10 Best Restaurants in Shimane for Incredible Food
Shimane Prefecture offers more than historical landmarks and scenic beauty. The best restaurants in Shimane deliver flavors shaped by fresh seafood, handmade soba, and time-honored recipes. Matsue and Izumo provide a variety of dining options, from casual izakayas to refined kaiseki.
Ready to explore regional Japanese cuisine that keeps visitors coming back? Start with this guide to the best restaurants in Shimane!
10 Best Restaurants in Shimane
1. Izakaya Kumakichi
Address: Matsue, Shimane, Japan
Price: ¥400 – ¥5,000
Opening Hours: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Cuisine: Izakaya
Izakaya Kumakichi is famous for its Kumakichi croquette, a blend of potatoes and boiled eggs that customers keep coming back for. Though the restaurant’s generous enough to make the recipe accessible, replicating the same taste at home proves challenging. The chef also tailors dishes to each guest, making every visit unique. Fresh seafood and vegetables take center stage, highlighting the restaurant’s commitment to quality.
2. Waraku Matsue Japanese Cuisine
Address: 565 Otesenbacho, Matsue 697-0007 Shimane Prefecture
Price: ¥10,000+
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM (Closed Tuesdays)
Cuisine: Japanese
Waraku offers an incredible selection of seafood, from sashimi-grade spiny lobster to Matsuba crab served in multiple styles—grilled, boiled, or as tempura. Their nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) is a standout, available as sashimi or in a delicately flavored rice dish. The attention to presentation and freshness makes each meal unforgettable. For seafood lovers, Waraku is certainly one of the best restaurants in Shimane. If you’re in Matsue and want to experience high-quality Japanese cuisine, this is the place.
3. Kenjyo Soba Haneya
Address: 549 Honmachi, Imaichi-cho, Izumo 693-0001 Shimane Prefecture
Price: ¥1,000–3,000
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Cuisine: Soba
Near Izumo JR Station, this soba shop offers hand-made buckwheat noodles in stacks of one, three, or five bowls, each topped differently. The dipping sauce tastes refined, delicate, and the accompanying tempura is exactly crunchy. Another often chosen dish is oyako-don, or chicken and egg rice bowl. Whether your taste is for hot or cold soba, this restaurant produces first-rate quality in every bowl.
4. Sky View Candle
Address: Matsue, Shimane, Japan
Price: ¥1,000 – ¥5,000
Opening Hours: 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Cuisine: Japanese
With stunning lakefront views and locally sourced dishes, this restaurant is among the best restaurants in Shimane for scenic dining. Sky View Candle offers a stunning dining experience that pairs well with their slow-cooked Gotsu Maruhime Pork Stew. Fresh seasonal vegetables highlight real Shimane tastes and improve every meal. The way the restaurant is located in front of Shinji Lake creates an amazing setting for both formal events and laid-back evenings. This is the place if you desire fantastic cuisine surrounded by a memorable scene.
5. Teien Saryo Minami
Address: 14 Suetsugu Hommachi Minami-Kan 1F, Matsue 690-0843 Shimane Prefecture
Price: ¥6,000 – ¥7,000
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Cuisine: Kaiseki
Specializing in kaiseki near Matsue Castle, Teien Saryo Minami is one of the best restaurants in Shimane for a peaceful, refined meal. Kaiseki is the traditional multi-course eating style of Japan.
One of their best offerings is sea bream rice, a perfectly seasoned bowl loaded with umami. A memorable dinner results from the tasteful presentation and well-chosen seasonal cuisine. A nicely-kept Japanese garden enhances the atmosphere and makes this a wonderful spot to have a peaceful, first-rate meal.
6. Jitokko Kumiai Matsue Ekimaeten
Address: Shin-Ohashi-dori St, Teramachi, Matsue, Shimane 690-0063, Japan
Price: ¥4,000 – ¥6,000
Opening Hours: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Cuisine: Japanese
Jitokko Kumiai Matsue Ekimae Ten specializes in charcoal-grilled Miyazaki Jitokko chicken, cooked till juicy inside and crispy on the outside. Present with ponzu vinegar or yuzu pepper, every mouthful explodes in taste. Another must-try is the slightly fried chicken nanban, with its sweet and sour sauce. This is certainly one of the best restaurants in Shimane if you want well-cooked steak.
7. Yakumoan
Address: 308 Kitahoricho, Matsue Shimane Prefecture
Price: ¥1,000 – ¥3,000
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Cuisine: Soba
Yakumoan offers some of the greatest soba in Matsue. Its handcrafted noodles fit their light, citrus-infused duck soup. Crispy and delicious, the tempura choices go great with the thick broth. The restaurant’s location, next to Matsue Castle, features a peaceful garden and koi pond, which makes it a fantastic stop for both cuisine and ambiance.
8. Arakiya
Address: 409-2 Taishacho Kizukihigasi, Izumo 699-0701 Shimane Prefecture
Price: ¥1,000 – ¥3,000
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed Wednesdays)
Cuisine: Soba
Arakiya specializes in Izumo-style soba presented in three-tiered lacquer bowls. Raw egg and shredded daikon are among the toppings you might personalize each plate with. The subtly sophisticated taste of the dipping sauce accentuates the nutty taste of the buckwheat noodles. Their tempura, which includes prawns, eggplant, and mushrooms, goes great with each other. Though the portions are somewhat modest, the quality offsets this.
9. Nodoguro Nihonkai Izumoshi Ekimae
Address: 1271-5 Imaichicho, Izumo, Shimane Prefecture
Price: ¥2,000 – ¥6,000
Opening Hours: 4:30 PM – 11:00 PM (Closed Sundays)
Cuisine: Seafood
Grilled, steamed, or fried, this restaurant specializes in nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), a gently flavored fish. The menu lets you select cooking techniques and sizes, guaranteeing a meal fit for your taste. Fish lovers should visit this place since the freshness of the fish is unparalleled.
10. Sobadokoro Tanakaya
Address: 364 Taishacho Kizuki Higashi, Izumo 699-0701 Shimane Prefecture
Price: ¥2,000 – ¥3,000
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Closed Thursdays)
Cuisine: Soba
Tanakaya takes pride in using coarsely ground buckwheat flour to create their hand-made soba noodles. Three-styled cold soba is their hallmark dish, accompanied with several dipping sauces including Taisha Town’s rich soy-based broth. The thick, savory broth accentuates the noodles perfectly. Tanakaya is indeed one of the best restaurants in Shimane to satisfy your search for a real soba experience.
Final Thoughts
Matsue and Izumo offer incredible dining, from fresh seafood to handmade soba. Whether you crave local specialties or refined flavors, there’s something for every palate. Explore more restaurant guides on Jasumo!
