10 Great Restaurants in Beppu

Jigoku Mushi, translated as "hell-steaming", is a traditional local cooking method unique to Beppu, where onsen (natural hot springs) steam is used for cooking. At this restaurant, you’ll first choose your favourite ingredients from an extensive menu, including vegetables, eggs, seafood, chicken, beef, and pork. You can also bring your own supplies.

Then, wearing gloves, and with the staff members’ help, you cook the food over the hot vapours. The salt and minerals in the hot springs will give the food a lightly salted flavour. Be prepared for long wait times if you plan to visit during lunch on the weekend. If there's a long line, grab your ticket, order, and then return in about an hour. 

Toyotsune is considered the birthplace of the local speciality known as toriten (chicken tempura). For over 90 years, hungry diners have flocked to this unassuming eatery to order the rice bowl of bite-sized pieces of chicken covered with a secret sauce. Other menu highlights include shrimp and prawn tempura, soy-marinated Ryukyu fish, and local beef dishes.

There are 2 Toyotsune branches in Beppu. The main branch is near the Beppu Tower, while the other lies a few blocks from Beppu Station. Both branches are popular among locals and visitors, so be prepared to wait in line at peak meal times.

Seafood Izutsu is a highly popular place to try seki aji and seki saba – Japan’s highly sought-after mackerel fish. The fish is caught through the traditional pole-and-line fishing method in local Oita waters and this restaurant – housed in an old building – serves it at reasonable prices. The dining room fills up quickly with locals at almost every meal time, so it’s best to arrive early if you want to snag a coveted fish dish before they are sold out.

Besides mackerel, other popular options include fresh seasonal seafood bowls and Ryukyu, a local dish of marinated sashimi. There’s a limited English menu, but you can decide and make your orders by choosing from the photos.

Rokusei, located opposite Matsubara Park, is a popular noodle joint to order the delicious classic meal known as reimen. There's nothing more refreshing than a bowl of cold buckwheat noodles on a hot and humid Beppu summer day or after a warm soak in a hot spring.

The handmade chewy noodles are served in a cold beef broth and garnished with sesame seeds, kimchi, chopped green onions, slices of beef, and half a boiled egg. You can also order onmen (hot) and Chinese-style noodle dishes. There's often a queue outside, but service is fast and efficient, so the line moves relatively quickly.

Naruto Udon is a casual restaurant specialising in comforting bowls of udon – traditional Japanese wheat flour noodles – made with sweet, umami-flavoured soup stock. First, choose your size of udon (single, double, or triple all cost the same price) and then pick your favourite toppings.

Variations include cheese, boiled egg, beef, and freshly fried tempura chicken, shrimp or burdock root. The restaurant can fill up during lunch and dinner. But with fast and friendly service, you’ll be tucking into your delicious meal in no time at all.

Gyōza Kogetsu is a tiny restaurant in Beppu with counter seating for just 7 people. You don’t need to be able to read Japanese because there are only 2 options available on the menu: bottles of beer and gyoza (pork and leek pan-fried dumplings).

Each serving includes 15 crispy fried dumplings, which you dip into a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chilli oil. The gyoza are small, so order a double portion if you’re hungry. You can find Gyōza Kogetsu in a small alley behind a shopping street, a 5-minute stroll from JR Beppu Station. Look for the queue outside.

Waon is a small, family-run Japanese restaurant where you can order famous Beppu specialities such as seki aji and seki saba (mackerel fish) and toriten (chicken tempura). A fantastic set lunch menu is served on weekdays. It includes the restaurant's best dishes – salad, sashimi, toriten, and chirashizushi (a bowl of sushi rice topped with seafood and vegetables).

If you need help ordering, there is an English menu and English-speaking staff. Waon is popular with locals, so if you'd prefer not to wait, you can make a reservation for lunch or dinner.

Somuri Steak is a long-standing steak restaurant where you can sink your teeth into Oita Bungo beef. Bungo beef is a brand of high-quality beef from cows carefully raised in the Oita Prefecture. The melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef is expertly cut, prepared, and then served on a piping-hot griddle with a side of crunchy vegetables.

Locals will recommend going between 11.30 am and 2 pm and ordering the value-for-money set lunch menu with soup, salad, rice, a Bungo beef steak, and an espresso. The drinks menu includes wine from around the world. It's best to make a reservation, and if you end up sitting at the counter, you'll be entertained by the head chef's impressive knife skills.

Tosaka is a lively izakaya (casual Japanese bar with food) in Beppu's red-light district where you can enjoy Oita's speciality dishes at reasonable prices. The menu is extensive and includes shellfish, sashimi, and a variety of skewers (pork, shrimp, Bungo beef, and grilled chicken). 

The owner sources most of the ingredients locally from Oita Prefecture, which means you can expect high quality and freshness in every dish. While there is an English menu, the young and enthusiastic waiters are willing and happy to help you navigate the menu. 

Kikusaiko is a top dining spot for an intimate, unhurried meal of the best regional dishes in Beppu. This elegant kaiseki restaurant is set in Hotel Shiragiku and offers a traditional Japanese dining experience. Sitting in a private dining room, you’ll enjoy multiple courses of meticulously prepared cuisine using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Produce includes locally-caught seafood, premium meat sourced from regional farms, and wild mushrooms and vegetables foraged from nearby forests. Booking is essential as there are only private rooms available here.