Nikko, Tochigi, Japan｜Hanamusubi Izakaya

Unassuming, family-run tavern with spectacular food. They mostly serve small portions that are meant to be shared, like chicken skewers, grilled scallops or fried oysters. We were not entirely sure what we were ordering since there is no English menu. The staff hardly speak any English either, but they go out of their way to help you ordering. The easiest way is probably to show them pictures of what you want here on Google Maps, or use Google Lens to translate the menu. In any case, we enjoyed all five plates we had, our favorite being the pork dumplings. Prices are more than reasonable, given the quality of the food. Note that the kitchen is right behind the counter inside the dining area, so your clothes may end up smelling like food. If there's a "FULL" sign on the front door, go in anyway and ask whether they have space for you—it worked in our case.

Great little family restaurant. Kind of hard to find (no proper signage out the front). Food was delicious. No English menu but the owners are more than happy to help you out and recommend a dish. Price was also not expensive.

Had an incredible izakaya experience here, definitely the most authentic for a while. As a caveat for travellers though, this authenticity results from having very limited English being spoken, no English menu and when I visited, was fully booked which made for a fast-paced environment. If you can read hiragana and order food/drinks in Japanese, you’ll have no issues. Otherwise, I’d suggest coming prepared and having an idea of what you want beforehand. But I digress, the generations of family members cooking, serving, cleaning and pouring drinks was a spectacle to watch and the food was delicious.