Setsu Picks: 10 Must-Visit Restaurants in Niseko this Summer

Niseko’s green season is foodie season. With a thriving farming community, summer is the best season to get the freshest produce of vegetables and fruits Niseko has to offer. Highlighting Niseko’s diverse culinary landscape, we have listed down 10 restaurants we love and recommend that are open this summer 2024.

Japanese Cuisine

AFURI Ramen + Dumpling

Located at Setsu Niseko Hotel

Well-loved in both Japan and overseas, AFURI’s lone Hokkaido branch is in Setsu Niseko and is the only place you can try their famous signature dish, Yuzu Shio Ramen in the prefecture. With a menu that seasonally changes based on locally available ingredients, you are sure to find that AFURI in Niseko is quite different from its other branches.

AFURI is open daily from 11:00 – 15:00 and 17:00 – 22:00.

Locals Card Summer Offer: 1 Free Boiled Egg Topping
Price Range: ¥600 – ¥2,300

Sushi Kato INORI

Located at Setsu Niseko Hotel

If you are looking for an intimate kaiseki experience, Sushi Kato INORI is also open for the summer. With the freshest seafood ingredients hand-selected from the local markets of Iwanai, food lovers can enjoy the best seafood Hokkaido’s waters can offer. Sit at the sushi counter bar and be captivated by the chef’s masterful sushi-making skills.

Sushi Kato INORI is open from 11:30 – 14:00 and 17:30 – 21:00 every day except on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Dinner reservations are recommended to be made at least 2 days in advance.

Locals Card Summer Offer: 50% off Lunch Menu, 25% off Dinner Menu if reservations are made 3 days in advance.
Price Range: ¥2,500 – ¥55,000

Tempura Araki

Located at Setsu Niseko Hotel

Tempura Araki in Setsu Niseko is the sister restaurant of Sapporo’s two-Michelin star restaurant, Tempura Araki. With a dinner course that changes daily based on the local markets’ finest ingredients that day, let yourself be pleasantly surprised as the chefs prepare your meal right in front of your very eyes.

Tempura Araki is only open for dinner from 19:00. Reservations are required.

Price Range: ¥24,000 – ¥30,000

Tsubara Tsubara

Soup curry is a Hokkaido specialty and where else is the best place to try it other than its place of origin? Tsubara Tsubara is arguably the most famous soup curry shop in Niseko, using local ingredients and serving it in a thick and spicy soup with chunky vegetables and meat.

Tsubara Tsubara is open for lunch daily from 11:30 am – 14:30 except on Wednesdays.

Price Range: ¥1,500 – ¥3,500

International Cuisine

méli mélo -Yuki No Koe-

Located at Setsu Niseko Hotel

A casual all-day dining restaurant, méli mélo -Yuki No Koe- uses locally sourced ingredients to create European-inspired comfort dishes like pasta and pizza. With an open dining space and floor-to-ceiling windows, guests are treated to a fantastic view of Mt. Yotei on a clear day.

méli mélo -Yuki No Koe- is open daily from 7:00 – 10:00 for breakfast, 12:00 – 15:00 for lunch, and 17:00 for their dinner service. Their cafe is from 12:00 – 17:00. Dinner reservations are recommended.

Locals Card Summer Offer: 10% off total bill of breakfast, lunch, or cafe bar; ¥1,350 for Pasta or Pizza + Drink for Lunch (excluding Cheese, Cheese, Cheese Pizza)
Price Range: ¥1,600 – ¥8,000

China Kitchen

China Kitchen in Park Hyatt Niseko is the answer for your Chinese food cravings, enjoying various regional dishes from Cantonese to Sichuan cuisine. If you love dim sum, make sure to come on a weekend for an eat-all-you-can dim sum brunch.

China Kitchen is open every Friday to Sunday, and Public Holidays from 11:30 – 14:00 and 17:30 – 22:00.

Locals Card Summer Offer: 20% off à la carte Menu, Dim Sum Brunch, Lunch & Dinner Set Menu (excluding wine and premium items).
Price Range: ¥1,200 – ¥8,500

Taj Mahal

For an authentic Indian food experience, head on over to Taj Mahal, a chain of Indian restaurants, run by Indians, that has several branches all over the Niseko area. Choose from a variety of curries, naans, and biryani, or get them all in one plate with one of their set meals.

Taj Mahal Niseko Hirafu is open daily from 11:00 – 22:30.

Locals Card Summer Offer: 10% off dinner menu and takeout; free lassi, chai, or coffee with a lunch set; ¥500 beers between 16:00 – 18:00.
Price Range: ¥350 – ¥6,500

Graubünden

Graubünden is one of the few dining options in the area that you can go to for an early morning bite. An 8-minute walk from Setsu Niseko, Graubünden has been serving Niseko with their hearty sandwiches and cakes made from local ingredients since 1990, making them the oldest cafe in the area.

Graubünden is open daily from 8:00 – 17:00 except on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Locals Card Summer Offer: ¥100 off of Sandwiches and Crowaffle
Price Range: ¥600 – ¥2,000

After Meal Treats

Takahashi Dairy Farm Milk Kobo

If there is one thing Hokkaido is famous for, it’s milk, and right in Niseko is the Takahashi Dairy Farm where they serve dairy products made from milk produced by their farm. The farm itself has several different specialty stores such as Cacao Crown for their chocolate products and Mandriano for their pizzas. However, their main store is Milk Kobo, which serves sweet treats including ice cream, cheese tarts, cakes, pudding, and more.

Takahashi Dairy Farm Milk Kobo is open daily from 9:30 – 18:00.

Price Range: ¥300 – ¥2,000

Park90

Located at Setsu Niseko Hotel

Park90 is a wine bar located inside Setsu Niseko where customers can choose from their collection of over 300 wines carefully curated from their network of chateaux, wine partners, and merchants. If you’re looking for a bite to eat with your glass of wine, gourmet bites from méli mélo -Yuki No Koe- are also available, which is designed to pair well with Park90’s wine selection.

Park90 is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and select days from 17:30 – 23:00.

Locals Card Summer Offer: 10% off
Price Range: ¥600 ～