The best restaurants in Shizuoka range from delicious seafood to traditional noodles, and trying the local food is a great way to get closer to the culture. While many locals will rave about their juicy Salisbury steaks, others might point you towards the fish restaurants by the sea.

Each restaurant has its own speciality dishes and unique atmosphere. We’ve brought together some of the best restaurants in the Shizuoka area so you can get a taste of the local flavour.

  • 1

    Sawayaka

    The famous Salisbury steak of Shizuoka

    Sawayaka
    • Food

    Sawayaka is a family-friendly restaurant in Shizuoka that serves a delicious local dish known as hambaagu, which is the Japanese take on a Salisbury steak. You can choose from a variety of toppings, but most come with a rich brown demi-glace sauce made mostly with beef stock. They pride themselves on their freshly ground meat for their patties, but you can also get burgers and steaks among other tasty options.

    Sawayaka is a local chain and there are plenty of spots to choose from. Its restaurants can only be found within Shizuoka and nowhere else in Japan.

    photo by Miyuki Meinaka (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 2

    Chojiya

    A delightful traditional restaurant serving popular yam dishes

    Chojiya
    • Food

    Chojiya is a traditional restaurant that is known for its tororo jiru, a grated yam creation that results in an almost soup-like dish. The restaurant can be spotted by its signature thatched roof, and inside you’ll find tatami mats, lanterns, and old-style paintings that make you feel like you've stepped back in time.

    This place is quite the opposite of fast food and is a great place to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Although you can order some items à la carte, it’s more common to order one of their set meals that come with an assortment of dishes such as rice and fish.

    Location: 7 Chome-10-10 Mariko, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka, 421-0103, Japan

    Phone: +81 (0)54-258-1066

    Map

    photo by Ibaraki101c (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 3

    Shimizuko Minami

    A tuna specialist close to Shizuoka Station

    Shimizuko Minami
    • Food

    Shimizuko Minami is a great place to enjoy delicious local fish dishes as soon as you arrive in Shizuoka. It’s very close to Shizuoka Station. Given Shizuoka’s location right by the sea, there are a lot of places to get fresh fish, but Shimizuko Minami stands out because of their wide variety of fish cuts and its focus on the most flavourful tuna.

    At lunch, you can only get tuna sashimi bowls, which are simple but luxurious cuts of tuna on rice, with some other toppings. In the evening, you’ll find other fish dishes too, such as whitebait and grilled fish. The prices are very reasonable.

    Location: 1-41, 2nd floor, Morishitacho, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka, 422-8061, Japan

    Open: Monday–Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm (closed on Sundays)

    Phone: +81 (0)54-288-0232

    Map
  • 4

    Hama no Kakiageya

    Fresh sakura ebi shrimp right by the sea

    Hama no Kakiageya
    • Food

    Hama no Kakiageya is not close to central Shizuoka, but it’s worth the trip to try out their delicious kakiage. Kakiage is a type of mixed tempura that is made by deep-frying a batch of different items together. They are well-known for their sakura ebi shrimp, which is served not only as kakiage but also raw on rice with spring onions and nori seaweed. This is a great way to experience a different form of sashimi than you might be used to.

    Unfortunately for fish lovers, this place is only open on the weekends and can get quite busy. Therefore, make sure to allow time to stand in line.

    Location: 1127 Yuiimajuku, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka, 421-3111, Japan

    Open: Friday–Sunday from 10 am to 2pm (closed Monday–Thursday)

    Phone: +81 (0)54-376-0001

    Map
  • 5

    Togakushi Honten

    A popular and traditional soba noodle restaurant

    Togakushi Honten
    • Food

    Togakushi Honten is a good place to get your noodle fix in Shizuoka. While many soba noodle restaurants around Japan will offer standard noodles and tempura, Togakushi Honten offers that and then some. They specialise in Togakushi soba, a local noodle said to be one of the best types of soba in Japan.

    The signature dish here is oroshi soba, which is served with cold noodles and grated daikon radish. It comes with a variety of different toppings such as tempura, vegetables, and pickled plum. The restaurant is popular so you might have to wait to get in at peak times, but the turnaround is fast so the wait is never too long.

    Location: 12-1 Seikancho, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka, 420-0047, Japan

    Open: Daily from 11 am to 8 pm

    Phone: +81 (0)50-5304-1594

    Map
Cassandra Lord | Compulsive Traveller