Best Izakaya in Kumamoto 2026: 12 Places Rated 3.5+ on Tabelog for Basashi, Local Dishes, Yakitori and Seafood

In Kumamoto, the night begins with a plate of basashi (horse sashimi). Shimofuri with fine white marbling and bright-red akami, dipped in a little sweet soy sauce with grated ginger and garlic and washed down with a glass of rice-based Kuma shochu: that's an everyday night of drinking in Kumamoto. But with so many izakaya in the city, which one should you choose? Our rule is simple: we only include places rated 3.50 or higher on Tabelog, Japan's restaurant rating site (checked November 13, 2026), where diners have also visited and posted reviews between August and November, after the July 2026 earthquake. That leaves 12.

If you're staying at MOVA VILLA, the villas in the Haramizu area are a 3-minute walk from JR Haramizu Station, and the train gets you into the city in about 50 minutes, so nobody has to drive after drinking; for last trains and taxis, see "A night out from MOVA VILLA" below.

What to order: Kumamoto izakaya essentials

• Basashi (horse sashimi): Kumamoto produces more horse meat than anywhere else in Japan, and basashi is the first specialty that comes to mind. Common cuts are shimofuri (marbled), akami (lean), tategami (the fat from under the mane) and horse liver sashimi (reba-sashi). Eat it with grated ginger and garlic, dipped in sweet soy sauce.
• Karashi renkon (mustard-stuffed lotus root): lotus root with its holes packed with a mix of miso and Japanese mustard, then battered and deep-fried; sliced open, it shows a ring of yellow. It's said to be linked to Hosokawa Tadatoshi, lord of the Kumamoto domain in the Edo period. At izakaya it costs about ¥660–840.
• Hitomoji guruguru: blanched hitomoji (a slender green onion) wound into little bundles and eaten with vinegared miso; it was invented as a "cheap and tasty snack to go with drinks." About ¥500–660 a plate, perfect with your first drink.
• Fish from Amakusa: Amakusa, in southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture, is where kuruma prawn farming in Japan began, and many places advertise fish delivered fresh from Amakusa that day.
• Kumamoto akaushi beef: a breed improved on the Aso grasslands and registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) in 2018; mostly lean, with moderate marbling.
• Kuma shochu: shochu made from rice alone by single distillation and protected as a Geographical Indication; it has been made since the early 16th century, and there are 27 distilleries in the Hitoyoshi-Kuma area.

Getting there: apart from Iroha, near Suizenji Park, the other 11 are all around Shimotori and Shinshigai, close to the Hanabatacho, Torichosuji, Karashimacho, Suidocho and Kumamoto-jo/Shiyakusho-mae tram stops. From the villas in the Haramizu area it's about 50 minutes by JR and tram; from Koshi, Okino or Ozu, a taxi takes about 35–45 minutes (details in the transport section below).

4 must-visits for horse meat lovers

Iroha (五郎八) | Tabelog 3.75 (442 reviews)

The No. 1 on this list isn't downtown but right next to the Suizenji Koen tram stop (about 19 m away). It was selected for the Tabelog Hyakumeiten (Top 100) izakaya list three years running, in 2024, 2025 and 2026; reviews most often mention basashi, horse liver sashimi, horse offal (uma horumon) and stir-fried bean sprouts, and it takes its shochu seriously too. It's popular with tourists and often full even on weekdays, so be sure to book.

• Hours: Mon–Sat 17:30–23:00 (last order 22:30), closed Sundays
• Budget listed by the restaurant: ¥4,000–5,000 per person; cash only; non-smoking throughout
• Reservations: 096-382-6336
• From MOVA VILLA: take the JR Hohi Line from Haramizu Station and change to the tram at Shin-Suizenji, about 33 minutes (¥560)

Mutsugoro (むつ五郎) | Tabelog 3.70 (826 reviews)

The most-reviewed place on the list, in the basement of the Kumamoto Green Hotel in Hanabatacho. Its specialties are marbled basashi, karashi renkon and hitomoji guruguru. From the menu updated in June 2026: marbled basashi ¥3,300 per serving, tategami ¥1,000, horse liver sashimi ¥2,100, hitomoji guruguru ¥660 and horse filet steak ¥4,600.

• Hours: Mon–Fri 18:00–22:30, Sat 17:30–22:30 (last order 21:30); closed Sundays, and also on Mondays that are national holidays
• Reservations are only for groups of 3–10 and require a deposit in advance; groups of 1–2 can't book
• Credit cards accepted (no e-money or QR payments); non-smoking throughout; 35 seats, no private rooms
• Phone: 096-356-6256; 3 minutes' walk from the Hanabatacho tram stop

Umazakura Ginzadori-ten (馬桜 銀座通り店) | Tabelog 3.68 (390 reviews)

The most worry-free pick for families: children are welcome, there's a kids' menu, strollers are fine, menus come in English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Korean, private rooms seat 2–20, and it even takes UnionPay, Alipay and WeChat Pay. From the menu updated in October 2026: special platter of four basashi cuts for 2 ¥6,000, shimofuri ¥3,600, akami ¥2,600 and Kumamoto akaushi steak ¥2,900.

• Hours: Mon–Thu 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:30), until 23:00 on Fridays and nights before holidays; lunch is also served 12:00–14:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; open every day of the year
• Some prices rose in July 2026; there's also a ¥600 seat charge, and a 10% surcharge from December 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027
• Reservations: online via TableCheck, or call 050-5597-1803 (weekdays from 14:00); without a booking you often can't get in, and if you're 15 minutes late without calling, your booking may be canceled
• By the corner of Shimotori and Ginza-dori, 5 minutes' walk from the Hanabatacho tram stop

Suganoya Ginzadori-ten (菅乃屋 銀座通り店) | Tabelog 3.50 (243 reviews)

A horse-meat restaurant run by the Senko Farm group, which does everything itself from raising the horses to processing the meat, on the second floor of a hotel on Shimotori. It focuses on kaiseki courses: for dinner, the seasonal sushi kaiseki is ¥9,900, the seasonal hot-pot kaiseki ¥12,000 and the Kiyomasa-ko kaiseki ¥18,500 (with a special basashi platter and horse liver sashimi); boxed lunches (hakozen) start at ¥4,500.

• Hours: lunch 11:30–14:30, dinner 17:00–22:00 (last dinner entry 20:30; kaiseki courses by 19:30); closed December 31 and January 1
• Be sure to book by phone in advance (0120-413-618); email reservations aren't accepted
• Credit cards and PayPay accepted; non-smoking throughout; 2 minutes' walk from the Hanabatacho tram stop

4 places to try Kumamoto's local dishes in one go

Higoji (肥後路) | Tabelog 3.62 (193 reviews)

A long-standing restaurant that opened in 1963. The menu has everything from basashi to freshly fried karashi renkon, hitomoji guruguru, dago-jiru (Kumamoto's dumpling soup) and Suizenji nori; the owner picks the fish at the market every morning, and there are about 15 Kumamoto shochu. 2025 menu prices: basashi ¥3,168 per serving, freshly fried karashi renkon ¥836 and hitomoji guruguru ¥517 (prices may have changed since).

• Hours: Mon–Sat 17:00–23:00, Sundays and holidays 17:00–22:00; closed irregularly
• Cash only; non-smoking throughout; private rooms for 2–20; children welcome (give their ages when you book)
• Reservations: 050-5595-5848; bookings are canceled if you're 20 minutes late, and there's a 2-hour limit when the table is booked after you
• 3 minutes' walk from the Kumamoto-jo/Shiyakusho-mae tram stop

Nishigin Botan (西銀 ぼたん) | Tabelog 3.56 (338 reviews)

Selected for the Tabelog Hyakumeiten (Top 100) izakaya list in 2024. A large restaurant in Shinshigai with 80 seats and private rooms for 30 or more, serving basashi, karashi renkon, hitomoji guruguru and seafood from Amakusa; even a big group can get a table.

• Hours: Mon–Thu and holidays 17:00–22:00; Fridays, Saturdays and nights before holidays until 23:00; closed Sundays
• Otoshi (table-charge appetizer) ¥770, 3% service charge, plus an extra 8% from December 29 to January 3; credit cards and PayPay accepted; non-smoking throughout
• Reservations: 050-5868-3174; 2 minutes' walk from the Karashimacho tram stop

Negibozu (ねぎぼうず) | Tabelog 3.53 (456 reviews)

It opens at 4 p.m., the earliest on the list to start drinking. Review photos often show assorted cuts of basashi, hitomoji guruguru, thick fried tofu buried under chopped green onions (atsuage no negimamire) and karashi renkon. Tachinomi Shokudo Negibozu, with a very similar name, is a different, standing-only bar, so don't go to the wrong one.

• Hours: Mon–Sat 16:00–22:00, Sun 17:00–22:00; closed irregularly
• Cash only; non-smoking throughout; 2-hour limit; often full, so book ahead (096-328-8539)
• 2 minutes' walk from the Kumamoto-jo/Shiyakusho-mae tram stop

Aoyagi (青柳) | Tabelog 3.52 (305 reviews)

Strictly speaking, it isn't an izakaya but a long-established Kumamoto local-cuisine restaurant founded in 1949, and it's considered the birthplace of basashi hanamori (horse sashimi arranged like a flower). Its signature kamameshi (pot-cooked rice) has been served for more than 75 years, and there's also the Honmaru Gozen, a recreation of Edo-period Higo domain menus (reservation required). Prices are on the high side: dinner ¥11,000–16,500 per person and lunch ¥6,600–8,800, plus a 10% service charge. A good choice for dinner with older relatives or a celebration.

• Hours: 11:30–14:30 (last order 13:30) and 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:00); closed irregularly
• 265 seats and 8 private rooms (2–30 people); children welcome, kids' menu; credit cards and QR payments accepted; non-smoking throughout
• Reservations: 096-353-0311 or on the official website; 5 minutes' walk from the Kumamoto-jo/Shiyakusho-mae tram stop

Yakitori: perfect with a glass of shochu

Yakitori Kabin (焼鳥 華備) | Tabelog 3.62 (297 reviews)

Selected for the Tabelog Hyakumeiten (Top 100) yakitori list in 2023 and 2024. It uses Kuro Satsuma chicken from Kagoshima; reviews often mention the 10-skewer chef's selection (omakase), and there's also a basashi platter (¥3,980). Menus come in English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese.

• Hours: Mon–Sat and nights before holidays 17:00–23:00 (last food order 22:00), closed Sundays; there may be a 2-hour limit on busy days
• 5% service charge; credit cards, transit cards such as Suica, PayPay and Alipay accepted; private rooms for 2–20
• Tabelog lists it as "smoking allowed": under Japanese law, no one under 20 may enter a place where smoking is allowed, so call ahead if you're bringing children
• Reservations: 050-5597-0355; 1 minute's walk from the Hanabatacho tram stop

Seafood: Amakusa fish and a fish shop's own izakaya

Shungyo Shunsai Tsukimaru Kagomachi-ten (旬魚旬菜 月○ 駕町店) | Tabelog 3.62 (113 reviews)

Open until 1:30 in the morning (until 24:00 on Sundays), it's the best bet if you're arriving late or want to keep the night going. Review photos show sashimi platters, basashi, squid, monkfish liver and karashi renkon.

• Hours: Mon–Sat and nights before holidays 17:00–1:30 the next morning, Sun 17:00–24:00
• Credit cards and QR payments accepted; non-smoking throughout; 36 seats, with private rooms
• Reservations: 096-355-8124; 3 minutes' walk from the Torichosuji tram stop

Kunieda Sengyoten (國枝鮮魚店) | Tabelog 3.58 (99 reviews)

An izakaya run by a fish shop: it starts selling fresh fish at 9 a.m., serves set meals at lunch and becomes an izakaya at night, with fresh fish at friendly prices. In 2026 reviews, the sashimi set lunch is ¥1,600, and in the evening a sashimi platter is ¥1,200 per person and shochu ¥700.

• Hours: Mon–Sat, lunch 11:30–14:00 and dinner 18:00–22:00; closed Sundays and holidays
• Often full, so be sure to book for the evening (096-353-5313); no credit cards
• Tabelog lists it as "smoking allowed," so call first if you're bringing children under 20
• 3 minutes' walk from the Suidocho tram stop

Sakasou (酒湊) | Tabelog 3.50 (431 reviews)

The restaurant drives its own truck to Amakusa to pick up fish, and the menu includes Amakusa fugu (pufferfish), live squid shipped direct from Yobuko and Ise spiny lobster. It's open until 24:00 every day, and the 2nd to 4th floors are all private rooms, for up to about 70 people, so big families and company trips are easy to arrange. Children are welcome: kids' meals are ¥1,500 (including one drink; order the day before), and there's an English menu as well as staff who speak English and Korean.

• Hours: daily 17:00–24:00 (last food order 23:00); closed December 31 and January 1
• Otoshi ¥500 on the 1st floor and ¥600 on the 2nd–4th floors; credit cards, PayPay and Alipay accepted
• Non-smoking seats, with a separate smoking area
• Reservations: 050-5869-1438; 1 minute's walk from the Karashimacho tram stop

Pick by what you need: the whole list at a glance

• With kids: Umazakura (kids' menu, multilingual menus, private rooms), Sakasou (order kids' meals the day before), Higoji (give ages when you book), Aoyagi (kids' menu)
• Menus you can read: English – Sakasou, Umazakura, Kabin; Traditional Chinese – Umazakura, Kabin
• Cash only: Iroha, Higoji, Negibozu, Kunieda Sengyoten
• Large groups: Sakasou (up to about 70), Nishigin Botan (private rooms for 30 or more), Aoyagi (8 private rooms)
• Early start: Negibozu opens at 16:00; late night: Tsukimaru until 1:30 in the morning, Sakasou until 24:00
• Call first if anyone is under 20: Kabin, Kunieda Sengyoten (listed on Tabelog as smoking allowed)

First time at an izakaya? Know these first

• Otoshi (table-charge appetizer): when you sit down, a small appetizer arrives and goes on the bill, usually ¥300–500 per person; at the places in this guide it ranges from ¥500 to ¥770. If you don't want it, say "otoshi fuyo desu" (no otoshi, please) as you come in.
• Service charges and New Year surcharges: Aoyagi 10%, Kabin 5%, Nishigin Botan 3%; over the year-end and New Year holidays, Umazakura adds 10% and Nishigin Botan 8%.
• Last order (LO): usually 30–60 minutes before closing; Negibozu, Higoji and Kabin may have a 2-hour limit.
• Reservations: booking ahead is recommended at almost every place on the list. Mutsugoro only takes groups of 3–10; Umazakura can be booked online (TableCheck).
• Tipping: restaurants, bars and taxis in Japan don't take tips.
• Smoking: since 2020, smoking indoors has been banned in principle in Japan, but small existing establishments can choose to allow smoking, and no one under 20 (customers or staff) may enter those places.

A night out from MOVA VILLA: getting there and back

There's only one rule: on the day you drink, don't drive. Japan punishes drunk driving severely, and even whoever served the alcohol and anyone riding in the car can be penalized. MOVA VILLA's villas are between Kumamoto Airport and the city, so for a night of drinking downtown, plan by the area you're staying in:

By train: Haramizu, Okino and Ozu are all on the JR Hohi Line

• Haramizu area: walk 3 minutes from the villas to JR Haramizu Station, take the Hohi Line to Shin-Suizenji (about 20–25 minutes, ¥360), then change to the tram to the Hanabatacho and Shimotori area (about 18 minutes, ¥200). About 50 minutes in all, the best option for a night in the city.
• Okino area: walk about 15 minutes to JR Sanrigi Station and take the same line.
• Ozu area: walk about 15 minutes to JR Higo-Ozu Station; it's about 25 minutes from there to Shin-Suizenji (¥450).
• Koshi area: farther from a station, so a taxi is the better choice at night.

Last train back: the last JR train from Shin-Suizenji to Higo-Ozu leaves at 23:49 (arriving at Haramizu at 00:09 and Higo-Ozu at 00:13), and the one before it at 23:22. The tram from the Shimotori area to Shin-Suizenji takes 18 minutes, so leaving the izakaya by 23:00 is the safest bet. (Checked on Google Maps on Friday, November 13, 2026; holiday timetables may differ, so check again before you go.)

By taxi: about 35–45 minutes from downtown to the villas

Driving times from Hanabatacho to each area (Google Maps, afternoon of November 13): Koshi about 34 minutes, Okino about 35, Haramizu about 38 and Ozu about 44. GO, DiDi and Uber all operate in Kumamoto city; the apps show an estimated fare first, and a group can split the cost.

If you drove into the city: daiko (designated-driver service)

Daiko is common in Kumamoto: you call a driver who drives your car while a second car follows, getting both you and the car home. In Kumamoto city the going rate is about ¥2,100 for the first 3 km, then about ¥300 per km. However, rental car companies have different rules on whether a daiko driver may drive their cars, so check before you set off.

If you'd rather not race for the last train, you can also buy some Kumamoto shochu and take it back to the villa: every villa has a full kitchen, so everyone can drink at leisure in the living room, then head straight to bed.

Are they still open after the 2026 earthquake?

In the Kumamoto earthquake of July 28, 2026, Kumamoto city's Chuo Ward recorded a seismic intensity of 5 upper on the Japanese scale, and the trams resumed with the first runs on July 29. All 12 places in this guide have Tabelog reviews from diners who visited between August and November, and we've seen no notices of closures or moves. Opening hours sometimes change, so the safest bet is to call or check the restaurant's page before you go.

FAQ

Q: What does a Tabelog score of 3.5 mean?

A: Tabelog is Japan's largest restaurant rating site, with scores from 1 to 5. This guide only includes places rated 3.50 or higher; scores shift slightly every day, and the ones here were checked on November 13, 2026.

Q: Any izakaya you'd recommend near Kumamoto Station?

A: We didn't find any izakaya rated 3.50 or higher around Kumamoto Station. Karashimacho is about 15 minutes from Kumamoto Station by tram, and Nishigin Botan and Sakasou from this list are right by the Karashimacho tram stop.

Q: How do I order if I don't speak Japanese?

A: Umazakura and Kabin have menus in English and Traditional Chinese, and Sakasou has an English menu and staff who speak English and Korean; elsewhere, photograph the menu with a translation app. Just remember basashi, karashi renkon and hitomoji guruguru, and ordering is easy.

Q: How do I get back to the villa after drinking?

A: If you're staying in Haramizu, Okino or Ozu, take the JR Hohi Line back; the last train leaves Shin-Suizenji at 23:49. If you're in Koshi or miss the last train, a taxi takes about 35–45 minutes. You can enjoy Kumamoto without driving, too: see Stay without a car.

Q: What happened to Yoru no Sakanaya-san from the earlier version of this article?

A: Its Tabelog score is 3.42, below our 3.5 cutoff, so we removed it in this update.

Stay at MOVA VILLA and keep Kumamoto's nights for yourself

MOVA VILLA has 21 private villas, each sleeping 4–8 guests, with a full kitchen and free parking. For nights out in the city, the Haramizu area is the most convenient, just a 3-minute walk from the station; for bigger groups, see our large-group villas, and with kids, our family villas. In winter you can also fit in Kurokawa Onsen's Yuakari: soak in the hot springs in the late afternoon, see the lanterns after dark, then head back to the villa for a slow drink.

Check MOVA VILLA availability and prices