3 Best Restaurants in Kyushu, Japan

Part of the Yufuin Tamanoyu hotel, which until 1975 was a lodging for Zen Buddhist monks, this restaurant retains an air of solemnity. Multicourse menus include dishes such as salt-grilled fish, seasonal vegetables, and homemade kabosu (lime) sherbet, while vegetarian or vegan options can be prepared if given advanced notice.

Billing itself as "one of the most important historical restaurants of Japan," this quiet hilltop retreat is Nagasaki's most prestigious dining room with fine cuisine that matches its reputation. The interior wooden beams date to 1618. Meiji Restoration leader Ryoma Sakamoto once took a chunk out of a wooden pillar with his sword during a brawl; you can still see the gashes in the main dining room. With notice ahead of your visit, Kagetsu can provide special meals including vegetarian, nut-free, and halal.

This restaurant offers the best of Kumamoto specialties in a maze of private and semiprivate Japanese-style rooms. There's an English-language menu with helpful photos, and staff can give recommendations for dishes.