GONTARO Main store

I can’t say enough good things about Gontaro. The service was welcoming and outstanding throughout our lunch. The setting was charming and serene. The food was reasonably priced and delicious. We loved the soba and the karaage was the best we’ve ever had.

Visited December 2025

Great lunch place, rice bowls and noodle bowls. Dropped in for lunch, had a great experience, comfortable location, friendly staff, good food. Had their rise bowl with eggs and shrimp, very tasty.

Visited April 2025

Udon and soba Nirvana. The restaurant is charming and very peaceful. My vegetarian opinion wasn’t really vegetarian, but neither am I so the fish cake and bonito soup base was a big hit!

Visited October 2023

Located not far from Nishiki Market, we thought a visit to Gontaro Head Shop would be a good way to end our morning of food sampling after hearing good recommendations about their noodles. However, while the shop decor was beautifully traditional, the food was rather disappointing. We ordered a nab...eyaki udon and the seasonal special, kamo nanban soba. While the udon had a little bit of "al-dente" chew to it, the soba was overcooked and mushy. Both soups were bland but the the soup that came with the soba tasted a bit metallic-y as well. The accoutrements that came with the udon were typical and weren't anything to write home about; however, the duck in the soba (the supposed star of the dish) was chewy and flavorless. To add insult to injury, the portion was small for the cost we were paying. All this to say, the value and our experience there was subar and underwhelming. If you want to try udon or soba in the city, I would recommend trying somewhere else.

Visited February 2020

Not much to say except the locals love it and so did we. There was even a queue when we had finished which was a great sign. Couldn’t go past the Tempura Shrimp udon....it was delicious. Tip: get there early as queues do form for this place.

Visited January 2020