Update-date: Mar 07 2025
Categories:
Naha
Japanese Cuisine
Don't you want to enjoy some local cuisine when you go on overseas trips? Check out this list of 15 restaurants in Okinawa where you can do just that. They're located near hot sightseeing spots around Naha like Kokusai Street (Kokusai-dori) and Shuri Castle (Shuri-jo).
1. Shabu-Shabu Kou Higashimachi Main Branch
Located near the monorail and just around a 10-minute drive from the airport, this popular restaurant is extremely accessible. Their signature dish is shabu-shabu, made with ingredients from within the prefecture. The [Okinawa Wagyu no Suki-shabu] (4,200 JPY) (Okinawa beef sukiyaki and shabu-shabu), which involves dipping flavorful meat from Wagyu (a type of high-quality cattle) born and bred in Okinawa in dashi, is particularly recommended. The [Agu Pork and Goya Chanpuru] (800 JPY) - made by stir-frying ingredients like umami-rich Agu pork (a breed native to Okinawa), bitter goya, and tofu together - is another must-try. The hint of garlic in the dish helps to stimulate the appetite. You can also enjoy dishes made with extremely fresh Kume-shima Aka chicken, which is killed and prepared in-house.
Shabu-Shabu Kou Higashimachi Main Branch
Open: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm Lunch 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,300 JPY
Address: 1F, 19-25, Higashi-machi, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,300 JPY
Address: 1F, 19-25, Higashi-machi, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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2. DINING Hana
This eatery is conveniently located at Kokusai Street (Kokusai-dori), which is the heart of Naha. Simple Okinawan fare made with tasty local, seasonal ingredients are served here. They have many dishes that go well with alcohol, such as ji-zake (local sake) and awamori made in earthenware pots. Be sure to try the [Seared Ishigaki Beef Sushi] (6 pieces for 1,600 JPY). The searing melts the fat, allowing you to savor melt-in-the-mouth meat that still has plenty of authentic umami. The strong aroma of the sea and sweetness of the shrimp in their sea lettuce and shrimp tempura will definitely stimulate your appetite!
DINING Hana
Open: 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (L.O. 12:00 am)
Closed: Sunday *Open on Sunday if Monday is a national holiday
Average price: 4,000 JPY
Address: 1F, Riverside Yabe, 2-18-21, Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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Closed: Sunday *Open on Sunday if Monday is a national holiday
Average price: 4,000 JPY
Address: 1F, Riverside Yabe, 2-18-21, Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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3. Churasantei
This popular izakaya is decorated in Okinawan blue and serves dishes made with plenty of local ingredients, centering around seafood. For example, fresh squid is used to make the flavorful squid ink sauce in their [Squid Ink Somen Chanpuru] (650 JPY). This dish not only tastes great but also it will catch your eyes! Some other popular dishes include [Semiebi] (priced at the market) (blunt slipper lobster) - known as a rare, premium ingredient - and [Masu-ni of Fish from Seas Around Okinawa] (from 1,500 JPY)] (seafood stewed in a salty broth). They have a great course meal consisting of 15 dishes of the day, along with other course meals that come with all-you-can-drink or all-you-can-eat options.
Churasantei
Open: 5:00 pm - 12:30 am (L.O. 11:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: 3,000 JPY
Address: 5-15, Higashi-machi, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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Closed: Wednesday
Average price: 3,000 JPY
Address: 5-15, Higashi-machi, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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4. Mion
Diners can enjoy Okinawan food while listening to folk music at this popular izakaya. With fresh seafood caught from nearby waters and vegetables procured daily, they prepare a host of classic home-style Okinawan dishes that you’ll love. Some examples are the miso-flavored [Nabera Chanpuru] (599 JPY) that incorporates stir-fried hechima (sponge gourd) - a traditional Okinawan ingredient - and [Kume Island Sea Grapes] (599 JPY), which is a dish of sea grapes that are eaten with a special sauce. Their dishes go great with their wide variety of Okinawan alcohol, which includes over 30 types of awamori and aged awamori in an earthenware pot. Folk music performances are held 3 times a day here: 7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm.
Mion
Open: 5:00 pm - 11:30 pm (Food L.O. 10:00 pm, Drinks L.O. 11:00 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: 3,000 JPY
Address: B1F, 1-3-58, Makishi, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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Closed: None
Average price: 3,000 JPY
Address: B1F, 1-3-58, Makishi, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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5. En Okinawa
Diners can get their fill of dishes made with Okinawan ingredients at this izakaya, such as fresh seafood procured daily from markets and local chicken. One recommended dish is the [Thickly-Cut and Seared Agu Bacon] (1,480 JPY). Made with Agu pork, this thickly-cut bacon has uniquely sweet fat, and the more you chew, the more umami spreads through your mouth. Besides that, the [Charcoal-grilled A4 - A5 Aitch Bone Cut of Okinawan Wagyu] (from 3,220 JPY) is a great way to enjoy premium A4 - A5 ranked Motobu beef (Wagyu from Okinawa), which is grilled over a charcoal flame to produce concentrated umami. There’s a great variety of awamori as well, ranging from the standard fare to ones that only fanatics would know about!
En Okinawa
Open: 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Food L.O. 11:00 pm, Drinks L.O. 11:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: 4,200 JPY
Address: 2F, Estate Kumoji, 3-16-19, Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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Closed: None
Average price: 4,200 JPY
Address: 2F, Estate Kumoji, 3-16-19, Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa (Map)
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Don't these restaurants look great? Remember to use this guide when you visit Naha!
Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.
