5 Best Unagi Restaurants in Kobe

While famous for Kobe beef and Akashiyaki, the port city of Kobe thrives on high-quality ingredients sourced from its nearby mountains and sea. The city is also home to a number of notable unagi restaurants, where skilled chefs prepare the delicacy with great care.

From crispy and juicy Kansai-style unagi to soft and fluffy Kanto-style preparations, you can experience both distinct traditions here. Here are five carefully selected restaurants where you can enjoy some of Kobe’s finest unagi.

• Kinki
• Hyogo
• JapanUnagi

UoUo KOBE Seafood Bar Shin-Nagata Kita

Known for its local sake and fresh seafood, UoUo KOBE Seafood Bar operates four locations across Kobe. Among them, the Shin-Nagata Kita branch features counter seating on the first floor and table seating on the second. With its relaxed atmosphere, the restaurant welcomes solo diners and families with children alike to enjoy its seafood dishes.

The menu features a wide range of dishes, from rice bowls and tempura to sushi and small plates, paired with a diverse drink selection including sake, highballs, and wine. Unagi can be enjoyed in various styles, such as kabayaki (grilled eel), umaki (eel-filled omelet), tempura, and rice boxes.

Prices are budget-friendly, with tempura starting at ¥200, rice boxes from ¥1,100, and other dishes ranging from ¥600 to ¥900.

Okura Hakusen

As the restaurant is run solely by the owner, reservations are recommended. The interior offers a quiet and refined atmosphere, with counter seating, table seating, and private rooms available. Solo diners and families with children alike can enjoy a relaxed meal here.

Unaju is available with either a half or a full eel (premium), priced at ¥2,530 and ¥3,960 respectively—budget-friendly options given recent increases in eel prices. The steamed eel features a characteristically soft, fluffy texture.

The sushi menu varies by time, with lunch starting from ¥1,980 and dinner from ¥3,630. Each piece is crafted at a pace that matches the guest, allowing diners to fully appreciate the owner’s unique style of sushi.

Manmantei Arima

With a mission to make unagi more accessible, Manmantei Arima serves its eel dishes in a calm and welcoming setting. The clean, white-themed interior features generously spaced seating, making it well suited for celebrations and formal gatherings. Guests can choose from counter and table seating, or opt for private rooms for added privacy.

Unaju can be customized with anywhere from a half eel to two whole eels, with prices varying by portion size. The menu also features unagi gozen (set meals) and unadon (eel rice bowls)—both served with soup and pickles—alongside à la carte dishes such as umaki (eel-filled omelet) and grilled eel liver.

To ensure peak freshness, each eel is carefully prepared to order by a dedicated unagi chef using the Kansai-style method. Grilled head-on over binchotan charcoal with far-infrared heat, the eel is cooked to achieve a crisp exterior and tender, fluffy interior. A house-made sauce enhances the natural flavor of the eel.

Unatoto Kobe Motomachi

Providing a casual and efficient way to enjoy unagi, Unatoto Kobe Motomachi features counter seating alongside tables for four. Diners can experience the enticing aroma and the sounds of the grill as their meal is prepared. Known for serving delicious unagi quickly and affordably, the restaurant welcomes solo diners and guests of all ages in a relaxed and approachable atmosphere.

The menu offers a wide variety of options, including unadon, unaju, hitsumabushi, and a selection of à la carte dishes, with some items also available for takeout. The most popular choice is the Unadon Double, priced at just ¥1,100 and topped with twice the amount of eel found in a standard bowl.

Prices are affordable, with unaju from ¥960 and hitsumabushi from ¥1,100. Orders are served with minimal waiting time.

Unamoto Ninomiya

Unamoto operates six locations across the Kobe area. The Ninomiya branch functions as a direct sales outlet with an attached processing facility. While primarily focused on takeout, it offers limited dine-in service with just four counter seats available during lunch hours. Reservations are accepted for takeout only. Guests can watch the chefs grill the eel right before their eyes, then enjoy it freshly cooked from the grill.

Dine-in options include unaju, kabayaki, and umaki—all featuring domestic eel grilled by hand over charcoal in the Kansai style, with characteristically crisp skin. The recommended Premium Unadon Gozen features a whole eel for ¥3,500, complete with soup, pickles, simmered eel liver, and a choice of either a soft-boiled or raw egg. Takeout options range from unaju to the shop’s signature eel inari. Selecting high-quality eel according to seasonal availability, the restaurant’s meticulous preparation ensures a clean, refined flavor.

Discover Popular Unagi Restaurants Just Steps from the Station

Kobe is home to a variety of excellent unagi restaurants, and we have introduced five of them in this guide.

Rich in nutrients and long enjoyed in Japan, unagi remains a favorite dish across the country. The restaurants featured here offer both Kansai-style and Kanto-style preparations, providing an opportunity to experience different regional traditions of grilled eel.

When visiting Kobe, take the opportunity to explore these restaurants and discover your favorite style of unagi.