8 Best Places to Eat in Hiroshima
Hiroshima’s food identity is built on two things: an okonomiyaki that refuses to look like Osaka’s, and oysters good enough that the prefecture farms most of the country’s supply. Here are the 8 places and dishes worth building a meal plan around.
1. Okonomimura, for layered okonomiyaki
Hiroshima’s okonomiyaki is stacked, not mixed: batter goes down first, then a heavy pile of cabbage, pork, yakisoba or udon noodles, a fried egg, then sauce on top, cooked in front of you on an iron griddle. It emerged after 1945 as a way to stretch scarce ingredients into a full meal. Okonomimura, a multi-floor building near Hatchobori packed with individual okonomiyaki stalls, is the easiest way to compare a few versions in one visit and watch the technique up close.
2. Grilled, fried or raw oysters
Hiroshima Prefecture farms most of Japan’s oysters, grown in the Seto Inland Sea around Miyajima. Expect them grilled over charcoal, breaded and fried as kaki-fry, or served raw, at seafood counters and izakayas across the city, particularly around the Nagarekawa entertainment district.
3. Tsukemen, Hiroshima’s dipping noodles
Distinct from Tokyo’s version, Hiroshima’s tsukemen serves the noodles and a separate, more intense (often spicy) dipping broth apart, essentially a deconstructed bowl of ramen. It’s a good order if you want something with real heat.
4. Anago over rice, on Miyajima
Conger eel, grilled and served over rice as anago-meshi, is Miyajima’s signature savory dish, a lighter alternative to the mainland’s heavier okonomiyaki and oysters if you’re spending a day on the island.
5. Momiji manju, the island’s sweet souvenir
Maple-leaf-shaped cakes filled with sweet red bean paste or custard, sold across Miyajima, make the easiest edible souvenir to bring home or eat on the ferry back.
6. Saijō, Hiroshima’s sake district
A short train ride from the city, Saijō is a historic brewing district along “Sakagura Dori” (Sake Storehouse Road), lined with breweries in traditional namako-wall, red-tile-roof buildings. If you drink, it’s worth a half-day detour, especially around the October sake festival that draws six-figure crowds each year.
7. Nagarekawa, for a night of izakaya-hopping
Hiroshima’s main nightlife district, clustered near the Hatchobori tram stop, is the place for a casual dinner of grilled oysters, skewers and drinks; budget roughly ¥2,000-3,000 per person for a full evening.
8. Hondori, for a fast, walkable lunch
The city’s main covered shopping arcade runs a dense strip of casual restaurants and cafes between the Peace Park and downtown, useful for a quick, no-planning-required lunch between sights. See the main Hiroshima travel guide for how this fits into a full day, or the things to do guide for the sights around it.
One concrete tip: go to Okonomimura for lunch rather than dinner if you can. It’s the same food, the same stalls, and a noticeably shorter wait.