The 10 unmissable restaurants in Otaru, Hokkaido, June 2019 Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Nov 08 2023

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

The 10 unmissable restaurants in Otaru, Hokkaido, June 2019

Planning a trip to Hokkaido and looking for something specific to eat? There are plenty of restaurants to suit every tastes. Discover the best places to eat here, from traditional meal and quintessentially comfort food to western-style dishes and varied ethnic cuisine.

See full listings of Japanese Cuisine restaurants found in and around Otaru.

1. Otaru Masazushi Main Branch

[Otaru Masazushi Main Branch] is located on Otaru Sushi Street, which is lined with well-established sushi shops. They have strived to protect traditions and ensure continued careful selection of ingredients to better present the [relaxation] of a meal to our customers. In order to be able to reliably offer [Maguro] (tuna) year-round, each November (the prime season for tuna) they buy up carefully chosen tuna of at least 300 kg. The fish, procured from the Atlantic Ocean near Canada, is known to be some of the best in the world. Just one taste and you'll never forget the sweetness and tenderness that makes it practically melt in your mouth. They have a full selection of multi-course meals, which they recommend for business meetings or dinner parties. They invite you to enter the soothing world of a warm, calming wooden atmosphere, sincere staff, and a menu of dishes made with the utmost attention to flavor.

Otaru Masazushi Main Branch

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, Holidays, Day Before Holidays] 11:00 - 22:00
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY
Access: Get off at JR Otaru Station. It is approximately 3 to 4 minutes by taxi from the station.
Address: 1-1-1 Hanazono, Otaru, Hokkaido Map
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2. Toriya Otori

The restaurant, 7 minutes walk from Otaru Station, keep fascinating and impresseing local people and tourists for over 8 years. Their recommended specialty is [Mizutaki (hot pot)] using a soup made by boiling a stock of parent chickens from Hokkaido, chicken legs, and several kinds of vegetables for more than 10 hours. The soup, great for your skin as it contains an abundance of collagen, is used for the luxurious hot pot menu, to boil Sakurahime Chicken from Atsuma. This brand chicken, popular as it is tender and does not have a strong smell, is used for mizutaki, yakitori (grilled chicken), and a-la-carte dishes. They are also joining a campaign to raise the domestic food self-sufficiency rate, by using more than 90% domestic ingredients to offer high-quality, authentic dishes. As their hot pot can be ordered from 1 person, you can visit for various occasions, from eating alone to having a banquet with many people.

Toriya Otori

Open: [Sunday, National Holidays] Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm) [Tuesday-Saturday] Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY
Access: From Otaru Station, turn left at the restaurant OTARU BINE and immediately after 7 minutes walk.
Address: 1-9-11, Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido Map
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3. Teppanyaki Sushi Washoku-Dokoro Cocoro (Grand Park Otaru)

Teppanyaki Sushi Washoku-Dokoro Cocoro (Grand Park Otaru) cuisine

Cocoro is a secluded Japanese restaurant inside Grand Park Otaru. Here, you can enjoy exquisite Japanese cuisine made using carefully-selected ingredients from Hokkaido Prefecture. They offer hotel-quality hospitality, allowing you to enjoy a blissful dining experience. They use Shiraoi beef, which is a breed that's raised in the same place as Matsuzaka cattle and Kobe cattle. Enjoy plenty of this flavorful beef as teppanyaki (ingredients grilled on an iron griddle) or steak. In addition, the experience of having the chef, sake master, and sommelier explain each of your dishes and drinks is exceptional. Overwhelm all of your senses by experiencing the flavors of each season in every dish! They have bright yet relaxing tables, as well as unique semicircular teppanyaki counters. They only have seating in private rooms, making it a great place for events like business gatherings, group dinners, and celebrations. It's the perfect place to visit during a special day.

Teppanyaki Sushi Washoku-Dokoro Cocoro (Grand Park Otaru)

Open: Dinner 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm *Lunch is available from 11:30 pm - 2:00 pm, but you need to book in advance!
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 5,700 JPY / [Lunch] 3,500 JPY
Access: Around a 5-minute walk from [Otaruchikko Station] on the JR Hakodate Main Line. Near the Otaru IC from the Sasson Expressway.
Address: 2F, Grand Park Otaru, 11-3, Chikko, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido Map
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4. Sushi Restaurant Shun

Shun is located close to Otaru Station and Otaru Canal. Passionate about delicious seasonal ingredients, this restaurant serves carefully selected ingredients from all over Japan, with a focus on local produce from Otaru and Hokkaido. For example, the chef carefully selects keiji salmon, a rare type said to be a 1 in 10,000 finds. This rare, high-grade salmon's fatty texture is said to be all toro tuna. For a seasonal taste, try the [Nigiri Sushi (11 pieces)], an array of sushi that demonstrates the chef's attentive skills. In addition to Hokkaido and Otaru-sourced sushi toppings, there is also the popular, thick-sliced [Conger Eel], made with a sauce that has been continually developed since the restaurant opened! There is plenty of local sake (Japanese alcohol) options to choose from, so be sure to enjoy pairings with sushi and snacks made from local produce.

Sushi Restaurant Shun

Open: [Lunch] 11:00 am - 3:00 pm / [Dinner] 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:00 pm)
Closed:
Average price: [Dinner] 5,500 JPY / [Lunch] 3,000 JPY
Access: A 5-minute walk from [Otaru Station]. Also located close to Otaru Canal. (Turn towards Otaru Canal from the Inaho 2-18 intersection and head straight.)
Address: 1-2-11, Inaho, Otaru city, Hokkaido Map
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5. Takeya

Proprietor Shinada Hiroaki, who has over 30 years of experience as a sushi chef, designed Takeya in 2009 to be a restaurant where diners can enjoy sushi and other dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. Since opening, this restaurant has enjoyed popularity with locals and visitors alike thanks to its sushi and seafood bowls made with generous servings of local seafood. Sea urchin is a particular specialty of this restaurant. Selecting only local sea urchin caught between June to August from the Shakotan, Yoichi, and Furubira areas, one taste of this seafood's exceptional freshness and rich sweetness is sure to be unforgettable. With other delicious, skillfully-made dishes like sushi and tempura available, this restaurant is also recommended for parties. Its reasonable prices are a happy bonus!

Takeya

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm (L.O. 2:00 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY / [Lunch] 1,500 JPY
Access: Opposite the Michi-no-eki(Roadside Station) [Space Apple Yoichi] and Nikka Whiskey Yoichi Distillery.
Address: 2-217, Kurokawa-cho, Yoichi-cho, Yoichi-gun, Hokkaido

6. NEW SANKO Main Branch

This restaurant is in the back of a stately brick building. It consists of several sections; a beer hall serving nostalgic western dishes, and a Japanese restaurant and banquet halls serving seasonal dishes, so that you can visit for various occasions. They offer popular mutton BBQ with all-you-can-drink. Please visit the open space on the first floor of [Beer Hall SANKO], which is the oldest existing beer hall in Otaru, with your friends and family, to enjoy proud Sapporo draft beer ([NEW SANKO]'s draft beer which is said to be the best in Otaru). If you want to relax and enjoy in a private room, please visit [Local Cuisine SANKO] on the second floor, and fully enjoy the seasonal taste of Otaru! The third and fourth floors are the banquet halls where you can have banquets for up to 200 people. They can also be used for memorial services and wedding receptions!

NEW SANKO Main Branch

Open: 11:30 am - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 1,500 JPY / [Lunch] 900 JPY
Access: JR Hakodate Main Line - Otaru Station - 5-minute walk
Address: 1-3-6 Inaho, Otaru city, Hokkaido

7. Marukatsu Otaru Suisan

This seafood izakaya (Japanese pub) is located in Otaru, which is the gourmet city of Hokkaido. Here, you can enjoy fish and shellfish from the coastal waters of Hokkaido and Otaru's foreshores, prepared in whatever way maximizes their flavor, such as sashimi or robatayaki. Some customers come specifically for the rare cuts that they sometimes offer, such as nakaochi (meat on the spine), chin, eyes, and cheek of bluefin tuna. Fresh oysters from Akkeshi are also available year-round. Although they are primarily a seafood izakaya, their meat and offal dishes should not be missed. They have counter seats for solo diners to relax at, as well as private rooms that accommodate groups of 2 - 40 people. Their course meals with all-you-can-drink attached, which are perfect for parties, start from 3,500 JPY. This izakaya is recommended to everyone, from locals to people visiting as tourists or for business.

Marukatsu Otaru Suisan

Open: [Monday, Thursday, Sunday, National Holidays] Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm[Friday, Saturday, Day before National Holidays] Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY
Access: 4-minute walk from JR Otaru Station
Address: 1-11-10, Hanazono, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido

8. Iso-zushi

Enjoy the fine fresh seafood sent directly from the market. They serve not only exquisite sushi created with professional techniques, but also fresh and tasty dishes where you can enjoy the performances with your eyes, such as [Sashimi of Live Squid] where squid is prepared in front of the guest immediately after being caught from the water tank in the restaurant, and [Namara-don], a rice bowl topped with the whole live abalone. Also, enjoy their hospitality; they serve several sizes of rice bowls including medium size, and a few pieces of hand-formed sushi can be ordered, so that the guests can casually enjoy. Even those who visit for the first time can relax and enjoy a fun, unforgettable moment with their sushi. They usually close at 4:00 pm; however, you can visit even out of the regular hours of operation. You can also hold a banquet for up to 40 people in the tatami room on the second floor. Their savory dishes with reasonable prices and good performances are highly received among both tourists and local guests.

Iso-zushi

Open: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm (L.O. 4:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY
Access: JR Hakodate Main Line - Otaru Station - 12-minute walk
Address: 4-1 Sakai-machi, Otaru city, Hokkaido

9. Otaru Orizushi

[Otaru Orizushi] is highly received with savory dishes using fresh seafood caught in the near seas of Hokkaido. This retro-modern restaurant filled with a warm atmosphere is in a renovated stone warehouse which was built at the beginning of the Showa period. Please visit for various occasions, as they have various kinds of seats such as counter seats, sophisticated cafe-like table seats, and a tatami room reminiscent of an old Japanese house. The restaurant also facilitates children's play space on the second floor, which is ideal for families with children. Their recommendation for those who want to enjoy savory seafood is [Hanabusa Nigiri (hand-formed sushi) 12 Pieces] with the best seasonal seafood of the season. This restaurant is also suited for banquets and family gatherings, as they serve a wide variety of a-la-carte dishes including [Zangi (deep-fried chicken Hokkaido style)] with a crispy and aromatic outside.

Otaru Orizushi

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm / Dinner 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 7,000 JPY / [Lunch] 4,000 JPY
Access: 9 minutes walk from [Otaru Station] on JR Hakodate Main Line. Along the Naka-dori Street which is next to prefectural road No. 17 (Otaru Rinko Line) in the west. Behind the Nitori Otaru Art Base.
Address: 1-2-8 Ironai, Otaru city, Hokkaido Map
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10. Shikama -Sushi & Japanese Cuisine

Shikama -Sushi & Japanese Cuisine cuisine

You should not miss sushi when visiting Hokkaido. To enjoy tasty sushi that can be found only in Otaru, please visit the restaurant popular among both travelers and locals. The restaurant was established 60 years ago by the previous generation who was originally running a seafood shop in Otaru! When the sushi restaurant opened, the mother of the current owner became the first female sushi chef in Japan. All of their sushi, topped with fresh seasonal local ingredients from Maehama, Otaru, can be found only in Otaru, [the town of sushi]. A wide variety of seats are available at the restaurant, such as counter seats where you can also enjoy conversation with the chef and private rooms, for various groups including single guests, small groups, and big groups, for various occasions.

Shikama -Sushi & Japanese Cuisine

Open: [Monday, Wednesday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] 11:00 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:30 pm) During weekdays, we have a break from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Closed: Tuesday
Average price: [Dinner] 7,000 JPY / [Lunch] 3,000 JPY
Access: From JR Otaru Station, turn right at the National Route No. 5, turn left at Inaho Icchome Intersection, and turn right at Sushiyadori-mae-temae Intersection
Address: 1-2-5, Hanazono, Otaru city, Hokkaido

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.