Café Yoridokoro

Sitting right next to the Enoden Line tracks, Café Yoridokoro serves comforting home-style teishoku sets along with close-up views of the Enoden train gliding past. It offers one of Kamakura’s most charming and distinctly local dining experiences.

What’s Café Yoridokoro?

At this cozy café, you can enjoy a variety of teishoku-style meals — each lovingly prepared. Every set includes your choice of fish, served with white rice, miso soup, pickles, a small side dish. You’ll also get an egg, which you can whisk to create fluffy egg whites to top your rice. Instructions are provided to guide you through the process — it does require a little technique and time.

Fish options include aji (horse mackerel), ebodai (butterfish), and saba (mackerel), among others. Prices vary depending on the fish you select, ranging from ¥1,530 to ¥3,780.

You can customize your meal further with special toppings like natto, kimchi, egg, or shirasu (young sardines) for an additional charge. To cleanse your palate after the savory meal, consider a dessert such as tiramisu or cheesecake (¥680–¥880).

If you’re just stopping by for a drink, the café also offers coffee, tea, and original beverages like the Inamuragasaki Sunset Soda (¥680), and Adult Hot Cocoa (¥600). A selection of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages is available as well.

What to know before you visit Café Yoridokoro

Do you need reservations for Café Yoridokoro?

It is possible to dine on the day without a reservation; however, you won’t be able to choose your table, so it’s unlikely you’ll get one of the four seats with views of the train track. To secure those seats, you’ll need to make a reservation in advance through the website. Note that you’ll also need to pay a ¥1,000 fee, and select your meal during the booking process.

From our experience, the booking process was very smooth, and we were able to skip the growing lunchtime line. If you decide to visit without a reservation, be prepared to wait a little while!

by Jane Pipkin