The thread that unites the best Japanese restaurants in Madrid is the respect for one of the most globalized gastronomies that often comes to us with a previous American filter that is not easy to get rid of. Something similar to what is happening to the italian cuisine and the china among others.
While the art of making sushi -Whether in the most purist way or with various influences, it has had worthy representatives in the capital for decades, soups, meats and other typical Japanese dishes have taken a little longer to arrive, but they are carving out their own niche.
1. Ikigai
Ikiagai is one of the most promising Japanese restaurants in the capital right now, and doubly so, with the opening of its new location in Velázquez. Yong Wu Nagahira bases his cuisine, in addition to his roots, on what he learned from Ginza chef Masaya Ohama.
At Ikigai they serve nigiris and gunkans of fish you never knew you could eat raw (sea bream, horse mackerel or sea urchin). Reasonable prices for the quality of the product and the certainty that every step taken is in the right direction.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de la Flor Baja, 5 (downtown) and Velázquez, 136 (Salamanca district)
2. Yugo The Bunker
Yugo the Bunker’s letter of introduction is its raw material, of extraordinary quality. It is impossible to find many of its products in a conventional (or specialized) supermarket. That alone makes it worthwhile. For this reason, of course, and for the michelin star which is a guarantor of its quality and which it has maintained since 2019.
Julián Mármol, the chef at the helm of this restaurant that is divided into two zones: one inspired by the traditional Izakaya tavern at the top and the perfect recreation of a World War II Japanese bunker downstairs.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de San Blas, 4 (Las Letras)
3. Yakiniku
As we said above, Japanese cuisine is making inroads in its many forms and Yakiniku is one of them. The central and differential axis of this Japanese restaurant is in its own grill of the Asian country and the meat they use. They are one of three restaurants that belong to the Kobe Distributors Association – the beef raised according to the tradition of Hyōgo (Japan).
All this could be summarized by explaining its name: yaki means grill and niuk means meat. The grill is distributed around the tables so that you prepare your own food, a concept that was imported from Orchestra where it is also very typical.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle Málaga, 3 (Chamberí)
4. Yokaloka
Yokaloka’s ramen inspired Isabel Coixet in her series Foodie Love, in which the protagonist claims it is the best ramen of the world. Yoka Kamada is the Japanese restaurant that has been located in the Antón Martín Market for more than 15 years with its Yokaloka.
It is the perfect place to enjoy a menu consisting of tonkotsu ramen , cooked for 12 hours slow fire, chicken gyozas and yokaloka (sushi set), accompanied by a good sake.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de Santa Isabel, 5 (Lavapiés)
5. Ugo Chan
Ugo Chan was one of the great openings of 2021 for the gastronomic expert Eric Vernacci in his interview with Madrid Secreto, and the Michelin guide, which gave him a star, agrees with his criteria. Chef Hugo Muñoz seeks constant change in his cuisine with a Japanese soul, and it is the season that governs his menu. So much so that its Omakase menu is prepared on the spot taking into account the tastes of the customer, as if it were tailor-made.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de Félix Boix, 6 (Chamartín)
6. Chuka Ramen
Chuka, as they define it, is the Japanese idea of Chinese gastronomy. But beyond the concept, and even though they are not a strict Japanese restaurant, the broth of the soups they serve has few comparisons. The consistency of this ramen is due to the fact that it is simmered for 24 hours.
Although the menu changes seasonally, but they usually serve three types of ramen: two hot, one generally more consistent than the other, and a third that is served cold and without broth.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de Echegaray, 9 (center).
7. Kappo
At Kappo, as in traditional Japanese restaurants, you don’t choose what you want to eat. Your decision-making power comes down to which chair you want to sit in (and not always). The chef serves the client between 15 and 20 dishes that he prepares live. It is only open in the evenings and with capacity for very few people. It is one of the most careful proposals of the city within the most conservative line of Japanese cuisine.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de Bretón de los Herreros, 54 (Chamberí)
8. Umiko
Umiko serves Japanese cuisine with Chinese, Spanish and French influences, among others. It has the recognition of the Repsol guide with two suns and of all the palates that have had the opportunity to taste it. And it’s no wonder that with chefs Juan Alcaide (formerly of DiverXO and Kabuki) and Pablo Álvarez heading the project, eating here is an experience. The classics on the menu are the paella nigiri (pictured above), the guo rong porra, the tuna curry and the shrimp ramen. A few meters away is its award-winning bakery one of the most interesting in the city.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de los Madrazo, 6 (downtown)
9. Hattori Hanzo
Hattori Hanzo honors with its name a legendary samurai through its philosophy of izakaya, a kind of Japanese tavern, in which some principles are respected such as homemade and daily elaboration, authenticity and respect for Japanese gastronomy or the seasonality and the cuisine of use.
This is one of the first Japanese restaurants in Madrid that moved away from sushi to bring dishes such as okonomiyaki, ramen or Japanese grill and is still known for it. Don’t miss their desserts, especially the Fuji, inspired by the mythical mountain.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle Mesonero Romanos, 1 (center)
10. Zuara
Zuara carries the weight of being in the place where DiverXo used to be, but this does not discourage them and in 2022 they premiered their first Michelin star. David Arauz, who already earned a star in 2020 at 99 KO Sushi Bar (now closed), seeks to transfer the simplicity, quality and elegance of sushi to the entire experience of this Japanese restaurant.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle Pensamiento, 28 (Tetuán)
11. Saku Izakaya
It’s easy to associate anything Japanese with sophistication, thanks to Japan’s own perfectionism, but sometimes finding the middle ground -between the good and the expensive- is not easy, Saku Izakaya succeeds.
It has a varied menu that includes the greatest hits of Japanese cuisine: sushi and ramen in its different forms. But their starters and desserts bring something more: fried tofu and katsu sando -a pork sandwich- to start and sesame panacotta to finish.
💶 €€€€€
📍 Calle de Olid, 15 (Chamberí)