Eel is delicious and good for the body, and it's a waste to just eat it on the Saturday of the Ox or as a measure against summer fatigue. There are famous eel restaurants all over the country, and you can find some delicious eel dishes. In addition to dishes such as kabayaki and hitsumabushi, we will introduce trivia about eel and how to enjoy it.
When you hear about eel dishes, the first thing that comes to mind is ``kabayaki.'' Shirayaki is grilled directly without adding any seasonings or sauces, and is further grilled with a sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. The difference is that in the Kanto region, Shirayaki is steamed and then kabayaki, while in the Kansai region, it is not steamed but kabayaki.
Hitsumabushi is a dish of chopped eel kabayaki placed on top of rice. It is known as a Nagoya specialty. First, taste it as is, then add condiments such as green onions and wasabi. At the end, you can enjoy it in a variety of ways, such as adding the soup stock that comes with it and making it ochazuke style.
Shirayaki, which is grilled eel without sauce, is characterized by its light taste and texture. You can enjoy the original flavor and aroma of eel better than kabayaki. We recommend eating it simply with salt, soy sauce, wasabi, yuzu pepper, etc.
A vinegared dish made with finely cut grilled eel and thinly sliced cucumber. The richness of the eel and the sourness of the vinegar are a perfect balance, making it easy to eat. At eel specialty restaurants, it is a standard menu item along with ``Umaki,'' an omelette stuffed with eel, and is also a popular dish as an accompaniment to alcohol.
Eel is often thought to be in season in summer because of the ``Doyou no Ushi no Hi'' (Doyou no Ushi no Hi). Delicious farmed eel can be eaten all year round, but wild eel is in season from autumn to winter, when eel accumulates fat in preparation for hibernation.
There are famous eel producing areas all over Japan, and there are many famous restaurants that serve delicious eel dishes. Particularly famous areas include Shizuoka Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Kochi Prefecture.
Japanese pepper is often eaten with kabayaki, and it is said that not only does the refreshing spiciness bring out the deliciousness of the eel, but also that the antibacterial properties of Japanese pepper are good for preventing food poisoning.
When you hear about eel dishes, the first thing that comes to mind is ``kabayaki.'' Shirayaki is grilled directly without adding any seasonings or sauces, and is further grilled with a sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. The difference is that in the Kanto region, Shirayaki is steamed and then kabayaki, while in the Kansai region, it is not steamed but kabayaki.
Hitsumabushi is a dish of chopped eel kabayaki placed on top of rice. It is known as a Nagoya specialty. First, taste it as is, then add condiments such as green onions and wasabi. At the end, you can enjoy it in a variety of ways, such as adding the soup stock that comes with it and making it ochazuke style.
Shirayaki, which is grilled eel without sauce, is characterized by its light taste and texture. You can enjoy the original flavor and aroma of eel better than kabayaki. We recommend eating it simply with salt, soy sauce, wasabi, yuzu pepper, etc.
A vinegared dish made with finely cut grilled eel and thinly sliced cucumber. The richness of the eel and the sourness of the vinegar are a perfect balance, making it easy to eat. At eel specialty restaurants, it is a standard menu item along with ``Umaki,'' an omelette stuffed with eel, and is also a popular dish as an accompaniment to alcohol.
Eel is often thought to be in season in summer because of the ``Doyou no Ushi no Hi'' (Doyou no Ushi no Hi). Delicious farmed eel can be eaten all year round, but wild eel is in season from autumn to winter, when eel accumulates fat in preparation for hibernation.
There are famous eel producing areas all over Japan, and there are many famous restaurants that serve delicious eel dishes. Particularly famous areas include Shizuoka Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Kochi Prefecture.
Japanese pepper is often eaten with kabayaki, and it is said that not only does the refreshing spiciness bring out the deliciousness of the eel, but also that the antibacterial properties of Japanese pepper are good for preventing food poisoning.
As the word ``eel streamer'' suggests, eel dishes have long been popular in Japan as an auspicious delicacy, and are the perfect food to decorate important occasions, hospitality, and important anniversaries. In addition to areas famous for producing eel, there are long-established and famous eel restaurants in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, which have been chosen for entertaining and anniversaries. It is rare to find a restaurant that sells rare wild eel, making it even more special.
Hyogo
A Sommelier’s Take on Wine and Traditional Japanese Dishes
Just a 17-minute walk from JR Kakogawa Station, Shun Ryori Rindō is a Japanese restaurant that highlights locally sourced ingredients, paired with carefully selected sake and wine. In 2017, the owner became the first Japanese recipient of a Gold Diploma in the international sommelier qualification exam, "International A.S.I. Sommelier Diploma", held by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), and has since achieved a refined harmony between Japanese cuisine and wine. As both chef and sommelier, the owner is also able to craft courses that complement wine pairings. When it comes to sake, the focus is on local brews that match beautifully with the region’s seasonal ingredients.
Tokyo
Proudly Serving Eel "Prepared With the Utmost Care in Japan"
Located near Kabukiza Tower, this long-established Japanese restaurant boasts a history of approximately 150 years. It is renowned as a discreet destination for celebrities from the world of kabuki and beyond. Selected in the "Michelin Guide Tokyo 2024", the restaurant’s eel, prepared with traditional flavours and meticulous care, is a masterpiece passed down through generations. Upholding the belief of being "Prepared With the Utmost Care in Japan," no compromises are made across the seven stages of preparation, from selecting ingredients to the final grilling. Preparing a single eel, including the removal of fine bones, takes approximately two hours. With a dedication to excellence in ingredients, culinary technique, tableware, and atmosphere, the establishment offers an experience akin to visiting a small museum where both food and artistry can be savoured.
Aichi
Enjoy a Quality Time at an Elegant Restaurant From the Edo Period
Located just a 2-minute walk from Nagoya City Subway Kamiiida Station, "Okaiseki Shiratama" is housed in a relocated Edo-period building that preserves traditional architectural elements like tea rooms and shoin-style designs. Guests can savor seasonal kaiseki cuisine meticulously crafted from fresh ingredients. Dishes like sashimi served on lotus leaves are artistic masterpieces that engage all five senses. The restaurant pairs its delicate dishes with exclusive sake, such as the specially brewed "Hyakushun" from Kosaka Sake Brewery. The historic setting, combined with private tatami rooms, makes it ideal for gatherings, celebrations, or casual meals.
Mie
A Matsusaka Restaurant Specializing in Premium Eel Dishes Grilled Over Binchotan
This charcoal-grilled eel restaurant is located in Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture, just a short drive from popular tourist sites such as the Gojōban Yashiki (former samurai residence) and Ise Shrine. The owner carefully selects each eel, allowing them to swim in fresh well water on the premises for several days to tighten the flesh before preparation. The skin is grilled over binchotan charcoal until perfectly crisp, adding a rich, smoky aroma, while the meat remains tender and fluffy. The restaurant’s signature dish, "Hitsumabushi", features a perfect balance of eel, rice, and condiments that is simply irresistible. The rice is a specially cultivated variety, sourced directly from contracted farmers, enhancing the full flavor of the eel in every bite.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Eat Eel for Entertainment or Anniversaries by Area
Although eel is known as a luxury ingredient, it was a dish loved by common people during the Edo period. Even now, in areas famous for eel and in downtown areas, there are restaurants where you can casually stop by and enjoy eel such as umaki, uzaku, and shirayaki, allowing you to experience the food culture that has been alive since ancient times. There are also restaurants that specialize in ``unagi skewers,'' in which each part of the eel is skewered and grilled. It tastes like yakitori and can be enjoyed as an inexpensive accompaniment to alcohol.
Kyoto
Enjoy Kansai-Style Charcoal-Grilled Domestic Eel
This eel specialty restaurant is located just a 1-minute walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, making it a convenient stop during your visit to Arashiyama. Housed in a traditional Kyoto machiya townhouse that honors its historic charm, the restaurant offers a tranquil atmosphere—perfect for both sightseeing breaks and special occasions. The dishes feature carefully selected, high-quality Japanese eel, expertly grilled by skilled chefs using Kansai-style techniques. The result is crispy skin, thick, tender flesh, and the irresistible aroma of charcoal grilling that enhances every bite. The rice is a premium Koshihikari variety specially prepared by Hachidaime Gihey, a well-known rice purveyor in Kyoto. The menu includes classics like Shirayaki (grilled without sauce), Kabayaki (grilled with sauce), Unaju (eel over rice), and Hitsumabushi, as well as a unique "Unagyuju"—a savory combination of Japanese eel and domestic beef. It’s a must-visit for eel lovers.
Tokyo
A High-Quality Eel Restaurant for Everyone, Affordable and Welcoming
The first Tokyo branch of "Seiryu Unagi Tsukishima," with its main store located in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is just a 4-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Hongo-sanchome Station. The restaurant offers high-quality, large Japanese eels at affordable prices, seasoned with a sweet Kyushu-style sauce that is easy for children to enjoy and appeals to people of all ages and genders.
Mie
Charcoal-Grilled Eel That Has Been Loved Locally for Over 50 Years
"Taikantei" has been operating for over 50 years in Tsu City, Mie , where the food culture of eating eel on a daily basis is deeply rooted, and is loved by many people, especially locals. The fourth store, "Taikantei Misato", run by the owner who is the grandson of the founder, is located in an area rich in nature and has a calm atmosphere in an old folk house-style building. A popular menu item is "Unaju", made with eel purchased directly from Nagoya that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The owner, who has been trained for many years, carefully grills the meat on a charcoal grill.
Ehime
Enjoy Authentic Eel with Carefully Selected Sake
An eel restaurant in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. Domestic eels are cooked plump in the Kanto style, and the skin is thoroughly grilled to bring out the fragrant aroma. The sansho pepper used is from Niyodogawa Town, Kochi Prefecture, and has a rich aroma that brings out the flavor of the eel. The restaurant stocks local sake from Ehime Prefecture's Toyo, Chuyo, and Nanyo, and the wines are carefully selected, focusing on natural varieties. The interior features a calm, modern Japanese atmosphere with table seating, making it perfect for dining together. There are also plenty of counter seats, so solo diners can easily stop by.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Casually Eat Eel by Area
Eel restaurants are loved by a wide range of generations, from children to adults to the elderly, and have been used since ancient times for gatherings of families and relatives, such as meals on the day of the ox. Perhaps for this reason, there are many restaurants where families can enjoy meals together. If you have a private room, you can eat with your family without having to worry about people watching you, and if you have a tatami room, you can feel safe even if you have a baby or small child with you. When you travel with your family to an area famous for eel production, be sure to try it.
Ehime
Enjoy Authentic Eel with Carefully Selected Sake
An eel restaurant in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. Domestic eels are cooked plump in the Kanto style, and the skin is thoroughly grilled to bring out the fragrant aroma. The sansho pepper used is from Niyodogawa Town, Kochi Prefecture, and has a rich aroma that brings out the flavor of the eel. The restaurant stocks local sake from Ehime Prefecture's Toyo, Chuyo, and Nanyo, and the wines are carefully selected, focusing on natural varieties. The interior features a calm, modern Japanese atmosphere with table seating, making it perfect for dining together. There are also plenty of counter seats, so solo diners can easily stop by.
Kyoto
Enjoy Kansai-Style Charcoal-Grilled Domestic Eel
This eel specialty restaurant is located just a 1-minute walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, making it a convenient stop during your visit to Arashiyama. Housed in a traditional Kyoto machiya townhouse that honors its historic charm, the restaurant offers a tranquil atmosphere—perfect for both sightseeing breaks and special occasions. The dishes feature carefully selected, high-quality Japanese eel, expertly grilled by skilled chefs using Kansai-style techniques. The result is crispy skin, thick, tender flesh, and the irresistible aroma of charcoal grilling that enhances every bite. The rice is a premium Koshihikari variety specially prepared by Hachidaime Gihey, a well-known rice purveyor in Kyoto. The menu includes classics like Shirayaki (grilled without sauce), Kabayaki (grilled with sauce), Unaju (eel over rice), and Hitsumabushi, as well as a unique "Unagyuju"—a savory combination of Japanese eel and domestic beef. It’s a must-visit for eel lovers.
Aichi
Enjoy a Quality Time at an Elegant Restaurant From the Edo Period
Located just a 2-minute walk from Nagoya City Subway Kamiiida Station, "Okaiseki Shiratama" is housed in a relocated Edo-period building that preserves traditional architectural elements like tea rooms and shoin-style designs. Guests can savor seasonal kaiseki cuisine meticulously crafted from fresh ingredients. Dishes like sashimi served on lotus leaves are artistic masterpieces that engage all five senses. The restaurant pairs its delicate dishes with exclusive sake, such as the specially brewed "Hyakushun" from Kosaka Sake Brewery. The historic setting, combined with private tatami rooms, makes it ideal for gatherings, celebrations, or casual meals.
Nagano
The Ultimate Eel, Grilled With Expert Skill at a Long-Established Restaurant
"Kappo Maruitei" is located approximately a 6-minute walk from JR Iida Station. It is a prestigious restaurant that has been pursuing eel cuisine every day while preserving the taste of a long-established restaurant. Only the highest quality farm-raised eels are carefully selected, then grilled over charcoal by skilled artisans until the surface takes on a glossy amber hue. The flesh is plump and tender, while the skin offers an irresistible crispness. This exquisite eel is complemented by a rich, sweet sauce that has been nurtured and preserved for over a century since the restaurant's founding. Paired with rice from Nagano, grown in the abundant natural environment of Shinshu, the dish delivers blissful flavour from the first bite to the last.
Search for Family-Friendly Restaurants Serving Eel, Categorized by Area
Even if you go to a well-known or long-established restaurant that is difficult to enter at night, for lunch you may be able to enjoy eel rice bowls, eel bowls, hitsumabushi, etc. at relatively reasonable prices. The eel is slowly grilled over charcoal with a secret sauce that has been passed down over time. There is no doubt that you will feel happy when you eat it. Recommended when you want to have a luxurious meal with friends, or when you want to recharge for work in the afternoon.
Kyoto
Mastering the Art of Eel — A Tradition Passed Down with Pride
Located just a 1-minute walk from Sanjo Station on the Keihan Electric Railway, this authentic charcoal-grilled eel restaurant offers a truly memorable dining experience. Fresh eel is prepared each morning and grilled slowly over binchotan charcoal using a traditional method—high heat from a distance—to achieve a unique texture: crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Paired with the restaurant’s secret sauce, it delivers a flavor that stands out. The eel is served over “Mizukagami rice,” a premium variety of Omi rice selected for its soft texture and subtle sweetness, perfectly complementing the dish.Menu highlights include “Sumibiyaki Shirakaba Jyu” (white-grilled eel over rice), “Sumibiyaki Unagi Nishiki Jyu” (charcoal-grilled eel with savory rolled omelet), and “Omi Beef Jyu” (rice bowl topped with premium Omi beef)—a great option for guests who prefer beef, making it easy to dine together with varying tastes. Reservations are recommended during peak hours.
Shizuoka
Hamamatsu City Eel, Fluffy and Grilled in the Kanto Style
An eel restaurant founded in 1966 in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka . The eel, grilled plumply in the Kanto style with a sauce perfected over more than half a century, is a masterpiece befitting Hamamatsu City's specialty. A beautiful Japanese garden sprawls across the premises, offering a luxurious experience that helps to forget daily stress. Guests can savor the exquisite eel while admiring the seasonal beauty of nature. The restaurant features 125 seats—including table and tatami seating—and a spacious parking lot, making it a popular stop on sightseeing tours. Private rooms are available to accommodate a wide range of occasions such as memorial services, banquets, and dinners with loved ones. A comprehensive take-out menu further enhances the appeal of this establishment.
Yamanashi
Enjoy Seasonal Authentic Japanese Food at Reasonable Prices
A Japanese restaurant prepared by artisans using seasonal ingredients. We are proud of our dashi, which is made with the concentrated flavor of bonito from Yaizu and kelp from Rishiri. Focusing on local ingredients, you can also enjoy buckwheat flour and rice from Shinshu, Koshihikari "Pear North America" from Yamanashi Prefecture, which is highly rated in terms of taste, as well as fresh vegetables and seafood delivered directly from the farm. With a children's menu and a structure that eliminates steps, it's perfect for gatherings of a wide range of generations. Private rooms available. For take - out items such as bento boxes, please contact us directly.
Kagoshima
Enjoy Exquisite Eel From Kagoshima Prefecture in Kirishima City
"Unagi no Ogata" is an eel specialty store located in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. They only purchase eels from Kagoshima Prefecture that are farmed in high - quality natural groundwater, and they carefully manage the water by exposing them to natural groundwater even after they arrive at the store. Each morning, the eel is prepared only for the amount that will be used that day, so they are able to serve the freshest eel. The eel, which is slowly grilled over charcoal without being steamed, is fragrant and has a firm texture, but the meat is soft and chewy. In addition to being available for take - out or delivery, we can also ship nationwide, so you can enjoy the taste of the famous restaurant at home.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Eat Eel for Lunch by Area
