Japan is home to a variety of “family restaurants,” typically characterised by serving both Western-style and Japanese fare at reasonable prices, offering something for everyone. Among the various chains, Royal Host is my favourite.
Royal Host — All hail the king!
Although prices here are higher than at other family restaurants, the quality of the food and the dining experience feel that much better, giving it — in my opinion — the best value for money.
My go-to is the onion gratin soup, which is packed with flavor. This dish also has a special place in my heart because I would always order it whenever I felt under the weather as a child. I assure you, though, that even without the nostalgic factor, I’m sure you’ll love it!
Why not try ’em all?
Not to be mistaken for family-run restaurants, Japanese family restaurants are usually chains — the upsides being that you can find them basically everywhere, they have picture-loaded, easy-to-decipher menus, and you more or less know what you’re going to get. Now that’s comforting!
Family restaurants are designed to accommodate a wide range of ages — kids’ menus ahoy! — and tastes, rather than specialise in one particular cuisine. A typical family restaurant menu usually offers both Japanese and Western dishes, the latter including pasta, pizza, and hamburg steaks. You can also find curry, desserts, and even some Japanese-Chinese dishes.
With relatively affordable prices and spacious seating, families with young children naturally flock to family restaurants, but so do students and even workers. During off-peak hours, some restaurants will allow you to study or work at the table, but you should double-check with the staff just to be sure.
While Royal Host is generally seen as higher-quality than its family restaurant peers, Saizeriya specializes in inexpensive Italian-inspired food, while Gusto embraces a huge menu and low prices. Denny’s Japan — yes, that Denny’s — is considered a family restaurant here and has developed its own Japanese menu and identity, distinct from its American counterpart. Why not try ’em all and see which you like best?
FAQ
- What is a Japanese family restaurant?
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Japanese family restaurants are casual, affordable chain restaurants offering a wide variety of Japanese and Western-style dishes in a relaxed, family-friendly setting.
- What kind of food do Japanese family restaurants serve?
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Family restaurants typically serve a wide variety of familiar comfort foods, including hamburg steaks, fried chicken, curry, pasta, pizza, gratin, Japanese-style set meals, and desserts, as well as kids’ menus.
- Do Japanese family restaurants have English menus?
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Usually, yes. Ordering is often done through a QR code or tablet at the table, which should offer multilingual options. English support may vary by chain and location, however.
- Are family restaurants cheap in Japan?
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Family restaurants are designed to be affordable, with a meal generally costing somewhere between 800 and 1,200 yen. Drinks, desserts, and sides will add up, of course. While other types of restaurants in Japan offer meals at similar price points — think mom-and-pop set-meal joints, noodle shops, Japanese-Chinese restaurants, beef bowl chains, and so on — family restaurants provide a particular atmosphere that appeals to a particular group of diners.