10 Places to Eat in Hakodate Japan

Hakodate is often touted as one of the most amazing night views in the world but aside from being the most popular tourist destination in Hokkaido, it also offers a highly underrated restaurant and dessert scene which are well worth exploring. Here is a list of our favorite restaurants, cafés and dessert spots that are simply not to be missed, especially if you're visiting Hakodate for the first time.




Lucky Pierrot Burger Restaurant
Hakodate's top burger chain has 17 branches around the city. It's one of the most popular home grown brands around serving more than a million customers a year. Their Chinese-style chicken burger is a must for anyone visiting Hakodate for the first time.

My recent review of Lucky Pierrot Burger Restaurant can be found here.

Address: 125 Aza-Akaigawa, Mori-chou, Kayabe-gun, Hokkaido, 049-2142 Japan
Tel: +81 137-453-323
Website: www.luckypierrot.jp/en





Uni Murakami (函館うに むらかみ)
Die-hard uni fans would know Uni Murakami by heart. The sea urchin specialty restaurant out of Hakodate has long been a staple for hearty sea urchin dishes. House specialties include their uni don, sea urchin gratin and congee with fresh sea urchin. Reservations are available for dinner, otherwise expect huge lineups for their first-come-first-serve lunch service.

お店情報を更新しました。 https://t.co/0MJvHDpTNy (07/26 16:10)

— うにむらかみ 函館本店 (@unimurakamihPok) July 26, 2018

Address: 22-1 Otemachi, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0064 Japan
Tel: +81 138-268-821
Website: www.uni-murakami.com


L'oiseau par Matsunaga
Classy French restaurants with a focus on seasonal Japanese ingredients don't exactly grow on trees here in Hakodate. L'oiseau par Matsunaga is easily the best place out there for a nice contemporary French meal thanks to Chef Kazuyuki Matsunaga and Madam Matsunaga's husband and wife team. The cozy fine-dining restaurant was deservingly awarded a Michelin star back in 2017.

My recent review of L'oiseau par Matsunaga can be found here.

Address: 4-5 Kashiwagicho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 042-0942 Japan
Tel: +81 138-84-1858
Website: www.r-loiseau.com





Petite Merveille
Founded in 1995 by owner-patissier Kaoru Endo (遠藤薫), Petite Merveille is one of the biggest names coming out of Hokkaido when it comes to French pastries. Powered by the silky smooth and rich flavored Hokkaido milk, the Japanese inspired French pastry shop offers a wide variety of desserts highlighted by their signature "Melcheese”, a bite-sized cheese soufflé (or cheesecake). 

My recent review of Petite Merveille can be found here.

Address: 11-5 Toyokawacho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0065 Japan
Tel: +81 138-84-5677
Website: www.petite-merveille.jp





Nibankan Shokudo (函館朝市二番館食堂)
Eating like a local is a must for tourists in Hakodate and there’s no better place to do so than Nibankan Shokudo. Conveniently situated on the mezzanine floor of the Hakodate Morning Market, Nibankan Shokudo offers some of the freshest sashimi rice bowls at some of the most affordable prices. Treat yourself to a nice sea urchin rice bowl as early as 7AM local time. You won't regret waking up early!

My recent review of Nibankan Shokudo can be found here.

Address: 2/F Ekini Market (Hakodate Morning Market/Ekiniichiba Asaichi), 9-19 Wakamatsucho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0063 Japan
Tel: +81 50-5784-4817
Website: www.asaichi.ne.jp

Ajisai Ramen (味彩拉麵)
Good ramen shops are never in short supply in Hakodate but they are mostly scattered outside the city center, which is why I find Ajisai Ramen (味彩拉麵) particularly attractive. With a couple of branches near the city’s top tourist attractions (including one next to Goryokaku Park 五稜郭公園), Ajisai casts a wide net with their menu offering a good selection of miso, shio (salt) and shoyu (soy sauce) based ramen. But for those interested in experiencing Hakodate’s rich history of shio ramen, Ajisai’s salt based ramen simply should not be missed.

My recent review of Ajisai Ramen can be found here.

Address: 12-7 Toyokawacho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0065 Japan
Tel: +81 138-26-1122
Website: www.ajisai.tv





Hakodate Beer Hall (函館ビヤホール)
Situated behind the brick walls of Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse, Hakodate Beer Hall is a lively restaurant serving classic German food with a twist (some Japanese dishes as well). It's the perfect place to enjoy a local beer originally brewed in Hakodate in one of the most historic and unique setting of the city (Think rustic-meets-industrial).

Address: 14-12 Suehiro-cho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0053 Japan
Tel: +81 138-27-1010
Website: www.hkumaiyo.com

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Milkissimo
Milkissimo is a Hakodate-based gelateria known for its colorful gelato and exotic flavors. The secret to their rich and intensely flavored gelato is none other than their locally sourced high-quality ingredients and of course, Hokkaido milk! If you have just enough time for one scoop of gelato, make sure it's from Milkissimo. They have more than 20 seasonal flavors to choose from and you can't go wrong by picking one of their most popular flavors including cherry blossom, sweet potato and pumpkin.

Address: Goryokaku Tower 2/F, Goryokaku Cho 43-9, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0001 Japan
Tel: +81 138-30-3369
Website: www.milkissimo.com




Yamakawa Bokujyo (山川牧場)
Technically not in the city of Hakodate, Yamakawa Bokujyo (山川牧場) is a century-old dairy product supplier in Onuma who's really famous for their rich flavored milk, soft serve and milkshake. While their creamy natural milk can be found everywhere in Hakodate from grocery stores to supermarkets, their hugely popular soft serve and milkshakes can only be found at their farm out of Onuma. Located just a stone’s throw from Onuma Park (大沼定國公園), you won’t miss it driving down from Sapporo to Hakodate even without a GPS.

My recent review of Yamakawa Bokujyo can be found here.

Address: 628 Onumacho, Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido, 0411-1354 Japan
Tel: +81 138-67-2114
Website: www.yamakawabokujyo.com





Victorian Rose Tea Room
Treat yourself to a mouth-watering high tea experience in the beautiful and picturesque surroundings of the former British Consulate. Housed under a century-old colonial style building near Motomachi Park, Victorian Rose offers the perfect venue to unwind and enjoy a leisurely high tea. Enjoy an English-style tea set there starting from 1,800 yen only. 

Address: 33-14 Motomachi, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0054 Japan
Tel: +81 138-27-8159
Website: www.hakodate-kankou.com







10 Top Best Places shouldn't miss to Eat in Hakodate Hokkaido Japan

AYA Niseko 綾 (Niseko, JAPAN)

We just left Niseko 5 days ago but we liked it so much that we decided to come back already!



This time, we're staying at AYA Niseko (綾), one of the finest service apartment hotels in Kutchan, which is really famous for its luxury ski resorts.



Like Seshu (雪舟酒店) which we had the pleasure of staying at last week, AYA Niseki also boasts a jaw-dropping view of Mount Yotei (羊蹄山).



AYA Niseko offers a lot of flexibility as they have studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments scattered around different floors. Since we have a relatively big group, we decided to go with their biggest accommodation which is their three-bedroom apartment. 



In the centre of the apartment is a very spacious living room and open kitchen.



I really like this design where they take full advantage of the long and narrow marble counter.



They have the oven, dishwasher, cutlery, pots and pans all hidden underneath the counter. Smart and they made it look good too!



On the other side hidden behind the wall, they have all these bowls, plates and glasses placed inside a few cupboards. These are capable of serving up to 8 to 10 people. 



All three bedrooms are well appointed. The master bedroom is right behind the living room with the same breathtaking view of Mount Yotei. The ceiling-to-floor windows help to make sure that we'll be able to admire the view from every angle.



The master bedroom of course has its own bathroom and shower.



The other two bedrooms are pretty inviting and well-lit as well.



I stayed at this one at the backend of the apartment because I'm super noise sensitive.



I would love to have a third bathroom so we didn't have to share one but this guest bathroom wasn't bad.



Washer and dryer. They have everything we need from a holiday home and more.



Now that I've unpacked all the stuff, time to relax and catch a baseball game (while everyone was still unpacking or taking a shower).



AYA Niseko really defines luxury in every sense of the word. From natural onsen hot springs, private family onsen to concierge, kids club and ski valet service, they've got it all.



On the lobby level is their restaurant Ginger serving breakfast and all-day menu.



We had a wonderful stay here and some of us were already saying that we should come back for another stay next summer. That's how crazy we were about this place.





Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ 
Price: ￥￥￥
Address: 163-100 Yamada, Niseko, Hokkaido, 044-0034 Japan
Tel: +81 136-23-1280
Website: www.ayaniseko.com

Hakodate Noodle Kitchen Ajisai Kurenai shop 函館麵廚房味彩紅店 (Hakodate, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

Ajisai (味彩) is a top-rated ramen shop in Hakodate who's always among the city's top 3 according to Tabelog.com, Japan's most popular restaurant-review website. Their average score of 3.58 (on a five-point scale) last year put them among some of the best ramen shops in Hokkaido. If you're curious of why 3.58 was enough to put them in the top tier, here's an article on Eater explaining the harsh scoreline by Tabelog reviewers.

As "Hakodate's noodle kitchen", Ajisai actually has a number of branches in Hakodate. Their main flagship store is located at the corner of the Goryokaku Park (五稜郭公園) but this "Kurenai" branch at Hakodate Bay Bishoku Club near the city center is the one I like to visit due to its proximity to the other tourist attractions.



Their specialty is shio ramen which is highlighted by a light but flavorful, clear salt-based broth.



For those who're in love with miso ramen (like me), they offer a choice between red miso and white miso.



Last but not least, a variety of shoyu ramen with their soy-sauce based broth.



First, the house specialty. This came with a marinated egg, sliced pork and bamboo shoot. I thought their salt-based broth (made with kombu and seaweed stock) would be more overpowering but it turned out to be a lot lighter than I thought. But that's not to say that it's not flavorful.



It's very difficult to find a good white miso ramen in Hong Kong so this was a no-brainer for me.



Comparing to the previous shio ramen, the white miso-based broth was obviously a little richer and more flavorful. I thought the thickness of the broth really worked in its favor in bringing out the best from the extra firm noodles.



Some pan-fried gyoza to go with our soul-warming ramen. These gyoza didn't look all that good but they were surprisingly tasty. Underneath that crispy wrapper, we've got some juicy minced pork and diced vegetables. A real nice complement to the noodles I thought.



Located right to the La Vista Hakodate Bay Hotel, Ajisai is one of the city's best ramen shops that's simply not to be missed.





Food Rating: 6/10
Price: ￥￥￥
Address: 12-7 Toyokawacho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido, 040-0065 Japan
Tel: +81 138-26-1122
Website: www.ajisai.tv

The Second Most Delicious Ice-cream Melon Bread in the World (Hakodate, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Our second last stop in Hakodate is Hachiman-zaka Slope (八幡坂), a slope in the city centre best known for its incredible view of the city with the beautiful harbour in the backdrop.



Picture is worth a thousand words so I'll let you decide on your own if the view is really as good as advertised.



I remember seeing this shot from many Japanese television series and movies.



After spending half an hour or so at Hachiman-zaka Slope (with the majority of time just catching our breathe), we headed over to Motomachi Park (元町公園), which was just a stone's throw away. I was told there's a small dessert shop near the park that we simply couldn't afford to miss.



The name of the dessert shop is called "The second most delicious ice-cream melon bread in the world (世界で２番めにおいしい焼きたてメロンパンアイス函館元町店)". It's an awfully long name to remember but at least we knew exactly what it's good at - ice-cream melon bread. 

But who has the most delicious one, I wonder? Or are they trying to be humble?



There were only 6 items on the menu surrounding their melon bread and different flavors of ice-cream.



Nothing beats a freshly baked melon bread that comes straight out of the oven!



This smelt like a delightfully sweet cantaloupe melon. I could smell it from a few metres away! 



They had some seriously smooth and rich flavored Hokkaido milk ice-cream sandwiched between the buns. I thought the warm "melon bread" tasted particularly good in a cold and windy day like this. 



We got just enough time to see the former city hall of Hakodate next to the park before we drove back to Niseko. And we'll catch an afternoon flight back home. I'm starting to miss Hokkaido already.








Food Rating: 5/10
Price: ￥￥￥
Address: 10-7 Motomachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 040-0054 Japan
Tel: +81 050-5783-1544
Website: www.facebook.com/hakopro2