Local Guide
4 recommended Izakayas in Naha where locals also go. Enjoy Okinawan cuisine with drinks!

Fresh seafood dishes, gently flavored champuru (Okinawan stir-fry), umi budou (sea grapes) and shimarakkyo (island rakkyo), which are perfect as snacks with drinks, are just some of the many gourmet delicacies you cannot miss in Okinawa. In Naha, one of Okinawa's most popular sightseeing spots, we will introduce a selection of izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) where you can enjoy such Okinawan gourmet food with alcohol. Enjoy a relaxing night in Okinawa at a popular izakaya frequented by locals as well as tourists.

Tantalize your taste buds with dishes using fresh, locally caught fish.

 Sashimi assortment (for two)
Sashimi assortment (for two)" for 1,760 yen. The photo shows five kinds of sashimi: tuna, akamachi, irabuchi, aodai, and shimadako (Japanese octopus).

This izakaya is popular for its seafood dishes using fish from Okinawa. In front of the counter, you will find a variety of local fish such as fresh natural tuna, akamachi (yellowtail), and irabuchi (yellowtail). The fish is freshly purchased from the market on the day it is served, and customers can enjoy a variety of fish dishes in a "weighed" style. You can choose from a variety of cooking methods, including simmered, buttered, and marinated with salt and awamori to bring out the best flavor.
The sashimi platter can be ordered in quantities of one.

Easy to stop by alone or in a group

 Counter and tatami room seating are available, making it easy to use the restaurant by yourself or in a group.
Counter and tatami room seating are available, making it easy to use the restaurant by yourself or in a group.

The restaurant was established in 1984 (Showa 59) by the previous owner, who originally ran a fresh fish restaurant. The wide variety of fish dishes has not changed since then. Many regular customers have been coming to the restaurant since its establishment because they can enjoy reasonably priced and delicious seafood dishes.
In the calm atmosphere of the restaurant, there are small tatami room seats and counter seats with a strong presence, making it easy to stop by either in a group or by yourself.

Local Guide Comment
There are also a variety of a la carte dishes that go well with alcoholic beverages, such as "Jimmy Tofu" with two kinds of seasonings (sweet and spicy sauce and soy sauce) and "Umibudo" (sea grapes). Local dishes such as "Goya Chanpuru" (bitter melon stir-fry) are also available.
Nakamura House
  • address (e.g. of house) 3-15-2 Kumoji, Kumoji, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction 6 min. walk from Kencho-mae Station on the Yui Rail
  •  Business hours 17:00-22:30 (L.O. 21:30)
  •  Closed Sunday, Holidays
  •  TEL 098-861-8751
  •  Parking None

Enjoy Okinawan cuisine, from standard dishes to local food

 Foo Chanpuru
Foo Chanpuru" 880 yen

Sanshin (Okinawan guitar) live performances held nightly are popular at this Okinawa izakaya. The restaurant offers a la carte dishes that go well with drinks, such as fried gurukun and sashimi of tuna, as well as dishes that are typical of Okinawa, such as Okinawan soba and rafte fried rice.
The restaurant also offers a wide variety of chanpuru dishes such as goya chanpuru (bitter melon stir-fry) and somen chanpuru (somen stir-fry). The "Fu Chanpuru" with fluffy fu, vegetables, and spam is especially popular. There is also a rare chanpuru using adan and otaniwatari, which are known as island vegetables.

Lively sanshin (Okinawan guitar) live music brings customers closer together

 The restaurant has an at-home atmosphere like an old private home.
The restaurant has an at-home atmosphere like an old private home.

The owner of the restaurant is from Ishigaki Island, and the Awamori lineup includes many from the Yaeyama Islands, including Ishigaki Island. Also, "Angama," a traditional mask from the Yaeyama region, is displayed in the restaurant.
The owner is also a singer and performs sanshin live and sings island songs. The live performance offers a special evening immersed in Okinawan folk and pop music, whether you listen quietly to the sound of the sanshin or join in the excitement by joining in the singing. At the end of the live performance, the audience gets closer to each other with a lively "Kachaasi," a dance in which the audience raises their hands and turns their wrists.

Local Guide Comment
The restaurant offers a variety of dishes that are rarely found outside Okinawa, such as "goat soup," "goat sashimi," and "otaniwatari tempura.
Apparishan
  • address (e.g. of house) 3-23-8 Kumoji, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction 5 min. walk from Kencho-mae Station on Yui Rail
  •  Business hours 17:30~0:00
  •  Closed Sunday
  •  TEL 098-861-1112
  •  Parking None

A long-established restaurant where you can taste traditional Okinawan home cooking

 Somen Chanpuru
Somen Chanpuru" 770 yen

Located on Ryugu Street, not far from Kokusai Street, this long-established restaurant was founded in 1955. The third-generation owner runs the restaurant, serving traditional Okinawan cuisine.
Su-chi-ka" (salted pork tripe) and "shima-tofu" (island tofu) are perfect snacks for alcoholic beverages. These are also used in "Goya Chanpuru," allowing customers to enjoy ingredients and dishes that have been familiar to Okinawan families.
The restaurant's specialty, "Somen Chanpuru" is a dish made with garlic and cabbage. Its simple yet deep flavor will surely make you addicted to it.

Enjoy friendly conversation with the owner and customers over a glass of Awamori

 The first floor of the restaurant has only counter seating, while the second floor has tatami matted floor seating for relaxation.
The first floor of the restaurant has only counter seating, while the second floor has tatami matted floor seating for relaxation.

The restaurant's interior, which retains the atmosphere of the time when it was founded, is comfortable and inviting, and many locals and tourists visit alone at the counter on the first floor, where they can enjoy lively conversation with the owner and his customers.
In the corner of the store, bottles of Awamori are lined up. The shop offers more than 40 varieties of Awamori from breweries all over the prefecture, with the aim of conveying the charm of Awamori. For those new to Awamori, we recommend the "A-ball," which is a carbonated drink. You can also order your favorite brand of Awamori.

Local Guide Comment
Misopi," a dish that combines peanuts and miso paste produced on Amami Oshima Island, the birthplace of the restaurant's predecessor, is another popular item. It can also be purchased as a souvenir.
Kozakura
  • address (e.g. of house) 3-12-21 Makishi, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction Approx. 4 min. walk from Yui Rail Makishi Sta.
  •  Business hours 18:00-23:00(L.O.22:30)
  •  Closed Tuesdays
  •  TEL 098-866-3695
  •  Parking None

Izakaya (Japanese-style pub) where the "ultimate salted bread" with its delicious buttery flavor is very popular

 Tuna mixed buts
Tuna mixed buts" 1,650 yen, "Ultimate egg sandwich with salted bread" 850 yen (tax not included)

This izakaya has many fans not only among tourists but also among locals. The specialty is the "mixed tuna butts," in which you can compare the large, medium, and red meat of Okinawan tuna. The rich flavor and chunky texture that only fresh tuna can offer are appealing.
The "Ultimate Salted Bread with Egg Sandwich" is also a popular menu item, with customers coming to the restaurant for the thickly sliced, fluffy salted bread. The salt bread is a custom-made replica of a bakery that the owner, who is from Okinawa, used to go to as a child. You can enjoy the taste of butter and the richness of fresh cream.

A wide variety of food and drink menus that make you want to visit again and again

 The restaurant is always crowded with customers. In addition to table and tatami room seating, there is also counter seating.
The restaurant is always crowded with customers. In addition to table and tatami room seating, there is also counter seating.

The blackboard inside the restaurant is filled with a food menu that includes dishes made with Okinawan ingredients as well as carefully selected ingredients from all over Japan. The menu includes everything from refreshing snacks to meals for those who want a hearty meal. Some of the dishes are changed seasonally, so you can enjoy seasonal flavors.
A wide variety of drinks are offered, from the standard to the unusual, including "Shima Uta Ball" (Awamori mixed with soda water), "Shikwasa Draft Beer," and "Marugoto Mikan Sour. It is recommended to sit on the terrace and enjoy a drink in the evening breeze while feeling the bustle of Naha.

Local Guide Comment
The "Ultimate Salt Bread" is not sold for take-out, and can only be enjoyed in the store. The salted bread is also excellent when dipped in the sea urchin cream sauce of "Ishigaki-hatsu Uni Somen Chanpuru", so please try it.
Muto
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-6-1 Matsuyama, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction 8 min. walk from Yui Rail Miebashi Sta.
  •  Business hours Open from 16:00 to 23:00
  •  Closed Sundays and every other Wednesday
  •  TEL 098-863-4808
  •  Parking None
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.