3 Best Restaurants in Matsumoto, The Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast

Two blocks before the Chitose-bashi Bridge, this Japanese version of a traditional British pub serves fish-and-chips and pizza along with local Matsumoto beer and rotating craft brews from elsewhere. It's close to Parco department store, between the station and castle.

This bustling izakaya across the street from the annex of Hotel Iidaya on the station's east side serves up izakaya staples plus regional specialties like basashi (raw horse meat), sansoku-yaki (a kind of fried chicken) and rabbit (usagi means “rabbit”). There's no English menu, so keep an eye out for what others are eating and point to whatever looks good. At lunch, it turns into a ramen joint. It's easy to spot because of the rabbit design on the noren curtain over the door.

With a retro vibe, Yume-ya specializes in old-style yakitori (skewered, grilled meat and vegetables). Cozy up to the narrow counter for food and drinks, or sit outside during the warmer months. Little English is spoken by the staff, but the cooks are happy to explain the menu with exaggerated gestures. If it's full, just down the street is a second branch that specializes in a different kind of skewer, kushiage, deep-fried skewers of meat, seafood, vegetables, and even cheese.