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11 Best Restaurants in Sendai to Enjoy Local Flavors

Update-Date: Mar 10, 2025

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Categories: Japanese Cuisine

11 Best Restaurants in Sendai to Enjoy Local Flavors

Sendai City, the gateway to the Tohoku Region, has many restaurants that use local ingredients to create gourmet food unique to the area, such as the Sendai specialty of gyutan (beef tongue) and local sake (Japanese alcohol). This article will be introducing 11 specially selected restaurants for local gourmet food!

1. Sumibyaki and Sanriku-uminosachi Sendai Saishun

16 Best Restaurants in Sendai to Enjoy Local Flavors

Located on the second floor of APA Hotel Sendai Eki Itsutsubashi, Sumibyaki and Sanriku-uminosachi Sendai Saishun offers a sophisticated setting for enjoying regional Japanese delicacies. The menu focuses on charcoal-grilled dishes that highlight natural flavors alongside seasonal a la carte options and a curated selection of Tohoku sake. With flexible seating across 90 spots, including private rooms and counter service, it accommodates everything from solo diners to large banquets. This refined atmosphere makes it an ideal choice for business entertainment, formal dinners, and celebratory anniversaries centered around local seasonal ingredients.

Sumibyaki and Sanriku-uminosachi Sendai Saishun

Open: Breakfast 6:30 am - 10:00 am / Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm *Lunchtime is by reservation only / Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,500 JPY
Access: 8-minute walk from JR Sendai Station / 3-minute walk from Itsutsubashi Station (North Exit 3) on the Subway Namboku Line
Address: 2F, APA Hotel Sendai Eki Itsutsubashi, 3-1-1, Itsutsubashi, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi Map

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2. Hyakudo

15 Best Restaurants in Sendai to Enjoy Local Flavors

Hyakudo offers a refined yet unpretentious dining experience, blending modern Japanese style with the inviting energy of a traditional tavern. This mature bar caters to various occasions, from social gatherings to solo visits. The menu features creative Japanese cuisine and charcoal-grilled seasonal vegetables, emphasizing carefully prepared ingredients. Guests can pair their meals with authentic shochu or refreshing lemon sours made from pesticide-free fruit. Open until 2 AM, it serves as a reliable destination for late-night dining or a sophisticated second stop during an evening out.

Hyakudo

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday] 6:00 pm - 02:00 am [Sunday, National Holidays] 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 4,500 JPY
Access: 5-minute walk from Omachi Nishi-koen Station
Address: 1F, 2-21 Tachimachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi Map

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3. Rikyu Nakakecho Branch (Sendai / Japanese Cuisine)

1. Rikyu Nakakecho Branch (Sendai / Japanese Cuisine)

A Must Try for Japanophiles! 15 Select Restaurants Around Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture to Enjoy Local Flavors

This is a famous chain specializing in the Sendai specialty of gyutan and has 20 branches across the prefecture. The restaurant's signature dish is [Gyutan (Premium) Set Meal] (2,310 JPY). The thickly sliced gyutan is grilled by veteran chefs for a juicy texture that cuts cleanly and is full of umami (Japanese savory taste). It goes perfectly with the steamed barley and rice that is included in the set. Other set items, such as the [Zeitaku Stew Set] (2,050 JPY) are also just as popular.

Gyutan Sumiyaki Rikyu Nakakecho

Open: Normal hours: 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. (last order 10:30 p.m.) Lunch until 3:00 p.m. New Year's Eve: 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (last order 8:30 p.m.) New Year's Day: 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (last order 9:00 p.m.)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,200 JPY
Access: In front of JR Sendai Station, in the Hapina Nakakecho Shopping Arcade next to Matsuzawa Kamaboko Shop.
Address: JY Bldg. 1F , Chuo 1-8-29, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
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4. Koya Kokubuncho Branch (Hirose-dori / Sushi)

5. Koya Kokubuncho Branch (Hirose-dori / Sushi)

This is a restaurant to savor sushi made with super fresh seafood. They offer a wide selection of premium ingredients that the keen-eyed owner picks out at the market every morning. [Master's Recommendations] (4,320 JPY) is a great way to experience the owner's expertise. It is a voluminous selection of premium sushi, including seven with seasonal ingredients. There is also a wide variety of a la carte items, such as the [Jiman no Tamagoyaki] (540 JPY) and [Abalone Steak] (4,320 JPY and up), as well as 40 to 50 sake labels that go well with the food. A wonderful place to thoroughly enjoy the flavors of Sendai.

Sushidokoro koya Kokubun-cho Branch

Open: 6:00 pm - 3:00 am
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: Head onto Kokubunjidori street from Hirosedori street, pass Setokatsu Parking on the right, located on the first floor of the #2 Fujiya Building.
Address: No.2 Fujiwara-ya Bldg. 1F, 2-1-14 Kokubun-cho , Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi (Map)
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5. Zehu (Hirose-dori / Japanese Cuisine)

8. Zehu (Hirose-dori / Japanese Cuisine)

This is a restaurant for those who love seasonal ingredients as tempura or as chargrilled cuisine. Seating is primarily in semi-private and private rooms, so you can loosen up without worrying about other guests. Recommended dishes include the freshly fried tempura, [Thick Slices of Sendai's Famous Salt-grilled Beef Tongue] (1,580 JPY), and [Thick Slices of Saikyo-yaki Sablefish] (1,600 JPY) with a slightly sweet flavor that goes perfectly with sake. The restaurant also prides itself in its wide selection of organic wines that go well with Japanese cuisine, so feel free to indulge in the combinations.

Wasyoku to Tempura Zehu

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday] Normal hours: 17:30 - 03:00 (Last order: 02:00) [Sunday, National Holiday] Normal hours: 17:30 - 00:00
Closed: Sundays
Address: Umehara Bldg. 2F, 2-1-20 Kokubuncho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
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6. Shiogama Shirahata (Sendai / Sushi)

This is a standing bar where customers can delight in sushi and other Japanese cuisine made with local ingredients. A popular menu item is the [Shiogama Shirahata / Highest-Grade] selection of sushi that includes wild Pacific bluefin tuna. Their sushi can be ordered individually, but you can also ask for the menu that was developed by the chefs here if you have trouble deciding. The [Tenderly Simmered Octopus], which goes perfectly with sake, is one of the restaurant's signature dishes. It is unbelievably soft for octopus, so much so that you hardly need to chew. It is an outstanding dish to delight in the umami flavors of octopus.

Shiogama Shirahata

Open: [Weekdays] Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm [Everyday] 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,200 JPY
Access: 1 minute walk from JR Sendai Station. At [Date-no-Komichi] in S-PAL Sendai East Bldg.
Address: Date-no-Komichi, 2F, S-PAL Sendai East Bldg., 1-1-1, Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi (Map)
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7. Matsuzakaya (Hirose-dori / Teppanyaki)

15. Matsuzakaya (Hirose-dori / Teppanyaki)

This is a teppanyaki (ingredients grilled on an iron griddle) restaurant where you can try a variety of premium wagyu beef. There is a wide selection of courses, among which the [Matsuzaka Beef and Sendai Beef Tasting Course] (7,500 JPY) is particularly popular. The course allows you to try and compare lean cuts of Matsuzaka beef, which is one of Japan's three main wagyu beefs, and the local specialty Sendai beef. Tasting and comparing these premium beefs will let you feel extravagant and pampered. The course comes with seafood teppanyaki, vegetables, rice and dessert, so satisfaction is guaranteed.

Teppan Matsuzakaya

Open: Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm) L.O. for courses is 9:30 pm, for a-la-carte dishes is 10:00 pm
Closed: Sundays
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 900 JPY
Access: 5 minutes walk from Hirosedori Station. Go towards the direction of SENDAI FORUS, turn left at the second street, then on the left side
Address: 3F, Luna Park Ichibancho Bldg., 1-6-1 Kokubun-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi (Map)
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8. Kokorozukushi Inase (Sendai / Japanese Cuisine)

10. Kokorozukushi Inase (Sendai / Japanese Cuisine)

Visiting this unassuming restaurant is a great way to thoroughly savor traditional Japanese cuisine. It is renowned for their food, which are prepared primarily with ingredients from Miyagi Prefecture and also designed to go well with sake. The [Assorted Sashimi Platter] (2,000 JPY and up) is a perennial favorite. Not only is it full of seasonal ingredients, but the beautiful presentation further whets the appetite. In addition, the juicy and sweet [Grilled Beef Tripe with Sendai Miso] (850 JPY) of beef tripe marinated in a homemade miso is a dish that may get you hooked for life.

Kokorozukushi Inase

Open: Dinner: 5:00 p.m. - Midnight (last order at 11:00 p.m.) *Please contact us for reservations outside these hours.
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY
Access: Leave JR Sendai Station through its West Exit. Located across the pawnshop Utsubo, on the street behind Yamada Denki LABI.
Address: Ekimae Nozomi Bldg. 1F, 3-6-22 Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
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9. Yamako (Kotodai-koen / Japanese Cuisine)

13. Yamako (Kotodai-koen / Japanese Cuisine)

This restaurant focuses on traditional Japanese cuisine made with fresh seafood and seasonal ingredients. With horigotatsu seating in addition to seating at the counter, it has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. They offer a wide selection of a la carte dishes that go well with local sake and shochu. Recommendations include [Beef Stir Fried with Spices] (1,000 JPY) that is great for savoring the umami flavors of beef, and the [Seafood Chawanmushi] (950 JPY) which is packed with premium seafood such as sea urchin. Courses that come with all-you-can-drink options are recommended for those who are fond of their drinks.

Sohonke Yamako

Open: [Weekdays / Saturday] Normal Hours 17:00-00:00
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY
Access: After getting off at Koutoudai Park Station, it is a seven minute walk from the ticket gates. After exiting the station, across from the entrance to Kokumeimachidoori, it is at 2F in the Goroku Ichiban Building.
Address: Goroku Ichibankan Bldg. 2F, 2-5-3 Kokubun-cho , Aoba-ku,Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
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10. Trattoria Gin (Kotodai-koen / Italian Cuisine)

3. Trattoria Gin (Kotodai-koen / Italian Cuisine)

This is an Italian restaurant run by a chef who trained at a famous restaurant in Tokyo. Its specialty is the [Acqua Pazza] (1,600 JPY and up) made by combining tomatoes, olive oil, capers, and other ingredients with fresh fish brought to shore in Miyagi Prefecture. It is a wonderful dish to both savor the umami flavors of the fish and to pair with drinks such as wine. The [Grilled Takashimizu KYO Pork] (1,600 JPY and up), made with brand name pork from Miyagi Prefecture, is also popular. Plenty more items on their extensive menu are also made with local ingredients.

Trattoria Gin

Open: (Weekdays) Lunch 11:30am-2:00pm (last order 1:30pm) (Weekdays, Saturday) Dinner 6:00pm-12:00am (last order 11:30pm)
Closed: Tuesdays
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY / [Lunch] 800 JPY
Access: Next to the city hall. Follow Kokubuncho-dori; you'll see a building with a ramen shop on the first floor. We're on the second floor.
Address: Negishi Bldg. 2F , 3-8-12 Kokubun-cho , Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
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11. TOTORO

Totoro Sendai Ichibancho is an all-private-room izakaya specializing in seasonal cuisine, serving fresh seafood and oysters sourced directly from Kesennuma. Highlights include daily recommended sashimi, fish shabu-shabu, and creative dishes crafted from seasonal ingredients. With exclusively private seating, guests can dine in comfort during business meetings, parties, or family gatherings. To complement the meal, the pub features over 40 varieties of sake, including selections from Miyagi, the broader Tohoku region, and rare brands across Japan. Enjoy a memorable, relaxing dining experience at Totoro.

TOTORO

Open: [Weekdays, Saturdays, Holidays, and the day before holidays]Dinner: 16:00 - 23:00 (Last order 22:30)
Closed: Irregular holidays
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY
Access: A 1-minute walk from Hirose-dori Station. Right near the Hirose-dori entrance of Kokubuncho.
Address: 2F OIDE Ichibancho Building, 4-2-4 Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture Map

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Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

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