fiogf49gjkf0d If you're going to be in Niigata for some time, get hold of the English-language booklet
Out & About in Niigata City
, available free from the tourist office or the International Exchange Foundation
. Not surprisingly, the city is famous for its fresh fish and fragrant rice, which means excellent sushi. Glutinous rice is used to make
sasa-dango
, a sweet snack of bean paste and rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, while in wintertime
noppe
combines taro root, gingko nuts, salmon roe and vegetables in a colourful stew. There are numerous
restaurants
and bars in the streets near the station and around Furumachi.
Aiueo
, 4F, Bandai CinAŠ Mall, 1-3-1 Bandai. Popular, rustic
izakaya
where English speakers are usually on hand to help out with the menu. Reasonable prices. Daily 4.30pm-midnight.
Choen
(also know as
Harbin
), 1-6-2 Higashi-odori. Cheap and cheerful Chinese restaurant serving good-value lunch sets from A?700 and menus from A?2000. Open 11am-3pm & 5-11pm; closed third Mon of the month.
Genki-zushi
, Hanazono. This spick-and-span sushi bar has a picture menu and prices from A?105 per plate (two pieces). Look for the scowling-face logo. Daily 11.30am-9.30pm.
Ginza Lion
, NTT Plaza, 7-1017 Higashibori-dori. A branch of the famous Tokyo beer hall serving standard bar food, including sausages, fries and salads. Daily 11.30am-10pm.
Hon-cho Lunch Centre
, 5-248 Honcho-dori. In the midst of Hon-cho street market, this friendly little cafeteria offers a huge range of staple dishes, including sushi, curry-rice, ramen and soba dishes. Some English spoken. Mon-Fri 7.30am-8pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun & hols 11am-4pm.
Inaka-ya
, 1457 9-chome, Komachi-dori.
Wappa-meshi
(steamed rice with various toppings) is the order of the day at this unpretentious locals' restaurant. From A?600, or A?1100 for set meals. Daily 11.30am-2.30pm & 5-11.30pm.
Kirin Bandaibashi Hall
, 2-4-28 Bandai. Be prepared to queue at this big imaginatively designed beer hall overlooking the Bandai Bridge. Eclectic menu. Daily 5-10/11pm.
La Barcarola
, 7-920 Nishiborimae-dori. It's hard to resist the smell of pizzas cooking at this relaxed Italian in the Furumachi district. Excellent lunchtime deals (Mon-Sat 11.30am-1.30pm) with a choice of pasta, pizza or paella, salad and free coffee refills for A?720. Open daily except Wed 10am-9/10pm.
Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections):
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