Despite the small size of Himeji, the city boasts a surprisingly large number of high quality restaurants. Here are a few of our favourites.
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01
Icchoura
If you are a fan of anago (conger eel) you should make sure to put a visit to Icchoura on your list. This Izakaya-style restaurant specializes in various dishes made out of Anago, including sashimi so fresh that you can still notice it is twitching slightly on the plate as it is served to you. It is located on a basement floor of Miyuki Dori, the biggest shopping street that runs between Himeji station and the castle. It can be a bit difficult to spot, so make sure to double check the map well in advance.
Icchoura
- 姫路 穴子料理 一張羅 (イッチョウラ)
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- 兵庫県姫路市駅前町345みき正駅前ビル 地下1階
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- 0792887714
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02
Tamagoya
A raw egg cracked open and poured over a bowl of rice might be one of the simplest dishes in Japanese cuisine, yet tamago kake gohan, often abbreviated to TKG, is a surprisingly delicious and a popular breakfast dish among Japanese people. To be fair, a splash of soy sauce is also usually added to the mix, to give it a little bit of flavour. While some might question the safety of eating eggs raw, it is considered perfectly safe in Japan. Tamagoya is a restaurant whose most ordered menu item is TKG, and they make a big point of the fact that the eggs they use are produced on a local farm and of the highest quality. They have also put a lot of care and effort into producing their own soy sauce, balanced to make the most of this simple dish. A meal consisting of rice, pickles, soy sauce and as many eggs as you like will set you back 580 yen.
Tamagoya
- 播州姫路本町 たまごや
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- 兵庫県姫路市本町68 家老屋敷館「は」の屋敷
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- 0792890058
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03
Avanzar
If you are into seafood in general, and raw fish in particular, we highly recommend a visit to Avanzar, a small sushi establishment promising that a large portion of the fish they serve comes straight from the local fish market. The setting that has more in common with a Spanish restaurant than a traditional sushi joint. Reasonable prices and friendly staff make it well worth a visit.
Avanzar
- SUSHI BAR あばんさーる
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- 兵庫県姫路市駅前町227
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- 079-282-8866
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04
Kokoromi
Any fan of Japanese Sake should make sure not to miss Kokoromi. This little sake bar, located on the bottom floor of a mall next to JR Himeji station, offers a staggering over 200 different kinds of the beverage. Besides the drinks, they also offer a small selection of otsumami, snacks that go particularly well with alcohol. Orders are placed through a modern touchscreen based system that is available in English. Despite the high-tech setting (or perhaps, thanks to it), the prices are very reasonable.
Kokoromi
- 試
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- 兵庫県姫路市南駅前町125
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- 0792806172
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05
Himeji Oden
Himeji Oden is perhaps as close as one can get to a signature dish representing Himeji. Oden is a pot dish consisting of ingredients such as eggs, daikon (Japanese white radish), konjac, tofu and different kinds of fish cakes. The ingredients are boiled for a long time in a soy flavoured dashi broth, giving them a distinct, yet mild, flavour. It is generally considered a winter dish, but plenty of restaurants in Himeji serve it all year round. What sets the Himeji kind of oden apart is that the soy broth has a huge amount of ginger in it, giving it a signature taste that is typical for this part of the country.
Himeji Oden