Recommended by a gourmet writer: 7 restaurants to enjoy Jindaiji soba

The Soba Festival is also held, where new soba noodles are offered as offerings. Jindaiji soba has long been a local specialty.

Jindaiji Temple is famous for the natural hot spring "Yumori no Sato" where you can take a day trip to bathe, the "Kitaro Teahouse" on the approach to the temple, and above all, Jindaiji soba.

Jindaiji Temple is rich in high-quality spring water, making it suitable for growing buckwheat, and it has been known as a specialty of the temple since ancient times. There was a time when buckwheat was offered to Jindaiji Temple instead of rice. Perhaps as a vestige of this, at the Jindaiji Soba Festival, held during the new buckwheat season, buckwheat harvested that year is offered as an offering. Be sure to try this historic Jindaiji soba while visiting the temple or strolling around.

Original Shimada-ya: A long-established restaurant among long-established restaurants in a picturesque setting

As the name suggests, "Genso Shimadaya" is a long-established restaurant in Jindaiji. It was founded in the Edo period, and the exterior of the restaurant exudes a stately atmosphere. In addition to its history, the seating area surrounds Kamejima Benzaiten Pond, offering a great view. A seat by the window is recommended.

The recommended menu item is the "Wild Herb Tempura Set" (1,980 yen, tax included). It is a luxurious set that includes fragrant soba noodles, wild herb tempura, and miso oden. The tempura uses about five kinds of seasonal wild herbs, giving it a diverse flavor. Another popular dish is the "Musashino" (2,090 yen, tax included), which allows you to enjoy three flavors of soba noodles at once.

Once you've enjoyed the delicious soba noodles inside the shop, be sure to check out the merchandise corner near the entrance. Of course, the lineup is centered around soba noodles, making them perfect souvenirs.

Yusui: Handmade soba noodles made with domestic stone-ground buckwheat flour that are sure to have long lines

Located just a short walk from Jindaiji Temple, "Yusui" is marked by a large parking lot and a charming Japanese-style house. The restaurant has table seating on the first floor and tatami seating on the second floor, and there is also seating outside the building. Pets are allowed at the outdoor table seats. From outside the restaurant, you can watch the craftsmen making soba noodles through the glass.

All the soba noodles at "Yusui" are handmade using domestic stone-ground buckwheat flour. They have a menu of 90% soba noodles and 28% buckwheat flour, and they seem to be particular about using different buckwheat flour from different regions depending on the season. The specialty is the 90% buckwheat "Yusui Soba" (750 yen, tax included). After eating the soba, you can charge up with a sweet treat with the also popular "Soba Yokan" (360 yen, tax included).

This is one of the soba restaurants in Jindaiji that has the longest queues. Furthermore, you cannot make a reservation in advance, so make sure you have plenty of time when you visit.

Tamanoya: Enjoy homemade 100% buckwheat soba noodles on the open terrace.

Tamanoya, located just outside the Jindai Botanical Gardens' Jindaiji Gate, is a popular soba restaurant surrounded by trees and a natural landscape. The interior of the restaurant has a calm atmosphere, but if the weather is pleasant, you can enjoy the outdoor seats and the natural surroundings.

Tamanoya is famous for its 100% buckwheat soba noodles, made only with stone-ground buckwheat flour, which is milled in-house. They offer two types, thin and thick. The recommended dishes are the thick inaka soba (1,050 yen, tax included), which allows you to fully enjoy the flavor of the soba, and the tempura-flavored inaka soba (1,650 yen, tax included). You can enjoy the taste of freshly ground, milled, and boiled soba.

On weekends and holidays, the store opens at 9:30, which is a little earlier than other stores in the area. Also, the store may close once it has sold out of soba, so we recommend going there early.

Tamon: Unique, chewy soba noodles and the only soba porridge in the area

Tamon is located right at the entrance to the Jindai Botanical Gardens along Jindaiji Street. It is a popular restaurant that serves unique Jindaiji soba noodles, side dishes, and sweets. It is fully equipped with tatami seating, table seating, and outdoor seating with a sense of openness.

The standard soba menu includes the 28% buckwheat flour "Tamon Soba" (770 yen, tax included) and the 37% buckwheat flour "Jindaiji Soba" (670 yen, tax included). Both are hearty, with chewy noodles that go well with the sweet, rich broth.

In addition to the delicious soba, the "Soba Zosui" (1,000 yen including tax), which is unique to this area, is also popular. This unusual zosui uses buckwheat instead of rice, and the buckwheat has a crumbly texture when finished with a rich bonito stock. It is packed with wild vegetables and mushrooms, and the crab meat adds a rich flavor and umami, while the mitsuba leaves a refreshing aftertaste.

Jindaiji Monzen Soba Honpo: Great value for money light green soba noodles and the specialty inari

The orange sign and curtain mark "Jindaiji Monzen Soba Honpo." Although it is a little far from Jindaiji Temple, it is a popular restaurant that is always crowded with customers because it serves delicious soba at reasonable prices.

The noodles are slightly green in color, which is a distinctive feature. They are made from Hokkaido buckwheat flour, with ingredients such as chlorella and matcha added, giving them a refreshing flavor. The standard "Monzen Mori Soba" is 460 yen (tax included). The specialty "Soba Inari" (70 yen each, tax included), which is filled with tofu and has plenty of soba noodles inside, is also popular.

By the way, another attractive feature of the "Soba Inari" is that you can take out 5 pieces for 350 yen (tax included). It is recommended for both yourself and as a souvenir. Please note that it may sell out, so please be careful about the time you visit.

Ikkyuan: Fresh soba noodles with a special focus on aroma and homemade dumplings

Ikkyu-an is located along the approach to Jindaiji Temple. A variety of takeaway menus and souvenirs are lined up in front of the store, and the large waterwheel and craftsmen making soba noodles are also eye-catching. The atmosphere makes you want to drop in.

Their proud soba noodles come in three varieties: 100% soba noodles made with homemade buckwheat flour and water, 28% soba noodles, and 90% soba noodles. The soba noodles, which have been carefully made to pursue aroma and freshness, have an exceptional smoothness and sweetness. The "100% soba noodles, completely homemade, stone-milled, hand-made, 100% soba noodles" (1,030 yen, tax included) allows you to simply enjoy the restaurant's commitment to its soba noodles.

For snacks on the go, try the "Homemade Soba Dango" (120 yen per takeaway, 130 yen per in-store, both tax included). You can choose between mitarashi and sesame sauce, so please choose whichever you prefer.

Jindaiji Soba Kiyoshi: Soba noodles with Kyoto-style dashi and tender duck and herring

This long-established soba restaurant, founded in 1966, has undergone a major renovation since taking over the business. The menu has been completely revamped, while the exquisite soba noodles, made with the utmost care by our skilled craftsmen, remain the same. The Kyoto-style soup stock and thin, 28% buckwheat flour noodles made by the head chef are exceptional.

Recommended dishes include the "Kamo-seiro" (1,500 yen, tax included), which features thick duck meat and a dipping sauce overflowing with flavor, and the "Special Herring Soba" (1,350 yen, tax included), which is topped with herring that has been carefully simmered for half a day. The ingredients, which have been painstakingly prepared, are so tender that they fall apart easily, and go perfectly with the flavorful soba noodles.

Kiyoshi has only recently undergone a generational change, and unlike other restaurants with such a long history near Jindaiji Temple, it frequently updates its website and social media accounts. It also proactively posts information about its seasonal menus, so if you want the latest information, be sure to check them out.

Historic temples, lush greenery, natural hot springs, and delicious soba noodles. Jindaiji is one of the most relaxing areas in Tokyo, and you'll appreciate its charms once you become an adult. We hope you'll take a break from the hustle and bustle of the 23 wards and spend a relaxing adult holiday here.

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