Hamamatsu is one of Japan’s top destinations for delicious eel. In this article, a Hamamatsu-based writer introduces a carefully selected list of recommended eel restaurants they’ve personally visited.

Hamamatsu is one of Japan’s top destinations for delicious eel.

Eel farming has long thrived around Lake Hamana, and even today, it remains a beloved part of the local food culture.

In this article, a Hamamatsu-based writer introduces a carefully selected list of recommended eel restaurants they’ve personally visited.

From long-established classics to rising new favorites, we’ll dive into each restaurant’s unique charm and must-try dishes.

You’ll also find recommendations for great spots in the Kosai area, along with unique ways to enjoy eel around Lake Hamana — including a hands-on eel-catching experience.

Be sure to read to the end!

When it comes to Hamamatsu, it’s all about eel!

Hamamatsu is one of Japan’s top regions for eel.

Eel farming techniques have been developing ever since the Meiji era, when the first successful eel cultivation in Japan took place at Lake Hamana.

Image credit: Hamanako Unagi Maruhama Official Website

The warm climate and high-quality groundwater around Lake Hamana help produce “Hamanako eel,” known for its thick, tender, and flavorful flesh.

Hamamatsu sits right at the cultural crossroads of eastern and western Japan, so both cooking styles have taken root here — the Kanto-style, where eel is steamed before grilling, and the Kansai-style, which is grilled directly for a rich, savory flavor.

The appeal of Hamamatsu eel lies in enjoying both its fluffy, tender texture and the savory, caramelized grill marks.

5 Must-Visit Eel Restaurants in Hamamatsu — Complete with Tasting Reviews!

From here, we’ll introduce five standout eel restaurants in Hamamatsu, personally visited and thoroughly tested by a local writer — each one highly recommended.

Kanerin Unagi Restaurant — A long-established eel specialty restaurant with over 100 years of history

About a 10-minute drive from Hamamatsu Station.

Located along Yuto Kaido, “Kanerin Unagi Restaurant” is a long-established eel specialty restaurant with a history of over 100 years.

Originally a traveling merchant dealing in seafood on Lake Hamana, it was transformed into a dedicated eel restaurant 73 years ago.

The most popular dish is the “Unajū (Medium),” generously made with a whole eel.

The rich sauce blends perfectly with Koshihikari rice from Toyama, keeping you reaching for your chopsticks until the very last bite.

The secret to its flavor lies in the special sauce, carefully passed down and topped up since the restaurant’s founding.

Rich yet clean in flavor, the sauce perfectly enhances the taste of the fluffy, steamed Kanto-style eel.

The careful balance of smoky char and glossy glaze, achieved by skilled chefs over charcoal, is what has made this eel beloved for generations.

The menu also includes a variety of side dishes, such as “Uzaku” and half portions of grilled white eel.

Photo credit: Kanerin Unagi Restaurant

Renovated in 2016 (excluding the garden), the interior is designed around a central courtyard, allowing guests to enjoy their meal while overlooking a meticulously maintained Japanese garden.

The counter seating is thoughtfully designed for solo diners, making it easy to relax and enjoy a calm, peaceful atmosphere inside the restaurant.

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Restaurant Information

Address: 731 Irino-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu

Phone: 053-448-9335

Hours: 11:00 AM – 1:45 PM (last order) / 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (last order)

*Note: Last order may be earlier depending on crowd levels.

Closed: Every Wednesday, and on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month

Reservations: Accepted (may not be available on certain days or times)

Read our full tasting review of Kanerin Unagi Restaurant here↓

Sumiyaki Unagi Aoiya — A renowned Kansai-style eel restaurant known for its standout smoky flavor

About a 15-minute drive from Hamamatsu Station.

Located in Iida-cho, Sumiyaki Unagi Aoiya is a long-established eel specialty restaurant founded in 1977.

The interior, decorated in a traditional folk style, features Hamamatsu Festival kites and other Japanese ornaments, creating a warm atmosphere that evokes a sense of nostalgia.

The most popular dish is the “Unajū,” with eel grilled to a perfectly savory finish.

From the very first bite, the crispy exterior and tender, fluffy flesh create a perfect balance, while the sweet and savory sauce fills your mouth with flavor.

The secret to its deliciousness lies in the Kansai-style “jiyaki,” where the eel is grilled over Binchō charcoal.

By grilling the eel directly over an open flame without steaming, its natural flavor and smoky aroma are fully brought out.

The homemade sauce, passed down through generations, coats the eel with a savory aroma while adding a rich, deep flavor.

For couples, it’s recommended to order one “Nagayaki Rice” and one “Shirayaki Rice” to share.

This way, you can enjoy comparing the different grilling styles and unique flavors of each dish.

The restaurant is also family- and tourist-friendly, with ample parking across four lots totaling 39 spaces.

It’s a renowned restaurant that attracts many repeat visitors from afar.

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Restaurant Information

Address: 616-2 Iida-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu

Phone: 053-464-6323

Hours: 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM / 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Closed: Mondays (and irregular holidays)

Reservations: Accepted on weekdays for parties of 2 or more (limited number of reservations, excluding busy periods)

Read our full tasting review of Sumiyaki Unagi Aoiya here↓

Hamamatsu Jiyaki Unagi Masa — Where the smoky aroma of charcoal-grilled eel meets local ingredients

Opened in 2024, Hamamatsu Jiyaki Unagi Masa is a standout new restaurant that brings out the full flavor of eel using the Kansai-style “jiyaki” grilling method.

Photo credit: Hamamatsu Jiyaki Unagi Masa

In a warm, wood-accented interior, you can enjoy eel dishes that blend tradition with innovation.

The signature dish is the “Special Ju with one whole O-Boku Unagi,” featuring a whole large eel.

The dish uses a generously thick “O-Boku Unagi” weighing over 330 g, grilled over charcoal exceeding 1,000 °C.

The exterior is crispy and savory, while the interior remains tender and fluffy.

The rich sweetness of the eel’s fat and the smoky aroma of the charcoal blend perfectly, creating a flavor that delights with every bite.

The eel is prepared using the Kansai-style “jiyaki,” grilled directly over the flame without steaming.

The sauce is sweet yet leaves a clean finish, perfectly highlighting the natural flavor of the eel.

In addition, the menu features a variety of dishes made with local ingredients, such as Aonori (green laver seaweed) from Lake Hamana, Budō Sanshō from Haruno-cho, and Wasabi-zuke (wasabi pickles) Shizuoka-grown wasabi.

The careful selection of ingredients adds depth and richness to every dish.

The limited “Special Unagi Bowl with Liver,” available only 30 servings a day, is also a favorite — its refined, savory aroma is sure to impress any eel lover.

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Restaurant Information

Address: 1F, 325-38 Sunayama-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu

Phone: 053-488-6020

Hours: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (last order 2:30 PM) / 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (last order 8:30 PM)

Closed: Wednesdays

Reservations: Accepted

Read our full tasting review of Hamamatsu Jiyaki Unagi Masa here↓

Hamanako Unagi Maruhama — Just a 1-minute walk from the station! Enjoy Lake Hamana eel at this fishermen’s cooperative–run restaurant

Just a 1-minute walk from Hamamatsu Station South Exit.

Operated directly by the Lake Hamana Fishery Cooperative, Hamanako Unagi Maruhama is a popular spot where you can enjoy Lake Hamana eel at reasonable prices.

Its convenient location makes it easy to stop by during sightseeing or business trips, offering both accessibility and high-quality eel.

The signature dish features “Deshiko,” a brand eel born from 125 years of Lake Hamana eel farming history and expertise.

The thick, tender flesh is coated in a perfectly balanced sweet and savory homemade sauce, making it a perfect match with the rice.

With a refined flavor that brings out the eel’s natural taste, it’s loved by diners of all ages.

One of the advantages of being run by the fishery cooperative is the guaranteed freshness and strict quality control.

Prepared using the Kansai-style “jiyaki” method, the eel achieves a perfect balance of savory char and tender texture.

The sauce, made with Shizuoka soy sauce and sweetened with sanontou, a lightly refined Japanese brown sugar, combines the best elements of both Kanto- and Kansai-style flavors.

It enhances and brings out the natural flavor of Lake Hamana eel.

The takeout “Hamanako Eel Bento” is also popular, making it perfect for a travel snack or a gift to bring home.

Loved not only by tourists but also by local regulars, it’s a well-known spot right by the station.

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Restaurant Information

Address: 322-4 Sunayama-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu

Phone: 053-454-2032

Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM (last order 8:00 PM)

Closed: Open year-round

Reservations: Not accepted

Read our full tasting review of Hamanako Unagi Maruhama here↓

Shibuki — A long-established eel restaurant in Kanzanji where you can enjoy both kabayaki and shirayaki

Located on the main street leading to Kanzanji Onsen, one of Hamamatsu’s top tourist spots, Shibuki is a long-established eel restaurant founded in 1956.

Despite being in the lively atmosphere of a tourist area, the restaurant offers a calm setting where you can enjoy a relaxed meal.

With sunken kotatsu seating and high chairs for children, it’s a family-friendly restaurant.

The most popular dish is the “Two-Flavor Mini Bowl,” which lets you enjoy both kabayaki and shirayaki in one meal.

This luxurious dish lets you enjoy both the rich flavor of the glazed kabayaki and the delicate, tender taste of the shirayaki.

The “Ohitsu‑Mabushi,” served with condiments to enjoy different flavors with each bite, is also very popular.

The secret to its deliciousness lies in the Kanto-style preparation, where the eel is steamed before being grilled over charcoal.

The exterior is crispy and savory, while the inside is melt-in-your-mouth tender.

The smoky aroma of the charcoal blends perfectly with the sauce, filling your mouth with rich, savory flavor.

You can taste the care and skill of the chefs in every bite.

The interior exudes a traditional Japanese atmosphere, making it perfect for a lunch stop during your Kanzanji sightseeing.

During the spring and autumn tourist seasons, this popular restaurant can even have lines of visitors.

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Restaurant Information

Address: 2252-1 Kanzanji-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu

Phone: 053-487-0153

Hours:
Weekdays: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM / 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM (Mondays lunch only)
Weekends & Holidays: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM / 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Closed: Wednesdays (and irregular holidays on Thursdays)

Reservations: Accepted

Read our full tasting review of Shibuki here↓

If you’re looking for Lake Hamana eel, Kosai City is also a must-visit!

Adjacent to Hamamatsu, Kosai City is home to several renowned restaurants serving delicious Lake Hamana eel.

Here, we introduce three local favorites that are perfect for a stop during your Hamamatsu or Lake Hamana sightseeing.

Sumibiyaki Unagi Yamaei — Premium eel from a fish farm, grilled over charcoal

Sumibiyaki Unagi Yamaei is a direct-run restaurant by the Yamaei Fish Farm, opened in 2020.

The restaurant is operated by a long-established fish farm, now in its third generation, which raises around 200,000 eels.

Eels raised with well water drawn from 100 meters underground are carefully filleted, steamed, and grilled over charcoal by skilled chefs, one by one.

By grilling the eel while dipping it three times in an additive-free secret sauce, the rich flavor of the sauce perfectly harmonizes with the eel’s natural fat.

In addition to unajū and unadon, the menu includes individual kabayaki and shirayaki, allowing you to fully enjoy the carefully raised eel.

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Restaurant Information

Address: 523-1 Ōta, Kosai-shi

Phone: 053-573-2460

Hours: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM (last order 2:00 PM)

Closed: Every Wednesday, and on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month

Kanehachi — A renowned Kanto-style eel restaurant, raising its eels with Lake Hamana’s underground water

Loved by locals for many years, “Kanehachi” is a long-established eel specialty restaurant known for its Kanto-style kabayaki.

Eels are kept in a special tank using Lake Hamana’s underground water, ensuring fresh, mild-flavored eel that is prepared just before cooking.

The eel, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, pairs perfectly with the secret sauce that has been preserved since the restaurant’s founding.

In addition to the popular unajū, the restaurant offers a wide variety of menu options.

The restaurant also offers a great selection of takeout and souvenirs, including skewered eel, kabayaki, and Shizuoka-exclusive “Unagi Bones.”

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Restaurant Information

Address: 3747 Hamana, Arai-cho, Kosai-shi

Hours:
Shop: 9:00 AM – until sold out
Dining: 11:00 AM – until sold out

Closed: Tuesdays (and some Wednesdays)

Kawabe no Unagi — A specialty takeout eel shop, where skilled chefs grill each eel to perfection

“Kawabe no Unagi” is a takeout-only eel restaurant.

Skilled chefs carefully grill each eel individually, continuing the tradition of Lake Hamana eel, a local specialty since the Edo period.

The most popular item is the “Kabayaki Set,” featuring plump, fatty eel.

It comes with sauce and sansho pepper, making it perfect as a souvenir or gift.

The shop also offers shirayaki, simmered eel liver, and unagi-mabushi, with nationwide shipping available.

Shirayaki, enjoyed with wasabi soy sauce or a sprinkle of salt, is also perfect as a pairing with drinks.

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Restaurant Information

Address: 1603-30 Nakanogo, Arai-cho, Kosai-shi

Phone: 053-594-0235

Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Closed: Mondays

Spring & Summer Exclusive — Experience Lake Hamana’s specialty with hands-on eel catching and kabayaki grilling!

If you’re visiting Hamamatsu or Lake Hamana, why not try a unique eel experience you can only enjoy here?

In Kosai City, “Imakiri Taiken no Sato Kaikokan” offers a “Catch & Grill Eel” experience, available during Golden Week and the summer season.

The experience begins by catching slippery, fast-moving Lake Hamana eels by hand in a pond.

The sense of accomplishment when you catch an eel is truly unforgettable.

Once caught, the eel is filleted on the spot by a skilled chef and lightly grilled, then participants themselves skewer it, brush on the sauce, and finish it as kabayaki.

Amid the mouthwatering aroma, you place the eel you grilled yourself onto rice, creating your very own unadon—an experience unique to Lake Hamana.

Experienced staff provide careful guidance on how to hold and grill the eel, making it a safe and enjoyable experience for both children and adults.

Enjoying your freshly made unadon while overlooking Lake Hamana makes for an unforgettable, truly special meal.

See more details about the Catch & Grill Eel Experience here

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In the Hamamatsu and Lake Hamana area, you’ll find a wide range of renowned eel restaurants, from long-established classics to trendy new favorites.

Eels raised in the rich natural environment of Lake Hamana and crafted by skilled chefs are tender and fluffy, with an exceptional savory aroma.

One of the region’s unique charms is that you can enjoy both Kanto- and Kansai-style flavors.

In addition to visiting renowned eel restaurants, Kosai City offers unique Lake Hamana experiences, such as the “Catch & Grill Eel” activity, making the area perfect for memorable culinary adventures.

Eat, touch, learn—and discover!

When you visit Hamamatsu, be sure to experience the deep charm of this “City of Eel.”

Looking for activities in Hamamatsu and Lake Hamana?
↓↓ Check out here ↓↓

Yaramaika Tourism