Sapporo
Sapporo takes its ramen very seriously and Saimi is oft-voted the best ramen shop in the city (and sometimes the country) – and it's not overrated. You…
Must-see restaurants in Hokkaidō
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Hokkaidō
Inside Hakodate Morning Market, Kikuyo Shokudo got its start in the 1950s as a counter joint to feed market workers and is now one of the top reasons to…
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Hokkaidō
Chidori does real robata-yaki, charcoal grilling in a pit built into the table. The speciality of the house is hokke chanchan-yaki (ホッケチャンチャン焼; ¥1000) –…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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Niseko
Down the road from the Annupuri slopes, Loft Club glitters with fairy lights and the warm, glowing promise of a filling meal washed down with beer and…
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Niseko
This authentic family-run pizzeria headed by the affable Cezar does thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas with a mouth-watering variety of toppings (plus pastas…
Sapporo
This famous alleyway in the Susukino entertainment district is crammed with ramen shops, including branches of several venerable Hokkaidō shops. It's been…
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Niseko
Niseko's most famous noodle shop is also famously hard to find, though its secluded location (accessed via a wooden boardwalk) is a big part of the appeal…
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Hokkaidō
OK, the food here isn't dramatically different from what a Japanese diner would serve, but you can get a donburi (rice bowl) topped with Hokkaidō venison…
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Sapporo
This is something special: sushi for breakfast out at the fish market. It takes an effort to get here, but the sushi is excellent and you can wander…
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Hokkaidō
This rambling collection of tiny restaurants runs the length of an alley between 4-jō-dōri and 5-jō-dōri, about a 10-minute walk north of the train…
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Sapporo
These are the crab guys! The frigid seas surrounding Hokkaidō are bountiful and yield some of the tastiest crustaceans around. Try the kani-suki (¥4600…
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Hokkaidō
Hakodate's iconic burger shop has been voted best in the nation several times – despite its cultivated dive image. The house special is the Chinese…
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Hokkaidō
The city's oldest ramen shop (opened in 1947) serves delicious al dente noodles in a shōyu (soy sauce) seasoned assari (light) broth – classic Asahikawa…
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Sapporo
This is where Sapporoites take friends visiting from out of town for the local speciality, jingisukan (all-you-can-eat lamb dish). There's nothing fancy…
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Hokkaidō
This is a fun place to gather in the evening: a collection of 25 food vendors in an old-style marketplace, with outdoor seats (when it's not freezing)…
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Sapporo
This Sapporo institution serves sandwiches of the genteel sort (crusts-off, lightly stuffed), with dozens of fillings. Two to try: the king-crab sandwich…
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Hokkaidō
Guitars, motorcycles, CDs and 1960s folk all grace this cafe that's all about the sea urchin. If you've been craving sea urchin curry, sea urchin pasta,…
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Hokkaidō
Testing the adage that everything is better with cheese, Karin adds local Furano cheese to its ramen. Whether that sounds amazing or awful, you know you…
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Sapporo
A grown-up twist on the classic ice-cream parlour, Milk Mura serves mugs of soft-serve ice cream accompanied by three tiny chalices of your choice of…
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Sapporo
This soup curry shop near the Moiwa-yama Ropeway comes highly recommended by Sapporo locals. Most popular: the chicken curry (チキンカレー; chikin karē) with a …
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Hokkaidō
Festooned with a flower garden outside and romantic and cosy inside, Boyotei is a treat just five minutes' walk from the station. Hamburger-steaks,…
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Niseko
A newcomer to the Niseko scene, Ginger offers American-meets-Izakaya cuisine, with Japanese takes on burgers, steaks, salads, and so on. The orange-and…
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Niseko
This is Niseko's original hang-out spot in Hirafu East Village, a standby with season regulars and long-time expats for its sandwiches, omelettes and…
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Hokkaidō
Run by the island's fishing collective (and closed the moment the sea urchin season ends), Atoi serves generously portioned kaisen-don (raw seafood over…
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Sapporo
At the northeast corner of the market, Keiran has fresh rice bowls, tasty grilled fish, and plenty of English. You can marvel at the hundreds of happy…
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Hokkaidō
Since 1949 this popular Tokachi dairy has been serving great ice cream from its small cafe. It makes dozens of flavours – from black sesame to edamame to…
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Hokkaidō
Choose your crab and have it served, or go for the menu, either way it's delicious seafood in a building that's four decades old. Note that the hours can…
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Hokkaidō
Super tasty skewers here, primarily pork, though it does have chicken. The tsukune (chicken sausage) is divine.
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Sapporo
This popular joint gets so busy the air is thick with the smoke of grilling lamb. Most popular: the 90-minute all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink deal for …
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Sapporo
Sapporo's original fish market is now mostly a tourist spot (since the wholesale market moved to a big modern facility outside the city centre). There are…
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Hokkaidō
A surprisingly tasty cafe for a ferry terminal, Tsuki serves up coffee, cakes and curries to waiting passengers. Service is so-so, and nonsmokers may have…
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Hokkaidō
This cute restaurant – the name means 'stage coach' – inside the old wooden Yambetsu train station serves up tasty ramen and is naturally a hit with…
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Hokkaidō
Traditionalists should put aside all preconceptions when visiting this brewery-restaurant. The yakiniku (grilled meat) served here is pretty good…
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Hokkaidō
One of Furano's signature dishes is omu-karē (オムかれー), rice topped with an omelette surrounded by a moat of Japanese-style curry. Yamadori ups the ante…
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Hokkaidō
Right in front of JR Mashū Station, this small, cosy restaurant serves up standards such as ramen and buta-don (grilled pork on rice; ¥1080), with a…
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Sapporo
An easy option for a bite to eat in the train station, Ramen Kyōwakoku is a collection of ramen shops from all over Hokkaidō. It's all here: Sapporo miso…
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Hokkaidō
If seeing all that Cyrillic on the street signs around Wakkanai has got you hankering for some pelmeni (dumplings; ¥700) or pirozhki (stuffed buns; ¥300),…
