11 Best Restaurants in Toyama: Where to Eat on the West Coast of Japan

Located in the Hokuriku region of northwestern Japan, Toyama Prefecture is known for its stunning fall foliage along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, the World Heritage Gokayama villages and fresh seafood. 

Although accessible via a 2-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, Toyama is an underrated destination for foreign and Japanese travelers alike. So if you’re looking for a destination away from the crowds, Toyama is a great addition to your itinerary!

But if you are planning to visit, you’ll need to know what to eat. So today, we’re sharing must-try restaurants in Toyama.

After being awarded the title of Excellent Official Residence Chef from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head Chef Yuki Yamaoka was drawn to the mountains of Toyama Prefecture in search of ingredients and flavors found nowhere else.

Named after the Spanish for "now here," Ahora Aqui is based in the majestic Main Building of the Sano Family House, one of Takaoka City’s three Tangible Cultural Properties.

Naturally, each dish captures this elegance, innovating and elevating the region's bountiful ingredients to new heights alongside the Japanese Alps.

To experience omotenashi, Japan’s warm hospitality, straight out the gate, look no further than the inviting interiors of Gomangoku Honten.

Centrally located in Sakuramachi just a stone’s throw away from Toyama Station, this fine dining restaurant focuses on fresh ingredients gathered from the mountains and nearby Sea of Japan.

A beloved wintertime dish on its kaiseki menu is yellowtail (buri) cooked in a milky shabu-shabu broth. Other highlights include barracuda, Toyama’s specialty, himi udon, and the local ginjo sake.

This restaurant is highly recommended for people who love all forms of seafood in a historic setting.

Calling all meat lovers! This teppanyaki restaurant specializes in high-end meats from across Japan, including local cuts of seafood and Tajima beef. Kusunoki even serves golden crabs, a cross between snow crabs and red snow crabs, making this an exclusive gastronomic experience. 

Kusunoki only serves four groups a day, allowing visitors to observe the entire process of making a meal right before your eyes. 

Located around 20 minutes via train (and a little walking) from Toyama Station, you’ll find yourself in a cozy residential area for this particularly mouthwatering meal.

Not to be confused with the Namba district in Osaka, Sushi Nanba was purposefully made inaccessible so that “guests can make a conscious effort to come here,” according to Chef Nanba. If you don’t have a car, no worries — this place is just a 20-minute taxi ride from Toyama Station. 

Unlike other Michelin Star restaurants, Sushi Nanba is on the affordable side at less than ¥10,000 for lunch. Despite the low price point, the quality and innovation are top-notch. 

Enjoy an array of Toyama specialties, from black throat sea perch to anago conger eel; everything is served on gorgeous Bizen ceramic dishes from Chef Nanba’s home prefecture of Okayama. The fact that these are hand-collected by Chef Nanba himself breathes extra personality into the space and dining experience. 

You’d never guess that a former Michelin Star restaurant is tucked away in this unassuming office building, but it is! Tempura Koizumi Takano offers seafood tempura that combines Kansai-style frying techniques with the fresh seafood of Toyama Bay. 

For an interesting departure from other high-end tempura restaurants, Chef Takano uses safflower oil, which sits lighter in the stomach than the traditional white sesame oil. 

The menu differs each season, with firefly squid and white shrimp in the spring — a time when the restaurant will be fully booked from February onwards. 

Sake enthusiasts will enjoy the attention to detail put towards pairing the perfect sake with your meal. Those with a preference for wine will be equally delighted with the overseas wine provisions. 

With the flawless execution of high-end restaurants and the disarming culture of standing restaurants, Standing Sushi Jinjin can only be described as a sanctuary for sushi lovers.  

Its moody lighting and sleek concrete bar signal the culinary innovation that takes place here. 

Chef Kimura, a self-taught sushi artisan, serves up his take on Toyama specialties: masuzushi, or pressed sushi with cherry trout, aged minke whale meat, charcoal-grilled black throat sea perch, big-fin reef squid and more. Red vinegar adds a sour punch to his delectable small plates.

Located a 4-minute walk from Nishicho Station, you’ll never be far from quality sushi.

For a taste of France in the Toyama countryside, head to L’Ensoleiller to indulge in locally-grown fare with exquisite presentation and lots of heart. 

The chef himself studied culinary arts in France, making the French touch authentic and surprising. 

Local production for local consumption is the mission of the restaurant with vegetables, beans and grains coming from local farmers while seafood and meat come from Toyama Bay.

Located in Nanto, Trattoria da Takeshi promises a slice of Italy in the mountains of Toyama. This affordable Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant uses fresh ingredients flown in from Italy and finishes the meals with homemade desserts and locally sourced coffee.

When he’s not in the kitchen crafting desserts or perfected pizzas, Chef Takeshi can be found mingling with guests, making easy conversation. Enjoy the homey atmosphere of the family-run trattoria next time you’re in Toyama.

For the finest of Toyama’s Michelin Star cuisine, we recommend Fukuya, a kaiseki restaurant located just two blocks from either Aramachi Station or Nakamachi Station on the Toyama City Tram Line. 

Formerly working in his family’s soba restaurant, Fukuya’s Chef Joji has developed his own style of cooking which relies on using hand-picked mushrooms and longstanding relationships with local suppliers, who bring him freshly hunted wild game and organic vegetables straight from the Japanese Alps. 

All of this collaboration results in a spectacular 10-course omakase menu paired with local Toyama sake. This is not a dining experience you’ll forget any time soon.

What do you get when you combine Toyama’s wild game with the flair of French cuisine? Tressonier, one of two restaurants in the five-star River Retreat Garaku, a renowned luxury accommodation in Toyama Prefecture. 

Coming from the French words for “season” and “treasure,” Tressonier’s focus is on timely, seasonal fare with ingredients picked at the height of freshness. 

Chef Tanaka's menus heavily use Toyama’s mountain vegetables and wild game meat. Further complementing the meal are the scenic views of the rushing waters and cedar forests visible from the airy, wood interiors of River Retreat Garaku. 

You can either arrange a pick-up service from Sasazu Station or travel by train for just under an hour from Toyama Station to access this luxurious restaurant. It’ll be worth it.

Overlooking Kansui Park, La Chance offers Michelin-Star French cuisine at a popular wedding venue — but don’t worry, you don’t have to be getting hitched to partake! 

Just a 15-minute walk from Toyama Station, you can choose your own experience upon entry: the brasserie on the first floor provides casual French courses with a la carte and takeout menus. 

The second floor boasts authentic French courses using local ingredients that change with the seasons. 

Want to spend more time in Toyama? Make restaurant reservations in Toyama, book food experiences, and purchase a regional drink box inspired by the Hokuriku region (which Toyama is in)!

Toyama Prefecture’s most famous attractions included the World Heritage Gokayama villages and the scenic Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, promising unmatched views of Japan’s natural beauty.

Toyama is a diverse region with something for everyone, from the unforgettable views of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to nearby Takaoka, boasting one of Japan's Three Great Buddhas. 

Additionally, you’ll discover a plethora of ocean views since Toyama borders the Sea of Japan, not to mention a bounty of seafood in many restaurants.