7 awesome places to eat in the Hakuba Valley

With snow already falling throughout Hakuba, visitors will soon be flocking to the Japanese resort town for powder runs and epic backcountry skiing. While people may be coming for the fresh Hakuba powder, they will be pleasantly surprised by the diverse food scene that has developed in Hakuba over the past few years. Here are a few of our favourite Hakuba restaurants.

Mon Pigeon

Love delicious pastries, perfectly brewed espresso coffee, baked goods, and tasty pizza? Then Mon Pigeon is the place for you. This warm and cozy eatery is an excellent place to hang out over coffee and some treats before heading to the slopes. The best part, however, is the adorable Golden Retrievers who keep you company. Stop in for a coffee and a treat, and say hello to the dogs.

The best part about Mon Pigeon is the adorable Golden Retrievers who keep you company

Price Guide: ¥¥
Location: Echoland. See Map
Phone Number: +81 261-72-3535

Sharaku

Hands down, one of the best Japanese restaurants in all of the Hakuba Valley, Sharaku (pictured, top) is a must visit for sushi enthusiasts. Sharaku specialised in fresh seafood and sushi but also offers great meat dishes like the wagyu steak. Great for couples or groups alike, Sharaku serves a wide-range of local sake to accompany your meal.

Price Guide: ¥¥¥
Location: Hakuba Springs Hotel, Happo. See Map
Phone Number: +81 261-75-5511

Emu

Never heard of okonomiyaki? That’s ok. Go to Emu and give it try! Maybe the most unique Japanese dining experience, okonomiyaki is a Japanese pancake of sorts, packed with vegetables, noodles, meats, or fish. The best part, you cook it yourself. The friendly staff at Emu will lend a hand to first timers so don’t be nervous. It’s a must experience Japanese cuisine.

Emu is known for its okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake of sorts, packed with vegetables, noodles, meats, or fish

Price Guide: ¥¥¥
Location: Hakuba Springs Hotel, Happo. See Map
Phone Number: +81 261-72-4305

Izakaya Hie

I love Izakayas and this is one of Hakuba’s best. An Izakaya is a Japanese gastro-pub serving everything from sushi and raw horse to chips and fried chicken (that’s right, I said raw horse). Order a bit of everything, share with the table, and wash it all down with cheap cold beers or warm sake. It’s an excellent place to go with friends.

Izakaya Hie is one of Hakuba’s best

Price Guide: ¥¥¥
Location: Main Street, Echoland. See Map
Phone Number: +81 261-72-8035

Kikoya

An amazing place for sushi and sashimi, this restaurant has long been a favourite among tourists and visitors alike. The walls are adorned with messages from satisfied diners praising the food—Tayor Swift even visited and left a note on the wall! The lunchtime special is a can’t miss deal. For ¥1,000 you receive fish or meat, tempura, rice, miso soup, and a small plate of sashimi and eggs.

Price Guide: ¥¥¥
Location: Hakuba Cho. See Map
Phone Number: +81 261-72-3633

For ¥1,000 you receive a fish or meat, tempura, rice, miso soup, and a small plate of sashimi and eggs.

Bernd Keller’s

You can literally ski to the next restaurant on this list. Located within the ski-in-ski-out Marillen Hotel, Bernd Keller’s is the only authentic European alpine cuisine in Hakuba, and serves a wide range of international wines and European beers. It’s also at the foot of the Nakiyama Slope, one of the few night skiing runs in the valley, so you can work off your meal with a few runs.

Located within the ski-in-ski-out Marillen Hotel, Bernd Keller’s is the only authentic European alpine cuisine in Hakuba

Price Guide: ¥¥¥
Location: Happo-Village. See Map
Phone Number: +81 261-85-0198

Blizzard

Open daily from 7AM, Blizzard boasts one of the only wood-fire pizza ovens in the Hakuba Valley, and the person manning the oven is Paolo Coluccio, the former national champion of Italy’s most prestigious pizza making competition. Blizzard sits directly across from the Happo Gondola so it’s a great place to grab lunch or dinner after a day on the mountain.

Blizzard sits directly across from the Happo Gondola so it’s a great place to grab lunch or dinner after a day on the mountain

Price Guide: ¥¥¥
Location: Happo-Village. See Map
Phone Number: +81 261-85-0198