20 Popular Izakaya Picks by Area in Hokkaido! Enjoy Local Gourmet Food and Drinks

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An izakaya about a 5-minute walk from Susukino Station, where you can enjoy dishes and drinks made with Special ingredients. The owner personally visits the fishermen who catch the fish and the people who make the sake to carefully choose the ingredients.

The space has a warm wooden feel, and it also has Private rooms with table seating.

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They travel to sake breweries across Japan and even source rare Japanese sake. Another well liked service is that they recommend brands of Japanese sake that pair well with the dishes you order.

You can add All you can drink to a course centered on seafood dishes. Even with All you can drink, they will still provide a Japanese sake pairing service.

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A limited-time course where you can fully enjoy fresh Hairy Crab is also popular. It seems some repeat customers visit every year just to enjoy this course.

You can enjoy Hairy Crab in many ways, such as putting crab miso and Japanese sake into the shell, heating it, and then dipping the crab meat into it.

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This izakaya serves dishes made with ingredients from Hokkaido and alcohol from Hokkaido. The Honten is on the 5th floor of a building near Susukino Station, and this Bettei (separate residence) is on the 7th floor.

They have Private rooms for groups and counter seats. It seems to get crowded, so it is a good idea to make a reservation.

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The menu is so extensive that even repeat visitors have trouble deciding what to order, and they can also come across dishes that are only available at that time of year.

The seafood dishes in particular get high praise for how good they are. In addition to sashimi (raw sliced fish) made with fresh seafood, the lightly smoked sashimi, smoked only on the surface, is also said to be tasty.

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In addition to beer made at breweries in Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost island), they also stock Japanese sake and wine from producers across Hokkaido.

They also have kinds of Japanese sake that you would be hard pressed to find outside Hokkaido, and you can enjoy them paired with local ingredients.

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An izakaya located in the basement of a building near the Sapporo Clock Tower, one of Sapporo's sightseeing spots. It is open not only at night, but also on some days for breakfast and lunch.

The space has a cafeteria-like feel, with table seating and zashiki (tatami floor seating). It is said to have a homey atmosphere where you can relax and enjoy a casual meal.

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You can enjoy fresh seafood shipped directly from ports in Hokkaido. Depending on the season, they also serve items like raw oysters, scallops, and crab.

The signature dish is kaki dengaku (grilled oysters with sweet miso). The oysters are topped with slightly sweet miso and grilled until fragrant, and some reviews said it was so good they ordered more.

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Many people seem to visit for the kaisendon (seafood Rice bowl), topped with uni (sea urchin), ikura (salmon roe), shrimp, and more.

They also offer rare hokke (Atka mackerel) sashimi, as well as an umi no oyako-don (sea parent-and-child Rice bowl) topped with so much salmon and ikura that it hides the rice. You can also add paid toppings of your choice.

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This izakaya is directly operated by the sake brewery Chitose Tsuru, founded in 1872. Here you can enjoy Hokkaido-produced Japanese sake Chitose Tsuru and brewery-limited Japanese sake along with dishes unique to Hokkaido.

The space makes generous use of wood, and it also has Semi-private room seating. It is located in Susukino, the entertainment district of Sapporo.

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This shop also serves fresh Japanese sake made at the only sake brewery in Sapporo, as well as limited edition sake sold only in Hokkaido.

They also offer tasting sets, including three kinds of Daiginjo and three kinds of Junmaishu, so you can try a range of Japanese sake.

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They offer a wide range of seafood dishes, including sashimi made with seafood that is in season at that time of year, as well as grilled dried fish dishes such as hokke-yaki (grilled Atka mackerel) and ika ichiya-boshi (overnight dried squid).

They also have a good selection of Hokkaido-style bar snacks, such as shiokara (salt-cured squid innards), made by dressing fresh squid with its own innards and aging it. Another is a classic combination of boiled potatoes, butter, and shiokara.

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This stylish bar was designed by designer Jo Yusaku and a modeling group. It is about a 1-minute walk from Susukino Station.

The focus is on wine and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), and the interior is said to use wine barrels and the red color of red wine as its motif.

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Their specialty yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) is grilled over charcoal, and if you sit at the counter, you can also watch it being cooked. You can order from 1 skewer, or as an assortment.

A popular item is the fresh rebaa (liver) "Shiro Rebaa (White Liver)." You can choose either salt or a rich tare sauce, and it is said to be delicious either way.

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They have a wide selection of wines, including sparkling wine and orange wine, and you can order them by the glass or by the bottle.

They also offer a full menu of dishes that pair well with wine, including grilled Hokkaido venison and beef, as well as easy cheese plates. It seems like a great spot for a casual drink too.

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This izakaya (Japanese pub) is on the 9th floor of a building about a 3-minute walk from Susukino Station on the subway. It stays open until late at night on weekdays and the day before holidays, so it also works well for a second or third stop.

It has a homey feel with a touch of Showa (Japan’s 1926–1989 era) charm, and the atmosphere makes it easy to drop by casually.

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Oden (Japanese simmered dish), one of the specialties here, is made by slowly simmering daikon radish, eggs, and processed fish items in dashi broth for a long time. A large pot seems to hold a lineup of many different ingredients.

The hot oden, soaked through with dashi broth, warms you up and also pairs well with alcohol.

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In addition to home-style simmered dishes, fried dishes, and salads, you can also enjoy seafood dishes that are unique to Hokkaido (Japan's northern island).

They also offer courses with All you can drink that are available even for one person, and courses centered on Hot Pot dishes such as "motsu-nabe (offal hotpot)" and "chanko-nabe (sumo-style hotpot)" are popular.

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Hakodate is in the southern tip area of Hokkaido. This izakaya near Hakodate Station serves Hokkaido-style dishes and Japanese sake. It is also open at lunchtime.

According to reviews, tanks line the entrance, with shellfish, crabs, and fish swimming inside. The Japanese modern interior also has many Private rooms.

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A popular dish is the “katsu ika sashi (live squid sashimi).” On some days, they prepare squid that was landed that very morning.

Fresh squid is said to have a translucent look when raw and a sweet taste. You can also enjoy it grilled or as tempura.

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During crab season, several kinds of crab are available, and you can enjoy them prepared in different ways such as sashimi, grilled, or boiled.

A beautiful dish topped with Hokkaido ikura (salmon roe) and uni (sea urchin) over flaked crab meat is also popular. It is also recommended to pair it with wine from Hokkaido.

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This izakaya (Japanese pub) has roaster-equipped tables where you can grill seafood, lamb, and more yourself as you eat. It is about a 5-minute walk from the west exit of Hakodate Station.

They have large tables, so you can sit back and relax.

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As the name Ika Taro suggests, this restaurant is particular about ika (squid). One of its features is that it keeps a large number of live squid.

Their popular dish is "katsu ika-sashi (live squid sashimi)." You can enjoy the fresh, translucent squid raw, and the legs can then be cooked by grilling or deep frying.

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Another plus is that you can enjoy not only seafood dishes but also Yakiniku. Some reviews said that both fish lovers and meat lovers can leave Manzoku.

Jingisukan (grilled lamb), a Hokkaido specialty, is especially popular. The lamb, which is never frozen, gets good reviews for having no off notes, and you can enjoy it freshly grilled with the special sauce.

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Ika Taro is a restaurant near Hakodate Station that is particular about ika (squid). It stays open straight through from lunch to dinner, so you can also use it as an izakaya from the daytime.

Each table has a roaster, and you can also enjoy dishes cooked at the table, like barbecue.

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For the “katsu-ika (live squid),” they take a squid swimming in the fish tank once an order comes in and quickly prepare it before serving.

Its legs may still be moving on the table, and if you eat the legs raw, the suckers may stick to the inside of your mouth. It also has a sweet taste.

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At the tabletop grill, you can enjoy seafood barbecue and meat dishes such as Jingisukan (Hokkaido-style grilled mutton).

A popular rice dish to finish with is the iwanori (rock seaweed) rice ball. Inside the round onigiri (rice ball) are fillings like salmon and sujiko (salmon roe), and people say the aroma of the nori on the outside is wonderful.

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The owner once worked as a fisherman on a boat named Shoeimaru. This izakaya serves fresh seafood selected with the trained eye for fish that the owner developed during those years as a fisherman.

It is about a 5-minute walk from Hakodate Station. The interior seems to incorporate fishing nets and glass floats once used for fishing.

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Multiple reviews say the seafood dishes are good, and the menu has a wide selection of sashimi made with fresh seafood.

The "ikidako-sashi (live octopus sashimi)" is said to be made from octopus prepared while still alive. The suckers are said to cling to the inside of your mouth, and the more you chew, the more sweetness comes out.

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The menu includes not only sashimi (raw fish slices) to enjoy raw, but also dishes to enjoy grilled. You can choose raw or grilled, and they also prepare some seafood fried.

They offer a lineup of well-known Japanese sake from Hokkaido and other parts of Japan, and it gets good reviews for pairing well with the seafood dishes.

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This izakaya is about a 2-minute walk from Matsukazecho Station on the Hakodate Streetcar. The restaurant focuses on yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) and oden (Japanese hot pot dishes), and also serves seafood dishes.

With simple chairs lined up and little space between seats, it also has a retro feel like a popular izakaya from the Showa era.

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They offer yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) made with various parts of the chicken, all said to be nicely grilled over charcoal. They also have yakitori with cheese and ume (Japanese plum) flavors.

There were also reviews saying the "Natto Kitsune (deep-fried tofu) Yaki" was delicious, made by stuffing natto into aburaage (deep-fried tofu) made from soybeans and grilling it over charcoal.

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Oden, made by simmering daikon radish, boiled eggs, tendon meat, and other ingredients in dashi broth made from kombu kelp from Hokkaido, is also popular.

The thick cut daikon radish is soaked with the broth and full of umami, and the clear broth is said to be good enough to drink on its own.

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This izakaya serves dishes made with ingredients from Hokkaido. It is said to be a homey place run by a mother and son.

It is located in Hanazono, a retro entertainment district between Otaru Station and Minami-Otaru Station. Loved by locals, it seems to get busy even on weekdays.

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The restaurant offers a wide range of seafood dishes centered on fish and shellfish landed at ports in Hokkaido. The available seafood changes depending on the day.

The popular sashimi assortment is said to include items you can only really enjoy in Hokkaido, such as shako (mantis shrimp) and nishin (herring).

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The signature dish is the “kaisen bo-zushi (seafood pressed stick sushi).” This long, narrow style of sushi is made by packing vinegared rice into a mold and pressing it down, then topping it with seafood such as tuna and ikura (salmon roe).

They also serve pasta made with seafood and fried seasonal vegetables, so it looks like you can enjoy a variety of flavors.

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This izakaya is known for dishes made with Hokkaido jidori (free-range local chicken). It is about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station.

The restaurant has a Japanese modern interior, with counter seats and zashiki (tatami floor seating). It is said to be easy to use whether you are dining alone or with a group or family.

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The popular choice is the mizutaki (chicken hotpot), made with a soup simmered for over 10 hours with mature chicken and several kinds of vegetables, then cooked with vegetables and "Sakurahime-dori" from Hokkaido.

Many reviews say that not only is the chicken delicious, but the cloudy white broth is also packed with umami and tastes great.

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They offer a wide range of dishes made with carefully selected chicken and its eggs. Their tamago kake gohan (rice topped with raw egg), eaten by pouring a raw egg over warm rice, is also popular.

Hokkaido’s local specialty, zangi (Hokkaido-style Kara-age), is juicy and seems to go well with alcohol.

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Otaru, a port town facing Ishikari Bay in Hokkaido. This izakaya (Japanese pub) is about a 4-minute walk from Otaru Station. It stays open straight through from lunchtime to night.

The interior is said to feature decorations such as big fishing boat flags and wooden boxes used to hold fish. The restaurant offers a wide range of seafood dishes.

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The specialty here is hamayaki (seaside-style grilled seafood), where you grill fresh seafood on the grill built into the table and enjoy it as it cooks. It is a simple style of cooking that lets you enjoy the natural flavor of the seafood itself.

You can grill and enjoy a variety of seafood, including large shrimp, shell-on shellfish, and shishamo (smelt).

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At lunchtime, you can also enjoy hearty seafood Rice bowls. It seems they offer a range of Rice bowls with tuna, salmon, crab, and more.

They also serve a Rice bowl topped with an assortment of seafood unique to Hokkaido, such as crab, uni (sea urchin), and ikura (salmon roe).

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Asahikawa, located near the center of Hokkaido and surrounded by mountains. This is an izakaya centered on seafood dishes, about a 10-minute walk from Asahikawa Station.

Inside, large brightly colored tairyobata (traditional fishing boat flags) and fishing gear decorate the space, creating a lively atmosphere like a port town.

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They offer a wide range of dishes made with seafood shipped directly from fishing ports around Hokkaido.

A popular item is the “Hokkaido no Sashi assortment.” It lets you enjoy fresh seafood that is in season at that time. One of its highlights is that you can enjoy it with house-made soy sauce.

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The menu also includes meat dishes such as zangi (Hokkaido-style chicken Kara-age) and jingisukan (grilled lamb).

Asahikawa's soul food, chappu-yaki (charcoal grilled pork), is coated in a slightly sweet sauce.

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This restaurant is about a 9-minute walk from Asahikawa Station through Asahikawa Heiwa-dori Kaimono Koen (Asahikawa Heiwa Shopping Park). It is an izakaya centered on grilled pork skewers.

It is marked by a large red sign and is said to be on the second floor up a spiral staircase. The atmosphere is casual and seems lively as well.

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The restaurant’s namesake, "yakiton (grilled pork skewers)," refers to skewered pork grilled in the style of yakitori (grilled chicken skewers). They grill many different cuts of pork on skewers, much like yakitori.

Popular choices include kashira (meat from the head) and liver. They are said to have no off notes, and the more you chew, the more flavor comes through.

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They also serve dishes with pork simmered in dashi (Japanese soup stock), red wine, and other ingredients. The pork is slowly cooked until it becomes nice and tender.

Kara-kara Motsunikomi (spicy stewed offal), simmered in a red soup, is said to be quite spicy. It seems like a good choice for people who like spicy food.

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This izakaya focuses on seafood sourced directly from fishing ports in Hokkaido and Japanese cuisine. It is about a 9-minute walk from Asahikawa Station.

The calm Japanese-style space has counter seats where you can also enjoy chatting with the chefs, as well as zashiki (tatami seating) and table seating in a Private room.

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They also offer reservation-only courses that make generous use of Hokkaido ingredients available only at that time of year, and you can also order a la carte.

Creative dishes are also popular, including the "rare katsu," made by coating and frying maguro (tuna) that is good enough to eat as sashimi.

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Steak made with Tokachi Saimi-gyu (Tokachi Saimi beef), a branded beef raised in the Tokachi area of Hokkaido, and aburi nigiri sushi made with it are also popular.

Another draw is the delicate cooking and beautiful presentation by Japanese cuisine chefs. You can also enjoy Japanese sake from Hokkaido.

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This izakaya (Japanese pub) serves dishes made with fresh seafood and vegetables bought at the market every day, as well as meat from Hokkaido. They also have local sake from Kushiro.

It is about a 5-minute drive from Kushiro Station, and its exterior stands out for looking like a building from the Edo period. The interior also seems to have an old fashioned atmosphere.

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One of the signature dishes is "shinko-yaki (charcoal-grilled half young chicken)." It is made by grilling half of a jidori (free-range chicken) from Nakasatsunai, a village in Hokkaido, over charcoal as is.

Once it is grilled, they cut it into easy-to-eat pieces, and even with a simple salt seasoning, you can fully enjoy the chicken's rich flavor and juicy finish.

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Seasonal seafood dishes available only at that time of year are also well liked. It seems you can enjoy fish and shellfish that are in season, such as kani (crab), hotate (scallops), and sanma (Pacific saury), as sashimi or grilled until fragrant.

The seasonal oysters, available for a limited time, are also said to be grilled in the shell so you can enjoy them while the meat is still plump, thanks to the restaurant bringing in fresh stock.

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Kushiro is on the Pacific coast in eastern Hokkaido. This izakaya (Japanese pub) is about a 10-minute walk from Kushiro Station.

The menu centers on robatayaki (charcoal grilled items), with seafood, vegetables, meat, and more cooked over charcoal. The space has the feel of an old traditional house, and from the counter seats, you can watch the grilling right in front of you.

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Seafood and vegetables grilled over charcoal are said to come out with a surface kissed by a smoky charcoal aroma, while the inside stays lightly cooked and tender.

The aburi-mahokke (Atka mackerel) from eastern Hokkaido is said to be sweet and rich with fat, with a flaky texture.

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You can also enjoy local specialties like shishamo (smelt) and Kurohamo (Kushiro brand pike conger) from Kushiro, grilled over an open flame.

Crab dishes are also a specialty, and not just grilled options—the "Kani Cream Croquette" made with plenty of crab meat is popular too.

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This izakaya lets you enjoy a variety of Hokkaido specialty dishes and locally made Japanese sake. It is located in Sakaemachi, the downtown area of Kushiro City.

The red lantern out front seems to be the landmark. The warm interior makes it an easy place to visit whether you are on your own or with a group.

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Kaki (oysters) and tsubugai (whelk) landed in Kushiro are popular. In season, you can eat them raw, and also enjoy them grilled in the shell.

"Kaki no Gangan-yaki (oysters steamed in a large can)" is a dish where several shell-on oysters are placed in a large can and cooked over heat with the can itself. You can enjoy the oysters in a steamed state.

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One of Hokkaido’s local specialties, zangi (soy sauce-marinated chicken Kara-age), is fried chicken seasoned with a soy sauce-based marinade. In Kushiro, the local style is to enjoy zangi with sauce.

Tako zangi (fried battered octopus) is also popular. A tasting set of Japanese sake from the Kushiro production region is also well received.