The Verdict
Sumiyaki Unafuji is a Nagoya eel specialist founded in 1995, with its main store in the Shirogane area of Showa-ku and several branches that have since opened across Nagoya and into Tokyo. In about twenty-five years it has gone from a single shop to a name that appears in the Michelin Guide and on Tabelog’s Top 100 Restaurants list, recognised in 2018 and 2019.
The kitchen works only with oversized eel — the so-called blue eel, more than thirty per cent larger than standard — grilled over charcoal at very high heat so the skin crisps while the flesh stays soft. The house specialty is the eel rice bowl topped with plump, fatty liver, and the liver hitsumabushi built on the same idea. A hitsumabushi here generally runs about 4,400 to 5,600 yen.
This is a focused, single-subject restaurant rather than a broad Japanese menu, and the room is functional rather than refined. The reason to go is the eel itself: the charcoal work and the liver topping are what set Unafuji apart from the city’s many hitsumabushi houses.
What to Order
The signature is the eel rice bowl topped with rich, fatty liver, and the liver hitsumabushi that applies the same idea to Nagoya’s traditional layered eel bowl — both built on oversized blue eel grilled over charcoal. A standard hitsumabushi runs about 4,400 to 5,600 yen. Eat the hitsumabushi the local way: plain first, then with the condiments, then with the dashi poured over as ochazuke for the last third.
The Room
The main store sits at 1-1-4 Shirogane in Showa-ku, Nagoya, with further branches now open across the city and in Tokyo. The rooms are built around the charcoal grill and the eel rather than for lingering, and seating fills quickly at lunch. Because the group runs several locations, check which branch you are booking; the Showa-ku original is the founding shop.
Why It Works for a Focused Meal
Unafuji is a single-subject eel house, which makes it a clean choice for a solo counter lunch, a quiet shared bowl on a first date, or a small treat for a birthday built around the liver-topped hitsumabushi. The charcoal-grilled blue eel and the Tabelog Top 100 standing give it a clear identity that does not depend on a long menu or a grand room.
Not For
It is not a special-occasion fine-dining room or a place for a long, multi-course evening; it is a specialist eel house with a functional dining room and quick turnover. Anyone who does not eat eel will find little here, and diners hoping for a quiet, leisurely meal should avoid the lunch rush at the main store and the busier branches.
Reservations
Reservations are recommended, particularly at the founding Showa-ku store, and the group accepts bookings for the main locations. Confirm which branch you are reserving, since Unafuji now runs several across Nagoya and Tokyo. Lunch is the busiest service, so book ahead or arrive early to avoid the longest waits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sumiyaki Unafuji known for?
It is a Nagoya eel specialist known for charcoal-grilling oversized blue eel and, above all, for its eel rice bowl topped with rich, fatty liver and the matching liver hitsumabushi. Founded in 1995, it appears in the Michelin Guide and was named to Tabelog’s Top 100 Restaurants in 2018 and 2019.
How much does a meal at Sumiyaki Unafuji cost?
A hitsumabushi or eel rice bowl generally runs about 4,400 to 5,600 yen, depending on size and on the liver-topped option. That makes it a mid-range lunch or dinner for the quality of eel involved, well below tasting-menu territory but above a standard rice-bowl shop.
Where is Sumiyaki Unafuji's main store?
The founding store is at 1-1-4 Shirogane in Showa-ku, Nagoya. The group has since opened several branches across Nagoya and into Tokyo, so when booking it helps to confirm which location you want; the Showa-ku shop is the original from 1995.
What is hitsumabushi and how do you eat it?
Hitsumabushi is Nagoya’s layered grilled-eel rice bowl. The local custom is to eat it in thirds: plain first to taste the eel, then with condiments such as spring onion and wasabi, and finally with dashi or tea poured over as ochazuke. At Unafuji it is built on charcoal-grilled blue eel.
Also in Nagoya
For a broader Nagoya tour, the 400-year-old kaiseki house Kawabun, the refined Nihonryori Hijikata and the sushi counter Sushi Shunbi Nishikawa show other sides of the city’s cooking. Each is linked below.