The Best Japanese Food in the Netherlands
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The best Japanese food in the Netherlands, according to the experts: the Michelin Guide and the Lekker 500 have both weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Yamazato comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Amsterdam and The Hague.
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Rura by Naomi & Joey and Senses hold the next two places. The Lekker 500 shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with the Michelin Guide next.
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Rank 1. Yamazato
Kaiseki Japanese
Staff in traditional yukata move between tables in a dining room of pale wood and quiet, the Japanese garden visible through the glass. Yamazato is a kaiseki restaurant holding a Michelin star, and the kitchen flies its ingredients in from Japan to keep the cooking as close to the source as possible. The chef's restraint is the whole point: a persimmon hollowed and stuffed, a salad that unfolds slowly. Depth over drama, every time.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
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Naomi and Joey run this cozy casual fine dining spot in Roermond on a set menu format, with separate vegetarian and meat-and-fish options. The chef pulls from flavors across Asia and beyond, building rich sauces around vegetables that anchor almost every plate. The Michelin Guide has selected it, and the Lekker 500 lists it too. Small room, unhurried pace, and the kind of cooking that makes you suspect more thought went in than the relaxed room lets on.
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #2. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #2 Rura by Naomi & Joey (this place) 84.067
- #2 Senses 84.067
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Rank 2. Senses
Japanese
Potato spaghetti with autumn truffle and katsuobushi, pulled together with a maitake mushroom cream, sets the tone for what this hotel restaurant is doing: Asian-inflected cooking where vegetables do most of the interesting work. The space leans lounge-y and deliberately stylish, the chefs come out to deliver dishes themselves, and the wine list is longer and more considered than the room would have you expect.
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #2. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #2 Rura by Naomi & Joey 84.067
- #2 Senses (this place) 84.067
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Rank 4. Hokkai Kitchen
Japanese
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
A Tie
Seven places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Hokkai Kitchen (this place) 79.016
- #4 Noble Kitchen 79.016
- #4 Oker 79.016
- #4 Otori 79.016
- #4 Sazanka 79.016
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Rank 4. Noble Kitchen
Robatayaki Japanese
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
A Tie
Seven places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Hokkai Kitchen 79.016
- #4 Noble Kitchen (this place) 79.016
- #4 Oker 79.016
- #4 Otori 79.016
- #4 Sazanka 79.016
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Rank 4. Oker
Creative Sushi
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
A Tie
Seven places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Hokkai Kitchen 79.016
- #4 Noble Kitchen 79.016
- #4 Oker (this place) 79.016
- #4 Otori 79.016
- #4 Sazanka 79.016
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Rank 4. Otori
Japanese
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
A Tie
Seven places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Noble Kitchen 79.016
- #4 Oker 79.016
- #4 Otori (this place) 79.016
- #4 Sazanka 79.016
- #4 The Red Sun 79.016
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Rank 4. Sazanka
Teppanyaki Japanese
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
A Tie
Seven places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Oker 79.016
- #4 Otori 79.016
- #4 Sazanka (this place) 79.016
- #4 The Red Sun 79.016
- #4 Three 79.016
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Rank 4. The Red Sun
Japanese
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
A Tie
Seven places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Oker 79.016
- #4 Otori 79.016
- #4 Sazanka 79.016
- #4 The Red Sun (this place) 79.016
- #4 Three 79.016
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Rank 4. Three
Japanese
The awards
- Lekker 500 Lekker 500: 2026 · Lekker 500
- Lekker 500 2026 · Lekker 500
A Tie
Seven places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Oker 79.016
- #4 Otori 79.016
- #4 Sazanka 79.016
- #4 The Red Sun 79.016
- #4 Three (this place) 79.016
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Rank 11. EN
Japanese
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #11. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #11 EN (this place) 68.544
- #11 Hanasato 68.544
- #11 Japans restaurant Shiro 68.544
- #11 Ramen Kitanoya 68.544
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Rank 11. Hanasato
Japanese
Shabu shabu is the move here: you dip thinly sliced meat, vegetables, and rice into a rich broth yourself, which is either very interactive or very therapeutic depending on your mood. This quiet Japanese restaurant follows the Washoku tradition, so expect sashimi with fresh wasabi and chawanmushi that smells like it took all afternoon. Pre-ordering is required, which keeps things unhurried once you arrive.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #11. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #11 EN 68.544
- #11 Hanasato (this place) 68.544
- #11 Japans restaurant Shiro 68.544
- #11 Ramen Kitanoya 68.544
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Rank 11. Japans restaurant Shiro
Japanese
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #11. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #11 EN 68.544
- #11 Hanasato 68.544
- #11 Japans restaurant Shiro (this place) 68.544
- #11 Ramen Kitanoya 68.544
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Rank 11. Ramen Kitanoya
Japanese Noodle Shop
A narrow side street in the centre of The Hague hides this small ramen shop, where the counter seats face an open kitchen and the broth has been going since before you woke up. The menu runs from house-made gyoza to bowls of chewy ramen in a chicken broth that layers umami, spice, and a little sweetness. No reservations, so the early arrivers get the counter stools and everyone else gets to stand outside wondering why they slept in.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #11. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #11 EN 68.544
- #11 Hanasato 68.544
- #11 Japans restaurant Shiro 68.544
- #11 Ramen Kitanoya (this place) 68.544