10 Best Restaurants in Sendai: Cuisine in Tohoku’s Capital

The biggest city in Japan’s northern Tohoku region, Sendai remains an underrated destination for food, particularly fine dining. With no Michelin Guide officially recognizing the best restaurants in Sendai since the first and only Miyagi edition was released in 2017, Sendai remains under the gourmet radar, but not due to a lack of options.

Perhaps it’s just that the city is famous for other reasons. Known as Japan’s “City of Trees,” countless parks, forest roads and lush mountains breathe fresh air into its urban landscape, strikingly distinct (and refreshingly green) from other major Japanese cities. 

But beyond the sights, the area's bountiful nature also translates into an incredibly exciting and distinct food scene with an abundance of ingredients. From traditional Japanese cuisine to modern fusion restaurants, a wide variety of eateries find their home here, making ample use of the local supply of fresh vegetables, oysters, meat, sake and rice from within Miyagi Prefecture and other nearby food-producing areas. 

Below are some of the restaurants and cafes that never fail to impress, with five fine dining options and five casual dining options to choose from while visiting Sendai.

A lavish tribute to French cuisine beautifully carried out with Miyagi ingredients, Graal is a pocket of luxury tucked in the basement floor of an unassuming side street near Sendai Station. 

Chef Sugawara’s creative takes on fresh seafood and produce, along with sommelier Sato’s mathematical wine and sake pairings, are two differentiating elements that make this restaurant consistently popular despite its relatively hidden facade.

Committed to sustainability, Graal crafts its menu based on the foods available, for which the exact course contents vary daily. Main dishes typically feature meat and fish adorned with fresh fruits and vegetables for a dash of color. 

Soak in the warm atmosphere of Graal’s nocturnal interior as you watch the chef make food magic right before your eyes.

For the first years of his life, Kuromori restaurant’s owner-chef Kuromori Yoji had little to no relationship with Sendai. Born in Kanagawa and raised in Hokkaido, he later relocated to Tokyo where he worked at renowned Chinese restaurants, including Nishi Azabu’s Hong Kong Garden. 

That was until the devastating 2011 Great East Japan earthquake, which had a huge impact on Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. This tragedy struck a chord, propelling chef Kuromori to use his culinary skills to play a part in the reconstruction efforts, even if it meant packing up and moving to the affected areas.

In the following years, the chef relocated to Sendai and opened Kuromori, which quickly became the city's quintessential Chinese restaurant. Known for his shark fin soup and braised dried abalone, the chef sources seafood mainly from nearby Kesennuma (an area known for its sustainable, if controversial, shark fishing) and other parts of Miyagi. 

With a strong focus on seasonality, new dishes come out of the kitchen every few days, testing the genius of the chef to come up with new creative ways of transforming Miyagi ingredients into Chinese-inspired creations. 

So far, he seems to be doing exceptionally well, having received the prestigious Grand Chef of Tomorrow Award by Gault & Millau in 2023.

Only 10 minutes from Sendai’s stunning mediatheque building, rejoice at the aesthetic dishes crafted by the hand of experienced Chef Murakami at Hana Ita. 

With course and a-la-carte options that include fugu puffer fish, kaiseki cuisine and Sendai beef (with dishes like steak, sukiyaki and shabu-shabu), Hana Ita delivers on its promise to showcase Tohoku’s finest ingredients with the skill of a master chef who is also surprisingly approachable.

Awarded a Michelin Star in 2017, this restaurant makes generous use of seafood and seasonal produce, resulting in a refreshing, beautifully presented meal. Enjoy casual banter with the chef at the counter, a quieter dining experience at a table seat or the comfort of a private dining room, all while feasting on a delicate symphony of authentic flavors that truly represent fine dining at its best.

Working in a Michelin-starred restaurant can be the most prestigious achievement in a chef's career, but that was just the beginning for Nacree’s chef Minoru Ogata. As a young chef, he worked in three Michelin-starred eateries in Italy and two in Paris, including three-starred Astrance, and his impressive star-studded career didn’t stop there. 

After returning to Japan, he opened Nacree in Sendai in 2011, and the restaurant was awarded a star in the Miyagi Guide six years later. His tradition of excellence still shows no signs of stopping, having been featured in Gault & Millau in both 2023 and 2024.

But don’t let these accolades trick you into thinking dining at Nacree will be overly complicated. Inside the restaurant’s sleek walls, you’ll find a surprisingly simple approach to dining that strips the unessential to reveal the core of each dish. 

So sit back, relax, and leave the complexity to the chefs, who craft multiple courses with millimetrically precise cuts, heat, texture and flavors. Expect a parade of incredibly aesthetic dishes paired with French wines and Japanese sake, proving that food can sometimes taste just as good as it looks (even when it looks almost too good to eat).

Taste the bounties of Miyagi’s farms, mountains, forests and sea in the elegant interiors of Hayase, located on the second floor of Metropolitan Hotel Sendai. 

Sit by the counter to witness chefs sizzling Sendai beef on the teppanyaki grill, or opt for an intimate table seating to enjoy a fresh kaiseki meal paired with regional sake. Hayase offers several course menus, with dinner options centered on sukiyaki, kaiseki, teppanyaki or shabu-shabu (hot pot) featuring local specialties.

As kimono-clad staff make their way to the tables, this restaurant's lacquer and golden accents will transport you to the heart of traditional Japanese hospitality. A halal dinner menu is also available if booked at least two days in advance.

Sendai Morning Market is lovingly dubbed Sendai's kitchen, but, historically, it has been much more than that. Originating after a devastating air raid in 1945, the market gave local producers a much-needed space to sell their products after their stalls and stores were burned to the ground. 

In the following years, the Morning Market established its reputation as the main gastronomic hub of the city. Remarkably, the market continued to operate immediately after the 2011 earthquake, providing residents with essential food supplies during a critical time.

Visit this historical site and stroll through the many food stalls selling seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as fishmongers selling seafood from some of Miyagi’s main fishing ports. Early birds will be happy to find that some shops and restaurants open as early as 7 or 8 am. 

In that vein, if you're looking to adopt local traditions, head to Ito Shoten, a ramen shop that proudly serves ramen as early as 7 am, giving you the chance to experience Northern Japan's long-standing practice of asa-ra (morning ramen), a hearty breakfast said to provide a powerful morning boost. 

Pro tip: If visiting during the Tanabata Festival, be sure to visit this market to see colorful, eye-catching decorations and dance performances.

With the aim of highlighting the best of Tohoku’s 227 cities, towns and villages, this casual eatery was opened vis-a-vis Kotodai Park, where many of the city's key events are held, including the Sendai Tanabata Festival and the Jozenji Jazz Festival. 

In this favored location, Route 227's Cafe offers a welcoming dining space with an open terrace where you can breathe in the city’s unbelievably fresh air while soaking up the greenery and enjoying some of its gourmet specialties.

Its Western-style menu includes vegan, halal and non-wheat options. A highlight is its seasonal desserts, including the popular mont-blanc, made by the staff in front of your eyes. Overall, this cafe’s dynamic menu means you can visit several times and expect to be surprised each time.

You'll find a line of eager customers waiting outside (and an especially long one on weekends) at Ramen Jiro Sendai — perhaps the city's most viral restaurant. At the counter, you’ll find patrons slurping away at towering bowls of ramen loaded with toppings prepared jiro-style, while the tang of garlic mixed with soy sauce clings stubbornly in the air.

The shop recommends the smallest portion available for first-timers, roughly equivalent to a standard ramen-size portion. While Jiro ramen is not necessarily Sendai-specific, it does work wonders to give you a warm calorie kick during the city's long and snowy winters. 

This restaurant is also a great alternative for those looking for bigger portions than standard, and with an unbelievably small price tag of ¥1,100 for the largest ramen option, the value for money makes it well worth the wait.

Those looking to enjoy Sendai’s famous greenery while relaxing with a coffee in hand will find their place at cafe noaddress, a modern eatery serving hamburgers, sandwiches and craft beer. Its name is somewhat descriptive, as rather than being located on a regular street, you can find this cafe at the Sendai Ryokusaikan Visitor Center inside the sprawling Aobayama Park.

The perfect place to unwind after sightseeing in the area, especially in the famous Aoba Castle, this modern space lets you catch your breath while enjoying the views and hearing the calming flow of the nearby Hirose River. 

The cafe is also within walking distance of the International Center Station and the Tohoku University Kawauchi Campus, making it a popular spot among students.

Similarly to Kobe beef in Kansai, Tohoku, and particularly Sendai, has its own renowned beef specialty. “Gyutan” typically consists of thin slices of beef tongue, grilled over charcoal. For meat lovers, no visit to this city would be complete without trying this tender, chewy meat.

An excellent place for this is Gyutan Kaku, a chain of restaurants in Miyagi that has been honing the craft of beef tongue since its opening in the late 1970s. Now a household name, this restaurant was one of the first to serve beef tongue in the form of tataki (finely chopped meat) and sashimi (thin slices of raw meat). 

Both are now fixtures in its extensive beef tongue-centered menu that also includes beef tongue curry and teishoku (set meal) as well as other seasonal dishes traditional to Miyagi.

While there are many Gyutan Kaku outlets in the city, the Vlandome flagship store has a cozy, traditional interior with tatami floor seating and a retro flair. Located in the historical Vlandome Shopping Street, Gyutan Kaku restaurant is surrounded by traditional shops, cafes, and restaurants that are perfect for a post-meal stroll.

Loving your time in Sendai? Stick around and see the sights with our list of the best things to do in Sendai.

Sendai is most famous for its magnificent Tanabata Festival, bringing people from far and wide to enjoy its decorations, performances and vibrant atmosphere.

Yes! Although it's not on many peoples' must-visit list, it should be, offering a wealth of museums, shops, restaurants, cafes, beaches and delicious, fresh food.

Sendai is cheaper than Tokyo is most areas, including rent, cost of living, accommodation and eating out.