Nagano Region
This superb soba shop, just of the main street in the middle of the village, offers a relaxed atmosphere, jazz music and a chance to try the superb soba…
Must-see restaurants in Japan
Central Honshū
One of Japan's most renowned soba shops, where the classic presentation is cold mori (plain) or zaru (with strips of nori) with a sweetish dipping sauce…
Hokkaidō
Not only does the owner Haru-san make the noodles here by hand, he made the wooden soba bar himself too. Stop by for a scrumptious handmade noodle meal at…
Yokohama
Yokohama has its own version of the beef hotpot dish sukiyaki, called gyū-nabe. This elegant restaurant, established in 1895, is the place to sample it.
Kyūshū
This sprawling restaurant in a riverside gorge near Ikeda-ko gets an estimated 200,000 annual visitors (!), paying tribute to the 1967 birthplace of…
Kyūshū
This beach-casual shop might offer the most spectacular sunset of your trip: the sun sinks into the ocean or behind mudflats that stretch to the horizon –…
Kyūshū
Chikin nanban (sweet fried chicken with tartar sauce; pictured on the menu) was invented here in 1961, and crowds still flock to this no-frills shop under…
Kumamoto
Yokobachi's leafy courtyard and open kitchen are distinctive. Although some menu translations are head-scratchers, stand-out small plates include spicy…
Aomori Prefecture
In the evening university students flock to this nondescript office building housing eight tiny restaurants, most doubling as bars. It's a lively local…
Yaeyama Islands
This Ishigaki city favourite serves all the Okinawan and Yaeyama standards. The boisterous atmosphere and kitchen get top marks, although smokers detract…
Ganso Kushikatsu Daruma Honten
Osaka
Daruma has branches around town, but for many Japanese a pilgrimage to the original shop in Shinsekai – opened in 1929 and said to be the birthplace of…
Western Honshū
An extremely popular fusion restaurant for Japanese classics such as tako-yaki (grilled octopus dumplings). The best bet is the set six-course meal, which…
Kumamoto
This black-walled, quietly chic izakaya, with cosy private booths and hori-kotatsu (well in the floor for your feet) seating, has a whole menu of Kumamoto…
Kyūshū
Operated by the local agricultural collaborative, this large, spotless, rustic-modern restaurant offers set menus featuring award-winning Takachiho beef…
Western Honshū
Squeeze in at the counter at this small, simple lunch joint and watch the team of women preparing delicious tofu meals as you wait. There are only three…
Naoshima
The artfully displayed kaiseki dinners at this contrastingly austere restaurant in Benesse House Museum's basement (though with Andy Warhol works on the…
Naoshima
Up on a small hill at the rear of a farming plot, Naka-Oku is a good option in the Honmura area, and one of only a couple of places open in the evenings…
Kagoshima
This atmospheric multistorey restaurant near central Tenmonkan covers all your Satsuma-ryōri needs: Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cake), tonkotsu (pork…
Aomori Prefecture
Cut out the middle man and head straight for the famed Aomori seafood market, where piles of fresh catch – as well as apples, pickled vegetables and a…
Hiroshima
The walls of this popular okonomiyaki specialist are covered with the signatures and messages of famous and not-so-famous satisfied customers. The tasty,…
Miyajima
Discerning visitors queue at this small restaurant in a traditional house and garden to get their hands on Miyajima's signature dish, anago meshidon, the…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
This blingy little bistro gets bonus points for its delightfully secluded location, resting atop a shaded grassy knoll on a white-sand beach, whose…
Ehime Prefecture
This restaurant, just off the arcade, is an elegant spot to try the local tai (sea bream) specialities, available here as a tai-meshi gozen (sea bream set…
Hiroshima Region
At this former merchant building, only one meal is served – hayashi raisu (beef in a rich tomato-based sauce on rice) – but it's served very well, and in…
Western Honshū
A tranquil rest stop near the Jōkamachi area, Hotoritei is within a large house surrounded by gardens. It mainly serves coffees, teas and cakes – try the…
Hokkaidō
Poronno, inside the Ainu kotan, has the most interesting menu of the restaurants in town specialising in Ainu cuisine. You can try yukku ruibe (frozen,…
Western Honshū
You can count on a friendly welcome at this small izakaya, which specialises in the 'seven delicacies' from Shinji-ko and is a good place to try some…
Beppu
This busy spot may be the only restaurant in the world where you steam your own meal and eat it while dangling your feet in a foot bath. Order from a…
Western Honshū
The speciality here is fresh wheat noodles handmade on the premises, going into filling dishes such as sansai udon (noodles with wild vegetables) and…
Miyajima
By day at Mame-tanuki there are lunch sets, such as the tasty anago meshidon and fried oysters; at night it is one of the few places open late, serving…
Miyajima
This comfortable cafe boasts excellent views of the torii and sea. Open and airy, it serves handsome-looking lunches, such as Japanese chicken curry and…
Osaka
Step into an oasis of calm amid Dōtombori's chaos to be welcomed by staff at one of the area's oldest and most-revered udon specialists. Try kitsune udon …
Nagoya
Delightfully traditional but not overly formal, this Nagoyan kappo institution specialises in simple grilled fish lunches served with miso soup, rice and…
Kii Peninsula
This chill spot – more Goa than rural Japan – with great wooden beams serves vegetarian dishes like tofu cheesecake that seem indulgent compared to temple…
Sendai
Vegetable curries, macrobiotic tofu and fresh, colourful salads are the highlights of this delightful, minimalist cafe, which rotates its menu regularly…
Kyūshū
If you're going to splurge on Miyazaki gyū (beef), do it at this gracious yakiniku and steak house with river views. Lunch set menus are a nice deal, with…
Nagasaki
Come here if you'd like to experience shippoku-ryōri (Nagasaki-style kaiseki) and still afford your airfare home. Menus are filling and varied, and there…
Shikoku
At the West-West centre, Momiji-tei offers a good opportunity to try Iya soba. It's the lovely old building in the garden at the northern end of the…
Nagasaki
Tia serves a buffet of mouth-watering home-style Japanese cooking using local, organic products. It's on the 2nd floor, with an entry that's easy to miss…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
German-born chef and Noma alumnus Thomas Frebel leads an international team of young chefs here at Inua, one of Tokyo's most talked about openings in…
