbreak, but it's a town with a lot of history and I hope it stays open for a long time. Both soba and Gohei mochi are delicious precisely because they are eaten here. (Original) 自分は更科より挽きぐるみの田舎蕎麦の方が好きで、食感や喉越しより蕎麦の香り重視なタイプ。なので此処の蕎麦は割と好きでいつも立ち寄ります。馬籠と妻籠は大体セットで訪問しますが、妻籠の方が通りもお店もゆったりしてて良い感じ。コロナ禍以降は営業してる店が随分少なくなり残念ですが歴史のある町だし此処も永く営業して欲しい。蕎麦も五平餅もこの場所で食べるからこそ美味いってのもある。

(Translated by Google) The atmosphere is great, boosted by the prime location. I walk through the heavy, sturdy restaurant curtain. I ordered Yamakake Soba. I wished the soba had been rinsed more thoroughly in cold water. It wasn't a summer day, but the water was a little lukewarm. (Original) 最高のロケーションというブーストがかかってますから、雰囲気はとてもいいです。 ずっしりしっかりした頒布の暖簾をくぐる。 やまかけ蕎麦をお願いしました。 お蕎麦はもっと冷水でしっかりしめてほしいかなと思った。 夏日ではなかったのですが、ちょっとぬるめ。

(Translated by Google) Tawaraya is a restaurant in Tsumago-juku, Nakasendo, where you can eat soba and Gohei mochi. The Gohei mochi was coated with a generous amount of walnut sauce, which was both fragrant and sweet, making it extremely delicious. Gifu and Aichi also have a Gohei mochi culture, and I've had many of them, but the sauce was unique and unlike anything I've ever had before. The accompanying Nozawana is also good. The inside of the store has a nostalgic feel, with the feel of a country store from the Showa era. (Original) 俵屋は中山道妻籠宿にあるそばと五平餅が食べられるお店。五平餅はくるみのタレがたっぷり塗られていて、これがまた香ばしくて甘くて、大変美味しかったです。岐阜や愛知にも五平餅の文化はあり、沢山頂いて来ましたが、タレが今までに食べたことがない独特なものでした。添えられている野沢菜もまた良いですね。店内は昭和の田舎のお店という感じで懐かしさを感じます。

(Translated by Google) I was very satisfied with the traditional country soba noodles. The zaru set comes with Gohei mochi. The mushroom and wild vegetable chilled soba was also delicious. (Original) 昔からの田舎蕎麦で大満足でした。 ざるセットは五平餅付き。 キノコ山菜冷やし蕎麦も美味しかったです。

(Translated by Google) After 3pm late lunch Gohei mochi sold out But it was delicious ^-^ (Original) 15時過ぎ 遅めの昼食 五平餅売り切れ でも、美味しかったです^ - ^

I haven't had such a pleasant experience as I did in this restaurant in a long time! The kindest staff, great food, pleasant environment with a view. Last but not least we got origami before we left 🫶🏻. Highly recommend, truly hidden gem!

Delicious crispy katsu and pickles with cosy soup and fresh rice in a family restaurant. The prices were also so reasonable! The service was exceptional-so good we went back again during our stay in the valley.

Fantastic little place, had katsu curry on a cold rainy day after walking from Magome. The staff are so lovely, we were well taken care of!

Really good homemade meal, we had chicken curry and it was super!! The staff really friendly :) Thanks!!

The two people working here did their customary check if we were in a hurry (we had 20 minutes til we needed to catch a train) and without hesitation or frustration with us (which would have been fair), they hurried a beautiful katsu lunch out to us on about 10 minutes, allowing us to make the train. They even gave us a crane after payment and big smiles. Beautiful, generous hospitality. Thank you again!

Such a nice little place! The staff are super friendly and welcoming, and the food is amazing. Everything tastes fresh and homemade. Really cozy vibe, perfect for a relaxed meal. Definitely recommend!

The most delicious homemade meal made by two beautiful welcoming ladies! Go - you won’t regret it

We entered at around 5:45pm (15 min after official opening time) and found a group of local men enjoying drinks and each others’ company in the zashiki sitting area. We were warmly greeted and invited to take any table. They offered up a nicely handwritten English menu and an accompanying reference document describing dish preparation and clarifications. (Adorable!) we ordered the oden teishoku and oyako don and also ordered 2 draft beers. The food is tasty and plentiful (gohan—white rice bowl was huge) , so I would say it’s great value for money. Oh and they were quick. We ordered and the food came out 5-8 minutes later. What a satisfying dinner after our Magome-Tsumago day hike adventure! ありがとうございます。

Nice place to have a delicious and filling meal especially after a long hike through the Nakasendo trail from Tsumago. The food isn’t exactly amazing (would give 4.5 if I could) but it’s a simply meal and the portion is really worth the price and just the meal you need along the Nakasendo trail. For traveller, they have an English menu too

Excellent food and service. We had a bowl of ramen, zaru soba and udon. All of the dishes are excellent. We were served by a kind old man, he doesn’t speak English very well, so we had to use google translate. Nevertheless, he’s very helpful and it’s a pleasant experience.

Food was amazing, and the portions were big

Delicious lunch, very friendly service.

(Translated by Google) This is a restaurant in front of Minami Kiso Station. Today's lunch was a yakiniku bowl. The meat had a nice flavor and was delicious. They also serve salads and the nutritional balance seems good. I'd like to visit again when I go to Minami Kiso. (Original) 南木曽駅前にある食堂です 本日のランチ 焼肉丼をいただきました お肉のいい味がついていて美味しくいただきました サラダもあって栄養バランスも良さそうです 南木曽に行った際にはまた伺いたいと思います

(Translated by Google) I had work nearby and stopped in for lunch. I ordered the pork cutlet stew lunch set. Overall, it was a filling and satisfying meal. The pork cutlet stew was, of course, delicious, but the small bowl of mapo tofu was also really good. It may change daily, but I hope it becomes a regular menu item. (Original) 近場で仕事がありお昼のために入店 ランチのカツ煮定食を注文しました。 全体的にボリュームがあり食べ応えあり満足でした。 カツ煮が美味しかったのはもちろんなんですが、小鉢の麻婆豆腐がとても美味しかったです。 日替わりなのかもしれませんが、レギュラーメニューになって欲しいです。

Good meal...nice place to have lunch there. Delicious.....yummy!

(Translated by Google) Sabaya-san in a tasteful old building. Soba is also delicious. A fireplace adds atmosphere and warmth to the place. (Original) 味のある古い建屋のさばやさん。 蕎麦もおいしいです。 暖炉が場の雰囲気と温かさを与えてくれます。

(Translated by Google) The handmade soba was delicious! The store is small, but there is a large signboard, so you can easily find it. When I went there after 11 o'clock, the sign below said it was closed today, but it was open. I got a large serving of zaru soba, and it was served in two tiers. The soup is also delicious, so if you like soba, this is a must try! (Original) 手打ちそば美味しかったです！お店は小さいですが、大きな看板あるので、すぐ分かります。 11時過ぎに行ったら、看板の下に本日休業となっていましたが、やってました。 ざる蕎麦は大盛りにしてもらって、2段です。お汁も美味しくて、蕎麦好きならぜひ！

(Translated by Google) It was my first time at this soba restaurant! I had the duck soba noodles, which were delicious. I also had soba noodles with hot water for the first time in my life, which was also delicious. (Original) 初めてのお蕎麦屋さんでした！ 鴨ざるそばをいただきましたがとても美味しかったです。 つゆのそば湯割りも人生初めていただきましたが、これも美味しかったです。

(Translated by Google) Nice soba restaurant on the mountain pass The gal at the rental car shop told me about it. Sorry to bother you I had tempura soba and yamakake soba. Ginger sweet and sour too It's very delicious including location It's perfect! (Original) 峠の素敵なおそば屋さん レンタカー屋のギャルさんに教えていただき お邪魔しました 天ぷらそば、山かけそばをいただきました ミョウガ甘酢も たいへん美味しいです ロケーション含めて 完璧です！

(Translated by Google) I'd like to give it a better rating because I'm a local, but I won't lie. The soba was okay, but the tempura was terrible. Mom's is better. It was good when I went to Nakatsugawa. (Original) 地元なのでもっと良い点を付けたいが、嘘は付けん。 ソバはともかく、天ぷらがダメだ。オカンの方が美味い。 中津川の時は美味かったのにな。

(Translated by Google) I had Zaru Soba (850 yen). He's pretty strong. I noticed that it wasn't 100%, but I forgot to check with the store staff. I was talking about the pickled cucumbers with the staff and forgot about the soba noodles. Salted cucumbers are delicious. (Original) ざるそば（８５０円）をいただきました。かなり腰が強い。１０割ではないとお見受けしましたが、店員さんに確認し忘れました。店員さんとはお通しのキュウリの漬け物の話をしていて蕎麦の質問を忘れてしまいました。キュウリの塩漬け、美味しいですよ。