"Famiresu"(ファミレス) or family restaurants in English are casual restaurants aimed at families, but currently enjoyed by many people in Japan.

We don’t have such places in my country, so when I came to Japan, I found them very convenient. Many family restaurants are open for 24h, offer English menus, are usually affordable, and have a wide variety of delicious foods.

Here are five of the most popular family restaurants that I recommend trying out:

1. Jonathan’s

Jonathan’s is my favorite one because of the many healthy options and the seasonal grape parfait that is on sale every year, during autumn.

I love the curry flavored chicken and the many varieties of salads.

 

If you go on weekdays, during lunchtime, you get to order a set meal for around 1,099 yen. You will find healthy options and a wide variety of dishes perfect for any generation. Also, they always have so many seasonal dishes and sweets that I always look forward to.

The Grape parfait was available until the end of October, and from November on, they have the pear and chestnuts one!

Official Website

2. Gusto

Gusto is another popular family restaurant that pretty much has everything you could wish for.

The dishes are usually cheaper than 1,000 yen, and I love going there for breakfast! You can choose between a Japanese one or a Western one, and both are a great option!

Official Website

3. Saizeriya

Saizeriya is an Italian family restaurant where you can eat a lot for a low price. I like going there with my friends and ordering either pasta or pizza as it is very cheap (a pizza costs between 399-499 yen).

 

Currently, they have limited-time dishes, including a lentil minestrone that looks and tastes amazingly!

They also have a lot of salads and pasta options, steak, seafood, etc.

I recommend trying the Japanese style pasta or pizza topped with pollock roe/tarako(and cheese for the pizza)! Delish!

Official Website

4. Denny’s

I remember I went to Denny’s with one of my American friends, and she was saying that in America, Denny’s is kind of like a food chain, but where people go for a burger or to grab a simple breakfast.

She was surprised to see that in Japan, not only did they have burgers, but there is a wide variety of foods, including rice, pasta, pancakes, Japanese-style meals, salads, etc.

You can find many options to choose from, and it is so filling.

Official Website

5. Royal Host

The last one is the Royal Host restaurant. I like curry rice there, and I remember that I used to go there a lot when I was an exchange student in Japan.

Whenever I felt like having a nutritious breakfast, I went for a Royal host Japanese one, that filled me up with enough energy to last throughout the day.

Official Website

As a bonus, I also recommend the Western-style restaurant, Bikkuri Donkey. It has such a cool wooden interior and is well-known for its tasty burgers.

I love the aesthetic of the place, and there are so many options of hamburgers you can choose from. I also recommend trying out the steak, too, as it tastes heavenly.

Official Website

Family restaurants are super convenient, accessible, cheap, have a wide variety of foods, and are very common in Japan.

If you visit the country, I’m sure you’ll stumble upon one at some point, so I recommend giving it a try!

Besides the ones mentioned above, there are a few more options such as Coco’s, Bamiyan, Joyfull, etc. so if you try any, let us know your thoughts

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