Must-see restaurants in Japan

  • Honke Owariya

    Downtown Kyoto

    Set in an old sweets shop in a traditional Japanese building on a quiet downtown street, this is where locals come for excellent soba (buckwheat-noodle)…

  • Shigetsu

    Arashiyama & Sagano

    To sample shōjin-ryōri, try Shigetsu in the precincts of Tenryū-ji. This healthy fare has been sustaining monks for more than a thousand years in Japan,…

  • Tokushima Station Bar Alley

    Tokushima & the Anan Coast

    Definitely the hottest eating and drinking spot in Tokushima is downstairs in the Clement Plaza building, under the station. New in 2018 is Bar Alley,…

  • Yabure-Kabure

    Western Honshū

    There's only one thing on the menu in this boisterous spot: pick from a range of fugu sets, such as the dinner Ebisu course, which features the cute…

  • Yotaro Honten

    Osaka

    This two-Michelin-starred restaurant specialises in exceptionally light and delectable tempura served at the counter, where you can watch the chefs, or in…

  • Matsubara-an

    Kamakura

    Dinner reservations are recommended for this upscale soba restaurant in a lovely old house. Try the goma seiro soba (al dente noodles served cold with…

  • Kyūbey

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Kyūbey, running since 1935 is one of Tokyo's prestige sushi restaurants, where each piece of nigiri-zushi (hand-pressed sushi) is made and delivered one…

  • Endo Sushi

    Osaka

    Trek out to Osaka's fish market to taste the exceptionally fresh sushi at cosy Endo, in business for over a century. You can choose from four different…

  • Hirome Ichiba

    Shikoku

    Dozens of mini-restaurants and bars specialising in everything from gomoku rāmen (seafood noodles) to tako-yaki (octopus balls) surround communal tables;…

  • Shin-Miyoshi

    Matsumoto

    Head to Shin-Miyoshi (New Miyoshi), established in 1999, to try everyone's favourite Nagano delicacy: horse meat. The first Miyoshi restaurant got going…

  • Sentō

    Kanazawa

    Upstairs in Ōmi-chō Market, chefs from Hong Kong prepare authentic Szechuan- and Hong Kong–style dishes (including dim sum) from scratch. Delicious lunch…

  • Kikunoi

    Southern Higashiyama

    Michelin-starred chef Murata serves some of the finest kaiseki in the city. Located in a hidden nook near Maruyama-kōen, this restaurant has everything…

  • Café Bleu

    Ehime Prefecture

    This lovely little music cafe serves tasty, simple sustenance with a picture menu and daily specials. The decor includes photos of Andy Warhol and Mick…

  • Banikuman

    Nagano Region

    This is the place to come to try a Nagano speciality: horse meat. Try it raw as basashi for ¥1480, in a shabu-shabu (hotpot) course for ¥3000 or grilled…

  • Ofukuro

    Kagawa Prefecture

    This fabulous washofu (local eating house) in the heart of the entertainment district offers a well-priced and hearty dining experience. A number of…

  • Hie Izakaya

    Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps

    This lovely little izakaya (bar-restaurant) in Echoland is so popular that you'll need to make a booking; get your accommodation owner to set you up at…

  • Zen

    Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps

    A top spot both at lunchtime, when soba-noodle dishes are to the fore, and in the evening, when Zen morphs into an izakaya (bar-restaurant), this place…

  • Tosa Binchōtanyaki Onomi

    Shikoku

    You'll need to be a tad adventurous to eat here as there's no English menu, but it's a top spot for regional meat cuisine, especially wild venison shot by…

  • Gorosaya

    Izu Peninsula

    Elegant, understated ambience and fantastic seafood. The isōjiru soup is made from more than a dozen varieties of shellfish and looks like a tide pool in…

  • Bahati

    Tokushima & the Anan Coast

    A superb little spot a tad east of Shishikui, Bahati is run by keen surfer Tsuji-san. Serving everything from pasta to katsu-kareē (pork cutlet, curry and…

  • Fujiya Gohonjin

    Nagano Region

    Gohonjin means 'a residence for the lords', and in the Edo period Fujiya Gohonjin played host to the feudal lords of the Maeda family. The present 1925…

  • Mingei Sabō

    Izu Peninsula

    Generous seafood sets come with sashimi, perfectly grilled fish and multiple tiny appetisers at this traditional restaurant beside the little port (go for…

  • Musu Bar + Bistro

    Niseko

    Musu offers great food, sweet service, and a lovely airy dining experience, plus easily the best cocktail menu in Niseko, with treats like the Yuzu…

  • Kitcho Arashiyama

    Arashiyama & Sagano

    Considered one of the best kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto (and Japan, for that matter), Kitcho Arashiyama is the place to sample the full kaiseki experience…

  • Yūnangi

    Naha

    You'll be lucky to get a seat here, but if you do, you'll be treated to some of the best Okinawan food around, served in traditional but bustling…

  • Healthy Penguin Cafe

    Matsumoto

    This cute little cafe on a tiny side street off atmospheric old Nawate-dõri gets rave reviews for plates such as smashed avo toast (¥700) and cinnamon…

  • Kastanie Karuizawa Roast Chicken

    Nagano Region

    For something a little uncommon in Japan, pop into this original place for succulent and tender roast-chicken dinners, pizzas, pastas and sausage platters…

  • Gyōza Gishū

    Central Honshū

    This humming hole-in-the-wall place does soupy, fried gyōza (dumplings) and ebi chahan (shrimp fried rice) – and, of course, beer. Go straight from JR…

  • Kyōya

    Takayama

    This Takayama institution specialises in regional dishes such as hoba-miso (sweet miso paste grilled on a magnolia leaf) and Hida-gyū (beef) soba. Sit on…

  • Kita-no Aisukurīmu-ya-san

    Otaru

    Housed in a converted warehouse that was built in 1892, just back from the canal, this legendary Otaru ice-cream parlour scoops up some seriously 'special…

  • Yururi

    Kansai

    Miyama's natural bounty is a big draw, and this restaurant in an elegantly updated thatched-roof farmhouse serves menus of seasonal local ingredients …

  • Shanghai Wantan Rō

    Naha

    If you can hold out for this little late-night eatery, you won't be disappointed. The standouts of the drool-worthy menu (which is, incidentally,…

  • Kawanishi Broiler

    Kagawa Prefecture

    A top spot for beer, yakitori and just about anything featuring chicken. Relax inside at the counter or tables and enjoy the mayhem as locals come and go,…

  • Kaiseki Tsuruko

    Kanazawa

    Kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) dining is a holistic experience of hospitality, art and originality. This outstanding restaurant is a true gourmand's…

  • Ikkaku

    Kagawa Prefecture

    Honetsuki-dori (spicy grilled chicken on the bone) is a Marugame speciality – try it at Ikkaku, a very popular local restaurant that has expanded its…

  • South Cafe

    Izu Peninsula

    It's well worth dragging yourself away from the beach for the tasty sandwiches, burgers, salads and curries (not to mention the must-have brownies) at…

  • Sakurajaya

    Takayama

    Sakurajaya happens when you take a Japanese man to Germany, introduce him to European culinary arts, hone his craft, then return him to the quiet back…

  • Toraya Karyō Kyoto Ichijō

    Imperial Palace & Around

    This gorgeous tearoom-cafe is a stone's throw from the west side of the Imperial Palace Park. It's fantastic for a break from sightseeing in this part of…

  • New Green

    Kagawa Prefecture

    A cute neighbourhood spot where the local women cackle over coffee, New Green is also one of the few restaurants in town open for dinner. If the salads,…

  • Aunt Dinah

    Tokushima & the Anan Coast

    Get ready for a friendly welcome, country music and a great range of curries, pastas and pizzas at this rustic spot on the main road near the impossible…

More destinations you need to see