Local Guide
 5 recommended restaurants in Naha, Okinawa for families with children

The Naha area is home to a collection of spots where you can fully enjoy Okinawa's culture and cuisine. It is a compact town that is easy to sightsee and crowded with many tourists. Here are five recommended restaurants in Naha City where parents and children can enjoy a meal together. We have carefully selected child-friendly restaurants, from those with seating for babies to those equipped with children's tableware and diaper changing stations. Enjoy a relaxing island time at an izakaya (Japanese-style bar) popular for live Okinawa folk songs or a café with children's picture books.

Nutritious "chanpon" to share with parents and children

 Champon (Mikado style)
Champon (Mikado style)" 900 yen

A popular diner where you can enjoy Okinawan home-style dishes such as bitter melon chanpuru, yushidofu set menus that combine oboro-shaped island tofu with soup stock, and chanpon noodles.
In Okinawa, "chanpon" is not noodles, but a dish of stir-fried vegetables and meat with egg on top of rice. The ingredients used vary from restaurant to restaurant. In the case of "Champon (Mikado style)," cabbage, carrots, onions, and corn beef are used to create a sweet and spicy flavor. It is a nutritious dish that provides plenty of vegetables and is recommended for sharing with children.

Savoring Okinawan cuisine at a traditional, long-established diner

 Experienced Staff/staff members show off their skills in the kitchen, which can be seen over the counter
Experienced Staff/staff members show off their skills in the kitchen, which can be seen over the counter

The restaurant is a long-established diner that has been a local favorite since its establishment in 1961. In addition to its signature dish of chanpon, the restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike, such as Okinawa soba, pork curry, and hamburger steak set menus.
The restaurant is open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., so it is crowded with locals and tourists throughout the day. The restaurant, which mainly has table seating, has a bright and casual atmosphere, making it easy to bring children. Children's tableware is also available.

Local Guide Comment
A set menu restaurant just a short walk from "OMO5 Okinawa Naha by Hoshino Resorts. No matter when you visit, you will be warmly welcomed by Okinawan mothers. For families, we recommend the "Fu Chanpuru," which is full of vegetables and easy for children to eat.
Mikado
  • address (e.g. of house) 1-3-18 Matsuyama, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction 7 min. walk from Kencho-mae Station on the Yui Rail
  •  Business hours 10:00 - 21:00
  •  Closed 3rd Sunday of every month, Mother's Day (2nd Sunday in May every year), Lunar Bon Festival
  •  TEL 098-868-7082
  •  Parking None

Specializing in additive-free Okinawan soba noodles with a gentle flavor

 Soba with Soki Cartilage (medium)
Soba with Soki Cartilage (medium)" 850 yen

The owner, a native of Naha, opened the restaurant in 2021. You can enjoy the healthy Okinawa soba noodles made without additives. The soup is simple and light, with a dashi broth based on dried bonito flakes and salt from a particular place of origin. The noodles are selected from Kamehama Noodle Mills, which has been popular in Okinawa for its traditional manufacturing method. The most popular dish is "Special Soba," in which you can enjoy your original Okinawa soba by choosing three toppings of your choice. The toppings, such as soki (spare ribs) and sampai meat, are slowly stewed at a low temperature for more than 8 hours to create a tender texture without losing any of its flavor.

Family time spent in a nostalgic old private house

 Zashiki seating for the whole family to relax in comfort.
Zashiki seating for the whole family to relax in comfort.

The interior of the restaurant, which was renovated from an old house built more than 55 years ago, has a nostalgic atmosphere. The spacious tatami room seating area allows families to spend time together.
The restaurant's attentiveness to detail is appealing, such as staggering the timing of the soba so that both mothers and fathers can enjoy freshly made soba when they bring their babies to the restaurant. In addition to children's tableware, a noodle cutter is available, and there is a diaper changing table in the restrooms, making it a child-friendly restaurant.

Local Guide Comment
From the food to the toppings, you can feel the care that goes into each and every dish at this restaurant. We also recommend the six types of jushi (takikomi-gohan) and the inari sushi that changes monthly.
Takaramachi-ga
  • address (e.g. of house) 1-6-13 Takara, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction 10 min. walk from Akamine Station on the Yui Rail
  •  Business hours 11:00 - 21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
    Soup ends when sold out. Check the official SNS for details.
  •  Closed Closed irregularly *Confirmation required via official SNS
  •  TEL 098-955-0240
  •  Parking Free of charge

Enjoy delicacies made with island ingredients and Okinawan home-style cuisine

 Foo Chanpuru
Foo Chanpuru" 880 yen

The owner, a native of Ishigaki Island, offers Okinawan cuisine and Okinawan folk songs at this izakaya (Japanese-style bar). The restaurant offers a wide variety of delicacies made with ingredients from Okinawa, such as "Ishigaki beef croquette," "mozuku seaweed tempura," and "deep-fried gurukun. We also offer a wide variety of standard Chanpuru. The "Fu Chanpuru" made with plenty of vegetables, Spam, and fluffy fu is very filling and perfect for sharing with the family. There are also rare chanpuru made with island vegetables such as adan and otaniwatari. Awamori from the Yaeyama Islands and island balls made with carbonated awamori are also popular.

Daily sanshin (Okinawan guitar) live performances for children and adults alike

 Masks called
Masks called "Angama" from the Yaeyama region are displayed in the restaurant.

The restaurant is located on the second floor, up a flight of stairs after passing through a brick wall, and has an at-home atmosphere like an old private home. Many families come to spend a relaxing time in the small tatami room.
The owner's sanshin (Okinawan guitar) live performances are popular, and some customers become repeat customers because of the live music. You can enjoy everything from folk songs to classic Okinawan songs, and at the end of the show, you will be excited by the Okinawan "Kachashii" dance with both hands raised in the air. The attraction of this performance is that it brings everyone together and brings the guests closer to each other. It is sure to become a wonderful memory of your family vacation.

Local Guide Comment
Baby food can be brought in and infant tableware is provided, so you can use the restaurant with small children without worry. Reservations are essential, especially on weekends when the restaurant is crowded.
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 New Experience: Choosing Your Favorite Ingredients at the Market and Having Them Cooked

Gurukun Karaage
Gurukun Karaage" and "Ushi-ebi no Shioyaki" (grilled salted shrimp), which can be enjoyed by lifting up and cooking.

This Okinawan restaurant is located on the second floor of the Daiichi Makishi Public Market. The Daiichi Makishi Public Market offers a service called "Lifting System," which allows customers to have food purchased at the fish and meat stores on the first floor prepared at the restaurants on the second floor for up to three dishes per person for 550 yen (tax included), plus the cost of the food paid on the first floor.
The gurukun (hawksbill turtle) purchased on the first floor is deep-fried whole. It is crispy and delicious from head to tail. The "bullhead shrimp" is seasoned with salt and pepper only and grilled with salt. You can enjoy the flavor and aroma of the raw material itself.

Half-size" menus are also available for children to compare and enjoy.

 The restaurant has a spacious small tatami room, which is often used by families.
The restaurant has a spacious small tatami room, which is often used by families.

If you are with children, we recommend having them fry the bull prawns. There is also a wide variety of other menu items that the family can enjoy together, ranging from standard dishes such as "Goya Chanpuru" to "Agu Shabu Shabu". In addition, more than 20 items on the menu can be ordered in half-size portions. The portions are just right for children, allowing them to try a little bit of each dish.
The table-top "Adan Spicy Oil Miso" is full of garlic and tantalizingly appetizing. Regular customers have started using it in various dishes, and it has become a standard seasoning.

Local Guide Comment
Another attraction is the "bone soup," which has recently been attracting attention as a B-class gourmet dish. Honejiru is a dish made by adding greens to the bones with pork used for Okinawa soba noodle soup stock, and simmering them in a broth. This is available in limited quantities.
Adan (Daiichi Makishi Public Market)
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-10-1 Matsuo, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction 9 min. walk from Yui Rail Makishi Sta.
  •  Business hours 10:30-17:00
  •  Closed Thursday, 4th Sunday
  •  TEL 098-863-6742
  •  Parking None
  •  Memo Opening hours may vary depending on store conditions

A popular natural café with a set meal menu that pleases both body and soul

 A set (1,500 yen) includes your choice of plate, rice, soup, and drink (photo: Goya Honey Lassi).
A set (1,500 yen) includes your choice of plate, rice, soup, and drink (photo: Goya Honey Lassi).

The café offers dishes using "pipachi," a type of island pepper popular in the Yaeyama Islands. With the motto of "food that pleases the body and soul," the restaurant does not use any chemical seasonings and offers a set menu with a natural and gentle taste.
The most popular dish is the "Burnt Cheese Hamburger Set Meal," which is made with Okinawan ground beef and pork mixed with pipa-chi. The juicy meat and the softly fragrant piparch are a perfect match and are popular with both children and adults. The "Goya Honey Lassi" has a mild flavor without bitterness and can be enjoyed with children.

From kids' chairs to picture books, there are plenty of services to make your children happy.

 The restaurant mainly has table seating. Kids' chairs are available for those with children.
The restaurant mainly has table seating. Kids' chairs are available for those with children.

The restaurant is located in a quiet residential area in Nishimachi, Naha City. The wood-toned interior is cozy and crowded with families, groups, and even single customers. The atmosphere is family-friendly, with picture books on the bottom shelf of the bookshelves that will tickle the hearts of children. If you have small children, you can add mini rice and soup to your meal for free.
In the store, you can purchase pesticide-free "red berry piperchis," which make great souvenirs, and "homemade piperchicola," a concoction of several different herbs.

Local Guide Comment
Be sure to take a look at the artwork that pops up inside the store. The silk screen in the back of the store is done by the owner's brother who is an artist based in Ishigaki Island.
Pipachi Kitchen
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-6-16 Nishi, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  •  Direction 10 min. walk from Yui Rail Asahibashi Station, 10 min. drive from Naha Airport
  •  Business hours 11:00-15:00 (14:30L.O.), 17:30-21:00 (20:30L.O.)
  •  Closed Wednesday
  •  TEL 098-988-4743
  •  Parking Multi-story parking available (1 car per couple, 1.5 hours free of charge)
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.