WHERE TO EAT
Prices are per person for the dish or meal indicated
Amazake Chaya Teahouse (by Amazake Chaya bus stop on the route between Lake Ashi and Hakone Yumoto) whose signature rice drink comes chilled in summer or hot (with ginger) when it’s icy. Try a side of chewy mochi rice cake or tokoroten agar agar noodles. English menu. Amazake, £2.50. 395-1 Futagoyama, Hatajuku, Hakone, 00 81 460 836418, amasake-chaya.jp
Café Terrace Wood Island A welcoming little café on the edge of the huge US base, serving an exemplary bowl of navy curry in various styles. English menu. Navy curry, £9.50. 1 Chome-4 Odakicho, Yokosuka, 00 81 468 274790
Café Yoridokoro As the Enoshima tramway approaches its beachside section, it scrapes by this itsy café (on the Kamakura side of Inamuragasaki station), which offers day-long hirakiboshi dried-fish set meals. Illustrated menu, some English. Horse mackerel set meal, £7.30. 1 Chome-12-16 Inamuragasaki, Kamakura, 00 81 467 405737, yoridocoro.com
Idobata By Hase tram station, on the way to the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in Temple, this coffeeshop-in-a-van serves seriously good single-origin and blend coffees. English spoken. Coffee from £2.70. 2 Chome-14-13, Hase, Kamakura Iwata Coffee A Kamakura institution within shouting distance of the station, this old-school café (reputedly a John and Yoko Lennon go-to) offers fruit sandwiches, doorstep-deep soufflé pancakes and – in season – luxurious chestnut desserts. Fruit sandwich, £5. English/picture menu. 1 Chome-5-7 Komachi, Kamakura, 00 81 467 222689, iwatacoffee.com
Kinokuniya Ryokan On the busy lane leading to Enoshima Island foot bridge, this traditional ryokan serves regional produce to non-residents of the inn – notably local whitebait, either flash-poached or raw — in its exceptionalvalue lunchtime set menus. Picture menu. Set menu from £6.80. 1 Chome13-16 Katasekaigan, Fujisawa, 00 81 466 224247, kinokuniyaryokan.com Koukai Restaurant Serving alfonsino every which way, this little restaurant’s first choice is a lunch tray consisting of both braised and fried fish plus miso, rice and pickles; à la carte options include croquettes and fish soup. Picture menu. Lunch tray, £11.50. 00 81 468 870662, 3 Chome-2-19 Misaki, Miura Misaki Market Cafeteria Open 6am-2.30pm (with a break 9.30–11am) and supplied with fish and seafood from the auction halls downstairs, the sashimi set is dependably delicious. Picture menu. Sashimi set, £11.50.
5 Chome-245-7 Misaki, Miura, 00 81 468 766022
Yamajou Café & Restaurant A stylish dining space located above a kamaboko factory and with views over Sagami Bay, where you can enjoy pastas and salads focused on fishcake, or simple tasting plates including the egg-mix kintamago variety. Tasting plates from £2. English/picture menu. 3 Chome-16-12 Hamacho, Odawara, 00 81 465 245034, restaurant.yamajoukamaboko.co.jp
Yokosuka Navy Curry Honpo Restaurant One of a handful of specialist curry houses in town, the interior is old-school ship-shape and set meals come with regulation pickles, salad and glass of nutrition-balancing milk. A handy alternative for trying navy curry, with beef or chicken, if Café Terrace Wood Island is closed; or try the ‘black curry’ – the depth of colour and flavour comes from added coffee. English menu. Black curry, £8. 1 Chome11-8 Wakamatsucho, Yokosuka, 00 81 468 291229, yokosuka-curry.com