Restaurants in Nagoya

Aikyou

Aikyou is near the central fish market and serves the freshest seasonal ingredients. This top-end restaurant in Nagoya is well known for its wild turtle cuisine, which is served as sashimi and nabe (hotpot). However, most diners opt for the Aigo Nabe – a delicious bouillabaisse of local meat and seafood including Matsuba crab, Ise shrimp, blowfish, Hida beef and cochin (Nagoya) chicken.

Garden Restaurant Tokugawaen

This top restaurant in Nagoya offers exquisitely presented French and Japanese cuisine in a magical setting overlooking the famous, Edo period Tokugawa-en traditional garden and pond. Dinner courses are based on meat and fish dishes and also include seasonal ingredients. The atmosphere and service are both calm and incredibly efficient. During spring and autumn, the Garden Restaurant is very popular so make sure to book well in advance.

Kawabun

Built at the time of Nagoya Castle and once belonging to the Owari Tokugawa family, this exclusive ryotei restaurant (not to be confused with an Italian restaurant called Kawabun Nagoya, also in the city) offers traditional Japanese fare and kaiseki banquets. The tables surround a beautiful interior garden; sit back and marvel at each exquisite course created from seasonal ingredients.

Horaiken

This restaurant has been in business since 1873 serving another famous Nagoya dish, hitsumabushi - charcoal-grilled eel served on rice in a lacquer box. Horaiken is located in a lovely old traditional mansion with a garden near Atsuta Shrine. You can sit in private tatami rooms to enjoy your meal.

Taiko Honten

Shabu-shabu and sukiyaki are cooked at your table at this restaurant in Nagoya with top-quality local kuroge (black) beef, and eaten with a delicious sesame-flavoured dipping sauce. Taiko Honten also serves kaiseki (traditional multi-course banquet), which includes local specialities and seasonal produce.

Atsuta Hōraiken Honten

This is the place to try hitsumabushi (eel in a secret sauce with rice and condiments), as the queues will attest - especially in the summer; go around 5pm to ensure less of a wait. The eel four ways is especially popular, and comes with an English guide with instructions on how to eat it. The restaurant is set in a traditional house near a popular shrine.

Sekai no Yamachan

This extremely popular Nagoya-based izakaya (Japanese pub) chain is famous all over the country for its spicy tebasaki (chicken wings) and other tasty bar food dishes. Locally brewed bottled beers are also on the menu. Sekai no Yamachan’s cheerful atmosphere makes it an easy place to drop into for just a snack or a full dinner course, at very reasonable prices.

Nanpu

Nanpu specialises in Okinawan cuisine as well as teppanyaki (iron grill) and kushiyaki (grilled skewer) dishes. One of Nanpu’s more unusual fusion dishes is their “goya pizza” – a grilled pizza with goya, the Okinawan bitter gourd vegetable, as the main ingredient. You can sit at the counter and watch the chef in action, or share a table with friendly locals. Okinawan beer and cocktails are also on the menu.

Yabaton

This is the place to come for a hearty serving of the Nagoya specialty misokatsu – breaded pork cutlet with miso (fermented soy bean paste) sauce, served with rice and shredded cabbage salad. Yabaton also serves crab croquettes and chicken cutlets. The interior is porcine and sumo themed.