10 Best Restaurants
Kanazawa brings landscaped gardens, wooden teahouse streets and contemporary art into a compact city on Japan's Sea of Japan coast. Start at Kenrokuen and the castle, then explore Higashi Chaya or the old samurai lanes of Nagamachi. Omicho Market introduces the region's seafood, while small restaurants turn seasonal ingredients into memorable meals. Allow time for ceramics, lacquer and gold-leaf crafts, and carry an umbrella: the city's museums and tea rooms make useful retreats when rain arrives.
Zeniya
Katamachi, Japan
Zeniya makes dinner feel personal, with a sequence of Japanese dishes shaped around the season and the preferences discussed when you book. Chef Shinichiro Takagi draws on Kanazawa's Kaga cooking traditions, serving local seafood and produce on an exceptional collection of ceramics and lacquerware. Choose the counter for a closer view of the kitchen or a private room for a quieter occasion. This is a place for a leisurely, carefully planned meal rather than ordering individual dishes.
Personalised Kaga cuisine
Kataori
Namikimachi, Japan
On a quiet street beside the Asano River, Takuya Kataori serves Japanese cooking with a strong sense of season and place. Carefully sourced seafood, vegetables and mushrooms receive restrained treatment, while freshly prepared dashi gives the meal its foundation. The small counter lets you follow the work closely. Autumn mushrooms and winter crab are particular reasons to watch the calendar, though the menu follows availability. Securing a reservation requires flexibility and advance planning.
Seasonal Hokuriku cooking
respiración
Bakuromachi, Japan
A restored wooden townhouse near Omicho Market provides the setting for this inventive Spanish restaurant. The tasting menu draws on Ishikawa's seafood, vegetables and game, applying techniques the founding chefs developed in Spain. Small, carefully presented courses lead towards a richly flavoured paella, with the ingredients changing through the seasons. Local crafts and the open kitchen add interest to the room. Allow an unhurried evening here and discuss dietary restrictions before reserving.
Modern Spanish cooking with local ingredients
MAKINONCÎ
Yamanouemachi, Japan
Hirokazu Makino cooks around a U-shaped counter in a wooden house on the hillside above central Kanazawa. French training underpins a playful tasting menu built largely around regional seafood and produce, with dishes finished over fire and served on distinctive local tableware. The open kitchen makes the preparation part of the evening, and illustrated menus help guests follow the meal. It feels unusually personal for ambitious cooking, but places are scarce and reservations need considerable planning.
A sociable French-inspired tasting menu
Otome Sushi
Kiguramachi, Japan
Behind a modest entrance in Kiguramachi, Kazuhiko Tsurumi concentrates on the balance between carefully seasoned Ishikawa rice and excellent seafood. Nigiri is the focus, with fish from the Sea of Japan joined by selected ingredients from elsewhere in the country. Dark wood and sliding paper screens give the room an intimate, traditional feel. Regional sake makes a natural accompaniment. Choose this for a focused sushi meal where the quality and handling of the fish take centre stage.
Nigiri with Hokuriku seafood
Tempura Koizumi
Ikedamachi, Japan
Seijiro Koizumi's restaurant occupies a traditional house in a quiet neighbourhood, where the pace suits a long lunch or dinner. The fuller dinner course reaches beyond tempura, beginning with small Japanese dishes before moving through seafood and vegetables in a fine, crisp batter. Regional catches and Kaga vegetables give the sequence its character, with mushrooms and mountain plants appearing when in season. Rice dishes complete the meal, and the sake selection gives plenty of scope for a local pairing.
Delicate tempura and seasonal vegetables
Tsubajin
Teramachi, Japan
Tsubajin brings together Kanazawa's cooking and decorative arts in a historic ryotei overlooking the Sai River area. Private rooms, elaborate timberwork and carefully chosen tableware make the setting an important part of the meal. Seasonal courses follow Kaga traditions, with seafood, local vegetables and dishes such as jibuni stew. It is particularly suited to a celebration or a relaxed group meal. Ask about the different rooms when reserving, as their layouts and atmosphere vary.
Historic rooms and traditional Kaga dining
Fuwari
Owaricho, Japan
A lantern-lit approach leads to this welcoming restaurant in an old townhouse near Omicho Market. Sashimi and charcoal-grilled dishes are the main attractions, with chicken, seafood and Kaga vegetables joined by croquettes, pressed sushi and other small plates. The menu makes it easy to share several dishes and build a meal around your appetite. It is a good choice for an informal evening after sightseeing, with an English menu helping visitors explore beyond the familiar favourites.
Charcoal-grilled dishes and a relaxed evening
Restaurant Jiyuken
Higashi Chaya District, Japan
At the entrance to the Higashi Chaya District, Jiyuken has served Japanese interpretations of Western cooking since 1909. Its soy-seasoned omurice is the signature: rice enclosed in a thin omelette, with a savoury character that sets it apart from the usual ketchup version. Cutlets, sandwiches and changing set meals offer other satisfying options. It makes an easy lunch stop between the teahouses and shops, or a straightforward dinner when you want familiar, hearty food.
Old-fashioned Japanese Western cooking
Morimori Sushi Kanazawa Ekimae
Kanazawa Station, Japan
On the sixth floor of Kanazawa Forus, this conveyor-belt sushi restaurant is a convenient way to try the region's seafood without committing to a tasting menu. Order a few plates at a time and explore the day's selection, including fish supplied from Noto and Kanazawa ports. The lively setting suits a casual lunch or an early meal before a train. Make sure you join the queue for the conveyor-belt branch; another Morimori restaurant sits nearby on the same floor.
Casual sushi beside the station