味Aichi Eats

🍱 ひつまぶし · 38 places · Nagoya speciality

Hitsumabushi

Grilled eel over rice, eaten three ways from one bowl

Shira Kawa Joushin Honten — しら河浄心本店
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Nagoya’s signature dish and the reason many Japanese travellers come here at all. Freshwater eel is grilled without steaming, so the skin stays crisp, then sliced over rice.

Hitsumabushi

How to eat it

  1. 1Divide the rice into four with the paddle. Eat the first quarter plain.
  2. 2On the second, add spring onion, wasabi and nori. On the third, pour the dashi over it.
  3. 3The fourth quarter is yours — whichever of the three you liked best.
Order with one line
Hitsumabushi o kudasai.
= “Hitsumabushi, please.”
Show this to the staff — it means “Hitsumabushi, please.”
Hitsumabushi

See it on video

Only the thumbnail is loaded — the player starts only when you press play.

名古屋名物のひつまぶしは太りそう片倉岳人/ダイエットの知恵袋 · 11:01 · 301,719 viewsJapanese audio
【女ひとり】名古屋発！ミシュランの「ひつまぶし」と濃厚抹茶のかき氷｜23名限定なのに参加者12名まゆひとり旅 · 19:42 · 56,399 viewsJapanese audio
名駅「エスカ」は名古屋めしの大宝庫！ “進化系ひつまぶし”&“名古屋めし最強タッグ”とは？【マチ10】ドデスカ ! ch · 12:31 · 35,150 viewsJapanese audio
Where to eat it

Where to eat it

🗺️ Open the map →

38 places
  1. Shira Kawa Joushin Honten — しら河浄心本店
    01
    Shira Kawa Joushin Honten
    2 min walk from Joushin🚉 About 18 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEnglish menu¥2,001–3,000
  2. Hitsumabushi Nagoya Binchou — ひつまぶし名古屋備長
    02
    Hitsumabushi Nagoya Binchou
    2 min walk from Nagoya🚉 About 2 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEnglish menu¥4,001–5,000
  3. Atsuta Hourai Ken Matsuzakaya — あつた蓬莱軒 松坂屋店
    03
    Atsuta Hourai Ken Matsuzakaya
    2 min walk from Yaba Machi🚉 About 16 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEstablished 1873English menu¥4,001–5,000
  4. Atsuta Horaiken Jingu — あつた蓬莱軒 神宮店
    04
    Atsuta Horaiken Jingu
    3 min walk from Atsuta Jinguu Denmachou🚉 About 19 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEstablished 1873
  5. Shirakawa — しら河
    05
    Shirakawa
    4 min walk from Yaba Machi🚉 About 18 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEnglish menu¥3,001–4,000
  6. Hitsumabushi Nagoya Binchou — ひつまぶし 名古屋 備長
    06
    Hitsumabushi Nagoya Binchou
    4 min walk from Nagoya🚉 About 4 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEnglish menu¥2,001–3,000
  7. 備長
    07
    Binchou Kitchou Ya Nagoyaeki Nishi
    6 min walk from Nagoya🚉 About 6 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEnglish menu¥2,001–3,000
  8. まる
    08
    Maruya Honten
    3 min walk from Nagoya🚉 About 3 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pick
  9. あつ
    09
    Atsuta Horaiken Honten
    4 min walk from Atsuta Jinguu Denmachou🚉 About 20 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEstablished 1873
  10. 炭焼
    10
    Sumiyaki Una Fuji Meieki
    4 min walk from Nagoya🚉 About 4 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pick
  11. いば
    11
    Ibasho
    5 min walk from Sakaemachi🚉 About 18 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEstablished 1909
  12. うな
    12
    Unafuji
    5 min walk from Shounai Toori🚉 About 23 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pick
  13. 炭焼
    13
    Sumiyaki Una Fuji Shirakabe Bettei
    5 min walk from Ama Ke Saka🚉 About 24 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pick
  14. うな
    14
    Unatoyo
    5 min walk from Mizuho Undoujou Nishi🚉 About 30 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pick
  15. まる
    15
    Maruya Honten
    7 min walk from Shiogama Kuchi🚉 About 31 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pick
  16. いば
    16
    Ibasho Honten
    7 min walk from Sakaemachi🚉 About 20 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEstablished 1909
  17. 宮鍵
    17
    Miyakagi
    7 min walk from Kokusai Sentaa🚉 About 12 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pickEstablished 1899
  18. うな
    18
    Unagi Nishimoto
    8 min walk from Morishita🚉 About 26 min from Nagoya Sta.
    Editor's pick
  19. Hitsumabushi Chouraku Ekimae — ひつまぶし 長楽駅前店
    19
    Hitsumabushi Chouraku Ekimae
    1 min walk from Shin Toyohashi🚉 About 54 min from Nagoya Sta.
    ¥3,001–4,000
  20. Unaginoshiromura Marunouchi — うなぎのしろむら 丸の内店
    20
    Unaginoshiromura Marunouchi
    3 min walk from Marunouchi🚉 About 10 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥5,001–6,000
  21. Unagi Shi Daime Kikugawa Guroobarugeeto — うなぎ四代目菊川 グローバルゲート店
    21
    Unagi Shi Daime Kikugawa Guroobarugeeto
    3 min walk from Sasashima Raibu🚉 About 8 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥4,001–5,000
  22. Unagi Haru — 鰻はる
    22
    Unagi Haru
    3 min walk from Ume Tsubo🚉 About 56 min from Nagoya Sta.
    ¥5,001–6,000
  23. Hiru Dakeunagi Ya Imaike Ekimae — 昼だけうなぎ屋 今池駅前店
    23
    Hiru Dakeunagi Ya Imaike Ekimae
    4 min walk from Imaike🚉 About 17 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu
  24. Sumiyaki Unagi Chaya Tabi Suru Zou — 炭焼うなぎ茶屋 旅する象
    24
    Sumiyaki Unagi Chaya Tabi Suru Zou
    4 min walk from Jinguumae🚉 About 11 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥2,001–3,000
  25. Hitsumabushi Inao Inou Esuka — ひつまぶし稲生 いのう エスカ店
    25
    Hitsumabushi Inao Inou Esuka
    4 min walk from Nagoya🚉 About 4 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥2,001–3,000
  26. Unaginouna Yasushi Yaba Machi — うなぎのうな泰 矢場町店
    26
    Unaginouna Yasushi Yaba Machi
    4 min walk from Yaba Machi🚉 About 18 min from Nagoya Sta.
    ¥501–1,000
  27. Unagi Ryouri Una Wa Izumi — うなぎ料理うな和 泉店
    27
    Unagi Ryouri Una Wa Izumi
    5 min walk from Hisaya Oodoori🚉 About 14 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥4,001–5,000
  28. Unaginoshiromura Izumi Honten — うなぎのしろむら 泉本店
    28
    Unaginoshiromura Izumi Honten
    5 min walk from Hisaya Oodoori🚉 About 14 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥5,001–6,000
  29. Sumiyaki Hitsumabushi Unagi Munagi Buna Ki — 炭焼ひつまぶし鰻 むなぎ 武奈伎
    29
    Sumiyaki Hitsumabushi Unagi Munagi Buna Ki
    5 min walk from Yaba Machi🚉 About 19 min from Nagoya Sta.
    ¥4,001–5,000
  30. Unagi Ie Shiba Fuku Ya — うなぎ家 しば福や
    30
    Unagi Ie Shiba Fuku Ya
    6 min walk from Kokusai Sentaa🚉 About 11 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥5,001–6,000
  31. Unagi No Norisuke Marueigareria — 鰻のノリスケ マルエイガレリア店
    31
    Unagi No Norisuke Marueigareria
    6 min walk from Sakaemachi🚉 About 19 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥2,001–3,000
  32. Unaginoa , Nagoya Honten — うなぎのあ、 なごや本店
    32
    Unaginoa , Nagoya Honten
    6 min walk from Nagoya🚉 About 6 min from Nagoya Sta.
    ¥2,001–3,000
  33. Unaginotomita Nagakute — うなぎのとみた 長久手店
    33
    Unaginotomita Nagakute
    7 min walk from Hanamizuki Toori🚉 About 45 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥5,001–6,000
  34. Hitsumabushi Ichiyou Bettei — ひつまぶし一葉 別邸
    34
    Hitsumabushi Ichiyou Bettei
    7 min walk from Fushimi🚉 About 12 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥4,001–5,000
  35. Hitsumabushi Ichiyou — ひつまぶし 一葉
    35
    Hitsumabushi Ichiyou
    7 min walk from Fushimi🚉 About 12 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥4,001–5,000
  36. Unaginoogi No — うなぎのおぎ乃
    36
    Unaginoogi No
    10 min walk from Kitaokazaki🚉 About 55 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥2,001–3,000
  37. Kiyosu Myoudai Unagiya Kurofune — 清須名代 鰻屋黒船
    37
    Kiyosu Myoudai Unagiya Kurofune
    10 min walk from Owari Hoshi No Miya🚉 About 30 min from Nagoya Sta.
    English menu¥2,001–3,000
  38. Hitsumabushi U Ie Yagoto Honten — ひつまぶし う家 八事本店
    38
    Hitsumabushi U Ie Yagoto Honten
    13 min walk from Yagoto🚉 About 35 min from Nagoya Sta.
    ¥5,001–6,000
FAQ

Good to know

How is hitsumabushi different from regular grilled eel?
The eel is chopped fine over rice in a wooden tub, and you eat it in stages, changing the style as you go. The ritual is the point as much as the eel.
What is the right order to eat it in?
Divide the rice into four. Round one plain, round two with condiments, round three as ochazuke with dashi poured over — and the last round however you liked best.
Do I need a reservation?
Queues at famous places are normal at lunch. Aim for opening time, or pick a shop with a booking link in the list below — budgets are listed per shop too.
Areas

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