Nagoya Food Guide 2026: Top 4 Must-Try Restaurants

If you're wondering what to eat on your Nagoya trip,

I highly recommend trying these four dishes.

Nagoya specialties like Hitsumabushi and Tebasaki,

and of course, must-eats for any Japan trip:

Yakiniku and Sushi.

Here are my personal reviews of Nagoya restaurants I visited,

paid for with my own money! :)

Hanaoka: A Must-Try Hitsumabushi Spot in Nagoya

11:00 AM ~ 4:00 PM

6:00 PM ~ 10:00 PM

If you've ever searched for Hitsumabushi restaurants in Nagoya,

you've probably heard of Hanaoka.

It's so famous that waiting is usually a must,

but I was so curious, I decided to give it a try.

When I visited, I went in the evening to put my name on the waiting list,

and then came back the next morning for the first seating.

I heard that they've switched to on-site waiting now.

For morning slots, they start taking names at 10:30 AM,

and for evening slots, at 5:30 PM.

(Make sure to check their latest waiting system before you visit!)

Online reservations are also possible,

but it can be quite hard to secure a booking for your desired date.

For Hitsumabushi,

you can choose between 1/2, 3/4, 1, or 1.5 eels.

I went with the 3/4 eel portion.

It was the perfect amount to fill up an adult woman!

(Price for 3/4 eel: 4,100 JPY)

I love unagi (eel) rice bowls, so I've eaten them in many places across Japan and Korea.

Hanaoka in Nagoya stood out with its crispy exterior.

Hitsumabushi is best enjoyed by trying it in several different ways,

rather than just one.

Don't worry if you don't know how to eat it; detailed instructions are provided! Haha.

First, I tried the eel and rice on their own.

Next, I added wasabi, green onions, and seaweed.

Finally, I tried it ochazuke-style (with broth),

and personally, that was my absolute favorite!

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The richness of the eel blended perfectly with the warm broth, making it much smoother to eat.

Adding shiso to this combination really enhanced the flavor,

and personally, this was my favorite way to enjoy it.

Shiso looks similar to perilla leaves but has a strong aroma,

so it's a love-it-or-hate-it herb.

Don't put it all in at once; try a little first to see if you like it!

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Mutsumi: A Top Tebasaki Spot in Nagoya

5:00 PM ~ 12:00 AM

The second Nagoya restaurant on my list is

Mutsumi, specializing in Tebasaki.

I highly recommend making a reservation here.

The restaurant isn't very big and doesn't have many tables,

so I made an online reservation in advance before visiting.

Actually, on my previous trip to Nagoya,

I tried to go to Mutsumi,

but couldn't get a reservation, so I ended up missing out.

They have three Tebasaki flavors: original, soy sauce, and spicy.

I ordered one of each.

The original Tebasaki had a rich, savory sesame oil aroma.

The outside was crispy, and the inside burst with juicy flavor – truly delicious!

The soy sauce and spicy flavors were also perfectly seasoned,

making them easy to enjoy until the last bite.

All three flavors were great, but the spicy one seemed to pair best with beer, haha.

A bite of crispy, spicy, salty chicken wing, followed by a refreshing

A sip of beer, and it truly felt like I was in Japan.

Truly, it was pure bliss! Lol

And what was surprisingly delicious was the potato salad.

Eating it in between bites of tebasaki,

it was soft and savory, making for a great combination.

Gyubei Sakae - Yakiniku

12:00 PM ~ 11:00 PM

Third on our list is Wagyu Yakiniku Gyubei SAKAE.

This is the place where my siblings and I all felt it was the best yakiniku of our lives

during this Nagoya trip.

We visited on the evening of the second day of our Nagoya trip,

and honestly, we had also been on a Shirakawa-go tour that day,

so we were quite exhausted from moving around all day.

So, for dinner, we decided to just have a proper meat feast

with the mindset of replenishing our energy,

and headed to Gyubei, which we had reserved.

We arrived a bit earlier than our reservation time,

but perhaps because it was a weekday, there was availability,

so we were able to go right in.

The tables were divided into private sections,

so rather than a bustling yakiniku restaurant,

I liked the atmosphere where you could eat a little more leisurely.

Ordering was convenient as it could be done directly via QR code,

and it was easy to add more dishes as we pleased.

The prices were on the higher side, but the meat quality was excellent!

If you're looking to enjoy a really good meat meal for a day during your trip,

I think you'll be very satisfied with a visit here.

And here, the scallion salad (pamuchim) is truly the secret ingredient.

It's salty and delicious even when eaten with just the meat,

but especially when paired with beef tongue (gyutan), the combination was fantastic.

Chewy yet tender,

and the more you chew, the richer the savory flavor!!

My sibling tried beef tongue for the first time,

and this place was the perfect introduction.

If you've never tried beef tongue before,

it might be a good idea to start with thinner slices

rather than overly thick ones.

And of course, yakiniku always pairs perfectly with beer.

After the Shirakawa-go tour, feeling exhausted,

taking a bite of meat and a sip of beer,

it felt like the day's accumulated fatigue just melted away.

And their thoughtfulness extended to giving us a 5-yen coin

and even gum as we left, which was a nice touch.

On our way out after a satisfying meal,

receiving a small gift as well,

made it a place that left a great impression right to the end! Lol

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Uyorokobi - Sushi & Izakaya

5:00 PM ~ 12:00 AM

Lastly, we visited a place with a slightly different vibe.

It's 大衆すし酒場 魚喜, Uyorokobi.

This wasn't a place we sought out because it was famous as a Nagoya hotspot;

instead, we stumbled upon it and decided to go in.

The restaurant itself wasn't large; it was cozy and intimate,

creating a comfortable atmosphere from the moment we stepped inside.

Best of all, I loved the welcoming atmosphere for Koreans.

They had a Korean menu,

and there was staff who could help with ordering in Korean,

so even if you're not fluent in Japanese, it wasn't inconvenient at all.

Honestly, it's not a truly high-end sushi restaurant,

but considering the price, the taste was above average.

I especially enjoyed the tuna dishes,

and the sea urchin (uni) was better than expected.

And for chawanmushi, I highly recommend one per person! Trust me!

It was so smooth and delicious that I ended up ordering an extra one after starting with just one.

The prices won't break the bank,

so you can easily enjoy some sushi or sashimi with a refreshing beer –

it was the perfect spot for a relaxed meal.

The staff were amazing from the get-go,

trying their best to communicate with us,

and then as we were paying and leaving, they even greeted us in Korean first,

which was surprisingly touching.

Beyond just savoring the local Nagoya vibes,

we could also feel such genuine warmth and hospitality here, so

if you're nearby, I truly recommend stopping by! :)

Our Nagoya trip this time

was packed with incredible food, far beyond what we had imagined!

Each of the four spots offered a unique blend of atmosphere and flavors,

which made it even more fun to compare them all!

If you're mapping out your Nagoya adventure and wondering where to tantalize your taste buds,

I hope my list of 4 must-try Nagoya restaurants

can inspire your travel plans!