Update, November 2026: this guide has been rewritten. An earlier version described many okonomiyaki restaurants as Michelin-recognised, based on old data that we have since checked against the current MICHELIN Guide. None of the restaurants below are in the current guide, so this is now a straight ranking by rating.
Okonomiyaki — “grilled as you like it” — is a savoury pancake of batter and shredded cabbage, cooked on an iron griddle and finished with sauce, mayonnaise, aonori and bonito flakes. There are two great schools. In Osaka the ingredients are mixed into the batter and cooked as one thick cake. In Hiroshima they are layered: a thin crepe, a mountain of cabbage, pork, a bed of yakisoba noodles and a fried egg, pressed and flipped until the cabbage steams sweet inside.
Our database holds 100 okonomiyaki restaurants across Japan recognised in the Top 100 Restaurants awards. Ranked by rating, here are the ten highest — and Hiroshima prefecture alone takes six of the ten places.
1. Okonomiyaki Tatsu (お好み焼き 辰) — 3.76
Hiroshima (Higashi-Kaniya) · 9 seats
The highest-rated okonomiyaki in Japan is a tiny Hiroshima-style shop in the ground floor of a house, with three counter seats and a small tatami room. Thin batter, cabbage, bean sprouts, noodles and egg, built up in layers on the griddle. About seven minutes’ walk from Hiroshima Station. Walk-in only, cash only; smoking is allowed, so under-20s can’t enter. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
2. Masaru (まさる) — 3.73
Hiroshima (Hikarimachi) · ¥2,000–2,999 · 20 seats
A neighbourhood Hiroshima-style specialist on the north side of Hiroshima Station, about ten minutes’ walk from the station — handy if you’re arriving or leaving by Shinkansen. Reservations accepted. Closed Tuesdays.
3. Okonomiyaki Hassho (お好み焼き 八昌) — 3.73
Hiroshima (Noboricho) · ¥1,000–2,000 · 32 seats
Hassho is one of the founding names of Hiroshima okonomiyaki, and many of the city’s shops trace their training back to it. Expect a queue and a long wait at the griddle — each one takes its time — and order the classic soba-niku-tama (noodles, pork and egg). A minute from Ginzanmachi tram stop.
4. Hiranoya (平の家) — 3.73
Fukuyama, Hiroshima · ¥1,000–1,999 · 17 seats
The only entry from Fukuyama, in the east of Hiroshima prefecture on the Sanyo Shinkansen line. A small local shop about ten minutes’ walk from Higashi-Fukuyama Station. Closed Wednesdays.
5. Okonomiyaki Sanko (お好み焼 三幸) — 3.72
Hiroshima (Asaminami) · 20 seats
Out in the residential north of Hiroshima city, near Shimo-Gion Station on the JR Kabe Line — a neighbourhood favourite that rewards the trip. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
6. Botefuku (ぼてふく) — 3.72
Kani, Gifu · under ¥1,000 · 16 seats
The surprise of the list: a sixteen-seat shop in Kani, Gifu prefecture, an hour north of Nagoya, and the cheapest meal in the top ten. Closed Wednesdays and Sundays.
7. Kona (京祇園ねぎ焼 粉) — 3.72
Kanazawa (Katamachi) · 40 seats
A Kyoto-Gion-style negiyaki shop in Kanazawa’s Katamachi nightlife district. Negiyaki swaps cabbage for a heap of green onions, cooked thin and crisp — lighter than classic okonomiyaki, and very good with a beer. Closed Wednesdays.
8. Fukutaro Honten (福太郎 本店) — 3.72
Osaka (Sennichimae) · ¥2,000–2,999 · 76 seats
The flagship of Osaka-style okonomiyaki and negiyaki in the heart of Namba’s Sennichimae, a few minutes from Kintetsu-Nippombashi Station. Big, busy and lively, it is the easiest place on this list to try Osaka-style cooking — expect a queue in the evening.
9. Okonomiyaki Imari Ebisu (お好み焼き いまり 恵比寿) — 3.71
Ebisu, Tokyo · ¥4,000–4,999 · 26 seats
Tokyo’s highest-rated okonomiyaki: Osaka-style pancakes, heavy on cabbage and finished on the griddle at your table, with a popular omakase course. Counter, tables and a private room, about six minutes from Daikanyama Station.
10. Okonomiyaki Tecchan Honten (お好み焼き てっちゃん 本店) — 3.71
Mihara, Hiroshima · ¥1,000–1,999 · 26 seats
A family-run shop of more than fifty years, three minutes from Mihara Station on the Shinkansen line, and the place to try Mihara-yaki: okonomiyaki made with chicken offal — liver, gizzard and tamahimo — from the area’s poultry farms. The loaded “Tecchan modern-yaki” with meat, squid and shrimp is the other signature. Closed Thursdays.
At a glance
| # | Restaurant | Area | Style | Rating | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okonomiyaki Tatsu | Hiroshima | Hiroshima | 3.76 | — |
| 2 | Masaru | Hiroshima | Hiroshima | 3.73 | ¥2,000–2,999 |
| 3 | Okonomiyaki Hassho | Hiroshima | Hiroshima | 3.73 | ¥1,000–1,999 |
| 4 | Hiranoya | Fukuyama | Hiroshima | 3.73 | ¥1,000–1,999 |
| 5 | Okonomiyaki Sanko | Hiroshima | Hiroshima | 3.72 | — |
| 6 | Botefuku | Kani, Gifu | — | 3.72 | under ¥1,000 |
| 7 | Kona | Kanazawa | Negiyaki | 3.72 | — |
| 8 | Fukutaro Honten | Osaka | Osaka / negiyaki | 3.72 | ¥2,000–2,999 |
| 9 | Okonomiyaki Imari Ebisu | Tokyo | Osaka | 3.71 | ¥4,000–4,999 |
| 10 | Tecchan Honten | Mihara | Mihara-yaki | 3.71 | ¥1,000–1,999 |
Also worth a visit (all 3.71): Koguma (子ぐま) in Yokohama’s Aoba Ward, Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Kokoya (広島お好み焼き 弘々家) in Shimonoseki, and Misaku Kobe Kitano (美作 神戸北野店) in Kobe.
Tips for eating okonomiyaki
- Hiroshima or Osaka? Try both. Hiroshima-style is layered and comes with noodles; Osaka-style is mixed and thicker. Order soba-niku-tama (noodles, pork, egg) for the Hiroshima classic, or buta-tama (pork and egg) in Osaka.
- Eat from the griddle. At the counter you eat straight off the hot plate with a small spatula (hera), cutting pieces as you go.
- Walk-in is the norm. Many of the best shops don’t take bookings — go just before opening or after the lunch rush.
- Bring cash. Small local shops often don’t take cards.
Heading to Osaka? See every top-rated restaurant near Namba Station, or browse the Osaka and Tokyo maps and filter by Okonomiyaki.