8 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in Chiba

Wondering where locals love to eat in Chiba? Popular Chiba restaurants are often listed among “Japan’s best”. They select their fresh ingredients carefully, and a prime concept among them is that the scenery of the restaurant is an integral part of the feast. Popular restaurants in Chiba are known for their warm hospitality, wide spaces between tables, and being in locations that are accessible by car.

Rich in seafood and fruits harvested from the Boso Peninsula, Chiba is also easy to reach from Tokyo. There are so many delicious restaurants that it’s well worth heading out here on a weekend. Let us show you where to find Chiba’s best local food, below.

1. Mohachi Sushi

Fresh ushi

Good for: Families, Food, Group

Mohachi Sushi gave Chiba its reputation for large portions. Inaka sushi, which is often introduced on TV, is a set of nigiri that includes mackerel sushi using a whole fish, medium fatty tuna, salmon roe, and a special unrolled thick omelet. It’s definitely Instagrammable, but what makes it different from a mere extra-large dish is its history.

Founded in the Edo period, the restaurant is now in its 7th generation. It uses fresh seafood from Minamiboso and local Nagasa rice, and local eggs, too. It’s a bit out of the way in Tateyama, but it’s more than worth making the effort to visit. It’s also completely smoke-free, so families with children can eat here with peace of mind.

Location: 1052-1 Funakata, Tateyama, Chiba 294-0056, Japan

Open: Friday–Wednesday noon to 2.30 pm then from 6 pm to 8 pm (Closed Thursday)

2. Kogureya

Fragrantly flavored eel cooked to order

Good for: Families, Food, Single

Kogureya is always included among lists of Japan’s top eel restaurants. One thing to note when dining here is that you can’t place an additional order of eel dishes, so make sure you order everything you want. Even though it’s a famous restaurant, the prices are reasonable.

If you’re looking for a snack to go with alcoholic drinks, try the skewered chicken using branded Hyuga chicken with a secret sauce. The eel served here is tender and the fragrant sauce it’s served with is beautiful. The flavors on offer here more than compensate for the journey. Be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes, though, as dishes are made to order.

Location: 1st floor, Mansion, 4-2-22 Tennodai, Abiko, Chiba 270-1143, Japan

Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 11 am to 2 pm then from 5 pm to 8 pm (Closed Monday)

3. Sasuke Shokudo

Fried horse mackerel and seafood dishes

Good for: Food, Single, Group

Sasuke Shokudo, in the Uchibo area of Futtsu, is a popular restaurant that serves one of Japan’s best fried horse mackerel dishes. Ohgon horse mackerel is a branded fish that’s landed at the local Kanaya Fishing Port. It grows to a considerable size and has an excellent flavor and fat content.

The fried horse mackerel set meal is a hearty but very affordable dish. The fish is soft and juicy, with a crispy breadcrumb coating. It’s easy to see why customers keep coming back. Sasuke Shokudo is a 5-minute walk from Hamakanaya Port, a ferry terminal in Tokyo Bay. You might as well combine a meal here with a trip on a car ferry.

Location: 2193-5 Kanaya, Futtsu, Chiba 299-1861, Japan

Open: Friday–Monday from 9.30 am to 2 pm (Closed Tuesday–Thursday)

4. Takeyabu Kashiwa Honten

Soba noodles made by a master

Good for: History, Single, Group

Takeyabu Kashiwa Honten is a soba noodle restaurant in a house overlooking Lake Tega. It was founded by Mr Takeo Abe, a leading figure in handmade soba-noodle-making using homemade buckwheat flour. Many people who learned to make soba noodles at this restaurant went on to become soba masters in their own right.

Here you’ll find inaka soba using buckwheat specially cultivated in Kurohime Kogen, hand-ground with a stone mill, which has a popping texture, or tempura soba served with mixed shrimp tempura. This mysterious space is like a hermitage or traditional Japanese-style house and it has a total of 32 seats. Forget about the time and relax as you enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime soba experience.

Location: 1144-2 Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0005, Japan

Open: Wednesday–Monday from 11.30 am to 7 pm (Closed Tuesday)

5. Ushimaru

Italian cuisine with Japanese ingredients

Good for: Couples, Food, Luxury

Ushimaru is an Italian restaurant that locals consider among the best restaurants in Chiba. Chef Uchiya is passionate about ingredients from Chiba and purchases the very best seasonal ingredients every morning.

You can enjoy about 13 dishes including appetizers with seasonal onion from Shirako; surf clam from Kujukuri; mackerel from Choshi, lightly roasted in straw fire; housemade focaccia; and charcoal-grilled Diamond Pork from Tomisato. The nearest station is JR Matsuo Station and you’ll find the restaurant in a provincial building in the countryside. It’s best to make a reservation at least 2 weeks in advance.

Location: 1307-2 Matsuomachi, Kigatana, Sammu, Chiba 289-1531, Japan

Open: Friday–Tuesday from 11.30 am to 2 pm then from 6 pm to 10 pm (Closed Wednesday–Thursday)

6. Sitar

Excellent Indian cuisine

Good for: Food

Sitar opened in Kemigawa, Chiba in 1981, becoming a pioneer of Indian restaurants in Japan. Dishes with ingredients and spices adjusted to suit the Japanese palate quickly became popular, bringing this restaurant enthusiastic fans nationwide.

It’s so popular that there’s often a long queue at lunchtime on weekends and holidays. The tandoori lunch set that comes with curry, naan, rice, tandoori chicken, and dessert is a great choice. Okinawan sea salt is used for the fluffy naan bread, which is one of many highlights. The restaurant also sells Indian spices, so have a look for some unfamiliar spices if you’re searching for souvenirs.

Location: 1-106-16 Kimegawacho, Hanamigawa Ward, Chiba 262-0023, Japan

Open: Daily from 11.30 am to 9 pm

7. Ramen Hachibei

Out-of-the-way ramen spot

Good for: Families, Food

Ramen Hachibei became famous as Japan’s most remote ramen restaurant. Curious visitors stumbled upon it and became fans. It’s out of the way, in a traditional Japanese house. Trains and buses are not frequent, and it even takes a 15-minute drive on the mountainous road from the freeway exit.

The Arirang ramen served here has become famous and is considered as one of the best 3 ramen in Chiba. Another popular dish is Arirang char siu, served with plenty of onion, pork, and garlic chives, and you’ll be asked how spicy you’d like your red soup to be. Many visitors come on the weekends while taking a drive, and its inconvenient location oddly attracts more and more diners.

Location: 813-2 Yamauchi, Chonan, Chosei District, Chiba 297-0153, Japan

Open: Thursday–Tuesday from 11 am to 4 pm (Closed Wednesday)

8. Oshimaya

The place to go for katsudon and soba

Good for: Families, Food

Oshimaya has been featured on TV and magazines many times for offering Japan’s best pork cutlet rice bowl (katsudon). The famous bowl is a big meal made with thick slices of the Higashi no Takumi branded pork from Katori, Chiba. There’s also a pork tenderloin cutlet rice bowl is made with Imobuta Pork from Chiba, which was exhibited at the Expo Milan.

Both dishes present an exquisite harmony of its runny soft-boiled egg, delicious rice, and sweet sauce. It’s about 3 km from the nearest Yachiyo Station, and more and more customers are visiting the restaurant as a cycling destination. The warm hospitality of the landlady is another reason for its popularity.

Location: 463-13 Sankakucho, Hanamigawa Ward, Chiba, 262-0011, Japan

Open: Friday–Tuesday from 11.15 am to 1.30 pm (Closed Wednesday–Thursday)

This article includes opinions of the Go Guides editorial team. Hotels.com compensates authors for their writing appearing on this site; such compensation may include travel and other costs.