Where to Eat in Miyakojima: Restaurants We Loved
Last Updated on September 29, 2026 by Kay
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Miyako Island, or Miyakojima, is a destination known for its crystalline blue waters, but did you know that its food is some of the best I’ve had in Japan?
I’ve lived in Japan for almost two decades, and I’ve traveled extensively throughout the country. If there’s one place I’ve visited that I still think about in terms of food, it’s Miyakojima. If you go to the right restaurant, you’ll have an amazing experience in terms of not only food but also music and atmosphere.
In fact, if there’s one thing I recommend visitors to Miyakojima do, it’s to go to a local izakaya that has live music. It is so fun, and I still think about how wonderful our experience was.
In this article, I’ll share my family’s favorite eats so that you don’t have to waste time wondering where you should dine while visiting.
Miru Taiyo (美琉太陽)
We went to two izakayas in Miyakojima, which both need reservations because they’re small and extremely popular.
Miru Taiyo was our favorite of the two izakayas we visited. Every single food item we ordered was fantastic.
Make sure to get the fruit salad; it was heavenly!
I also recommend the taco rice croquettes:
The fresh sashimi:
The tofu chanpuru:
Make sure to get the korokoro mango sour (コロコロマンゴーサワー). It has real frozen Miyako mango on it and it’s heavenly (although it might be a little sweet for some people). They do both an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version, so kids can have it, too! (Just make sure to specify which one you want.)
The performance was so lively and fun, especially since the staff gets involved and they’re so genki (energetic) that it made my lips hurt from smiling so much! They also gave instruments to diners so they could play along. Our daughter got a drum, and she was so cute banging along to the rhythm.
Shimauta Izakaya Kiyama (島唄居酒屋 喜山)
If you want to try Miyako steak and sashimi, this is a great place to visit (although if there’s a typhoon, they might not have sashimi on the menu since they wouldn’t have been able to catch fresh fish).
Their tofu chanpuru was delicious, especially the tofu. Keep in mind that it’s topped with bonito.
I also enjoyed their Miyako beef pork gyoza:
They have an awamori tasting set that adults might want to try, but personally, I am not a fan of awamori. I thought I might find something I like with the tasting set, but even the supposedly “easiest to drink” option tasted like nail polish remover to me!
We absolutely loved the Miyako soba, it was the best we had for the entire trip. We would go back to this izakaya just to have that again!
Their garlic fried rice was also spot-on:
Like the aforementioned izakaya, this restaurant also has live shamisen music. Our family especially loved the Orion Beer song, which had fun movements that the audience is encouraged to do.
Blue Turtle
This is a lovely restaurant that has terrace seating from which you can see the ocean (and walk there as well, which is exactly what we did when we were done with our meal).
Their hamburg steak made with Miyako beef is so tender and juicy; I absolutely recommend trying it with the tomato sauce topping. I also loved the grilled veggies, which were fresh and cooked perfectly.
My husband got their Miyako soki (slow-cooked pork spare ribs) curry rice, which he really enjoyed as it was flavorful and the meat was tender:
My daughter got a kid’s curry set:
They also have ice cream served in fruit. My daughter got dragonfruit, and despite that she’s not the biggest fan of ice cream, she devoured the entire thing, and then she tried to eat the dragonfruit shell it was served inside (don’t do that, it’s not good).
Their cocktails are amazing, holy moly. I truly felt like I was on vacation when I had their dragonfruit one.
Next time, I think I will shell out a little more money to try their Miyako beef steak.
Make sure to get there as soon as they open if you want a seat near the ocean!
Blue Turtle Farm Mango Cafe
We loved Blue Turtle so much that we ended up going to their sister restaurant, Blue Turtle Farm Mango Cafe.
Here you can try Miyakojima mango, which is unbelievably delicious! I got the mango parfait while my daughter got the mango juice to go. The turtle cookie on the parfait was so cute (and delicious), and the mango was so good. But I wished I had more, which is why I should have just waited for a table and dined in so that I could have had half a mango that’s frozen at peak ripeness.
HARRY’S Shrimp Truck
If you like garlic shrimp, this is the place to go. The shrimp is fantastic (although not as large and plump as the one we had in Hawaii), and the view of the ocean is stunning!
We got Butter Garlic and Special. Both were good but we liked the spice in the Special one more.
They have a sink to wash your hands before and after you eat, which I really appreciated, as well as vending machines.
Doug’s Burger
This is a recommendation from my friend S; she said their tuna burgers are really good! There is also a vegetarian option, so whether you like beef, fish, or can’t eat meat, there is an option for everyone.
Right next to it, there is Doug’s cafe, which sells really good iced coffee.
If you’re wondering what to do in Miyakojima and how to plan your trip, make sure to check out my Miyakojima itinerary!