You can’t come to Japan and not try at least one sushi belt restaurant, otherwise it feels a bit criminal. Prior to visiting Kaitensuhi nemuro hanamaru, I had never been to a sushi belt before. You do have to be careful to make sure your eyes are not bigger than your stomach, but when everything looks so appetizing and delicious it’s so hard to resist. This sushi belt is located next to the JR Sapporo station, on the 3rd floor of Stellar Place. Unless you get there right at opening, or visit after lunch rush hour on a weekday, expect to wait at least 2 hours for a spot. We waited 2 hours the first time we visited, but we didn’t have the patience to wait on our return during our most recent trip. We will definitely try again next time, because it’s our favorite sushi belt so far in Sapporo, and I am craving that fresh otoro, ebi, kani, and more. You pay for what you eat; each plate is a specific color to determine the price. It’s not an expensive spot, unless you keep accumulating plates which isn’t exactly hard to do at a sushi belt!

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Looking for some delicious teppanyaki? We found it just outside of Susukino station. Steak and Wine Ishizaki was my first teppanyaki experience in Japan, and it did not disappoint. I’m not entirely sure how I was able to eat absolutely everything that was presented to me, but watching the chefs create some magic right in front of us on the grill definitely added to my eagerness to try as much as possible. Think of mouth-watering wagyu, sinfully decadent garlic fried rice, and probably the best Tempranillo I’ve ever had (I’ve been trying to find that bottle for myself at home but it’s hard to come by!). It’s not a cheap spot, but it’s well worth it’s price especially if you’re looking for an epic romantic date night or special occasion (in this case it was my birthday). We made a reservation through JPNEAZY about 2 weeks before our visit because we were visiting on a Saturday night.

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Okay, you’re probably thinking why would you go to Japan and eat pancakes? Well, after 3 days of pretty much all seafood, sushi, and steak, we were craving for something a bit different. We found J.S. Pancake Cafe while wandering Stellar Place. We were quite hungry, so when we saw a small line for this pancake restaurant we immediately peeked the menu and liked what we saw. We didn’t have to wait long at all, maybe 15 minutes maximum, before we were seated. Before we knew it, we were devouring fluffy strawberry pancakes and chocolate pancakes while sipping their “royal tea” (it tasted A LOT like Hong Kong milk tea, which made me happy). Pancakes for lunch ended up being a great way to break up all the tuna and wagyu, plus who doesn’t love a sweet treat like pancakes?

A restaurant entirely devoted to serving crab? Sure, sign me up. We have eaten at Hyousetsu no Mon twice now, on both of our Sapporo visits. On our first trip, it was the last spot we dined at and on our most recent trip, it was the first spot we dined at. Hokkaido is well known for it’s crab, and while February is peak crab season, we still got a hint of it while visiting in March. The restaurant is open year round though, and serves incredible multi-course meals all featuring crab. If you’re worried you’d get sick of crab after the second or third course, I can assure you that doesn’t happen. Each course prepares the crab completely differently. One course is raw, one course is cooked on a charcoal grill in front of you, one course is steamed, one course is poached in broth, etc. The accompanying flavors are also different each time. This spot definitely requires a reservation, as when we arrived there was a sign saying they were fully booked for the evening and were not accepting walk-ins, and this was on a Wednesday. We made a reservation here. If you’re looking to visit during crab season, you’ll need to book a reservation about 2-3 months in advance.

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Located on the top floor of the JR Tower Hotel Nikko, above JR Sapporo station, Sky J Restaurant and Bar provides the best view in all of Sapporo for the most romantic of date nights. If you time your reservation right, you can watch the sun set behind the majestic mountains in the distance as it leaves an orange glow over the night sky before welcoming the stars. Sky J Restaurant is most like a steakhouse, serving wagyu, seafood, vegetables, and delicious wine 35 floors up in the sky. I’d make a reservation, mostly because then you can reserve a romantic table by the window in advance.

Want one final slurp of some delicious, salty, buttery Hokkaido ramen before departing Japan? Then you’re in luck because there’s a delicious spot at New Chitose Airport called Keyaki. Normally I do not like to eat much before a flight because I am a bundle of nerves about flying, but when the beau mentioned he was hungry and wanted to grab some ramen, I couldn’t exactly sit there and not have one of my own. Hokkaido ramen is so rich and so delicious. The broth is perfectly seasoned, the noodles are curly and always cooked to perfection, and the customized flavors make each one different from the next. After eating at Menya Unga in Otaru, my standards were pretty high, and this ramen did not disappoint. Inexpensive and made fresh from broth that has been simmering for hours, it’s a great final way to end any trip to Hokkaido. Please note that this shop is located in the international departures terminal only.

I can’t end this list without at least one Hokkaido milk ice cream recommendation! If you’re in Hokkaido, you must absolutely try Hokkaido milk ice cream. It’s rich, creamy, and so full of flavor on its own that it doesn’t need any extra flavor (such as vanilla, chocolate, etc.). In Sapporo, we found Machimura Farm not far from our hotel and so on our last day we immediately ran there for one final cone.