5 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in Nagoya

Atsuta Horaiken is a culinary gem in Nagoya, renowned for its signature hitsumabushi dish, a delectable dish featuring grilled eel served over rice. The hitsumabushi here is a delightful experience where the flavourful in-house sauce really enhances the taste of the eel.

Boasting several locations in town, the main Atsuta Horaiken restaurant is just 10 km south of the city centre, a 7-minute walk from Atsuta Jingu Temma-cho station. The restaurant exudes the charm of an old house with a lovely garden around it, creating a warm and inviting ambiance. To avoid long waits, visit during off-peak hours or make a reservation in advance.

Sekai No Yama-chan and Furaibo are the most well-known restaurants that specialise in Nagoya’s speciality food, tebasaki (Japanese-style, deep-fried chicken wingtips). Wings are soy-and-sugar-dipped, salted, peppered and then double-fried. The result is a wing that’s crispy on the outside and slightly juicy on the inside. Locals claim that the wings taste a lot better accompanied by beer.

Sekai No Yama-chan’s wings are said to be a bit spicier and they serve them with the ends intact. Sekai No Yama-chan has several locations in the city, including many in the Kanayama area. Furaibo has many shops downtown Nagoya such as in Sakae District.

For a large selection of dining options, head to the Towers Plaza located on the 12th and 13th floors of JR Central Towers. This bustling food haven feature over 30 small shops offering a diverse array of culinary delights. You can enjoy everything from authentic Japanese dishes to Asian specialities and Western favorites such as pizza, pasta, salads and burgers.

The prices are reasonable. While some outlets provide menus in English, most have food samples displayed at their entrances to make ordering easy even if you don't speak Japanese.

Siam Garden, a beautiful colonial-style restaurant in Nagoya, is the go-to spot when you're craving authentic Thai cuisine. Over the past decade, Thai food has won over countless fans worldwide to the point that you can find Thai restaurants in all major cities around the globe, Nagoya being no exception.

The kitchen at Siam Garden is run by skilled Thai chefs who ensure every dish captures genuine Thai flavours and you’re getting the real thing. Whether you're hungry for tom yam goong (spicy shrimp soup) or chicken green curry, Siam Garden will satisfy your Thai cravings with authentic and flavourful dishes.

It is almost unbelievable how many outstanding dishes a good chef can conjure up using tofu as the main base at Mameya Genge. Mameya Genge’s most popular dish is soy milk shabu-shabu (pork slices fondue with hot soybean milk sauce).

Other interesting dishes are cold tofu, tofu and avocado salad with wasabi dressing, spicy cod roe tofu, gratin-topped tofu with egg, deep-fried soy beans, deep-fried chicken and rice balls with tempura. Drinks include local sake, shochu (Japanese distilled beverage) and soy milk cocktails.