Otaru Izakaya Guide 2026 | 20 Picks in Hanazono, Inaho and the Canal Area

Otaru, about 30 minutes by train from Sapporo, is a place where travelers gather to enjoy dinner. Its izakaya (Japanese pubs) are concentrated in three areas, Hanazono, Inaho and the canal, and the atmosphere varies widely, from Showa-retro drinking streets to airy spots in converted old warehouses. We've gathered information on 20 places along three axes: area, budget and style.

How this article compares and how to choose

Here are the three axes, area, budget and style, to help you choose an izakaya.

Area: Hanazono is an entertainment district about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station, with izakaya packed along its alleys. Inaho is a shopping-street area within a 5–10 minute walk of the station, with many long-established places. The canal and Minatomachi area centers on larger restaurants in renovated old warehouses.

Budget: The guide per person ranges from the ¥2,000–3,000 range (reasonable) to the ¥3,000–5,000 range (moderate). Prices change with ingredient costs, so it's safest to check the official website or phone before you go.

Style: The range is wide, including robatayaki (charcoal grill), oden, casual bars, kakuuchi (standing sake bars at liquor stores), hamayaki (seafood you grill yourself) and all-round izakaya. Places specializing in local sake and local beer are included too.

For dinner options as a whole, also see Otaru Dinner Guide | Choosing Dinner in Hanazono and Around the Canal.

Hanazono area: charcoal robatayaki and seafood places

The Hanazono area is about a 10-minute walk south along the Miyakodori shopping arcade, straight ahead from Otaru Station. Charcoal robatayaki and seafood places cluster in the alleys, and at night lantern lights line the streets. Popular places can have queues on weekends, so booking ahead or aiming for opening time makes it easier to get in.

Robataya Tsurukichi Main Store

A charcoal robatayaki specialist. Many customers come for the hokke (Atka mackerel) and king crab, and you can watch them being grilled over charcoal across the counter. It has sunken kotatsu seating and fully private rooms and can take up to 30 people. It is popular, so booking is the surest way.

• Address: 1-8-23 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: 17:00–23:00 (last order 22:00)
• Closed: Irregular
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

【要 Researcher 再調査】Phone number and official URL (information as of February 2026; needs checking for currency)

Otaru Ryori Mitsuki

An izakaya centered on seafood and sushi, with chirashi sushi and grilled hakkaku (sailfin poacher) as signature dishes. It opens from lunchtime, so it also works for an early dinner.

• Address: 1-8-1 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: 11:30–22:30
• Closed: Irregular
• Phone: 0134-33-4664
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

【要 Researcher 再調査】Latest hours and closing days need checking

Shotoku Taishi Asuka

A sushi and seafood izakaya with a large capacity of 107 seats over two floors, open continuously from lunch to late night. It is known among locals too for its value for money.

• Address: 1-12-21 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: 11:30–23:00 (last order 22:45)
• Closed: Irregular
• Phone: 0134-31-4224
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

Hokkaido Ryori Kasube

A local-cuisine izakaya with a wood stove and herring fishing tools on display. Its famous "Troika hot pot" uses hakkaku and kasube (a kind of skate). It is a long-established place said to date from the 1930s–40s (Showa 10s), with a menu that makes the most of local ingredients.

• Address: 1-8-20 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: 17:00–22:00
• Closed: Thursdays
• Phone: 0134-22-1554
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

【要 Researcher 再調査】Founding year and latest hours need checking

Nomikuidokoro Kokoya

Run by an owner who also runs a seafood shop at an Otaru market, it serves a wide range from sashimi to grilled dishes, centered on seasonal fish he selects himself. Its fresh fish straight from the market is well regarded.

• Address: 1-8-8 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: From 17:00 (phone for details)
• Closed: Sundays
• Phone: 0134-32-7200
• Access: About 9 min walk from Otaru Station

Izakaya Yamadaya

A seafood-focused izakaya known for very fresh sashimi and grilled dishes. It is open evenings only, Monday to Saturday, and booking ahead is the surest way.

• Address: 3-9-2 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: 17:30–23:30
• Closed: Sundays
• Phone: 0134-22-9925
• Access: About 12 min walk from Otaru Station

Hanazono area: casual bars, Japanese dining and creative izakaya

Besides charcoal and seafood places, bar-style and creative Japanese spots are dotted around Hanazono. There are options that work well for everything from drinking alone to groups.

Taishu Bar Bridge

A casual bar based on Italian food, open until 1 a.m. You can enjoy a menu that isn't limited to Japanese or Western food, paired with local sake and wine.

• Address: 1-4-23 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: 17:00–1:00 the next day
• Closed: Sundays (subject to change)
• Phone: 0134-64-1218
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

Wa Dining Sora

A Japanese dining spot inside Arashi Shinchi in Hanazono, serving dishes made with seasonal fish sent straight from the Otaru and Sapporo markets. It always stocks over 10 kinds of sake, and you can choose a private room with sunken kotatsu seating.

• Address: 1-8-20 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu–Sun and holidays 18:00–23:00 (food last order 22:00)
• Closed: Wednesdays
• Phone: 0134-33-3775
• Access: About 15 min walk from Otaru Station

Ryusuke

A local izakaya run by three generations of one family, with over 30 years of history. Its signature dish is deep-fried nameta karei (slime flounder), made with ingredients bought directly from local fishers and farmers.

• Address: 1-6-6 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: Tue–Sat 17:00–23:00
• Closed: Sundays and Mondays
• Phone: 0134-23-0557
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

Tajipei

A creative Japanese izakaya in Hanazono 3-chome, popular for its three-sake tasting set. With creative dishes using local ingredients and reasonable prices, it is a size that works well for anything from drinking alone to small groups.

• Address: Bisho Building 1F, 3-9-6 Hanazono, Otaru
• Hours: 17:00–23:00 (last order 22:00)
• Closed: Sundays
• Phone: 0134-33-0373
• Access: About 12 min walk from Otaru Station

Inaho area: long-established robata, oden and kakuuchi

The Inaho area is within a 5–10 minute walk of Otaru Station, along the Sun Mall shopping arcade and Nakamise-dori. It is used a lot by locals, and long-established places are dotted around. If you want to try local sake casually, kakuuchi is an option too.

Gatsuya Shimazaki

A long-established robatayaki place. Grilled red snow crab and pork chops are popular, and many local regulars come. It has few seats, so booking ahead is the surest way.

• Address: 2-14-2 Inaho, Otaru
• Hours: Mon–Sat 17:30–21:30 (last order 21:00)
• Closed: Sundays and public holidays
• Phone: 0134-25-6685
• Access: About 8 min walk from Otaru Station

【要 Researcher 再調査】Founding year needs checking (there is a record of founding in 1935 (Showa 10), but this is unconfirmed)

Rakuten

An oden-focused izakaya facing Nakamise-dori. It stocks sake selected by the owner, and you can relax in a cozy space of about 30 seats.

• Address: 2-13-7 Inaho, Otaru
• Hours: 18:00–23:30
• Closed: Mondays
• Phone: 0134-22-6336
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

Meishu Kakuuchi Center Takano

A kakuuchi (standing bar) run directly by a liquor store, always stocking over 30 kinds of sake. You choose the brand you like from the fridge, which suits anyone who wants to try local sake casually. It's close to Otaru Station, so it also works for a drink before dinner.

• Address: 2-22 Inaho, Otaru
• Hours: 16:00–22:00 (Sat 15:00–22:00, Sun and holidays 15:00–21:00)
• Closed: Open every day
• Phone: 0134-32-0755
• Access: About 5 min walk from Otaru Station

Sakedokoro Fujirin

A long-established izakaya in the Inaho area handed down over four generations. It stocks over 30 kinds of sake carefully chosen from across Japan, and its homemade monkfish liver and rock-seaweed oden are well known. Last order is early, at 19:30, so check before you go.

• Address: 2-11-2 Inaho, Otaru
• Hours: Tue–Sat and holidays 17:00–22:00 (last order 19:30)
• Closed: Sundays and Mondays
• Phone: 050-8881-0525
• Access: About 5 min walk from Otaru Station

Inaho area: hamayaki, large izakaya and late-night places

The Inaho area near the station also has large, easy-to-use izakaya. They are options for group parties or late-night visits.

New Sanko Otaru Main Store

A long-established all-round restaurant founded in 1954 (Showa 29), in the Sun Mall Ichibangai arcade. It is famous for Otaru ankake yakisoba (fried noodles with thick sauce), and also serves Western food, Chinese food and jingisukan (grilled mutton). Ankake yakisoba is also covered in detail in Otaru Ankake Yakisoba Guide | Top Restaurants and How to Eat It.

• Address: 1-3-6 Inaho, Otaru
• Hours: 11:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Closed: December 31 and January 1 (other irregular closures)
• Phone: 0134-33-3500
• Access: About 7 min walk from Otaru Station

Hamayaki Hokkaido Uoman Otaru Ekimae Main Store

A hamayaki izakaya where you grill Hokkaido seafood, meat and vegetables yourself on a tabletop grill. With 107 seats, it works well for anything from small to large groups.

• Address: Inaho 2-chome Building 1–3F, 2-9-9 Inaho, Otaru
• Hours: Mon–Fri 16:00–0:00 the next day, Sat, Sun and holidays 11:00–0:00 the next day
• Closed: Open year-round
• Phone: 0134-34-0088
• Access: About 3 min walk from Otaru Station

Yama no Saru Otaru Ekimae

An izakaya on the first basement floor of a building a 1-minute walk from Otaru Station, where every seat is in a private room with sunken kotatsu seating. It offers all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu and all-you-can-drink courses and is open until 1 a.m.

• Address: Alpha Harbor Light Building B1F, 2-10-8 Inaho, Otaru
• Hours: Every day and holidays 16:00–1:00 the next day (food last order 0:15 the next day)
• Closed: Open year-round
• Phone: 0134-29-2929
• Access: About 1 min walk from Otaru Station

Canal and Minatomachi area: converted-warehouse places

The Minatomachi area has larger restaurants in renovated old warehouses. All are about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station, easy to drop into on a canal stroll.

Hokkai Aburiyaki Unga Soko

A seared-grill specialist in a converted Shibusawa warehouse, where Hokkaido seafood, meat and vegetables are seared over charcoal. It also stocks Hokkaido drinks such as local sake, local beer and wine, and is open year-round for both lunch and dinner.

• Address: Shibusawa Warehouse C, 5-4 Minatomachi, Otaru
• Hours: Lunch 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:30) / Dinner 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)
• Closed: Open year-round
• Phone: 0134-25-8810
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

Otaru Beer (Otaru Soko No.1)

A brewery with a beer pub in a stone warehouse along the canal. It always serves three German-style beers, Weiss, Pilsner and Dunkel, and has a full food menu. Its location is easy to combine with sightseeing in the canal area.

• Address: 5-4 Minatomachi, Otaru
• Hours: 11:00–22:00 (food and drink last order 21:00)
• Closed: Open year-round
• Phone: 0134-21-2323
• Access: About 10 min walk from Otaru Station

Comparison table

*The budget guide is per person, including food and drinks. It changes with ingredient costs.

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Summary

Otaru's izakaya fall into three areas: Hanazono's Showa-retro drinking streets, Inaho's long-established places and kakuuchi, and the converted warehouses of the canal and Minatomachi. For robatayaki and seafood, Hanazono and Inaho are the options; for craft beer and open spaces, the Minatomachi area suits you. Every area is around a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station. Popular places can have queues on weekend evenings, so booking ahead or aiming for opening time is the surest way. In winter (November–March) the roads freeze, so wear non-slip shoes to get around safely.

After a relaxed dinner at an izakaya, the classic course is a walk along the Otaru Canal, gazing at the illuminations. The canal area at night has a quietness different from daytime, with several spots within walking distance. If you want to explore Otaru at night at your own pace, another option is to ride a COTARU rental bicycle from the canal area to Hanazono.