[2025 Update] Enjoy a dinosaur-themed lunch and local gourmet food around the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum!

If you visit the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, you must try the dinosaur-themed lunches available in and around the museum. This article introduces restaurants that serve unique dinosaur-themed menus and Fukui cuisine that is unique to Katsuyama City ! It's full of useful information for when you're waiting to enter the museum or taking a break.

Close and convenient! Enjoy a dinosaur-inspired lunch in or around the Dinosaur Museum

Inside and right next to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, there are restaurants and food spots where you can enjoy a unique dinosaur-themed lunch. After immersing yourself in the world of dinosaurs, you can enjoy mealtime just like you would at a theme park!

Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum Restaurant

The restaurant at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, which reopened in 2023, is a noteworthy gourmet spot with a playful dinosaur-themed menu. In addition to dishes rich in local flavor that make use of ingredients from Fukui Prefecture, it is full of visually fun gimmicks such as dinosaur-shaped rice, meat on the bone, and egg-shaped desserts. Since it is located inside the museum, it is easily accessible, and it is also a nice point that you can drop in after finishing viewing the exhibits. It is a particularly recommended spot for families, where you can enjoy lunchtime with children's smiles.

Recommended Menu

Spinosaurus curry

Fossil Excavation Omelette Rice

Carnivorous Tyranno Burger

Business hours: 10:00-16:00 (last order 15:30)

Number of seats: Approximately 100

Location: Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, 1st floor

②Saurus Kitchen

Saurus Kitchen, located in the Geo Terminal in front of the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, is a convenient food space that can be used without entering the museum. Advance reservations are required, making it the perfect place for a short break or if you have some time before entering the museum.

The restaurant offers a variety of unique dinosaur-themed menu items, including lunch served on a large leaf-shaped plate and the "Explorer Ranger Box" that tickles the spirit of exploration, both of which are extremely popular with children. Snacks and side dishes are available for takeout, making it perfect for an outdoor picnic.

In addition, they accept credit cards and various QR payments, so you can use it with peace of mind even if you don't have cash. It's a recommended dining spot that you can easily drop in at after visiting the museum.

Recommended Menu

Chunky Rock Ramen

Saurus Curry Drink Set

Saurus Ranger Lunch Box

Business hours: 10:00-16:00 (extended hours on weekends and holidays. Hours may vary depending on the season)

Number of seats: Indoors: Approximately 50 seats

Location: Inside the Geo Terminal (next to the front of the museum)

There is also a food truck during busy periods!

During busy periods such as Golden Week and summer vacation, food trucks gather at Chamagon Square. They have a lineup of snacks popular with children such as hamburgers, french fries, and shaved ice, as well as full-fledged menus that will satisfy adults as well. It's perfect for when it's hard to get a seat at a restaurant during busy times, or for those who just want a quick meal. The stalls are only open for a limited time, so if you see one, feel free to stop by.

It's also great to eat outdoors as a picnic.

On sunny days, we recommend enjoying a picnic lunch on the lawn area outside the Dinosaur Museum or in Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest. Enjoying a relaxing time surrounded by nature with a takeaway menu from Saurus Kitchen or snacks from the food truck is a popular experience for families with children. In the spacious area, you can spend a wonderful time relaxing while enjoying the nature of Fukui.

Take a trip to a nearby restaurant and enjoy Fukui cuisine!

Within a few minutes' drive from the Dinosaur Museum, there are many delicious restaurants unique to Katsuyama City. The attraction is that you can enjoy a wide variety of gourmet food, including Fukui specialties such as grated Fukui radish soba and sauce katsudon, as well as beloved local restaurants and traditional Western restaurants. Taking a little time out between sightseeing to savor the local flavors will also become a memorable part of your trip. Another great point is that there are many restaurants that are easy for families and solo travelers to visit.

③Tokubei

This Japanese restaurant has been loved by Katsuyama residents for many years. The set meals and udon noodles made with local ingredients are popular, and you can enjoy your meal at your leisure in a relaxed atmosphere. The most popular menu item is the seafood bowl. There are also set menus where you can enjoy Fukui gourmet food such as sauce pork cutlet bowl.

Store Information

Business hours: 11:00-14:00 / 17:00-20:00 (Closed on Wednesdays)

Address: Motomachi 1-chome , Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture

④ Gottsuo

This is a restaurant serving home-style cuisine made with plenty of local ingredients. At lunchtime, they offer a variety of dishes, including a set menu with a balanced array of side dishes, a fresh pasta lunch, and a Fukui burger lunch. The restaurant has both table and counter seating, and is wheelchair accessible and equipped with child chairs, making it a family-friendly atmosphere. They are open for a relatively long time during lunch hours, so it's also recommended for those who missed lunch.

Store Information

Business hours: Lunch 11:30-15:00, Dinner 18:00-22:00

Closed: Dinner on Mondays and Tuesdays

This Western restaurant is proud of its Fukui specialty, Sauce Katsudon. The particularly popular "Mixed Bowl" is a hearty dish topped with one each of sauce-flavored pork cutlet, shrimp cutlet, and beef cutlet. It is popular with a wide range of customers from locals to tourists, and on weekends and holidays, you may have to wait in line for up to 60 minutes. The restaurant has table seating and tatami seating, making it a safe place for families.

Store Information

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11:30-14:00, 17:30-20:00 (last orders 19:30), Sunday 11:30-14:00 (take-out only in the evenings, reservations required)

Closed: Mondays and the third Tuesday of every month

⑤ Winning food

This is a restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Echizen soba made with stone-ground buckwheat flour. The popular "Oroshi soba" and "Sauce katsudon set" are well-known for their local flavors. The restaurant has table seating, counter seating, and tatami seating, and is wheelchair-accessible and fully equipped with child chairs. Payment by PayPay is also accepted.

Store Information

Business hours: 11:00-19:00 (last order 18:45) *14:00-17:00 is preparation time, closes when soba runs out, open only at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Sundays

Closed: Wednesday

Mine

This Japanese restaurant takes pride in its seafood dishes made with fresh seafood delivered directly from the market. It is also a certified Echizen restaurant, and serves live Echizen crabs when in season. The popular seafood bowl is delicious, so be sure to order it. There are also menu items for those who don't like seafood, such as sauce katsudon and fried chicken. The restaurant has counter seats and tatami seating, and private rooms are also available. Payment by PayPay is also accepted.

Store Information

Business hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:30-22:00

Closed: Mondays (open on public holidays)

⑦Ogawa

This is an okonomiyaki restaurant that is loved by people of all ages and genders. They have a wide range of menu items, including okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and sauce katsudon, and since it is easy to get to from the Dinosaur Museum, many people come here for lunch. The restaurant has counter seats and tatami seating, so it can be used safely by people of all ages, from small children to the elderly. They also have a tatami seating area that can accommodate groups.

Store Information

Business hours: Lunch 11:30-13:30 (LO 13:00), Dinner 17:00-22:00 (LO 21:30)

Closed: Tuesdays

summary

After enjoying the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, head to the dinosaur world of food. From unique lunches to authentic local delicacies, there are plenty of food spots to try. Why not make the most of the area and make this a trip where you can see, play, and eat to your heart's content?

*This information is current as of the time of the interview, so menus and times may be subject to change. Please check with each store for details.