If you’re tired of researching for the best places to eat in Niseko, then you’ve come to the right place! When I was researching for Niseko restaurants last year, I literally got a headache from the amount of places I was trying to research. First, there isn’t a lot of information on where the best places to eat in Niseko are. Second, a lot of the restaurants I wanted to eat at were already booked or you had to call in for a reservation. So, hopefully you can take my experience and use it to your advantage. You can trust that this is not an A.I. post and that I’ve been to every place on this list!

• Related Article: How to Get to Niseko By Public Transportation (It’s Actually Easy!)

 

General Tips About Eating in Niseko

Tip #1: Book Restaurants Early

If you are planning on going to Niseko in Jan-Feb, you should be booking your restaurants months in advance! This is especially true if you want to try and save money or have a large group. Last year, I was trying to book during November for late February and almost all the restaurants were full. This year, I started a little bit earlier since I know better now and I know where to look. Essentially, what I’m saying is that do NOT wait until the last minute if you want to eat at popular restaurants! 

Tip #2: Niseko is Not Cheap

Let me start off by saying that Niseko is not a cheap place. You can find a few affordable places to eat here and there, but you’ll probably be spending the same amount of money like you would back in U.S. ski towns. Niseko is probably the bougiest resort there is in Japan so just set your expectations that you’ll probably be spending some money. 

Tip #3: About Après Ski

This is the BIGGEST difference I’ve learned about snowboarding in Japan. There’s no “party” après ski. Let me repeat that, THERE’S NO PARTY APRÈS SKI. No DJs. No loud bars. No dancing. The après ski scene in Niseko is relaxed and chill. It’s more about getting a fancy cocktail with friends or going to the onsen (hot springs) to relax after a day of skiing. 

Tip #4: Authentic Japanese Eating Experience 

If you are eating in Hirafu Village, you will almost have no problem with language as many of the workers are actually foreigners. English is widely spoken in Hirafu Village and it kind of almost makes visiting Niseko a little inauthentic. If you want a more authentic Japanese experience (where people speak Japanese), then you’ll probably want to eat in Kutchan. Kutchan is an actual city/town whereas Hirafu Village is more of a seasonal ski town for tourists.

 

Helpful Websites that Helped Me Research for Places to Eat in Niseko

Since Niseko is a small ski town, there aren’t a lot of food websites or reviews out there, but there were two websites that did help me through my research: Niseko Wine & Dine and TableCheck. Niseko Wine & Dine was great for looking up restaurants and places to drink. They have almost all the restaurants listed and pictures as well. TableCheck was useful in finding restaurants that were willing to take online reservations and for large parties. 

 

What If I Don’t Want to Eat Out? Are There Markets?

Yes! If you don’t want to eat out or maybe you have a place with a kitchen where you rather cook, there are some market options.

• Lawson’s (Hirafu Village): This is a convenient store more so than a market, but there are a lot or premade meals and snacks if you want something quick and easy.
• Hirafu188 (Hirafu Village): This supermarket is located on the ground floor of the Hirafu 188 building and is the place we went to everyday to buy basic groceries for breakfast and lunch. The supermarket is pretty well-stocked with the basic necessities but definitely not a place where you’re going to find a plethora of ingredients for a gourmet dinner.
• MaxValu (Kutchan): This is a true supermarket and this will have almost everything you are looking for to cook with. Unfortunately, it’s located in the city of Kutchan so you will need a car or taxi to get there if you’re staying in Hirafu Village. But maybe you’re lucky enough and are staying somewhere that might have a shuttle that takes you into Kutchan like the Park Hyatt Niseko.

 

My Best Places to Eat in Niseko

Below are in my opinion, the best places to eat in Niseko in no particular order!

1. Crab Ramen (Hanazono)

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Okay, so I don’t know who thought of putting pieces of crab in ramen, but they are a GENIUS! Crab is my favorite and to stick it in a hot bowl of ramen on a cold winter day is like heaven. The crab ramen is located at Hanazono EDGE (the lodge on Hanazono side). The ramen is on the more expensive side at around $25-$30 USD, but so worth it for the amount of crab you get. It’s not the cheapest ramen you’ll find, but you are getting whole crab legs after all!   Reservations: Not Needed Instagram Reel: Hanazono EDGE Crab Ramen

 

2. Bar Jam Izakaya

This izakaya was probably my favorite dinner spot in Niseko. It’s high energy and serves a plethora of Japanese-style tapas. We literally kept ordering and ordering. This was our second izakaya and it was much livelier than Bar Rin. I think it mostly was due to the fact there was a large group next to us that were getting drunk. But with that said, the staff did seem to mind and actually enjoyed it. This is definitely the place for you if you want to be a little bit louder with your group of friends. My favorites were the eggplant dengaku (miso paste) and the Korean fried chicken. Don’t forget the bottle of sake too! They even have local Niseko sakes which is what we got.   Reservations: You can make a reservation online here Instagram Reel: Bar Jam Izakaya

 

3. Bar Gyu a.k.a. Fridge Door Bar (Hirafu Village)

This is technically more a bar than a place to eat, but I had to put this place on the list because it’s a Niseko institution. You get to enter through a fridge door and then it opens up to this cute little cabin! There’s always a line so make sure you get there right when it opens. I got there 5 minutes after it opened and I got the last seat. Is it worth the wait? I definitely think so. They have some of the best cocktails on the mountain, along with whiskey flights, and charcuterie boards (although very small).    Reservations: This place is walk-in only Instagram Reel: Bar Gyu (Fridge Door Bar)

 

4. Bar Rin (Hirafu Village)

Another great izakaya place if you can get a reservation! This place is more low key and traditional than Izakaya Jam. There’s a lot to choose from and can pretty much satisfy anyone’s palette. We loved the menu so much that we just ordered by page (not by item).    Reservations: There are no online reservations that I could tell from so I had my Japanese friend call and set up the reservation for me. Instagram Reel: Bar Rin

 

5. Afuri Ramen (Hirafu Village)

If you are looking for a huge bowl of delicious ramen in Hirafu Village, you don’t have to look any further than Afuri Ramen. It’s a super popular ramen shop that has many locations around Japan and all over the world. I got the spicy yuzu ramen (yuzu ratan) which was around 2,100 JPY (~$15 USD). I thought was a little too citrusy for me, but I definitely want to go back and try their other ramens like the hazelnut tantan ramen.   Reservations: No reservations needed (at least during lunch) Instagram Reel: Afuri Ramen

 

6. Chiharu Zushi (Kutchan)

I don’t know if you can get any more Japanese than this! If you are looking for some authentic Japanese interactions and where you can meet some locals, this is the place for you. Our hotel (Park Hyatt Niseko) made this reservation for us at the last minute and it totally satisfied the Japanese culture that was missing from Hirafu Village. The nigiri was fantastic and what made it better was that our waitress was actually Japanese and she was so fun and enthusiastic. Meeting locals like this always makes a trip so much better.   Reservation: Reservations are required. Have your hotel call. Instagram Reels: Chiharu Zushi

 

7. Ramen Yamaokaya (Kutchan)

One of the most famous ramen chains in Japan and is known for their miso rich ramen! There are hundreds of stores and luckily there’s one right in Kutchan. We came here for dinner one night because we didn’t have any reservation set up so our hotel recommended that we try this place out. There was a line when we arrived, but it went quick. You order by vending machine and hand over your tickets to the staff. They will also find a seat for you.    Reservations: Walk-In/No Reservations Needed. The location in Kutchan is also 24 hours! Instagram Reel: Ramen Yamaokaya

 

8. Park Hyatt Niseko Afternoon Tea (Hanazono)

If you’re feeling a bit bougie and want to take a rest from skiing or snowboarding, I highly recommend having afternoon tea at the Park Hyatt Niseko. Since the US Dollar is strong against the Japanese Yen right now, the afternoon tea comes in pretty affordable for what you get. I got a glass of champagne, two teas, and the usual sandwiches, scones, and desserts for 5,800 JPY (~$38 USD). After tax and tip, it came out to be 7,146 JPY (~$47) USD).   Reservations: Reservations are required Instagram Reel: Park Hyatt Niseko Afternoon Tea

 

Conclusion

There were other restaurants we ate at like Kanpai Shabu Shabu that didn’t make the list. I want to start off by saying that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this place and is actually a great place if you have a large group. Reservations are super easy to make and can be done online. My only issue is that I thought it was a little overpriced for what you get at 11,000 JPY/person ($70 USD) with no alcohol. But if that doesn’t bother you, then by all means!

I truly hope that this list along with all the Instagram reels helps you out on your foodie journey in Niseko. If you have any questions at all, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m here to help! Ok, that’s all for now. See you next blog post!