Kobe has a national reputation for fine dining, and it is well deserved. Within a few minutes of leaving the school, you could easily find yourself outside a restaurant serving beautifully plated, high-end cuisine at equally high-end prices. It is one of the pleasures of living here, but there are also many options for cheap eats in Kobe.
For students the daily question is usually less about prestige and more about practicality. Where can I get a good, filling lunch without destroying my weekly budget?
The good news is that Kobe delivers on that front just as convincingly as it does on fine dining.
The options for cheap eats in Kobe are just about endless, but one place that is often overlooked that really should be near the top of your lunchtime list, is the basement beneath the Sun Plaza building. To find it, simply leave the school and walk down Sannomiya Shotengai toward Sannomiya Station. The entrance is easy to miss if you are not looking for it, but once you head downstairs you will discover an entire world hidden beneath the street.
The basement stretches far further than you might expect. Think less “food court” and more “network of twisting corridors,” lined with small, independently run restaurants. There are said to be more than 200 eateries in this underground maze, most of them seating somewhere between ten and twenty customers at a time. It feels intimate, lively, and very local.
The variety is impressive. You will find all the usual Japanese favourites, from set meals with grilled fish or karaage to bowls of ramen and udon. In recent years, there has also been a noticeable rise in excellent small curry shops, each with its own interpretation of spice and heat. There is a reliable Korean restaurant near the elevators that rarely disappoints, and a kaiten sushi spot that almost always has a crowd gathered outside. In truth, you could eat here every day for a week for a year and still not work your way through every option.
Most of these restaurants operate on a ticketing system. At the entrance, you will see a machine displaying a pictorial menu. You select your meal, insert your money, receive a ticket, and then hand that ticket to the staff as you enter. It is a system that is efficient and surprisingly easy to navigate, even with limited Japanese.
A typical lunch will cost in the region of one thousand yen, sometimes a little more depending on your choice. For that price, you can expect a substantial main dish, a bowl of rice, soup, a couple of small side dishes, and often even a drink or a small dessert. It is more than enough to carry you through the afternoon’s classes.
If you are unsure where to start, the simplest strategy is to follow the crowds. While some places will allow you to walk straight in, the most popular restaurants often have a line forming outside. A queue in this basement is usually a very good sign. Just be prepared to wait a little during peak lunchtime hours.
For students managing a budget, it is entirely realistic to make a one-thousand-yen lunch your main meal of the day. The quality may not be Michelin-starred, but for the price, it is consistently excellent.
Living in Kobe means having access to both ends of the dining spectrum. You can save the special restaurants for celebrations, and rely on places like Sun Plaza for your daily routine. It is one of those small local advantages that students quickly come to appreciate.
