Okinawa is home to an enclave of good restaurants and cafes.

While Japanese food is widely popular, Okinawan cuisine is slightly under the radar, and it is a shame because they are unique in its own rights. The cuisine is highly influenced by its region, hence a mix of Japanese and Chinese.

When visiting Okinawa, you have to try both their local eateries as well as renown cafes and restaurants for a comprehensive idea of what the Japanese island-city has to offer. Here, we present to you the 11 Restaurants & Cafes in Okinawa You Must Try.

BACAR OKINAWA

Bacar Okinawa is a modern restaurant where we had one of the best pizzas in our lives. Yes, best. It only has two pizzas (¥1,620 each) on its menu—Margherita and Marinara. And they were both out of the world, though we secretly preferred the Margherita.

We liked how all pizzas are made to order in the wood fire oven. The end result is a thin-crust pizza that still retains its moisture, with a lovely smoky fragrance.

On Bacar’s menu, there are several appetisers such as Fried Sweet Potatoes (¥600), Tomato Stewed Tripes (¥910) and an assortment of Okinawan Seafood (¥1,680)—Tuna Carpaccio, Smoked Swordfish and Octopus—for sharing.

3-16-15 Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 863 5678

BISHOKU DINING EN OKINAWA

Bishoku Dining En Okinawa is an izakaya-style restaurant; think a big menu of snacks, mains and beers.

We had a great dinner at Bishoku Dining En Okinawa—umi budo was refreshing with a ponzu dip, grilled pork was tender and flavourful, and the taco rice was memorable.

There are many arguments about the origins of taco rice, but the common belief is that Taco Rice originated from Okinawa. Ingredients that are typically used to make taco are treated differently in Okinawa—they are mixed together with rice, then served as a main course a la a one-dish meal. Give this a try when at Bishoku Dining En Okinawa.

And don’t forget to get a glass of Orion Beer too!

2F, 3-16-19 Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 941 7588

CERRADO COFFEE

This tiny coffee house in Urasoe is not exactly a cafe, but is still frequently visited by coffee lovers. They have a range of self-sourced beans and their hand drip coffee is exceptionally popular.

You can also bring home a bag of coffee beans or two for your own brewing.

2-15-6 No.28 Minatogawa, Urasoe, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 875 0123

Read: 10 MUST-TRY Local Food in Okinawa

CHATAN HARBOR BREWERY

If you want to dine with a view of the harbour, Chatan Harbor Brewery is the one to go to. Situated at Chatan Harbor is this huge restaurant which has both indoor and alfresco seating.

Chatan has its own brewery within the restaurant, and you bet they serve an incredible range of craft beers. From the food menu, try the Mussel Frites; that was our favourite.

Chatan Harbour Brewery also has a private yacht which is available for rent, and the restaurant has complementing food and beverage menus for onboard events and parties.

53-1 Mihama, Chatan-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 926 1118

ITOMAN GYOMIN SHOKUDO

This is undisputedly our favourite restaurant in Okinawa. The small restaurant in the Itoman neighbourhood impressed us to no end. They specialise in serving fish and seafood dishes, and the fish menu is comprehensive, to say the least.

Popular items include the squid ink stew, assorted fish stew, and the one that had our hearts—grilled fish of the day with garlic and butter). The lunch set comes with an appetiser of sashimi and salad, and a bowl of rice. Look around you and you would realise most patrons have a grilled fish on hotplate on their tables; that is it.

Itoman Gyomin Shokudo may be a drive away from the city centre, but every day, discerning patrons would take the long drive to the small restaurant for lunch. Its insane queues and long waiting hours are a testament to its popularity and huge success; reservations are strongly recommended.

4-17 Nishizakicho, Itoman-shi, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 992 7277

KATEIRYORI NO MISE MANJUMAI

This may look like just any other humble eatery, but Kateiryori no Mise Manjumai has a menu that is not so ordinary. The wide variety of your usual Okinawan cuisine includes champuru, Okinawa soba, rafute (which is very good) and taco rice. Try the goya champuru; you would see this dish on almost every table.

The homely eatery dishes out home-style cooked food at very reasonable prices, and the owner has a collection of koregusu—a spicy dip that is made of chilli peppers soaked in awamori. They are complementary dips for almost everything.

If you are lucky, the owner of Kateiryori no Mise Manjumai would also play the shamisen for you!

3 -9-23 Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 867 2771

KINCHICHII SOBA

Okinawans love their Okinawa Soba and Kinchichii soba is a cult favourite. While the restaurant does not serve Okinawa Soba the traditional way (clear broth that is cooked with seaweed, pork and vegetables), it still enjoys popularity amongst locals.

Kinchichii Soba has several options, from tonkotsu soup to spicy miso broth. They are richer in flavour as compared to the regular Okinawa Soba broth, tastes somewhat like ramen broth, but the soba remains to be thick, wheat noodles.

Every bowl is served with pork slices/ belly and vegetables.

201, Kina, Yomitan Village, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 958 5896

MISO DINER – MARUTAMA

This is a miso speciality diner with dishes revolving around homemade miso. Miso Diner -Marutama uses miso—by Tamanaha, a miso and soy sauce maker in Shuri with a proud history dating back more than 170 years—in the preparation for all its teishoku.

Breakfast sets are very popular and value-for-money, and we liked the Grilled Ginger Pork set (¥970). It is a comforting champuru dish served with rice and miso soup.

1F, 2-4-3, Izumizaki, Naha-shi, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 831 7656

NAGO COFFEE

For authentic Okinawan coffee, go to Nago Coffee. This traditional coffee house takes pride in their cup of joe. From sourcing and roasting their own beans, the hand-drip Okinawan coffee is what Nago Coffee is known for.

Nago Coffee also has a merchandise corner where you can bring home bags of coffee beans and snacks that complement your coffee.

2 -9-24 Kohagura, Naha-shi, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 855 3009

TEPPANYAKI STEAK RESTAURANT HEKI

This upscale teppanyaki restaurant is conveniently located at the popular shopping street, Kokusai-dori. They have a menu that specialises in beef and seafood, as well as seasonal produce.

The multi-course menu features an assortment of vegetables followed by the chosen meat/ seafood. Go for the range of wagyu beef and you will not be disappointed by its amazing marbling.

The service is excellent, and if you take a closer look, the chefs are all females. Your entire meal will be prepared before your eyes, except for the bread which they bake in-house and are served to you fresh from the oven.

3-2-3 Makishi, Naha-shi, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 866 2939

TIMELESS CHOCOLATE

When in Okinawa, you have to visit American Village. And when you are at American Village, drop by Timeless Chocolate. It is a chocolate specialty cafe that you must visit. The owner is a passionate chap who has a strong love for chocolates and coffee. Combining his experience of working as a barista and his knowledge for chocolates, he founded Timeless Chocolate.

He uses cacao beans from various regions (including Vietnam and Brazil) and sugar grown in local Okinawa sugar cane farms to produce his chocolates. You can purchase the bags of chocolates or have them in the form of his daily desserts.

But what you must not miss out on is the chocolate cacao juice which is an interesting and unpredictable drink; it actually tasted like lychee!

Distortion Seaside Building 2F
9-46 Mihama, Chatan-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa
Tel: +81 98 923 2880

This post is brought to you by Okinawa Prefecture.

Okinawa sits on the Southern-most tip of Japan, surrounded by water and with a primarily tropical climate. The prefecture has rich culture and heritage to boast, and it is an upcoming Japanese destination among travellers.

Of onsen resorts, water activities, great food and spellbindingly beautiful sceneries, Okinawa is quite unlike the big Japanese cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Okinawa will enchant with its island life and resort-style experiences.

Okinawa is hugely influenced by Chinese culture from when the prefecture was once called Ryuku Islands – which was an independent kingdom and tributary state to China for several centuries. Hence, some of the customs and cuisine differ slightly from the Japan we know.

Thanks to the Okinawa Prefectural Government, we had a chance to experience this part of Japan and were brought around to have a taste of the best of this lovely cluster of islands.

#1 AWAMORI OKINAWA SAKE – CHUKO DISTILLERY

Awamori is the main sake of Okinawa. It is a distilled clear liquor that is very popular with both locals and tourists. At Chuko Distillery – Okinawa’s oldest and most established distillery – you can even buy unique hand-made jars to store and age your Awamori.

To learn more about the whole process of Awamori, you can sign up for a free tour of the distillery, followed by a tasting session. It is a must to check out the cool hand-made earthenware jars, and you might even catch one of the craftsmen at work when you are there.

Address: 132 Nakachi, Tomigusuku City, Okinawa

#2 CORAL/BINGATA DYEING & OTHER HANDS-ON ART ACTIVITIES

Bingata is a traditional dyed cloth in Okinawa. It was pretty therapeutic as we made our own patterns by pressing the cloth over corals to create unique patterns. Anybody can sign up for little painting sessions here and create their own masterpieces.

Shuri Ryusen (Coral Dyeing) – Address: 1-54, Shuriyamagawacho, Naha, Okinawa, 903-0825

We also had a chance to paint a little clay Shisa figure at Okinawa World. Shisa is found pretty much everywhere in Okinawa and it is known as a symbol of safety and to drive evil spirits away according to folklore.

Okinawa World (Shisa Painting) – Address: Japan, ?901-0616 Okinawa Prefecture, Nanjo, ????1336

#3 FARM-TO-TABLE FOOD – FRESH PRODUCE AND JUICY PORK

Okinawa cuisine is not too different from the regular Japanese fare that we are all familiar with. Focusing a lot on freshness and local produce, a typical meal Okinawa is wholesome and pretty much farm-to-table. Pork is used widely and you will notice that beef is rather rare.

Bitter gourd and Umi Budo (Sea grapes) are found in almost every meal. Umi Budo is a variation of seaweed and it is sometimes referred to as caviar. It is the local speciality of the prefecture.

Also, Okinawa has the sweetest harvest – from juicy mangoes to sweet pineapples.

Okinawa Seafood – Ichiro Ya – Address: 1-1-9 Maejima | 1F, Naha 900-0016, Okinawa Prefecture

Pork Barbecue – Ganju Farm – Address: 228 Toguchi, Nakagami-gun, Yomitan-son 904-0315, Okinawa Prefecture

#4 GLASS-BOTTOM BOAT TO EXPLORE THE SEA

You might dismiss this as just another boat ride, but it was happiness amidst simplicity for us. The boat had viewing glass flooring so we could see through the boat to the waters below. Once we got to the corals, we were greeted by hundreds of fishes, some of them so unique and never before seen – including a pretty iridescent fish that left us in awe.

Glass-Bottom Boat – Busena Marina Park – Address: Japan, ?905-0026 Okinawa Prefecture, Nago, Kise, 1744?1 (Contact: +81 980-52-3379)

#5 HISTORICALLY-RICH SHUJIRO CASTLE PARK – UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

You cannot leave Okinawa without visiting the iconic Shujiro Castle Park, of which part of it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Shuri Castle was originally built in the 1300s but much of it was restored after.

It served as the administrative center and residence of the Ryukyu kings for several centuries until Okinawa became a Japanese prefecture in 1879.

Address: 1 Chome-2 Shurikinjocho, Naha, Okinawa Prefecture 903-0815, Japan

#6 SHOPPING PARADISE – KOKUSAI STREET, AMERICAN VILLAGE & MORE

Kokusai Street is Naha’s main street. Filled to the brim with shops and restaurants, it stretches for about 2 kilometres. In the shopping arcade lies crazy discount stores and traditional Okinawan restaurants.

Stop by the Makishi Public Market for some fresh seafood too!

Because quite a few American military camps used to be located here, this whole shopping area has been modelled after streets in the U.S with American-centric stalls and beautiful palm trees. A huge ferris wheel also sits as the main attraction there.

There is, too, a store offering a whole bunch of perfectly restored vintage clothing at very affordable prices!

Address of American Village: 9 , Sofia MIHAMA Chatan-cho Nakagami-gun , Okinawa Prefecture 904-0115, Japan

#7 SNORKELLING, PARASAILING & OTHER FUN WATER SPORTS

Beaches and beautiful blue waters are the main draws of Okinawa, and water sports complements the whole experience on the island.

We had a go at snorkelling into the famous luminescent blue cave and we saw the coral reefs and fishes up close. The only setback was that the area around the cave can get pretty crowded so be sure to head down at non-peak hours if you want to avoid crowds.

Other water sports you can do here include diving, parasailing, kayaking and so much more. The water is seemingly untouched – so clear and clean.

#8 STUNNING BEACHES WITH BEAUTIFUL BLUE WATERS

There is no denying that the sea surrounding Okinawa is gorgeous. It is a side of Japan you never knew about. They were a stunning mixture of bright cobalts, true turquoises and muted violets.

The most unadulterated experience you can take home and remember forever is the joy from taking a little stroll down any of the beaches in Okinawa.

You can also visit Kouri Island and get high up on the Ocean Tower to catch the breathtaking view.

#9 UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH SEA CREATURES AT CHURAUMI AQUARIUM

This popular tourist spot is home to a ton of stunning sea creatures.

Skip the controversial shows and dive into the huge aquariums where you can spend hours marvelling at their beauty. You will see gargantuan manta rays, huge sharks and unique sea creatures every where you go.

Just watching these under-water beauties glide and swim; it is a wonderful way to meditate and to forget all your worries.

Address: 424 Ishikawa, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture 905-0206, Japan

#10 VISITING SACRED SITES – SE-FA UTAKI

For a truly complete experience of Okinawa, we highly recommend taking a few hours of your day to visit Se-fa Utaki, a sacred site. It is a powerful spiritual site where many come to say their prayers or simply to seek peace internally.

Slowly trudge through the area and take in the calming vibes of the place.

This is exactly what Okinawa is all about – unwinding and finding peace, while having a great time.

This trip to Okinawa is made possible by Okinawa Prefectural Government.

About the writer:
Cheryl is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She loves a good steak and an even better cuppa. She eats just about anything and everything. In her free time, she regularly starts on sci-fi or fantasy movie marathons.