5 restaurants where you can enjoy a special dinner on Taketomi Island
Taketomi Island is located southwest of the main island of Okinawa. After enjoying the beautiful island during the day, take some time to relax and enjoy your dinner. We introduce five restaurants you should definitely visit, ranging from small, cozy spots where you can interact with the locals to spacious establishments where groups and families can easily dine. Each one offers a memorable, special dinner menu that makes the most of local island ingredients. We hope your trip to Taketomi Island is filled with fun and delicious experiences.
1Cafe Tedun Shidame-kan
Luxuriously enjoy dishes made with island-grown ingredients and classic Okinawan cuisine
Located right in front of the Nagomi Tower, this restaurant welcomes you with an arch of bougainvillea. In addition to their famous Taketomi soba and various set meals, they also offer a wide selection of a la carte dishes that pair perfectly with drinks. We recommend the "Deep-fried Taketomi Island Kuruma Prawns," which are sourced directly from the island's prawn farm; the size of the prawns varies by season, and they are available starting from 300 yen per piece. The firm, plump prawns are packed with sweetness and umami. The "Mango Chu-hi" adds a tropical mood with its vibrant orange color.
A dinner spot where you can also enjoy interacting with the locals
In the Taketomi dialect, "Teedun" means Taketomi and "Shidamee" means snail. It is said that the name was chosen with the wish for customers to relax and take it easy. There are terrace seats where you can feel nature and calm tatami seating areas. During evening business hours, locals also visit, allowing you to enjoy a local atmosphere.
In addition to classic Okinawan home-style cooking, the restaurant offers a wide variety of menu items such as "Agu Pork Gyoza," "Ishigaki Beef Gyoza," "Fried Shrimp Curry," "Yam Strip Curry," and "Caprese-style with Chomeiso (longevity grass)." You can spend a relaxing dinner time here without any pretense.
Local
Supporter
The tatami seating is relaxing, but the terrace seating where you can look up at the night sky is also recommended. It is a rare restaurant on the island where you can also drink wine.
- Cafe Taadun Shidame-kan
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361 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP 
Approx. 8 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
11:00–14:30 (L.O.), 18:30–20:00 (L.O.)
Irregular holidays
0980-85-2239
None
Reservations preferred for dinner
2Taketomijima Garden Asahi
Dishes that vividly arrange Okinawan ingredients to decorate your travel memories
A restaurant near the West Pier, marked by its large red-tiled roof. For those who enjoy a drink, the "Value Set (daily special)" is a great deal, offering a mug of your choice of drink paired with three types of appetizers. The appetizers are beautifully presented and may include dishes like "squid with vinegared miso," "marinated fried gurukun (double-lined fusilier)," "sweet and vinegared papaya," or "potato and macaroni salad," and the appeal lies in being able to choose from drinks like beer or local island spirits.
There is also a wide selection of other menu items perfect for drinking, such as "sei-ika (bigfin reef squid) fish cakes & island chili sausage" and "deep-fried gurukun," allowing you to enjoy dishes made with Yaeyama ingredients.
Okinawan folk songs play in the bright atmosphere of the restaurant, heightening the travel mood.
The bright, clean interior features folk music playing in the background, and the walls are decorated with photos of large spiny lobsters and scenery from Taketomi Island, adding to the travel atmosphere. The availability of tatami seating is a welcome point for families with small children.
There is also a wide variety of meal options, including "Okinawa Agu (pork) curry," "mozuku seaweed bowl," and "taco rice." They sell ice cream that you can take out, so after your meal, we recommend taking a stroll around the island while gazing at the night sky with an ice cream in hand.
Local
Supporter
We also recommend the tenderly stewed "Cartilage Soki Soba" and the voluminous "Asahi A Set," a one-plate meal that includes a hamburger steak, fried shrimp, fried fish, sausage, rice, salad, and mini soba!
- Taketomi Island Garden Asahi
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- 163-1 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- 10 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
- 11:00–15:00, 18:00–21:00
- Irregular holidays
- 0980-85-2388
- Free
- Free bicycle parking is also available
3Soba-dokoro Takenoko
Dinner menu recommended by a popular soba noodle shop.
A long-established soba restaurant popular for its traditional Yaeyama soba and soki soba. For dinner, be sure to try the a la carte dishes that go well with drinks. For the "tofu chanpuru," made with fresh vegetables harvested on Taketomi Island and island tofu, a dash of "piyashi" (island pepper), which has a tropical spicy aroma, makes it even more delicious.
The "mozuku tempura" is made using mozuku seaweed that the owner's family goes to the sea to harvest during the peak season every April and May. The "shikuwasa fruit liqueur soda," popular for its refreshing aroma and smooth finish, contains bits of fruit, allowing you to enjoy the texture as well.
Enjoy your night of travel in a calm, homey space.
With an atmosphere so nostalgic and homey that you'll find yourself wanting to say "I'm home," this shop is a popular nighttime spot even among the islanders. In this shop with its red-tiled roof, so typical of Taketomi Island, you might just find yourself having casual interactions with the locals.
Recommended menu items include Okinawan home-style dishes like "Hirayachi" (flat-grilled pancake), "Goya Chanpuru" (bitter melon stir-fry), "Fu Chanpuru" (wheat gluten stir-fry), and "Suchika" (salted pork). The "Fruit Liqueur Soda" comes in flavors like pineapple and passion fruit, all of which have a delicious, authentic Okinawan taste, and we recommend trying a few to compare.
Local
Supporter
Be sure to try the "Yaeyama Soba" or "Soki Soba" as a finishing dish, featuring an exquisite soup made with chicken and pork bones boiled over a wood fire.
- Soba-dokoro Takenoko
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- 101-1 Taketomi, Taketomi-jima, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 8 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
- 10:30–15:00 (closes when soba sells out), 18:30–21:00 (L.O. 20:00)
*Reservations required for dinner (same-day reservations only) - Irregular holidays (please check the website)
- 0980-85-2251
4Mingei Kissa Maki
Enjoy colorful goya noodles and rare Okinawan menu items.
A cafe attached to a guesthouse. The "Goya Noodle Yakisoba," made with vibrant green noodles kneaded with bitter melon—which is rich in nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid—is a popular menu item at this shop. This recommended dish features well-stir-fried noodles with plenty of fresh, juicy bitter melon, and its savory aroma and salty flavor will keep you coming back for more.
The fluffy "Mozuku Omelet" uses mozuku seaweed from Taketomi Island, harvested by the owner's family. The vibrant "Awamori Hibiscus Split" is a special drink made with homemade hibiscus syrup.
Have a fun dinner time while listening to sanshin music and singing.
The homey space, which feels distinctly Okinawan, has a somewhat nostalgic atmosphere. Since the owner is a musician, you can also enjoy live singing and sanshin performances up close. Why not request your favorite song and add a special memory to your trip?
Home-style dishes like "Somen Bitturu" (somen noodle stir-fry) and "Fu Chanpuru" are also popular menu items. The "Chilled Goya Noodles," which use the same noodles as the "Goya Noodle Yakisoba," are served in a refreshing zaru-soba style and are also lower in calories.
Local
Supporter
A major attraction is being able to listen to the owner play the sanshin and sing island songs. If locals are visiting, you can also get a real feel for Taketomi Island.
- Mingei Kissa Maki
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- 476 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 7 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
- 11:00–15:00, 20:00–23:00
- Irregular holidays
- 0980-85-2236
5Taketomijima Oshokujidokoro Kanifu
From luxurious Okinawan cuisine using island ingredients to exciting handmade desserts.
A restaurant located near the Taketomi Post Office. The recommended dish, "Oven-Baked Cartilage Soki," is prepared by simmering the soki for a day and letting it rest overnight before serving. The tender, sweet and savory simmered soki, topped with rich cheese and the tang of mustard, is sure to whet your appetite.
The "Recommended Seafood" platter features crispy fried Taketomi Island prawns, as well as squid and fried gurukun (Okinawa's prefectural fish). The homemade tartar sauce has a mellow flavor that pairs perfectly with the seafood. Awamori chuhai cocktails made with shikuwasa or passion fruit are also popular.
A blissful time spent relaxing in a spacious area with high ceilings.
For dinner appetizers, you can enjoy dishes like "Island Tofu Salad," "Gurukun Salad," and "Seared Ishigaki Beef Cold Salad." For snacks, there is a wide variety of dishes that make the most of local island ingredients, such as "Ishigaki Island Moromi Pork Coarse Sausage" from the popular local workshop "Ishigaki-jima Jugobanchi," "Deep-fried Island Tofu" (thick-fried tofu with a rich soybean flavor), "Deep-fried Tebichi (pig's trotters)," and "Purple Sweet Potato Croquettes."
Another great point is that you can also order from the lunch menu, which includes classic Okinawan dishes, Yaeyama soba, and set meals.
Local
Supporter
It is also appealing that there is a vegetarian-friendly dish available.
- Taketomi Island Dining Kanifu
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- 494 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 10 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
- 11:00–15:30 (L.O. 15:00)
18:00–20:30 (L.O. 20:00) - Irregular holidays
- 0980-85-2311
- Available
MAP
- Nearby Hoshino Resorts facilities
Local supporter in charge of this article
HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island
Taketomi Town, Okinawa Prefecture
Far south of the Ryukyu Islands, a remote coral island
Access About 10 minutes by shuttle bus from Taketomi Port
- Accommodation rate example
- Per person per night From ¥20,130