Crab dishes made with Hokkaido specialties in Sapporo! 14 recommended restaurants by area

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Sakebiyori Enya is an izakaya about a 1-minute walk from Exit 7 of Hosui Susukino Station, where you can enjoy seafood dishes made with Special seasonal ingredients and a wide selection of Japanese sake. Their crab-centered courses are said to be especially popular.

The interior is a relaxing space filled with the warmth of wood, where guests can enjoy a leisurely meal.

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The owner personally goes to the area to source exceptionally fresh ingredients. Reviews say the ikekegani (live horsehair crab) full course is especially popular.

Raised in nutrient-rich seas, the kegani (horsehair crab) is said to be packed not only with plenty of meat but also with lots of rich crab miso. You can enjoy crab prepared in many different ways, including sashimi and croquettes.

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The restaurant also offers a full lineup of seafood dishes beyond crab, with a range of menu items carefully prepared by skilled chefs with time and care.

The menu changes with the season, which is part of the appeal, letting you enjoy a wide variety of creative seafood dishes. You will want to try them with carefully selected premium sake brought in from all over Japan.

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Umi no Shiki is a Japanese restaurant about a 3-minute walk from Susukino Subway Station, where you can enjoy carefully selected seafood dishes including crab.

The interior has an elegant, upscale feel. The seating mainly consists of fully private rooms with Sunken kotatsu seating, so you can stretch out your legs and relax while enjoying your meal.

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They offer a wide range of seafood dishes unique to Hokkaido, but the most popular among them are the crab dishes.

The kegani (horsehair crab) is known for its large size, and people say the rich flavor of the kani miso (crab tomalley) is irresistible. They also have a menu item with the kegani already picked from the shell, so even those who worry about getting their hands dirty can enjoy it with ease.

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They offer several course menus centered on crab, and the most popular is the “4 Great Crab Feast Course,” where you can enjoy kegani (horsehair crab), taraba (red king crab), zuwai (snow crab), and hanasaki-gani (spiny king crab).

It is a perfect lineup for crab lovers, with items such as hanasaki-gani teppo-jiru (crab miso soup) and chawanmushi (savory egg custard) with crab miso.

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This is a popular izakaya where you can fully enjoy Hokkaido gourmet, from fresh seafood to meat dishes such as jingisukan (grilled mutton) and zangi (Hokkaido-style fried chicken).

Many people also say the atmosphere is great, not just the food, and the restaurant is equipped with private pipe-shaped table seating and fully private rooms with Sunken kotatsu seating.

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If you love crab, one thing you should definitely try is the crab grab. The rule is simple: with one gloved hand, you can eat as much as you manage to grab.

The sweet shrimp grab is also popular, and you can enjoy your catch as sashimi or Kara-age. It is packed with entertainment value, so it is sure to get everyone excited together!

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"Kaki no Yakan-mushi (kettle-steamed oysters)" is also one of the signature dishes. The oysters are placed whole in their shells inside a kettle, and you can even drink the broth.

The oysters let you enjoy their natural, gentle flavor, and their plump, springy texture is said to be irresistible. Some also say they pair perfectly with Japanese sake.

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Isokin Gyogyobu Esashikiko is a seafood izakaya popular with Sapporo locals, just a 1-minute walk from Susukino Station.

Fresh seafood, Special selected from Esashikiko, where the owner is from, and other parts of Hokkaido, is well liked. The restaurant also offers a wide range of seating, including open counter seats and roomy Sunken kotatsu seating.

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When you visit this place, the first thing you should order is the kegani (horsehair crab) menu. You can choose grilled or boiled, and enjoy the rich concentrated flavor unique to Hokkaido kegani.

They also offer a full lineup of crab dishes, including the “Hokkaido Crab Cream Croquette” and “Crab Zosui (rice porridge).”

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If you want to enjoy the simple, natural flavors of fresh seafood from Hokkaido, sashimi style is just the thing. The sashimi, crafted with the skill of seasoned chefs, is said to be so good it impresses everyone.

If you are not sure what to choose, the assortment is a great option. It is popular for offering thick cuts that taste as good as they look.

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Kaisendokoro Kita no Aji Daisuke Susukino Cyber City Building Ten is a seafood izakaya where you can enjoy fresh seafood sourced by the owner from fishing ports around Hokkaido and a carefully chosen selection of local sake.

It is conveniently located a 3-minute walk from Susukino Station and a 1-minute walk from Hosui-Susukino Station. The charming interior, made with wood from Hokkaido, is also one of the reasons for its popularity.

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The kegani (horsehair crab) at this restaurant is sourced specifically from the Sea of Okhotsk. It is said to grow on high quality plankton brought by drift ice, which concentrates its rich flavor.

Reviews say it is packed with meat and has outstanding sweetness. Another nice point is that it is served in an easy to peel arrangement.

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The menu also has a wide range of dishes made with seafood caught in (Each) part of Hokkaido. The "Rausu-san ma-hokke hiraki" made with ma-hokke (Atka mackerel) from Shiretoko Rausu, one of Hokkaido's top premium brands, is also recommended.

The ma-hokke from Shiretoko Rausu, raised in the rough waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, is said to have thick flesh and plenty of umami.

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Kani to Dosan Ryori Sekkatei, a 3-minute walk from Susukino Station, is a place where you can enjoy crab dishes along with a wide variety of seafood that is unique to Hokkaido.

Inside, an elegant space inspired by a Japanese garden spreads out, and the restaurant is fully equipped with 15 Private rooms, each with a different atmosphere.

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You can enjoy a wide range of crab dishes made generously with fresh crab, mainly from Hokkaido, such as boiled crab and grilled crab.

The signature Hokkai Matsuba Kani Shabu is said to taste melt-in-your-mouth good when you swish it for a few seconds in a boiling Hot Pot and then take a bite.

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When visiting Sapporo, kegani (horsehair crab) is one dish you should definitely try. The freshly boiled kegani at this restaurant gets great reviews, with both the leg meat and crab miso said to be excellent.

Some say it is so good that they end up eating it in silence without even realizing it. The restaurant also offers sashimi and steamed kegani on the menu.

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Kani to Yakitori Enishi is an izakaya a 4-minute walk from Exit 3 of Susukino Station, where you can mainly enjoy crab dishes and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers).

This small restaurant has just 16 seats in total. In its warm and relaxed atmosphere, you can take your time and enjoy the food and drinks.

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The restaurant has an excellent selection of crab dishes, where you can enjoy the three most popular kinds of crab: hon-tarabagani (red king crab), zuwaigani (snow crab), and kegani (horsehair crab).

All of the crab is known for its outstanding freshness, with a sweetness and rich flavor you can really taste. To fully appreciate the crab's natural taste, they recommend trying it sashimi-style first.

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At this restaurant, you will want to try not only the crab dishes but also the yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) made with carefully selected ingredients.

The yakitori is carefully skewered by skilled chefs and grilled over bincho-tan (high-grade white charcoal). The heat is adjusted to match each cut of chicken, resulting in a finish that really shows professional skill.

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Nihonichi Suisan Chokuei Izakaya Arata Honten is a seafood izakaya run directly by a fishing company that has also been featured in the media. In Sapporo’s Susukino and Tanukikoji area, it is a great place when you want to enjoy fresh crab dishes.

Located on the 9th floor of a building, the restaurant has a refined interior and also offers fully private rooms with night views.

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As a seafood wholesaler-run restaurant, it offers a wide selection of fresh seafood. The “kegani sugata-mori (whole plated horsehair crab)” is also one of the popular menu items.

The shell is packed with plenty of kani miso (crab tomalley), and the flavor pairs perfectly with Japanese sake. Since it is not cut into small pieces, it also makes a great visual impact.

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When you want to enjoy a wide range of this restaurant's carefully selected dishes, the course menu is a great choice. Orders are available for groups of 2 or more, and most courses come with 120 minutes of All you can drink.

The most popular option is the "Sandai Kani Course". You can fully enjoy three kinds of crab: tarabagani (king crab), zuwaigani (snow crab), and kegani (horsehair crab).

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Kyodo Ryori Kan is a popular local cuisine restaurant about a 1-minute walk from the ANA Hotel in the Susukino area, where you can enjoy dishes made with seasonal ingredients that pair well with drinks.

The spacious and clean interior is said to attract many local guests as well. It also has Private rooms with Sunken kotatsu seating for groups of 2 to 10 people.

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They do not use any frozen seafood at all, and they buy fresh ingredients at the market every morning.

People say the kegani (horsehair crab) is packed with meat and very satisfying to eat. They also recommend adding Japanese sake to the crab miso in the shell and enjoying it as kora-zake (sake warmed in a crab shell).

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They also offer yaki taraba-ashi (grilled king crab legs), served in an extra large portion for 2 people. One of the big draws is getting to enjoy leg meat with more volume than kegani (horsehair crab).

Like the kegani, the tarabagani (king crab) is carefully prepared to make it easy to eat, and it is said to have thick, rich tasting meat.

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Uokichi Sapporo Ekimae Honten is an izakaya where you can enjoy freshly caught seafood from Hokkaido and sake from Hokkaido.

Connected directly to the underground passage from Sapporo Station, it is easy to stop by without worrying about rain or snow. The restaurant is equipped with Sunken kotatsu seating Private room options and counter seats facing a lively open kitchen.

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They stock up on seafood unique to Hokkaido every day, and the specialty hamayude kegani (freshly boiled horsehair crab) is a must-order item.

The shell is packed with plenty of meat, and it is said to have a juicy texture as well. It is also well known for letting you fully enjoy the rich kani miso (crab tomalley) in the shell.

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They also offer a great selection of Hokkaido Japanese sake and local shochu, which you will definitely want to enjoy with the sashimi.

"Honjitsu no Sashimi Moriawase (Today's Sashimi Assortment)" is also one of the signature menu items. The assortment is loaded with sashimi made from seasonal seafood, and people say everything is fresh and delicious.

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Sapporo Kani Honke Sapporo Ekimae Honten is a crab specialty restaurant where you can enjoy fresh crab in a wide range of cooking styles. With this restaurant as its Honten, it is a well-known restaurant group with restaurants across Japan.

It is a 1-minute walk from Sapporo Station, and its charming Japanese atmosphere is said to bring to mind a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn).

The crab is never frozen and is cooked right after being taken out of the fish tank, so it is said to be outstandingly fresh no matter how you eat it.

Among the most popular dishes are the "zuwai-gani (snow crab) sugata-yude (whole boiled)" and the "kegani (horsehair crab) sugata-yude (whole boiled)," both of which let you enjoy a whole crab in a bold way. They also offer sashimi dishes that are not boiled.

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In the cold season, Crab hot pot and kani-shabu (lightly swished crab hot pot) also come recommended. People say not only the crab but also the finished broth is excellent.

When you swish the crab through the broth in the Hot Pot and eat it, its rich flavor spreads through your mouth. The zosui (rice porridge) made by adding rice to the broth left in the Hot Pot is also said to be excellent.

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Susukino Kaniichi is a crab specialty restaurant where you can enjoy fresh live crab taken straight from the fish tank. It also offers easy access from the Odori Koen (Odori Park) area.

The interior is said to have the feel of a stylish hideaway for adults. They offer counter seats where you can watch the cooking, as well as calm Private rooms.

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You can enjoy crab dishes that bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients, such as freshly boiled crab and grilled crab, either à la carte or as a course meal.

Another popular draw is the impressive performance of preparing live crab right in front of you. Some say this is a restaurant they highly recommend when eating crab in Sapporo.

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As a crab specialist, the restaurant offers a wide range of crab dishes, from appetizers to rice dishes.

There is also a good selection of dishes kids are likely to enjoy, such as cream croquettes, gratin, and shumai (steamed dumplings). In the course meals, you can also enjoy seasonal dishes made with ingredients of the season in addition to the crab dishes.

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Kani Ryori to Washoku Kanikichi is a restaurant centered on course menus with crab as the star, located a 5-minute walk from Odori Station and a 3-minute walk from 11-chome Station.

Located in the basement of a building, the interior has the feel of a stylish izakaya (Japanese pub), and it also has Private rooms available for 2 people and up.

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They offer course menus where you can enjoy a range of crab dishes, including tempura, sushi, and shumai. It's nice that you can choose from about 5 types to match your budget.

You can also order boiled kegani (horsehair crab) A la carte. The crab miso seems to come in a generous amount, and the meat looks nicely packed as well.

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If you want to enjoy crab in a casual way, lunchtime is also a great choice. In addition to the same course meals served at dinner, they also offer the "Kani Kichi Lunch," limited to 6 servings a day, which comes with a variety of crab dishes.

According to reviews, the "Daily Lunch," which includes non-crab dishes that change every day, is also popular.

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Sapporo Kaisendon Donbe is a seafood Rice bowl restaurant located in the Sapporo Chuo Oroshiuri Shijo Jogai Shijo (Sapporo Central Wholesale Market Outside Market), north of the Maruyama Koen area.

It is popular for its wide variety of seafood Rice bowls made with plenty of exceptionally fresh seafood. Counter, table, and koagari (raised seating area) seats are available.

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The Rice bowls made with fresh toppings delivered straight from the market are particular not only about the ingredients, but also about the soy sauce passed down since the restaurant first opened and the vinegared rice made with Hokkaido-grown rice.

There are also several Hokkaido-only menu items where you can enjoy kani (crab) meat. The photo shows the “Special Sapporo Asaichi Rice Bowl Jo.” The impressive crab claw really stands out.

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The limited-quantity "Bara Chirashi Rice bowl" is a perfect menu item for anyone who wants to casually enjoy a seafood Rice bowl. It is a popular dish that has been featured in many media outlets.

Because the seafood is cut into small pieces, it is also easy to eat. It often sells out, so ordering early is recommended.