Where To Eat In Lake Toya: A Guide To The 10 Best Restaurants

Lake Toya is a famous lake found in Hokkaido's Shikotsu-Toya National Park. As well as serving up beautiful scenery, the area is fizzing with geothermal activity including a still-active volcano (Mount Usu) and hot springs that have spawned their own resort (Toyako Onsen) and there are more things to do in Lake Toya than you can shake an itinerary at. 

But what can a foodie—or anyone with a mouth, for that matter—expect when they come to town? Everything from theatrical cuisine by a veteran of Michelin-starred kitchens, through to burgers as big as your face and donuts with a healthy twist, as it turns out. Let’s get into it. 

If you thought a lakeside town in northern Japan was an unlikely place to find a hot dog, you clearly haven't heard of The Toya. This casual cafe/restaurant is famous for its take on the dish, which has been overhauled with Hokkaido-specific ingredients to create a gourmet, 'Gram-friendly treat. Choose from fillings like king crab, layers of stretchy Hokkaido cheese, and the incredibly indulgent combo of smoked salmon and salmon roe (sidenote: there's also a more familiar version, featuring a homemade sausage). Exploring the rest of the menu here may require a second stomach/visit.

Eleven floors up inside The Windsor Hotel Toya, you'll find a chic sushi spot called Shoan Kogetsu. Let's begin with the obvious: incredible views, stretching across Lake Toya and the surrounding landscape. Next, the food: carefully prepared from local ingredients (largely seafood), and exceptionally plated (one dish looks like an edible garden). There are a number of different dining options to choose from here, but we'll always recommend the namesake omakase, because surely nothing is better than putting your full trust in the chef (not to mention the fact that you'll be treated to 10 different courses, one with eight nigiri alone!). 

In this beautiful little corner of the world, you can dine on food prepared by a chef who has worked in not one, not two, but nine Michelin-starred kitchens. Enter Takeshi Iijima, the man behind the incredible cuisine at Bourou Lake Toya. From this luxurious hotel location, he plates up jaw-dropping Hokkaido cuisine that reflects the area's unique climate, history and culture and is truly unlike anything you've eaten before. Case in point: Jewels of the Autumn Sea, a dish featuring Botan shrimp topped with salmon roe, squid, king crab, and shrimp tartare; served with persimmon sauce, pear foam, and Toya Blue jelly. Magnifique.  

A classic example of appearances-can-be-deceiving, humble spot Hydune near the lakefront is serving up some of the best hamburgers you'll ever eat. Starting with a solid homemade bun and beef pattie (or chicken if you prefer) foundation, these babies are then piled high with mouthwatering fillings like fried egg, avocado, molten mozzarella, jalapenos, and crispy bacon. The potato wedges and super-sized onion rings (again, homemade) are also a must and in a further surprise, you can order alcohol here—plum wine included. We recommend grabbing your meal to-go and enjoying it at the lake, just a short walk away. 

There's more to this unassuming spot, located on the fringes of Lake Toya, than meets the eye. Not only will you be treated to views of the lake in its entirety, you'll also get to experience some of the area's very best Japanese cuisine. Run by a couple who actually moved the restaurant here from Tokyo in 2023, Nakamura (also known as Kono Zensha Nakamura) focuses on traditional dishes made with local ingredients, served kaiseki or multi-course style. The Toyako Wagyu is of particular note—aside from its obvious deliciousness, it's sourced from just 250 head of cattle available each year, making it something of a delicacy. You can (and absolutely should) also do a sake pairing. 

We love a niche foodie find, and Chashibaku Donuts is exactly that. This cute spot is actually located on the ground floor of a guesthouse, right across the road from the lake, and is where you'll find fluffy, soy milk-based donuts alongside hand-dripped coffee and homemade soda. Yes, these donuts may not be deep-fried and drowning in icing like the kind you're probably used to, but there's something undeniably sweet about their combination of pure, simple ingredients (and the fruit, much like pressed flowers, often found decorating the top). Amongst the flavours you might encounter: fig and chocolate, sweet potato, rum and raisin, pumpkin, and roasted green tea and white chocolate. Yummm. 

Anyone who's visited Lake Toya has probably also visited Boyotei Restaurant, a stalwart of the dining scene here with 80 years' service under its belt. You can put this down to its unpretentious vibe and tasty Westernised menu, which is a welcome treat for travellers seeking familiar flavours. Smash back a Hamburg steak (hamburger patty) smothered in still-bubbling gravy, slurp up a bowl of seafood-laced pasta, fill your boots with fried rice, and tackle a towering parfait for dessert. Please note that to eat here, a second stomach will be required. 

If it's (mostly) wholesome food you're after, you'll find it at Meguriya. This cosy cafe/restaurant, conveniently located right beside the lake, is particularly popular amongst the veggie-aligned thanks to its seasonal vegan plates stacked with tempura, sushi, dumplings and other goodies made with produce sourced direct from local farmers; while a vegan version of peking duck has also been known to grace the menu. In an ironic (albeit welcome) twist, this spot is also famous for its sweet treats—think vegan muffins, brownies, and a changing line-up of cheesecakes that should not be missed. 

Any restaurant that's been around for more than half a century has clearly nailed the recipe for success. Enter Matsumaeya (also known as Meshidokoro Matsumaeya) a family-run favourite that's been cooking up unpretentious Japanese fare for close to sixty years (and all from the family's own home, no less). Tuck into sashimi, pork cutlets, grilled fish, and egg rice bowls with the rare addition of scallops, all made with local ingredients of course and please do your best to come hungry, as the portions here are a contender for Lake Toya's largest. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the space (it seats about 30 people), so be sure to book ahead. 

And finally, about 10 minutes out of Lake Toya you'll find Lake Hill Farm—famous for its ice cream coupled with pretty-as-a-picture views. Sample scoops of artisan soft-serve and gelato in flavours like matcha, strawberry, coffee, pumpkin and even blue (rock) salt; made with milk from this spot's very own cows, which you'll probably see grazing in the paddocks while you eat. There's an onsite cafe for additional feasting, and even the opportunity to make your own ice cream or butter.  

With a food line up this good, you’ll want to stick around a while. Browse the latest properties, land and businesses for sale in Lake Toya on Uchi.