10 Best Local Restaurants in Sapporo

With its red-brick buildings preserving Hokkaido's pioneering history, Sapporo Beer Garden is a major tourist attraction. After touring the museum, you can choose five different restaurants and enjoy some of Hokkaido's finest draft beer and typical Hokkaido cuisine.

Fresh grain-fed lamb is one of Hokkaido’s celebrated foods. The famous jingisukan (grilled mutton with vegetables) is the obvious choice and a great way to savour various cuts with different flavours. The menu also has a wide variety of all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink options, including crab and sushi.

Ramen Shingen is located on the edge of Susukino and has its main store in Ishikari City. Whenever local cab drivers mention ramen recommendations, this restaurant is always named as one of the best restaurants in the area. Its rich miso soup is addictive, and if you’re looking for a traditional Sapporo ramen, this could well be the place for you.

Chahan (fried rice) and chashu-don (rice in a bowl topped with roast pork fillet) are just as popular as the miso ramen. These side-dishes will be tempting even if you’re full on ramen.

Suage+ is a soup curry restaurant that started out in 2007. Its soupy curries are made with a generous portion of its own blended spices as well as a rich volume of large, chunky vegetables deep-fried in a secret sauce. The meat selection is also highly original, including Shiretoko chicken, lavender pork, chicken leg, fresh lamb, and beef innards.

Toppings, spiciness, and size can be selected according to preference, so it’s even easy to order for children. The location in Sapporo's downtown Susukino district is handy for when you’re out sightseeing.

Kaiten Sushi Toriton Toyohira is a popular conveyor belt sushi restaurants operating as a franchise in Hokkaido. With a focus on local Hokkaido seafood, fresh ingredients are procured every morning and processed by artisans to bring out the maximum flavour possible.

As well as the quality, the volume and the low prices are amazing. Toriton is full of the flavours of Hokkaido, including seasonal desserts. This is a great place to enjoy local specialities.

Daruma Honten is the main restaurant in Susukino of a well-established jingisukan (grilled mutton with vegetables) restaurant founded in 1954. Nothing beats sitting a smoke-filled counter and grilling and savouring fresh mutton, onions, and other vegetables over a charcoal fire.

The secret to the excellent taste is the homemade sauce, which when added to rice is simply mouth-watering. Add some garlic if you like. Of course, this kind of food is perfect with a glass of draft beer. Don't forget to order a selection of the hugely popular kimchi!

Kaiten-Sushi Nemuro Hanamaru JR Tower Stellar Place Store is a popular restaurant boasting a wide selection of sushi, soup, and snacks using seafood from the fishing town of Nemuro. The seasonal local fish are rich in variety and only available in Hokkaido.

The convenient location just in front of Sapporo Station makes this restaurant easy to visit while travelling or sightseeing. The cheap but yummy conveyor-belt sushi is another reason to visit. There’s even a wide-ranging takeaway menu, so you can take out your sushi without having to wait in line.

Rokkatei Maruyama Store is a café space attached to a confectionery store, famous for its Marusei Butter Sandwich, that also serves lunch and dessert on-site. The location near Maruyama Park makes it easy for both locals and tourists to visit.

The shop offers a tempting array of delicious-looking cakes and other fresh pastries, and the window seats provide an exceptional place to enjoy them with a cup of coffee. Meals such as pancakes, hashed rice, pizza, and a wide range of other dishes, including Japanese cuisine, mean there’s something here for everyone.

Gotsubo Honten is an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) featuring fresh oysters, which has also opened a branch in Roppongi, Tokyo. The small size of this restaurant, as the name suggests (“go tsubo” means 5 tsubo, or an area of about 16 square metres), is also one of its selling points as a hidden gem. Their raw oysters from the town of Akkeshi in Hokkaido, grilled oysters, and sake-steamed oysters are all inexpensive and delicious. Plump scallops and surf clams go great with drinks.

The other dishes also offer great value for money. Grab a quick bite and have a drink before heading out into the deep nightlife of Susukino!

Tempura Araki is a renowned restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of Hokkaido's ingredients in an exquisite tempura style. The chef's skill is evident in how he treats the fresh seafood brought directly from the port, as well as in the wild Hokkaido vegetables that he proudly selects.

It’s difficult to get a booking here and the only option is omakase (leaving everything to the chef), but you’ll enjoy an exceptional experience right from the moment you enter the restaurant to start your meal. The small non-tempura side-dishes are no less impressive. After visiting Tempura Araki, you’ll be convinced that Sapporo is not only famous for its sushi and ramen, but also for its tempura.

Aoisora Nagarerukumo is a café featuring hearty, homemade, organic vegan cuisine in a home-from-home kind of atmosphere. Lunch and desserts are simple and delicious, full of fresh ingredients from Hokkaido. The prices are reasonable too.

Nutritionally balanced and carefully prepared with time and care, these dishes represent Sapporo's new sensation of slow food. Make sure you set aside plenty of time to enjoy your meal.