6 Best Restaurants in Kanazawa, The Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast

The Akiyoshi chain of yakitori-ya is an institution across the Hokuriku region thanks to its combination of good quality chicken, pork, and beef skewers, low cost, and lively vibe. At the Korinbo branch, you can watch the chefs working at grills that spit fire and smoke while you sit at the counter, and the cooked skewers are unceremoniously laid out in a metal trough for you to eat.

As the seasons change, so do the menu options at this kaiseki ryori–focused restaurant set in a Meiji-era villa by the Saigawa River. In spring your meal may include hotaru-ika (firefly squid) and iidako (baby octopus) no larger than your thumbnail; in fall expect matsutake mushrooms to make an appearance. Dinner courses can be very expensive, though lunch offers are more affordable way to experience the refined cuisine. Reservations are essential but can be made online in English.

At this place in the renowned Kenroku Garden, excellent fish and vegetable dishes have been carefully prepared for nearly 100 years. The prices are still reasonable, and the garden views from the tatami are an added bonus. If you aren't hungry, you could stop by for green tea and sweets.

Slip into this little shop, in business since 1859, for a scoop of delicious sofuto kurimu (soft-serve ice cream) or a cup of tea. You can relax in the small garden in the rear or on benches out front. At the far end of the Tate-machi shopping street, the heavenly scent of roasting green tea leaves wafts out the door. The café is open daily 9:30 to 6:30.

On the south bank of the Saigawa River close to the Sakura-bashi Bridge, this refined restaurant serves Kaga specialties. Dinner in a private room overlooking the garden is a splurge but worth it. In traditional Japanese style, the meal finishes with rice, pickles, and soup; in autumn the broth is clear, with herbs and a shrimp dumpling. If you want to experience the food without the high price of dinner, lunch sets start at half the cost of dinner. It's a fancy place, so you'll want to dress up a bit, and you'll need a reservation at least three days ahead.

The specialty of this tiny restaurant in Omicho Market is kaisendon (海鮮丼), a bowl of rice topped with fresh, raw seafood. The signature kaisendon here, the Noto Fugu Don, combines yellowtail, salmon roe and (potentially lethal if prepared badly) pufferfish, although you could instead opt for tuna, salmon, or other combinations. With only a half-dozen small tables, the restaurant can fill up quickly. If the queue is too long, the budget sushi restaurant next door also gets great reviews from locals.