A Must Try for Japanophiles! 15 Select Restaurants Around Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture to Enjoy Local Flavors Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Nov 08 2023

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

A Must Try for Japanophiles! 15 Select Restaurants Around Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture to Enjoy Local Flavors

Sendai City, the gateway to the Tohoku Region, has many restaurants that use local ingredients to create gourmet food unique to the area, such as the Sendai specialty of gyutan (beef tongue) and local sake (Japanese alcohol). This article will be introducing 15 specially selected restaurants for local gourmet food!

See full listings of Japanese Cuisine restaurants found in and around Sendai.

1. Rikyu Nakakecho Branch (Sendai / Japanese Cuisine)

This is a famous chain specializing in the Sendai specialty of gyutan and has 20 branches across the prefecture. The restaurant's signature dish is [Gyutan (Premium) Set Meal] (2,310 JPY). The thickly sliced gyutan is grilled by veteran chefs for a juicy texture that cuts cleanly and is full of umami (Japanese savory taste). It goes perfectly with the steamed barley and rice that is included in the set. Other set items, such as the [Zeitaku Stew Set] (2,050 JPY) are also just as popular.

Gyutan Sumiyaki Rikyu Nakakecho

Open: Normal hours: 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. (last order 10:30 p.m.) Lunch until 3:00 p.m. New Year's Eve: 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (last order 8:30 p.m.) New Year's Day: 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (last order 9:00 p.m.)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,200 JPY
Access: In front of JR Sendai Station, in the Hapina Nakakecho Shopping Arcade next to Matsuzawa Kamaboko Shop.
Address: JY Bldg. 1F , Chuo 1-8-29, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
More Details Reservation

2. Sansuien Higashiguchi Second Branch (Sendai / Yakiniku)

This is a yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) restaurant where you can enjoy Sendai beef and other varieties of beef from Miyagi Prefecture at affordable prices. Popular menu items include the [Seared Gyutoro] (2,200 JPY) where Sendai beef is lightly seared for 3 seconds and enjoyed with a raw egg, and the thickly sliced [Diamond Harami] (1,600 JPY) marinated in a homemade sauce. The restaurant also prides itself in its wide selection of wines, so you can enjoy the marriage of beef and wine. There is also an all-you-can-drink course which is recommended for those who want to drink without worrying about the price.

Sansuien Higashiguchi Second branch

Open: [Tuesday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] 5:00 pm - 0:00 am
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY
Access: Depart from the west exit of Sendai Station, go under the overpass, go straight along with the one way street, then on your right.
Address: 1-3-17, Shintera, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai, Miyagi (Map)
More Details Reservation

3. Koya Kokubuncho Branch (Hirose-dori / Sushi)

5. Koya Kokubuncho Branch (Hirose-dori / Sushi)

This is a restaurant to savor sushi made with super fresh seafood. They offer a wide selection of premium ingredients that the keen-eyed owner picks out at the market every morning. [Master's Recommendations] (4,320 JPY) is a great way to experience the owner's expertise. It is a voluminous selection of premium sushi, including seven with seasonal ingredients. There is also a wide variety of a la carte items, such as the [Jiman no Tamagoyaki] (540 JPY) and [Abalone Steak] (4,320 JPY and up), as well as 40 to 50 sake labels that go well with the food. A wonderful place to thoroughly enjoy the flavors of Sendai.

Sushidokoro koya Kokubun-cho Branch

Open: 6:00 pm - 3:00 am
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: Head onto Kokubunjidori street from Hirosedori street, pass Setokatsu Parking on the right, located on the first floor of the #2 Fujiya Building.
Address: No.2 Fujiwara-ya Bldg. 1F, 2-1-14 Kokubun-cho , Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi (Map)
More Details Reservation

4. Zehu (Hirose-dori / Japanese Cuisine)

8. Zehu (Hirose-dori / Japanese Cuisine)

This is a restaurant for those who love seasonal ingredients as tempura or as chargrilled cuisine. Seating is primarily in semi-private and private rooms, so you can loosen up without worrying about other guests. Recommended dishes include the freshly fried tempura, [Thick Slices of Sendai's Famous Salt-grilled Beef Tongue] (1,580 JPY), and [Thick Slices of Saikyo-yaki Sablefish] (1,600 JPY) with a slightly sweet flavor that goes perfectly with sake. The restaurant also prides itself in its wide selection of organic wines that go well with Japanese cuisine, so feel free to indulge in the combinations.

Wasyoku to Tempura Zehu

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday] Normal hours: 17:30 - 03:00 (Last order: 02:00) [Sunday, National Holiday] Normal hours: 17:30 - 00:00
Closed: Sundays
Address: Umehara Bldg. 2F, 2-1-20 Kokubuncho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
More Details Reservation

5. Shiogama Shirahata (Sendai / Sushi)

This is a standing bar where customers can delight in sushi and other Japanese cuisine made with local ingredients. A popular menu item is the [Shiogama Shirahata / Highest-Grade] selection of sushi that includes wild Pacific bluefin tuna. Their sushi can be ordered individually, but you can also ask for the menu that was developed by the chefs here if you have trouble deciding. The [Tenderly Simmered Octopus], which goes perfectly with sake, is one of the restaurant's signature dishes. It is unbelievably soft for octopus, so much so that you hardly need to chew. It is an outstanding dish to delight in the umami flavors of octopus.

Shiogama Shirahata

Open: [Weekdays] Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm [Everyday] 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,200 JPY
Access: 1 minute walk from JR Sendai Station. At [Date-no-Komichi] in S-PAL Sendai East Bldg.
Address: Date-no-Komichi, 2F, S-PAL Sendai East Bldg., 1-1-1, Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi (Map)
More Details Reservation

6. Matsuzakaya (Hirose-dori / Teppanyaki)

15. Matsuzakaya (Hirose-dori / Teppanyaki)

This is a teppanyaki (ingredients grilled on an iron griddle) restaurant where you can try a variety of premium wagyu beef. There is a wide selection of courses, among which the [Matsuzaka Beef and Sendai Beef Tasting Course] (7,500 JPY) is particularly popular. The course allows you to try and compare lean cuts of Matsuzaka beef, which is one of Japan's three main wagyu beefs, and the local specialty Sendai beef. Tasting and comparing these premium beefs will let you feel extravagant and pampered. The course comes with seafood teppanyaki, vegetables, rice and dessert, so satisfaction is guaranteed.

Teppan Matsuzakaya

Open: Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm) L.O. for courses is 9:30 pm, for a-la-carte dishes is 10:00 pm
Closed: Sundays
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 900 JPY
Access: 5 minutes walk from Hirosedori Station. Go towards the direction of SENDAI FORUS, turn left at the second street, then on the left side
Address: 3F, Luna Park Ichibancho Bldg., 1-6-1 Kokubun-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi (Map)
More Details Reservation

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7. Trattoria Gin (Kotodai-koen / Italian Cuisine)

3. Trattoria Gin (Kotodai-koen / Italian Cuisine)

This is an Italian restaurant run by a chef who trained at a famous restaurant in Tokyo. Its specialty is the [Acqua Pazza] (1,600 JPY and up) made by combining tomatoes, olive oil, capers, and other ingredients with fresh fish brought to shore in Miyagi Prefecture. It is a wonderful dish to both savor the umami flavors of the fish and to pair with drinks such as wine. The [Grilled Takashimizu KYO Pork] (1,600 JPY and up), made with brand name pork from Miyagi Prefecture, is also popular. Plenty more items on their extensive menu are also made with local ingredients.

Trattoria Gin

Open: (Weekdays) Lunch 11:30am-2:00pm (last order 1:30pm) (Weekdays, Saturday) Dinner 6:00pm-12:00am (last order 11:30pm)
Closed: Tuesdays
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY / [Lunch] 800 JPY
Access: Next to the city hall. Follow Kokubuncho-dori; you'll see a building with a ramen shop on the first floor. We're on the second floor.
Address: Negishi Bldg. 2F , 3-8-12 Kokubun-cho , Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
More Details

8. Kokorozukushi Inase (Sendai / Japanese Cuisine)

10. Kokorozukushi Inase (Sendai / Japanese Cuisine)

Visiting this unassuming restaurant is a great way to thoroughly savor traditional Japanese cuisine. It is renowned for their food, which are prepared primarily with ingredients from Miyagi Prefecture and also designed to go well with sake. The [Assorted Sashimi Platter] (2,000 JPY and up) is a perennial favorite. Not only is it full of seasonal ingredients, but the beautiful presentation further whets the appetite. In addition, the juicy and sweet [Grilled Beef Tripe with Sendai Miso] (850 JPY) of beef tripe marinated in a homemade miso is a dish that may get you hooked for life.

Kokorozukushi Inase

Open: Dinner: 5:00 p.m. - Midnight (last order at 11:00 p.m.) *Please contact us for reservations outside these hours.
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY
Access: Leave JR Sendai Station through its West Exit. Located across the pawnshop Utsubo, on the street behind Yamada Denki LABI.
Address: Ekimae Nozomi Bldg. 1F, 3-6-22 Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
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9. Datenari (Sendai / Yakiniku)

This is a yakiniku restaurant that serves the highest quality Sendai beef, "Goku Sendai beef". In addition to the meat, the seafood, vegetables, salt, and even the ingredients for sauces are all locally produced from Miyagi Prefecture. The restaurant's specialty is the [A5 Sendai Beef - A Selection of 6 Cuts from One Goku Sendai Cattle]. Everything from popular parts such as loin to rare parts of which only limited portions are available are included. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of sake, and they offer the popular [Four Sake Set] (1,280 JPY) for anyone who wants to try and compare their select local sake.

Datenari

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday] 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm *Closed on the fourth Monday of the month

10. Hamaya Asuto Nagamachi Branch (Nagamachi / Japanese Cuisine)

6. Hamaya Asuto Nagamachi Branch (Nagamachi / Japanese Cuisine)

This is a restaurant to relish seafood of the season and a wide selection of sake. There are horigotatsu (sunken kotatsu tables) as well as counter seating, so it is perfect for a variety of party sizes and occasions. Recommended is the [Hama Kaiseki] (5,500 JPY) course with two hours of bottomless drinks. It is a supremely satisfying course that includes not just seafood dishes such as sashimi, salt-grilled ayu (sweetfish), hamo tatsutaage (deep-fried daggertooth pike conger), and a small bowl of rice with conger eel, but also Japanese-style roast beef. Seasonal rice bowls are also popular and always recommended for those who want to savor flavors that are only available for a limited time throughout the year.

Ryotei Hamaya Asuto Nagamachi branch

Open: [Monday - Sunday] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm

11. Isobashi (Kotodai-koen / Izakaya Cuisine)

7. Isobashi (Kotodai-koen / Izakaya Cuisine)

This is a restaurant specializing in shellfish, which is rare in Japan. Shellfish are low in calories and filled with zinc, which is said to be beneficial for the skin. This makes them popular among the beauty conscious. There is a wide selection of shellfish, usually about 25 different types, that can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways, such as grilled, raw as sashimi, deep fried as tempura, and even as sushi. Signature menu items include the [Master's 5 Shellfish Recommendation] (3,800 JPY) and [Karahoya from Miyagi Prefecture] (650 JPY). This is the perfect place for those who want to relax and slowly sip at a wide selection of local sake while reveling in shellfish.

Isobashi - Shellfish specialty shop

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] 6:00 pm - 3:00 am (L.O. 2:00 am) Closed at 12:00 am on holidays (L.O. 11:00 pm)
Closed: Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: Go to the direction of Kokubun-cho from Kotodai-Koen 141 bldg. Exit of Sendai Municipal Subway Nanboku Line
Address: 5F Chidoriya Bldg, 2-9-32 Kokubun-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi

12. Robin (Kotodai-koen / Izakaya Cuisine)

11. Robin (Kotodai-koen / Izakaya Cuisine)

This restaurant aims to bring out the best of the local ingredients by focusing on small dishes. The signature dish is the slow roasted [Roast Beef] (1,280 JPY) of Sendai beef and herbs. It is an innovative dish with Japanese flavors distinguished by sansho peppers. The restaurant also prides itself in the wide selection of alcohol, ranging from wines and local sake to shochu (another kind of Japanese alcohol) so that different drinks can be chosen to match the food.

Ohashi Tapas and Osake Ro bi n

Open: [Weekdays / Saturday / Holidays / Day before Holiday] Normal hours: 6:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m. [Sunday] Normal hours: 6:00 p.m. - Midnight * Business hours coorespond to reservations. (Negotiable)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY
Access: 3 min. walk from Kotodai Koen Station, Koen 2 Exit. Head west on Jozenji-dori Street and turn left at the second traffic light. Located on the 1st floor of the Grand Palais Building.
Address: Grand Palais Bldg. 1F, 2-15-2 Kokubuncho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi

13. KANAE (Hirose-dori / Teppanyaki)

This restaurant uses premium ingredients from Miyazaki Prefecture and grills them on an iron griddle. It has a trendy atmosphere with just eight seats at the counter, where you can enjoy the performance of the food being prepared not just visually, but also through the sounds and smells. The menu consists mostly of courses, with the limited quantity [Sendai Beef and Abalone Course] being particularly popular. This consists of eight courses, including the two main dishes of live black abalone and A5 grade Sendai beef (100g), seasonal soup, and grilled vegetables. This is a luxurious course to appreciate the rich bounty of the land and sea.

Teppan Dining KANAE

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday, Day before National Holidays] 5:30 pm - 3:00 am (Food L.O. 2:00 am / Drink L.O. 3:00 am)
Closed: Sunday, National Holidays
Average price: [Dinner] 10,000 JPY
Access: 4 minutes walk from the West 5 Exit of [Hirose-dori Station] on Sendai Municipal Subway Namboku Line. On the first floor of M-one Bldg.
Address: 1F, M-one Bldg., 4-3-11, Ichiban-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi

14. Yamako (Kotodai-koen / Japanese Cuisine)

13. Yamako (Kotodai-koen / Japanese Cuisine)

This restaurant focuses on traditional Japanese cuisine made with fresh seafood and seasonal ingredients. With horigotatsu seating in addition to seating at the counter, it has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. They offer a wide selection of a la carte dishes that go well with local sake and shochu. Recommendations include [Beef Stir Fried with Spices] (1,000 JPY) that is great for savoring the umami flavors of beef, and the [Seafood Chawanmushi] (950 JPY) which is packed with premium seafood such as sea urchin. Courses that come with all-you-can-drink options are recommended for those who are fond of their drinks.

Sohonke Yamako

Open: [Weekdays / Saturday] 5:00 am - 12:00 pm
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY
Access: After getting off at Koutoudai Park Station, it is a seven minute walk from the ticket gates. After exiting the station, across from the entrance to Kokumeimachidoori, it is at 2F in the Goroku Ichiban Building.
Address: Goroku Ichibankan Bldg. 2F, 2-5-3 Kokubun-cho , Aoba-ku,Sendai-shi, Miyagi (Map)
More Details

15. Raita (Hirose-dori / Izakaya Cuisine)

14. Raita (Hirose-dori / Izakaya Cuisine)

This is a restaurant dedicated to serving fresh seafood from ports around the Tohoku Region and good sake. At any given time, there are 15 to 20 different local sake carefully selected by the owner, who is a sake lover, with the option to enjoy them in all-you-can-drink sets. The menu changes daily as the ingredients are procured every day and the [Chef's Sashimi Platter] (780 JPY and up) is a great way to enjoy fresh seafood that is in season. There is a full range of menu items typical of izakaya (Japanese pubs), such as delicacies and snacks that go well with sake, yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), deep-fried items, and rice and noodle dishes to close off the meal.

Izakaya Raita

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday, days before national holidays] Normal hours 5:30 pm - *Closing time is generally at 00:00 am (depending on customers)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY / [Lunch] 680 JPY
Access: Two minutes on foot from Hirose-dori Station on the Senday Municipal Subway. Leave the station, turn right, head in the direction of Aobadori street, and it will be on your left-hand side. Next to the convenience store.
Address: Otomo Bldg. B1F, 2-11-11 Chuo , Aoba-ku,Sendai-shi , Miyagi

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.