31 editor picks in Sapporo.
31 japanese places in Sapporo we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Sapporo | Japanese across every city.
This is the broad church of Sapporo eating, taking in the regional specialities that define Hokkaido's table. Jingisukan, the local grilled lamb, runs from Jingisukan Daruma and Matsuo in Susukino and Higashi-ku to the open-air Sapporo Beer Garden, while crab houses like Sapporo Kani Honke and Hokkaido Kani Shogun serve the cold-water catch. Soup curry, a Sapporo invention, is everywhere here, from Magic Spice in Shiroishi-ku to Suage+, Garaku and Picante.
The brewery's flagship hall and Genghis Khan grill in an 1890 brick brewing house. Five halls, dome-grills and Sapporo draft from the source.
Order100-minute Genghis Khan tabehoudai with all-you-can-drink Sapporo Classic.
TipThe Trommel Hall in the original brick brewery is the room with the atmosphere; reserve ahead. Closed December 31.
The Susukino jingisukan room since 1954, with dome grills at every seat and a one-cut lamb menu. Atozuke-style dipping sets Daruma apart in the city.
OrderOne-plate Sapporo-cut lamb served with sliced onion, leek and the house tare.
TipCash only at the original Honten; expect a queue from 17:30. The 4-4 branch around the corner takes the overflow.
Daruma's 2009 spillover branch behind COCONO Susukino, one minute from Susukino subway. Same single-cut lamb, same dome grills, slightly fewer queues.
OrderSapporo-cut lamb plate at the dome grill; order another before you finish the first.
TipOpens 17:00 daily; queue forms early on weekends and after Susukino last-trains begin running.
The Matsuo chain's flagship east-side branch in Sapporo, 10 minutes from Higashi-Kuyakushomae. Marinated lamb is the house style, opposite Daruma's atozuke.
OrderLamb-shoulder loin with the family aizome marinade and the trio comparison set.
TipBook the comparison set through byFood or Pelago in advance; popular with families.
The seven-storey Honten near Sapporo Station, the city's reference crab restaurant since 1964, working all three Hokkaido crabs across course menus.
OrderKegani hairy crab in the steamed kaiseki course paired with crab sashimi.
TipThe Susukino branch closed in 2022; the Honten is now the principal Sapporo address.
The original soup curry shop. Founder Taizan Shimomura coined the term here in 1993, riffing on Indonesian soto ayam with chicken broth and 30 spices.
OrderChicken-leg soup curry at the kakuteru spice level; rice on the side, fork-and-spoon.
TipSix heat levels from junrei to sumire; ask for haskap lassi as the cooler. Closed Wednesdays.
The Susukino soup-curry shop two minutes from the station. Chicken leg, knuckle pork and Hokkaido vegetables in a clearer broth than Magic Spice.
OrderKnuckle pork soup curry with 21 vegetables; the broth is lighter than Magic Spice.
TipLong queue from 12:00; Suage2 is the same operator one block over with the same menu.
Founded 2007, Garaku built its name on a clear 21-spice broth and slow-cooked chicken leg. Underground room behind a stone facade near Bus Center.
OrderTender chicken leg with Hokkaido vegetables; spice level five for first-timers.
TipQueue forms 11:30 on weekends; the Tanukikoji branch is a five-minute walk west.
Picante opened 1996 north of Hokkaido University campus, one of the founding soup-curry houses after Magic Spice. The Hokudai-mae original keeps the queues.
OrderKnuckle pork soup curry, broth of choice (1-4 spice).
TipFour-minute walk from Kita 12-jo subway; 44 seats but expect 30 minutes at peak.
Susukino's other heavyweight crab house in Sapporo. Six floors of course menus across king, snow and hairy crab, plus a third-floor sushi counter.
OrderSankan course with one whole king crab leg, hairy-crab sashimi and snow-crab nabe.
TipTax-free service for international visitors; reserve a window table on floor 5.
The bakery that invented chikuwa pan in 1983. Donguri sells around 2,300 of the fish-cake-and-mayo loaves a day across its nine Sapporo branches.
OrderChikuwa pan and Hokkaido potato bread, hot from the rack.
TipBuy three to four loaves at once; everyone in town does. Open 09:00-21:00 daily.
The Sapporo kissaten that built a coffee dynasty. Morihico opened 1996 in a wooden house behind Maruyama Park, hand-roasted beans and flannel drip.
OrderForest Drops hand-drip with a slice of gateau fromage.
TipExpect 20 to 45-minute waits on weekends; the four-minute walk from Maruyama Koen station is the cushion.
A second-generation Susukino soup-curry shop with farm-direct vegetables from Naganuma. Three broths plus a Pakistani-style fruit curry option.
OrderChicken soup curry with the second-tier spice; finish with the haskap lassi.
TipFamily-friendly with kids' chairs; ladies-night specials on Tuesdays.
The Susukino jingisukan room since 1954. Single-cut lamb, dome grills at every seat, and an atozuke after-dipping style defining Sapporo Genghis Khan.
OrderOne Sapporo-cut lamb plate per person to start; add another before the first is done.
TipCash only; queues from 17:30; the 4-4 branch around the corner is the overflow.
The Sapporo Brewery's beer hall and Genghis Khan grill in an 1890 brick brewing house, with five themed halls and the all-you-can-eat lamb-and-beer course.
Order100-minute jingisukan tabehoudai with all-you-can-drink Sapporo Classic.
TipTrommel Hall in the original brewery is the room with the atmosphere; reserve ahead.
The original soup curry shop. Founder Taizan Shimomura coined soup curry here in 1993, riffing on Indonesian soto ayam with a chicken broth and 30-plus.
OrderChicken-leg soup curry at the kakuteru spice level.
TipSix heat levels from junrei to sumire; ask for the haskap lassi as the cooler.
The Susukino soup-curry shop two minutes from the station. Knuckle pork, chicken leg and Hokkaido vegetables in a clearer broth than Magic Spice.
OrderKnuckle pork soup curry with 21 Hokkaido vegetables.
TipLong queue from 12:00; Suage2 is the same operator one block over with the same menu.
Founded 2007, Garaku built its name on a clear 21-spice broth and slow-cooked bone-in chicken. Underground room behind a stone facade by Bus Center.
OrderTender chicken leg with Hokkaido vegetables; spice level five for a first time.
TipQueue forms by 11:30 on weekends; the Tanukikoji branch is five minutes west.
Picante opened 1996 north of Hokkaido University, one of the founding soup-curry houses after Magic Spice. Three Sapporo branches; this is the original.
OrderKnuckle pork soup curry; pick broth (1-4 spice) and rice size at the counter.
TipFour-minute walk from Kita 12-jo subway; 44 seats but 30-minute waits at peak.
Matsuo's flagship east-side branch, 10 minutes from Higashi-Kuyakushomae station. Marinated lamb, opposite Daruma's atozuke after-dipping approach.
OrderLamb-shoulder loin with the family aizome marinade and the trio comparison set.
TipBook the comparison set through byFood or Pelago in advance; popular with families.
The bakery that invented chikuwa pan in 1983. Donguri sells around 2,300 of the fish-cake-and-mayo loaves a day across its nine Sapporo branches.
OrderChikuwa pan and Hokkaido potato bread, hot from the rack.
TipBuy three to four loaves at once; everyone in town does. Open 09:00-21:00 daily.
Second-generation Susukino soup-curry shop with farm-direct vegetables from Naganuma. Three broths plus a Pakistani-style fruit curry on the menu.
OrderChicken soup curry with the second-tier spice; finish with the haskap lassi.
TipFamily-friendly with kids' chairs; ladies-night specials on Tuesdays.
Sapporo's reference zangi (Hokkaido fried chicken) counter. Marinated overnight with garlic and soy, fried to order; teishoku sets land under 1,000 yen.
OrderZangi teishoku with free rice and cabbage refills.
TipCheaper than Susukino chains nearby; the Sapporo Station branch is the queue overflow.
Five-seat counter in Susukino mixing Italian, French and Japanese techniques on Hokkaido produce. Around ten dishes including four amuse-bouche, pasta.
OrderSeasonal tasting menu; ingredients shift weekly with the chef's family farms.
TipBook via Tableall four weeks ahead; pairings double the bill.
Manager Kazuo Ito's high-grade yakiniku room opened 2011, one minute from Susukino subway. Priced at ¥¥¥¥. Tasting menu ¥6,000-15,000. Book 4 weeks ahead.
OrderCut-to-order seasonal omakase: shin-shin, kainomi and rare offal in single-slice portions.
TipReservations via autoreserve.com; walk-in only after 22:00. Closed Wednesdays.
A short alley off Minami 6-jo with five small yakitori stands, each running a binchotan grill. Order at the counter, pay cash, standing room only on weekends.
OrderYakitori skewers
TipCash only; counter standing room only after 21:00. Order tsukune and negima first.
A Tanukikoji-area kissaten across two stories with second-floor counter seating, working a range of single-origin coffee blends. At Chuo-ku.
TipQuiet on weekday afternoons; the second-floor counter is the retreat seat.
A Nijo Market sushi-and-donburi counter. The cheapest kaisendon (mixed seafood-over-rice) bowls land 1,800 yen; uni-ikura-crab triple bowls 2,800.
OrderKaisendon
TipWalk in early; the queue stretches by 09:00 in summer Cash is faster than card.
Daimaru Sapporo's depachika sells bento boxes from 30-plus Hokkaido caterers. 800-1,500 yen for a full lunch box; closing-hour discounts at 19:00 daily.
OrderDepartment-store bento
TipDiscount stickers go on at 19:00; up to half-price by 20:00.
A Toyohira-ku soba house pouring nishin soba (buckwheat noodles with simmered Hokkaido herring) under 1,200 yen. Tatami and table seating, lunchtime regulars.
OrderNishin soba
TipCash and IC card; closed Wednesdays.
A Sapporo Chinese-Japanese kitchen famed for its zangi-on-rice bowl. Five minutes from Nishi 11-chome subway; lunch sets land 800-1,200 yen.
OrderZangi rice bowl
TipCash preferred; closed Sundays.
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Discover the flavors of Hokkaido on a guided tour of Sapporo's Nijo Market. Taste fresh seafood, enjoy a sushi brunch, and explore local specialties and history.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Sapporo’s beer scene with a local guide. Taste 10 craft beers across 3 breweries, discover the stories behind the brews, and enjoy a stress-free evening.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover Sapporo's culinary delights on a guided food tour. Enjoy a full dinner course with fresh seafood, BBQ lamb, and dessert, and sip on 3 or more drinks.
