Enjoy Otaru Gourmet with your family. 5 recommended lunch spots for traveling with children
When you are on a family vacation, you want to enjoy a memorable gourmet experience as well as being able to take the kids along. Here are some lunch spots where you can enjoy Otaru's unique sushi, local delicacies, and gems of cuisine recognized by locals, along with kid-friendly service.
1Otaru Masazushi Head Office
Fresh sushi from a long-established sushi store that also runs a fresh fish restaurant.
Sushi is the one gourmet food you definitely cannot miss in Otaru. Otaru Masazushi Head Office is the place where you can enjoy the taste of one of Otaru's best restaurants with your children. The seafood is fresh and quickly procured from the company's own fresh fish store. In season, herring, giant clam, sea urchin, and other items unique to Otaru are available.
For children, three types of menus are available: sushi, salmon roe rice bowl, and seafood chirashi, each with a fried dish or steamed egg custard. Although small in size, the freshness and deliciousness will surely satisfy even children's palates.
Adults and children alike are delighted with the style and warm hospitality of this long-established restaurant
Among the many sushi restaurants lining Otaru Sushi-ya-dori, Masazushi stands out with its large four-story building. Although the restaurant is a long-established business dating back to the prewar period, its friendly and warm hospitality will not make you feel intimidated.
The restaurant is equipped with an elevator and has a spacious floor with no steps, making it easy for strollers to move around. There are table seating, tatami rooms, and sunken kotatsu for relaxing with children, but children are also welcome to use the counter at Masazushi. The unique tension of being face to face with the chefs and watching their techniques of nigiri up close is a valuable experience that will bring you one step closer to adulthood.
- Otaru Masazushi Head Office
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1-1-1 Hanazono, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido MAP
11 min. walk from JR Otaru Stn.
11:00-15:00 (L.O. 14:30), 17:00-21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
Wednesdays, New Year's Day, other irregular holidays
0134- 23-0011
Free of charge
Prices to be revised soon
2Nahana
Delicious food that pleases the body without chemical seasonings or processed foods.
This old private house café is located at the foot of Mount Tengu, a popular sightseeing spot in Otaru. The cafe is known for its cuisine that does not rely on chemical seasonings or processed foods, and was born from the idea of "making delicious food while sparing no effort and cost.
The menu, centering on brown rice cooked in a special pressure cooker for two hours, uses carefully selected ingredients from Otaru and other areas in Hokkaido, as well as natural soup stock and seasonings, and is full of flavor and good for the body. The kids' menu is no slouch either, with dishes such as hashed rice and curry rice made from roux using local ingredients, and ramen noodles with duck soup and homemade soy sauce sauce, all as delicious as those served at specialty restaurants.
A cozy Japanese-style space where children can feel at home
The interior of the restaurant, which was renovated from a Japanese house built in 1930, is full of Japanese atmosphere. A tatami room spreads out behind the table seating, creating an indescribably nostalgic and cozy atmosphere. A gallery space lined with ceramic works by local artists and a garden that changes its expression with the seasons also add to the richness of the experience.
Another secret of "Nahana's" popularity is the warm consideration given to customers with children. Picture books, toys, children's chairs, and a diaper-changing area are provided, so you can enjoy lunch with your baby or small child in peace.
3New Sanko Otaru Honten
From nostalgic Western cuisine to local delicacies, there is a wide variety of tastes that can be enjoyed by the whole family!
Founded in 1954 as a beer hall, this long-established Restaurant continues to be loved by Otaru residents. The menu offers a wide range of Western-style dishes such as beef stew, omelette rice, and Neapolitan, as well as curry, ramen, and a la carte dishes that are perfect as accompaniments to beer.
The "Special Kaisen Ankake Yakisoba" is a luxurious upgrade of the local soul food "Otaru Ankake Yakisoba" with plenty of crab, scallops, shrimp, squid, and other ingredients. Cute kids' plates featuring the image of turtles and walruses popular at Otaru Aquarium are also available, allowing parents and children to enjoy a delicious time together.
Heartfelt customer service is one of the reasons why Otaru citizens have loved our restaurant for a long time.
The classic space that retains the atmosphere of a beer hall is a special place for Otaru residents. Many Otaru residents have fond memories of this restaurant, whether it is a family outing, a date with a girlfriend, or a chat with friends.
The attentive and considerate service is one of the reasons why "New Sanko" has been loved by men and women of all ages for a long time. It is also a great pleasure for people with children to be able to enter the restaurant with strollers, bring in baby food, and prepare chairs and tableware for children. It will be a place of cherished memories for those visiting Otaru for sightseeing.
- New Sanko Otaru Honten
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- Sun Mall 1st Avenue, 1-3-6 Inaho, Otaru City, Hokkaido MAP
- 5 min. walk from JR Otaru Station
- 11:30-21:00 (LO.20:30)
- January 1
- 0134-33-3500
- Affiliated Parking available
4Gyoza Chaya Aozora Zenibako 3-chome
Jumbo gyoza" handmade from the skin every day is a gem worth waiting in line for.
This gyoza specialty restaurant is located in the Zenibako district of Otaru City, near Sapporo. Many people line up every day for the "Jumbo Gyoza," which is a satisfying dumpling measuring approximately 10 cm in width.
The "Jumbo Gyoza" are made with cabbage and pork from Hokkaido, garlic from Aomori, and ginger from Kochi. Everyday the gyoza is prepared and cooked by hand. One bite and the chewy texture of the thick skin, the sweetness of the crisp cabbage, and the juicy flavor of the pork will fill your mouth with addictive deliciousness. The rice is well seasoned, so you can enjoy it without sauce.
The space where Showa-era retro and Asian tastes match is strangely comfortable.
The interior of the restaurant, which was renovated from an old private house from the early Showa period (early 20th century), has a retro space with Asian-style objects and hand-painted wall art, creating a strange sense of coziness. Baby chairs are available on the large tatami mat floor, and there is also a diaper changing table in the restroom, so you can use the restaurant with your baby without worry.
There is a bathing beach and a golf course near the restaurant, and the restaurant is crowded with people enjoying gyoza during leisure time in the summer. Since gyoza are often sold out during business hours, we recommend that you call in advance to confirm the availability before going out.
- Gyoza Tea House Aozora Zenibako 3-chome
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- 3-509-6 Zenibako, Otaru City, Hokkaido MAP
- 5 minutes drive from JR Zenibako Station
- 11:00-17:00 (Sat. and Sun. -19:00)
Closes when gyoza are sold out (call to confirm). - Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (and also on national holidays)
- 0134-62-6606
- Free of charge
5Haru no Later Sunny.
Spicy for adults, mild for children. Enjoy authentic homemade noodle soup.
This train-shaped café is located on the grounds of the Otaru City Museum, known for its railroad exhibits, which are among the best in Hokkaido. The signature menu item, "Tantanmen" is available without soup (800 yen) and with soup (850 yen), each with white or black sesame flavors, and has an authentic taste that is highlighted by the numbing sensation of Chinese sichuan pepper and the spiciness of the homemade hot oil. You can also choose the level of spiciness and numbness, the amount of noodles, and toppings.
There is also a non-spicy version of the noodle soup for children, but the complex flavors of the thick sesame sauce, meat miso, and cashew nuts are still present. Platters of dishes that will delight small children are also available, allowing parents and children to enjoy a delicious time together.
Fun events are always held in the restaurant where you can feel like you are in a dining car.
The interior of the restaurant, which was remodeled from a Showa-era railroad car, has an atmosphere reminiscent of a former dining car. The old-fashioned screen shelves, fans, and seat number tags have been left in place, and are sure to delight children who love trains. Children's chairs are available, and there are also sofa seats for families to relax together.
In the hopes of making the restaurant accessible to people of all ages, the restaurant hosts occasional events for people to enjoy in addition to dining, such as an exhibition of paintings by local artists and a Halloween candy-catching challenge. They hope to hold more events and workshops for children in the future.
- Haru after sunny day.
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- 1-3-7 Temiya, Otaru City, Hokkaido MAP
- Take a bus from Otaru Station Bus Terminal and get off at "General Museum".
- 11:00-19:00, 11:00-17:00 (L.O.) from mid-December to the end of March
- Tuesdays
- 0134-65-8324
- Free of charge
