Soba, Seafood, and Local Sake! 11 Popular Restaurants to Enjoy Niigata Gourmet

"Niigata Sengyo Donya Minato Shokudo" is a diner operated directly by Niigata Chuo Suisan Market and has long been popular with both locals and tourists.
Since its founding in 1904, it has served fish dishes made with fresh local seafood landed at the market.
The signature menu item is the "kaisendon," a luxurious seafood rice bowl topped with seven kinds of sashimi.
"Gangan-yaki" oysters, steamed and grilled right at your table, are also popular.

"Teradomari Chuo Suisan Marunaka Shokudo" is a Japanese restaurant on the second floor of the fresh fish market at Teradomari Chuo Suisan in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
It serves fresh seafood dishes made possible by being directly operated by a fishmonger.
The signature menu item is the "Marunaka Teishoku," a luxurious set that includes a whole red snow crab, an assortment of sashimi, and Teradomari’s local specialty "banya-jiru" soup.
There is also a wide selection of à la carte dishes, so you can enjoy hearty coastal cuisine unique to Teradomari.

Kaisenya Negibozu is an izakaya operated by the Yonekura Group where you can enjoy seafood cuisine.
It is known as a casual kappo-style restaurant where you can experience the charms of Niigata, one of Japan’s leading rice- and sake-producing regions.
The restaurant’s specialty is the premium nigiri sushi set "Takumi," limited to 10 servings per day.
Another thing to enjoy with the seafood is the rice.
Freshly cooked, it is wonderfully aromatic, and even when cooled, you can still taste the rice’s natural sweetness and moisture.

This restaurant serves sushi, sashimi, and Niigata local dishes made with fresh local fish that can only be enjoyed in Niigata.
It is also known as the birthplace of "nodoguro don," a rice bowl generously topped with rich, fatty blackthroat seaperch.
The signature menu item is the "aburi nodoguro don."
Lightly searing the fish tightens the flesh and brings out a savory flavor.

"Wataya Honten" is a long-established soba restaurant founded in 1921.
It has been serving customers in Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture, for over 100 years as the birthplace of hegisoba.
The standard menu item is "hegisoba," known for its firm bite and smooth texture.
It also takes pride in the soba’s natural flavor and supple mouthfeel, and it is especially popular with freshly fried tempura or duck nanban.

"Kojimaya Sohonten" is a long-established soba restaurant that has been serving customers in Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, for over 100 years.
Through soba-making that makes use of local ingredients and traditional techniques, it shares the taste of hegisoba, a part of Niigata’s food culture.
The restaurant’s pride is its "hegisoba," made with funori seaweed as a binding agent, giving it a springy texture and smooth throat feel.
The natural flavor of the seaweed enhances the taste of the soba and adds a pleasant bite.

This long-established soba restaurant was founded in 1889 in Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture, and continues to preserve the traditional flavor of "hegisoba," one of Ojiya’s signature specialties.
Its special focus is on using funori seaweed that has been cooked down more thickly than that used in typical hegisoba.
The smooth texture and lively bite are what make "Ganso Ojiya Soba Kadoya" unique.

A popular hegisoba restaurant in a convenient location, just a 4-minute walk from Niigata Station.
In addition to hegisoba, it also serves "noppe," a Niigata local simmered dish made with plenty of vegetables and thickened with taro.
You’ll also find seafood side dishes made with ingredients from Niigata’s waters, rice dishes made with Niigata rice, and a wide selection of local sake.

"Tonkatsu Sanjo" is located in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture and is a long-established tonkatsu restaurant with over 40 years of history.
Centered around Niigata’s famous "tare katsu don," it offers a wide variety of menu items and has strong local support.
The standard menu item is the "Niigata tare katsu don," featuring pork loin cutlets dipped in a sweet-savory soy sauce-based sauce and served over rice.
It also offers a broad lineup including kamameshi, ginger pork, and daily set meals.

A popular restaurant for Niigata’s famous "tare katsu don." In Japan, katsudon is generally known as either cutlet simmered with egg or cutlet served with sauce.
The top recommendation is the "Niigata Unmemon Zanmai Set."
This satisfying set lets you enjoy several Niigata specialties, including tare katsu don, noppe, a seasonal small dish, and all-you-can-refill Echigo miso soup.

"Aji no Mise Wakatori Odori Minami Branch" is a long-established izakaya in Minami Ward, Niigata City.
It serves a wide variety of dishes, including its specialty "wakatori hanshin-age."
The signature menu item, "wakatori hanshin-age," is a half chicken weighing around 500g, deep-fried on the bone.
The coating is seasoned with curry powder, salt, and garlic.
By frying it slowly in oil, the skin turns crisp while the meat stays juicy.