Kitanomaruko — Restaurant in Nagoya

I came across this place on a whim on Google Maps and am extremely glad I did.

It's easy to miss the entrance. Look for a bronze front with a small Hokkaido map symbol, and make sure to give the door a good tug. It's heavier than it looks.

The interior is quaint and cozy, sitting a small group of patrons, so I would highly recommend making a reservation ahead of time.

All the seats are around a small bar, and we got prime spots in front of the hearth.

We knew a tinge of Japanese and mostly relied on google translate, but the staff were friendly and warm while making light conversations with us. A few locals also joined in, and the atmosphere was lovely.

The food and drinks being delicious is an understatement. We didn't have a dish where we weren't pretty much licking the plates clean, and the vibes were just relaxing and calming, unlike other Izakaya.

I look forward to coming back and would be worth the trip to Nagoya for this.

Tips: the appetizer set has a little bit of everything to try and is beautiful the parfait changes seasonally and not too sweet, great way to end the night the potato salad is the bomb the grilled fish is a must try if you're into seafood the old school grill and nabe (pot rice or soup) section takes 40 min slow cook to perfection,...

Second time in 6 months! Order some new items - Grilled Cod & scallop, potato salad. But also some of the old, crab fried rice, croquette, and more berry drinks!!!

This place is robata & izakaya heaven! Easily one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in Japan. It’s super tiny, so reservations are a MUST—we booked three weeks in advance, and when we arrived, there was a handwritten note on our seats. Such a cool, personal touch!

Ordering is a breeze with their mobile system, but let’s talk about the real star—the food. Every single dish was next-level delicious. The crab fried rice? Insanely good. The grilled shrimp? Longer than my hand and perfectly charred. The grilled mushrooms? Juicy and flavorful. And don’t even get me started on the fried oysters—crispy, golden, and absolutely unreal.

But the real MVP? The frozen berry shochu drink. Just frozen berries, shochu, and sparkling water—simple but SO GOOD. Refreshing, boozy, and dangerously easy to drink.

If you’re in town, do whatever it takes to get a seat here. We’d come back in a heartbeat....

This place is a hidden gem in a big city. No door sign! But the food is supremely delicious. We order omakase. The dishes look traditional but surprisingly unforgettable complex in taste. The amuse-bouche is steamed egg with salmon roes. Very very umami! The sashimi and the appetizers are good in taste. The third dish is potato salad. But there are olives, corn kernels, octopus slices and herring roe. Crispy, chewy, sharp and deliciously complex. The fourth dish is scallop croquette. The scallop is freshly prepared and is medium done inside. The texture and the taste is audibly good. The last dish is the charcoal-grilled salmon. Sounds traditional! But before it is put before us, a large amount of radish paste and salmon roe is placed on top of the skin-crispy salmon. The dish is to be savoured by spoon! I think this place cannot be missed when visiting Nagoya. The whole dinner including sake and a bottle of white wine is a...