草笛 MIDORI店 — Restaurant in Nagano

On our first night in Nagano, we decided to try one of the region’s specialties—soba noodles—and found 草笛 MIDORI店, conveniently located right inside the train station complex. It turned out to be a great choice for a fuss-free and authentic dinner.

The restaurant has a simple, no-frills atmosphere that feels just like a traditional Japanese soba shop. Seating is a mix of tables and counter-style rows, and everything runs efficiently, which is great when you’re hungry after a long day of travel.

We ordered their soba sets and were not disappointed. The noodles were firm, flavorful, and clearly handmade, served either cold with dipping sauce or hot in broth. Each bite had that satisfying chew that good soba should have, and you could really taste the quality of the buckwheat.

It was a comforting and satisfying meal for the whole family. Easy to access, quick service, and great food—it ticked all the boxes for a solid start to our Nagano...

English menu available. Great first stop off the Shinkanson from Kanazawa! They have a large window with a view of downtown Nagano. Excellent vegetarian options with large portions. We did not leave hungry! Bottomless green tea. Very friendly staff and very accommodating to dietary restrictions (they had a whole page of allergies you could point to so that you and the staff could communicate whether of not you could eat a dish). Reasonably priced (we spent about ¥2200 for two large bowls of...

The soba: good. Sake selection: good. Value: not so good (went with Ebi Tenzarou Soba 1810 yen) which was underwhelming. English menu available. The overall experience was average with what appears to be a busy restaurant, single travellers are placed at a bar style seating facing each other. Unfortunately I had a glutton directly in front of me which was a huge turn off, but that’s just...