3 Best Restaurants in Nara, The Kansai Region

Located on a quiet backstreet just a short walk south of Horyu-ji's Great Eastern Gate, this low-key yet stylish café offers delicious lunch sets, including very local specialties such as tatsuta-age (a type of fried chicken) and deep-fried ofu (steamed wheat gluten). The café also has its own woodwork studio and shop, with a number of robot-themed wooden toys on display.

This small and understatedly cool coffee shop serves the best coffee in town, and it's just a stone's throw from Kintetsu-Nara Station. This is a great place to grab a take-out cup before exploring the nearby sights. Super-friendly baristas speak good English, and there is (limited) window seating if you prefer to drink in.

This cozy little vegan café, tucked away on a side-street a few minutes walk from Nara Koen, offers a wide selection of vegan dishes, from ramen or Japanese curry to bento boxes and burgers. Every dish is made and served with real care and heart by the woman who runs the place, and the warm homely atmosphere, not to mention the delicious food, makes this one of the best vegan restaurants in the entire region. There's an English menu, but opening hours are fairly limited; it's usually closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.