Grill Mitsuba

Grill Mitsuba is a long-established 'yoshoku' restaurant in central Beppu, serving the Japanese-Western comfort food that flourished in port cities from the early twentieth century onward. Set in the Kitahama district a short walk from the station and seafront, it has built a devoted following over many years for cooking that is rich, nostalgic and quietly refined, and it remains one of the city's standout non-onsen dining experiences.

Yoshoku is a cuisine of adaptation, born when Japanese cooks reinterpreted European dishes for local tastes, and Grill Mitsuba represents its finest expression: deeply savoury demi-glace sauces, tender braised meats, crisp fried croquettes and elegant plating that would not look out of place in an old-fashioned grand hotel dining room. The signature is the beef stew, chunks of meat simmered for hours in a glossy, mahogany-dark demi-glace until they yield at the touch of a spoon, the sauce concentrated into something profoundly rich yet balanced. Equally beloved are the crab cream croquettes, their crackling crumb giving way to a molten, delicately sweet filling, and the hayashi rice and beef cutlets that round out the menu.

The setting matches the food. This is a proper sit-down restaurant with attentive service and a calm, slightly formal atmosphere, the kind of place families mark special occasions and where solo diners are looked after with equal care. The recipes have been honed over generations, and the kitchen's consistency is a large part of why locals return again and again, often bringing visiting relatives to show off a taste of old Beppu.

What makes Grill Mitsuba worth seeking out is the way it preserves a culinary tradition that is increasingly rare. Classic owner-run yoshoku restaurants, with their labour-intensive sauces and unhurried standards, are disappearing across Japan, and dining at one is a small window into a mid-century world of aspiration and craft. The food is not flashy or trend-driven; it is simply very good, made properly, and served with pride.

For travellers, it offers a satisfying and characterful alternative to the region's hot-spring cuisine, ideal when you want a comforting, sit-down meal rather than a quick local snack. Lunch sets offer excellent value, while dinner allows a fuller exploration of the menu; reservations are wise, especially in the evening and on weekends, as the dining room is intimate and popular. Bring cash to be safe, allow a leisurely hour or more, and don't miss the beef stew, which is the dish that made the restaurant's name.

Warm, generous and steeped in the atmosphere of a bygone era, Grill Mitsuba shows that Beppu's food culture reaches well beyond steam and sulphur. It is a reminder that this seaside spa town has long been a place of hospitality and good living, where a bowl of slow-cooked stew can be every bit as memorable as a soak in a mineral bath.