Eel Spots in Japan

Area

Japan
- Japan
- Hokkaido / Tohoku
  
  Hokkaido
  
  Aomori
  
  Iwate
  
  Miyagi
  
  Akita
  
  Yamagata
  
  Fukushima
- Kanto
  
  Ibaraki
  
  Tochigi
  
  Gunma
  
  Saitama
  
  Chiba
  
  Tokyo
  
  Kanagawa
- Koshinetsu / Hokuriku
  
  Niigata
  
  Toyama
  
  Ishikawa
  
  Fukui
  
  Yamanashi
  
  Nagano
- Tokai
  
  Gifu
  
  Shizuoka
  
  Aichi
  
  Mie
- Kinki
  
  Shiga
  
  Kyoto
  
  Osaka
  
  Hyogo
  
  Nara
  
  Wakayama
- Chugoku
  
  Tottori
  
  Shimane
  
  Okayama
  
  Hiroshima
  
  Yamaguchi
- Shikoku
  
  Tokushima
  
  Kagawa
  
  Ehime
  
  Kochi
- Kyushu / Okinawa
  
  Fukuoka
  
  Saga
  
  Nagasaki
  
  Kumamoto
  
  Oita
  
  Miyazaki
  
  Kagoshima
  
  Okinawa

Category

Gourmet / Alcohol

Japanese Food

atsutahourainoki Honten

4.5

659 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Aichi Pref. Nagoyashi Atsuta-ku Goudochou 503

The key to the flavor is the secret sauce that has been passed down from generation to generation since the establishment of the restaurant. Located near Atsuta Jingu Shrine, the restaurant is also available for shrine visit dinners.

10 reasons not to eat Unagi Don in Atsuta Horaiken Honten (the right place) 1. Too far, it took 3,400 yen for taxi from Nagoya Station. As for train, it’s not convenient at all 2. Can’t be book...
Atsuta Horaiken (Matsuzakaya Branch)

4.5

849 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Aichi Pref. Nagoyashi Naka-ku Sakae 3-30-8 Matsuzakaya Nagoya store South Front 10F

This eel restaurant is located on the 10th floor of the South Building of Matsuzakaya department store in Naka Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. The main location which registered the trademark for the “hitsumabushi” eel dish, has been around since 1873. They use specially selected high-quality eel and grill each one carefully over Kishu Bincho charcoal with their secret sauce that has been passed down over the years. The first bowl is usually eaten as-is; the second with spices; the third with tea poured over it; and the fourth however one pleases. The “unagi kaiseki” (eel banquet) is great for special gatherings.

Good food, nice restaurant, middle of the shopping area sakae. There is afternoon break, so please check when you wanna go.
Atsuta Houraiken Jingu Branch

Gourmet / Alcohol

Aichi Pref. Nagoyashi Atsuta-ku Jingu 2-10-26

A venerable traditional ryotei restaurant which was founded in 1873. The restaurant serves eel cuisine, including hitsumabushi eel on rice, a Nagoya specialty. The restaurant’s a la carte menu includes many dishes made with Aichi seafood. The unagi kaiseki eel course meal requires a reservation. The restaurant also offers a menu of takeout items which can be brought home to enjoy.
Sumibiyaki Unagi

4.5

78 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Mie Pref. Shimashi Agochougata 4032

This unagi eel restaurant with a lantern marked with the characters for charcoal grilled is located in the Ugata, Ago-cho area of Shima City, Mie Prefecture. Every morning, they slowly grill a fresh Japanese eel cut open that day over high-grade charcoal to seal in the savoriness, and the surface becomes crisp while the inside is soft and fluffy. The chemistry between it and the slightly sweet secret sauce is amazing. The chef's recommendation is the unagi-don joju (high class bowl of rice topped with grilled eel). This dish consists of four pieces of plump and savory eel that are large enough together to completely cover the rice it is placed on. With a spacious Japanese style tatami room, the restaurant is recommended for eating with families.

いつ、何時に電話しても繋がらない！何故？予約出来ない！誰か教えて頂けますか? 2年前の三重旅行の時も同じく、電話繋がらない。でも、ホームページ、食べログでは予約するように書いてました。全く意味が分りません。どうすれば食べれますか?
Izuei Main Shop

Gourmet / Alcohol

Tokyo Taitou-ku Ueno 2-12-22

Said to have been established around the reign of Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa shogun, this restaurant serves traditional Japanese cuisine and eel dishes. Using traditional skills refined over a period of more than 200 years, the restaurant's chefs broil up plump, flavorful kabayaki grilled eel.
Sakuraya

Gourmet / Alcohol

Shizuoka Pref. Mishimashi Hirokoujichou 13-2

A long-standing eel restaurant founded in 1856 famous for its long lines of patrons waiting to get in. Inside the restaurant’s stately and solemn building, visitors will be charmed by a subdued atmosphere which conveys a sense of history and tradition. The restaurant’s recipes are family traditions which have been passed down since Sakuraya was founded, and regulars note that your meal is sure to be delicious no matter when you come. The restaurant’s eel “jubako” (stacked boxes of eel over rice) are particularly popular. Sakuraya let’s its top quality eels swim for several days in snowmelt from Mt. Fuji to marinate them, after which they are lovingly broiled with sauce to create meat that is flavorful, aromatic, and plump. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of individual menu items and course dishes. The closest station is Mishima-Hirokoji Station.
Ogakiku

4.5

140 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Saitama Pref. Kawagoeshi Nakachou 3-22

"An eel restaurant established in 1807 which is located in Naka-cho, Kawagoe City. The restaurant is housed in a three-story wooden building built in the early Taisho period. Menu selections include eel broiled and slathered in a secret recipe sauce handed down for seven generations; a la carte eel dishes like shirayaki plain broiled eel; the ""Torikaba Sanshoku"" meal, which comes with chicken kabayaki and soboro as well as egg soboro; and eel course meals."

This place has excellent unagi (eel). However, I suggest you go early and get a queue and walk around sightseeing and return 10 min before your allocated time. It seems to be quite accurate in...
Unagi no Kanemitsu Main Restaurant

Gourmet / Alcohol

Aichi Nishio-shi Isshikicho Ishikihigashi Shimo Futa

An eel restaurant located in Isshiki Higashishimoniwari Isshiki-cho, Nishio City. The restaurant serves unaju eel boxes, kabayaki broiled eel drenched with sauce, shirayaki plain grilled eel, and a signature eel liver and kabayaki rice bowl. The restaurant's high quality, live eel is raised in an adjoining pond owned by the Kanemitsu Tansuigyo KK company and is broiled over high grade ubame oak charcoal. In addition to hitsumabushi eel rice, the restaurant's pork hitsumabushi is also popular.
Yatsumeya Nishimura

4.5

53 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Tokyo Meguro-ku Shimomeguro 3-13-10

An eel restaurant located in 2 Chome Shimomeguro, Meguro City, Tokyo. Yatsumeya Nishimura was established during the Taisho period (1912-1926) close to the Sugamo Togenuki Jizo statue and moved to its current location in front of the Ryusen-ji Temple (Meguro Fudoson) in 1960. The restaurant serves the highest quality domestic eel grilled over high-grade ubame oak charcoal and smothered in a secret sauce which has been continuously topped off and added to since Yatsumeya Nishimura first opened. In addition to being able to eat inside the restaurant, Yatsumeya Nishimura also sells eel skewers and bento box lunches for eating on the go out front.

It’s located in a living area, quite a distance away from business and tourist areas. So foreign customers are rarely seen in here. But their Unadon was the best I’ve had in these 3 years!
Ichinoya Kawagoe Main Restaurant

Gourmet / Alcohol

Saitama Pref. Kawagoeshi Matsuechou 1-18-10

Unagi Ichinoya is one of Kawagoe's oldest and eel restaurants and has been serving barbecued eel in its old Edo-style building continuously since 1832. Served with a sauce that has been handed down through the generations, the eel meat is thickly cut and tender. In addition to eel dishes, the restaurant also serves Japanese dishes and multicourse meals made with seasonal ingredients.
Kanko-so (Okaya Main Shop)

4.5

39 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Nagano Pref. Okayashi Kawagishihigashi 5-18-14

This long-established eel restaurant is near the Tenryu River in Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture. They serve jiyaki kabayaki style eel from Kansai, charcoal grilled without steaming. Their namabushi-don rice bowl with a sauce mixed with wasabi and leek is popular. The shop can seat 120 guests, and has a large parking lot, too. Lots of people travel from afar to eat here, and there can be a line to get in, especially on Saturdays and Sundays.

たくさんのバラエティーなメニューと心尽くしのおもてなしが有りました。小さな子供たちや年老いた両親も十分楽しみ満足しました。
Surugaya

4.5

174 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Chiba Pref. Naritashi Nakamachi 359

This eel vendor is near the main gate of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. They roast kyosui eel raised in the Oigawa River, fed by water from the Southern Japan Alps, over binchotan charcoal, brushed with a secret sauce made with fine varieties of soy sauce and mirin cooking sake. Dishes include eel served marinated on rice, kabayaki style, and shirayaki style. Other cuisine features carp and suigo (riverside district) fowl.

Ate here with family (party of 5) on a Monday. They open at 11am on weekdays but was told my restaurant staff to line up by 10:15am if you want to be the first ones seated. They start handing out...
Maekawa

3.5

69 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Tokyo Taitou-ku Komagata 2-1-29

A venerable eel restaurant founded in the Edo period boasting some 200 years of history. The shop’s Kabayaki (broiled eel with sauce), soaked in a secret sauce passed down for generations, is tender down to the bones. Meanwhile, the shop’s shirayaki (unseasoned broiled eel) allows the true flavor of the meat to shine through. Overlooking the Sumida River and Tokyo Skytree, during the day diners can enjoy the downtown hustle and bustle and in the evening a lovely nightscape.

We had a sudden craving for Unaju and we stopped off at Asakusa on our way home. We tried a couple of restaurants which is famous for Unagi, but 1pm on Saturday, there was a long line of people...
Kikuya Japanese Cuisine

4.5

136 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Chiba Pref. Naritashi Nakamachi 385

A Japanese restaurant located along the Omotesando (temple approach) to Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple in Nakamachi, Narita City. The restaurant serves all sorts of set meals, formal meals, individual dishes and course meals, as well as unagi-ju and unagi-don (types of eel on rice dishes) using domestically sourced eel and naturally sourced eel on rice depending on the season. The restaurant has honorably received the Imperial chrysanthemum emblem from Shinsho-ji Temple which has been used as the current restaurant name since from at least the Tenpo period.

This popular local fair is a bit pricy in this tourist area. I decided to order a half size order for lunch and had a choice of eel from Taiwan ($2500) or eel from Japanese waters ($300). I...
Hamanako Service Area Hamanatei

3.5

11 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Shizuoka Pref. Hamamatsushi Hamana-ku Mikkabichousakume 47-1 Tomei Highway Highway Hamanako Service Area Restaurant Hall

A restaurant in the Hamanako Service Area on the Tomei Expressway. They offer eel cuisine with ingredients from Lake Hamanako. The unajyu uses one whole Hamanako-grown eel, steamed and then grilled over a charcoal fire for a Kanto-style finish. A delectable dish recommended by Hamanatei is the o-hitsu mabushi, which offers three styles of eating with just one dish.

平日の20時過ぎの訪問だったので、レストランは空いておらず、こちらで夕食をとりました。浜松餃子やうどんのお店など、複数の店舗が営業していました。サービスエリアのお店なので、コスパはそれほどよくはありませんが、スピーディーで対応は悪くなかったです。味は普通ですね。
Grilled Eel Sueyoshi

4.0

170 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Kagoshima Pref. Kagoshimashi Higashisengokuchou 14-10

This long-established eel specialty restaurant is located in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Tenmonkan Street in the downtown area. The restaurant uses the eels from Osumi Peninsula, which are special even among Kagoshima’s abundance of eel farms, due to the care taken in raising them with the spring water from the Shirasu Plateau. Soaked in a secret sauce that had been handed down for around 80 years, the restaurant’s prized eels are grilled over a charcoal fire. Popular menu items include the “Unadon” and “Unaju,” which are bursting with the delicious taste of the eels. A square of colored paper on which the children’s author, Hatoju Muku wrote “Sueyoshi has the best eel in Japan” is displayed here.

At Tenmonkan street, where we found Favori bakery, 100¥ shop, Kagoshima speciality shop and chanced upon this unagi eel shop. It was packed withlocal tourists. The young lady serving us introduced...
Shirakawa Joshin Main Shop

4.5

138 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Aichi Pref. Nagoyashi Nishi-ku Jousai 4-20-12

A restaurant which orders select eel from various areas depending on the season. Shirakawa’s hitsumabushi eel over rice is prepared with particular care and is extraordinary. Rich and flavorful, the hitsumabushi is made with a secret sauce which has been fermented, used, and topped off for decades; domestic brand-name rice; and a thin dashi stock. Pour hot tea over your rice leftovers to enjoy them chazuke style. The chef’s eye for quality ingredients, knife mastery, and intuition for when the eel is perfectly grilled all contribute to an overwhelming sense of craftsmanship (and flavor) that delights even the most discerning eel-lover. Located a two minute walk from Joshin Station on the Tsurumai Line.

The restaurant is located on the 9th floor of Meitetsu Building along side with 8-10 other restaurants. Waiting time as displayed outside is about 20-30 mins. At about 4+, there is no queue but you...
Ibasho

4.0

65 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Aichi Pref. Nagoyashi Naka-ku Nishiki 3-13-22

Ibasho serves one of Nagoya’s famous specialties: Hitsumabushi, a dish of chopped kabayaki (slow grilled with a special sauce) eel on rice said to go all the way back to the Taisho period (1912–1926). At Ibasho, when 2 or more customers order the Hitsumabushi it comes out in one big “hitsu” dish, which is apparently the traditional way of serving it. In addition to Hitsumabushi they have other kabayaki eel dishes including rice bowls, and whole long eels. It’s located about five minutes’ walk from subway Higashiyama Line Sakae Station.

Super traditional, super good and it doesn’t kill your wallet. I highly recommend this place. Nagoya is know for their “shitsumabushi”. This is the place to have it. If you’re in the area this...
Unagi Restaurant Kawashou Main Restaurant

Gourmet / Alcohol

Saitama Pref. Kitakatsushikagunmatsubushimachi Kanasugi 1511

Founded in 1981, Unagi Restaurant Kawashou offers various dishes using carefully selected eel. The extremely popular unasashi (eel sashimi), a registered trademark, is a true gem. Be sure to try the different courses, creative dishes and dojou nabe (loach hot pot). Can be used for business dinners and banquets.
Shintamatei

4.0

64 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Mie Pref. Tsushi Marunouchiyouseichou 5-1

Shintamatei is a long-standing restaurant, founded in 1890, that specializes in charcoal-broiled eel. It is located about an 11-minute walk from Tsu-Shinmachi Station on the Kintetsu Nagoya Line. The eel is basted with a traditional sauce made of boiled soy sauce, mirin, and rock sugar that is allowed to sit for a wake before being used. Customers can enjoy broiled eel that is crispy on the outside and soft and light on the inside. The live eels are kept in natural well water, which reduces any stress that might have a negative influence on their flavor. The rice is locally sourced, and the restaurant takes great care to ensure that customers can feel that their food is safe and of high quality. Customers can become members of the Unachan program, which entitles them to occasional e-mail announcements from Shintamatei and hidden menu items that are available to members only.

外はカリッとよく焼けていて香ばしいです。ふわふわより、よく焼いてたっぷりのタレがかかっている鰻が好きなので、ここはお気に入りです。一階た二階があり、席数はたくさんありますが、すぐに満席になるので、予約してからがおすすめです。