Finding a good restaurant or café near Yokohama Station is really very easy. The station building is surrounded by shopping malls and department stores all of which have very good dining sections. In this article we will look at the most convenient dining areas in and around Yokohama Station, and we will introduce some of the best restaurants in those areas.
The East Exit of Yokohama Station opens directly into the Porta shopping mall
East Exit Dining: Porta
The East Exit of Yokohama Station leads directly into the Porta underground shopping mall. Most of the restaurants and cafes here are concentrated on either side of the stairs leading down from the station and on the southern edge of the mall. Porta has a good mix of Japanese restaurants with sushi, soba and udon noodles, yakitori (grilled chicken), wagyu beef restaurants specializing in cutlets, steak or tongue, and Okinawan cuisine. For more international options there are Italian and Taiwanese restaurants, ice cream parlors, diners serving burgers, a curry shop, and a French bakery. If you just want to grab a cup of coffee and a sandwich there are also branches of Tully’s Coffee and Starbucks.
Tonkatsu Wako in Porta
Our top recommendation for dining in Porta is Tonkatsu Wako. This restaurant specializes in tonkatsu: deep fried pork cutlets in a crispy breaded batter. The juicy cutlets are served with a special sauce made from fruits and spices, along with rice, shredded cabbage with an original salad dressing, miso soup, and pickles for a truly satisfying meal. Chicken and beef cutlets, deep fried shrimp, and crabmeat croquettes are also on the menu.
Tonkatsu Wako in Porta
If you want something to eat on the train, then you can buy bento lunch boxes to take away from a counter at the front of the shop. This is a non-smoking restaurant and an English menu is available.
Opening Hours: 11.00 – 23.00 (Last orders: 22.00)
Here is a map showing the location.
Tonkatsu Wako’s bento lunch box counter
East Exit Dining: Sogo, Marui, and Yokohama Sky Building
Walk straight through Porta and it leads to the department stores Sogo and Marui and to the Yokohama Sky Building. All of these buildings have their own dining areas.
Tsubakiya Café in Sogo department store serves pasta and sweets
Sogo’s dining section is on the 10th floor. Here you can find, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants as well as a restaurant specializing in Taiwanese xiaolongbao steamed buns (called shoronpo in Japanese). Alongside these international options are restaurants serving Japanese standards such as sushi, okonomiyaki pancakes, unagi (braised eel), shabu-shabu hotpot, udon noodles, tonkatsu, and tempura.
Pour Over coffee shop on Marui’s 2nd floor
Marui department store occupies the lower levels of the Yokohama Sky Building from the two basement levels to the 8th floor. Marui has a number of cafes and sandwich shops on the 2nd floor. This floor also has shops specializing in green tea, lemonade, and gelato ice cream.
Hokkaido Gourmet Dining on the top floor of the Sky Building
Yokohama Sky Building has more restaurants above Marui department store on the 10th and 11th floors and the 27th, 28th, and 29th floors. The 10th and 11th floors have sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, and yakiniku (barbecued beef) restaurants and restaurants serving Chinese cuisine. For fine dining and superb views over the city, head to the upper floors. On the 29th floor you can find two French restaurants, a Hokkaido seafood restaurant, and a restaurant specializing in yuba (tofu skin) and tofu dishes. The 28th floor has a number of restaurants serving traditional and contemporary Japanese gourmet cuisine and also the El Torito Mexican restaurant which has a great range of fajitas, quesadillas, buffalo wings, and spicy chorizo sausages. The 27th floor is occupied by the Cruise Cruise beer restaurant which serves a mixture of international and local dishes with both buffet and full course options.
Mawashizushi Katsu Midori in Yokohama Sky Building
Our top recommendation for this area is Mawashizushi Katsu Midori on the 11th floor of the Yokohama Sky Building. This is a friendly and tasty kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi bar where you can order freshly made sushi from iPads and watch the sushi chefs prepare it in front of you. This restaurant has an English menu available and plenty of vegetarian and halal options.
Mawashizushi Katsu Midori
Mawashizushi Katsu Midori is super popular and often has long lines of people waiting outside, so if you want to eat lunch here, get there early. Alternatively, go at off-peak times.
Opening Hours: 11.00 – 22.30 (Last orders: 22.00)
Here is a map showing the location.
East Exit Dining: Bay Quarter
Bay Quarter is a new commercial complex that has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes with seafront views. Here you can find an oyster bar, a pizzeria, a Brazilian barbecue, a craft beer bar, a Hawaiian burger shop, a wine bar, a pancake café, an American bistro, and other restaurants serving Chinese, Thai, and French cuisine.
Bay Quarter has a large number of oceanfront restaurants and cafes
Among the Japanese options are sushi, yakiniku, and soba noodles. The easiest way to reach Bay Quarter is via the 2nd floor of the Sogo department store which is directly connected to Bay Quarter by the Kamome Bridge.
Chao-Thai in Bay Quarter
Our top recommendation in Bay Quarter is Chao-Thai, a friendly restaurant serving the very best authentic Thai cuisine. Popular dishes include seafood curry, pad thai rice noodles, stir-fried morning glory and oyster sauce, and grilled chicken and pork kebabs with peanut and coconut sauce. Chilled bottles of Thai beer are available to make your meal complete.
Chao-Thai in Bay Quarter
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11.30 – 15.00 (Last orders: 14.30)
Dinner: 17.00 – 23.00 (Last orders: 22.30)
Here is a map showing the location.
West Exit Dining: Joinus
Joinus is a shopping center directly connected to the Yokohama Station building on its southwest side. The main dining areas in Joinus are in the two basement levels B1 and B2.
Minami-Aoyama Yasai Kichi in Joinus serves organic vegan curry
On the B1 level you can find ramen, soba, and udon noodles, steaks and hamburgers, Hawaiian, Korean and Chinese food, and a vegan curry shop. The B2 level has restaurants serving sushi, tempura, omurice (omelette and fried rice), pasta, pizza, Okinawan home-cooking, and the beer restaurant Ginza Lion.
Torafuku in Joinus
Our top recommendation in Joinus is Torafuku on the B2 level. This is a casual izakaya-style casual restaurant which specializes in kamameshi (rice cooked in an iron pot). Cooking the rice in a pot this way makes it very fluffy and tasty, and at Torafuku they match this high-quality rice with the best seasonal side dishes and sake. Although people normally order lots of little dishes when dining at an izakaya, this restaurant also has set meals, so small groups or individuals can also enjoy eating here.
Torafuku in Joinus
Opening Hours: 11.00 – 23.00 (Last orders: 22.00)
Here is a map showing the location.
West Exit Dining: Takashimaya
Takashimaya is a famous department store on the southwest side of Yokohama Station which is directly connected to Joinus.
Kihachi on Takashimaya’s 8th floor serves Asian-French fusion cuisine
Takashimaya has cafes on every floor between the 2nd and 7th floors and a main gourmet dining section on the 8th floor. On the 8th floor you can find high quality sushi, tempura, soba noodles, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and tonkatsu as well as Italian, French, Chinese, and Korean cuisine. However, the best restaurant in Takashimaya is actually on the 5th floor.
Nodaiwa in Takashimaya
Nodaiwa is a famous restaurant that specializes in unagi (eel). The eel are first steamed then slowly grilled over charcoal until soft and chewy and typically served on rice with a sweet soy-based glaze.
Nodaiwa on Takashimaya’s 5th floor
At Nodaiwa shiroyaki (unglazed eel) is also served and considered a specialty. The Nodaiwa chain of restaurants have a long history and only use natural eel caught in the wild. Their traditional cooking methods and recipes have been handed down over generations.
Opening Hours: 10.30 – 20.00 (Last orders: 19.00)
Here is a map showing the location.
West Exit Dining: More’s
More’s is a shopping center on the northwest side of Yokohama Station which has most of its restaurants on the 8th and 9th floors. Highlights on the 8th floor are the Japanese-style pasta restaurant Conana, the Chinese gyoza (pan-fried meat dumplings) specialty restaurant Dalian, and the Okinawan restaurant Shuri which has over 60 varieties of awamori liquor.
Starbucks Coffee on the 8th floor of More’s
On the 9th floor look out for Glass Dance which pairs aged beef and international beers, Cocteau which pairs yam cuisine with Kobe sake and organic wine, and the Shrimp and Oyster bar where you can enjoy fresh seafood in a casual setting.
Hungry Tiger in More’s
The most popular restaurant in More’s is Hungry Tiger on the 8th floor. This restaurant is famous for its juicy charcoal grilled steaks and burgers, along with barbecued chicken and spare ribs. The menu also features fat potato wedges, jacket potatoes, colorful vegetables, and plenty of healthy salads.
Hungry Tiger in More’s
Opening Hours: 11.00 – 23.00 (Last orders 22.00)
Here is a map showing the location.
For additional restaurant recommendations in Yokohama please visit: Dining in the Yokohama Bay Area & Chinatown.
Neighborhood Restaurants
The department store dining areas around Yokohama Station offer great variety and convenience. However, there are also some excellent restaurants in the streets around Yokohama Station. Here are three of our favorites.
Yokohama Cheese Café
If you love cheese head to Yokohama Cheese Café where all the pizzas are baked in a brick oven and topped with the best quality cheeses. This restaurant also has a delicious selection of fondues and pasta dishes to choose from and a very fine wine list.
Yokohama Cheese Café
Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 17.00 – 23.00 (Last orders: 21.30)
Friday: 17.00 – 23.30 (Last orders: 22.00)
Weekends & Holidays: 16.30 – 23.30 (Last orders: 22.00)
Location: Yokohama Cheese Café is a 6 minute walk from the West Exit of Yokohama Station. Here is a map showing its location.
Truva
Truva is an authentic Turkish restaurant serving lamb, chicken, and swordfish kebabs, moussaka (a spicy mutton and eggplant dish), Turkish flat bread, traditional dips and Turkish wine and beer. Halal and vegetarian dishes (such as falafel and hummus) are also available. Every Saturday from 20.00 diners are also treated to a free belly dance show.
Truva Turkish Restaurant
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11.30 – 14.00
Dinner: 17.00 – 23.00 (Last orders: 22.30)
Location: Truva is located in the basement of the Tanigawa Building and is a 5 minute walk from the West Exit of Yokohama Station. Here is a map showing its location.
Rigoletto Ocean Club
Rigoletto Ocean Club is a stylish seafood restaurant with a Mediterranean atmosphere and a menu featuring a mixture of Spanish and Italian cuisine. Try their mussels steamed in white wine, seafood paella, or grilled swordfish with porcini cream sauce. Lunchtime sets and English menus are also available.
Rigoletto Ocean Club
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11.00 – 15.00
Dinner: 15.00 – 4.00 (Last orders: 3.00)
Location: Rigoletto Ocean Club is a 4 minute walk from the West Exit of Yokohama Station. Here is a map showing the location.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
