Eat

Shokudo HEY

Shokudo HEY, located near Mito Station, is a bistro-style izakaya serving dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Guests can enjoy regional flavors in a new style through creative dishes made from seasonal ingredients delivered directly from local producers. Signature dishes such as Sharima Onion Soup and Tsukuba Chicken Nanban offer both impressive taste and presentation. A diverse selection of beverages is available, including local sake, fruit sours crafted from fresh produce, and natural wines.

The warm and inviting interior features a bar counter on the first floor, where guests can watch the chefs at work up close, while the second floor offers table seating that can also be reserved for private gatherings. The eatery is suitable for both dining alone and in groups.

Kura + Katsu Mito Store

Kura + Katsu Mito is a traditional tonkatsu restaurant (deep-fried breaded pork cutlet) directly connected to JR Mito Station, run by the long-established Kiuchi Brewery.

Kura + Katsu purchases whole Ibaraki premium brand pigs and prepares each cut—loin, fillet, and even rare parts—to bring out their unique flavors. The meat is seasoned with shio-koji (salted rice malt) used in sake brewing and aged for about two weeks, resulting in a tender, flavorful finish that can only be experienced at this restaurant.

Inside, customers can also enjoy pairings with Kiuchi Brewery’s craft beer, Hitachino Nest Beer, or whiskey.

Ibaraki Jizake Bar Mito

Located near the Mito Station ticket gates, the bar is a spot to enjoy locally brewed sake. Its unique system allows customers to purchase special coins at the register, choose their preferred sake from carefully selected local brands representing 35 breweries across the prefecture, and sample it by inserting a coin into the self-serve sake dispensers.

In addition to rare sake varieties that are not widely available on the market and internationally award-winning sake, visitors can also enjoy local snacks.

Customers can purchase sake or snacks they enjoyed at the shop section, making them perfect as souvenirs or memorable gifts from the trip.

BRASSERIE JOZO

BRASSERIE JOZO is a French restaurant located on the grounds of Nomura Brewery, founded in 1897. The restaurant’s interior is a modern renovation of a 100-year-old traditional Japanese house, creating a serene space where Japanese charm and Western sophistication blend harmoniously.

The restaurant serves casual French dishes made with seasonal ingredients from Ibaraki Prefecture. Guests can also enjoy sake, including Tsumugibijin, the brewery’s signature.

There is also a private room, and the gift shop handles various Nomura products, including sake, vinegar, and jam. Depending on the season, the company also offers brewery tours and sake-making workshops (in Japanese).
*Dining, brewery tours, and workshops require a reservation.

Niwa Cafe KULA

Niwa Cafe KULA, formerly an old warehouse that's been renovated, sits in front of the gate to Kasama Inari Shrine. The shop interior, with its impressive white walls and wooden beams, combines traditional Japanese elegance with modern design, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere. The cafe is also an ideal spot for dropping into after a visit to Kasama Inari Shrine.

The cafe menu features set meals using locally grown vegetables, alongside homemade sweets and hand drip coffee. Drinks are made with domestically produced ingredients. Here, with each and every menu item, guests can feel the careful attention to detail. Cups and dishes are made from local Kasama-yaki pottery, which has been recognized as a Japanese Heritage.

Small art events are also held irregularly on the premises, allowing visitors to enjoy Kasama's unique culture and atmosphere as they dine on tasty cuisine.

Mori no Chevre Kan

Mori no Chevre Kan is a cheese studio located inside Mito City Forest Park. Surrounded by the rich nature of the forest, this tranquil and relaxing spot is truly appealing.

Here, using fresh goat's and cow's milk, skilled craftsmen carefully make each batch of cheese by hand. The cheese features a rich, pure flavor and smooth texture.

In addition to a wide range of different cheeses, the shop also sells sweet treats including cheese tarts and ice cream. Visitors can even enjoy sampling their dairy products right in the store.

Mori no Chevre Kan has received awards not only in Japan but also at international competitions for its delicious products.

Kuri no Ie

This cafe serves an original Mont Blanc cake crafted by a pastry chef with years of experience at three-star Michelin restaurants in Paris and luxury hotels in Macau. While Mont Blanc is typically made by piping cream made from chestnuts and other ingredients over the dough, here visitors can enjoy the chef's unique "Kobore (overflowing) Mont Blanc", with its special shaved finish (also available for takeout).
In addition to the chestnut-flavored Mont Blanc, the restaurant offers a plate of sweets and a variety of cakes made with local fruits and vegetables, as well as original coffee and three types of flavored tea.
Kuri no Ie is located in a 130-year-old traditional residence that once served as the reception hall of a former village mayor who promoted chestnut cultivation in Kasama, now Japan's largest chestnut-producing region.

Masubuchi Gyoen

Masubuchi Gyoen is a restaurant with 50 years of history, where customers can catch fish and have it cooked on-site.

The charming wooden lodge, located in northern Ibaraki and surrounded by greenery, features terraced ponds where visitors can catch various seasonal fish, including rainbow trout. The rainbow trout here is often compared to salmon due to its pink-colored flesh.

Those not used to fishing can order set menus consisting of grilled fish, local vegetables, and rice. Seasonal dishes may include wild plants such as butterbur and flowering fern, vegetable and mushroom tempura, miso soup, and rainbow trout sashimi.

SEA BiRDS CAFE

Seabird's Café, adjacent to Hitachi Station, features large windows that offer a beautiful panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and the Asahi Overpass along the coastline.
The café and station, designed by renowned architect Kazuyo Sejima from Hitachi City, showcase a unique design that has won several awards.
The menu varies depending on the time of day: in the morning, light snacks such as pancakes are served, while hearty meals are available for lunch and dinner. Popular desserts include honey caramel pancakes topped with banana and cream, as well as a chocolate cake called "Volcano," topped with ice cream and fruit.
The café also offers dishes made with local specialties and serves locally brewed Hitachino Nest Beer.

Café & Restaurant Kobun Café

Kobun Café is a café and restaurant in a great location overlooking Lake Senba in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture. With a variety of settings, including a spacious interior, terrace, and rooftop, it offers visitors a relaxing experience. The menu features dishes made with ingredients sourced from Ibaraki Prefecture; the Hitachi beef hamburg steak and omelet made with Okukuji eggs are particularly popular.
From July to September, a BBQ beer garden is held on the rooftop, allowing guests to enjoy the night view of Lake Senba.

Saku Café

Saku Café is a café and guesthouse nestled in a lush green area surrounded by mountains in Daigo Town, Ibaraki Prefecture. Renovated from a building built in the 1970s that was originally used as a house, it offers a relaxed and warm atmosphere. This place, which provides a soothing experience for its visitors, has been highly praised for its design and local character, winning the highest award in the Ibaraki Design Selection 2018. The meals are prepared with 20 to 30 local ingredients, including homegrown vegetables and herbs.
Saku Café has become a popular destination, offering guests a chance to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying a sophisticated menu or a stylish overnight accommodations.

Okukuji Shamo Cuisine Daikon

This restaurant specializes in Okukuji Shamo chicken, a local delicacy of Daigo. It is run by the owner, who has many years of experience working with the Okukuji Shamo Producer’s Association. The charcoal-grilled chicken includes rare cuts such as seseri (chicken neck meat), sori (the base of the chicken thigh), and knee cartilage, offering a plump and juicy texture. The samgye-tang (reservation required), made with a whole Okukuji Shamo chicken, is also exquisite. Be sure to enjoy it with carefully selected sake!