[Hokkaido Touring] Recommended for Riders! 10 Cafes & Restaurants You Must Visit Once

5 MOUNTAIN KIOSK COFFEE (Niseko)

If you want a delicious breakfast in "Niseko," a world-class resort area now frequented by the wealthy from around the globe, MOUNTAIN KIOSK COFFEE is the place to go!

First off, let me clarify: this isn't a place where "breakfast costs 10,000 yen" (though that might be plausible in Niseko). While it attracts foreigners and the wealthy due to its location, it's a cafe where "even a commoner like me can afford it" (this is important).

This cafe is located in the town of Kutchan, the hub of the Niseko area. It opens at 8:30 AM. You can park your motorcycle in front of the shop, but be aware of the slope.

Sasurai Rider's Top Tip

If you're having breakfast at MOUNTAIN KIOSK COFFEE, I highly recommend the "Ham and Cheese Waffle." Paired with their self-roasted coffee, it's the perfect start to your day!

The interior, where you can constantly hear English spoken, creates an extraordinary atmosphere. The warm wooden interior is calming, and the staff's service is perfect! It's no wonder the wealthy flock here.

So, if you're looking for a little luxury during your tour, want to experience the quintessential Niseko, or are a rider who loves a foreign atmosphere (like me), this is the perfect spot.

6 Drive In Sokeshu (Kimobetsu Town)

Drive In Sokeshu is a cafe at the foot of Mt. Yotei, known as "Ezo Fuji" for its beautiful, Mt. Fuji-like conical shape.

This isn't your typical "old-school drive-in along the national highway," but rather a cafe brimming with modern, Instagrammable charm. Its main offerings are delicious bread for sale and lunch service.

The cafe is located within the grounds of "Kimobetsu Town Park," which offers a superb view of Mt. Yotei. You can park your motorcycle in the park's spacious parking lot.

Sasurai Rider's Top Tip

The food menu at Drive In Sokeshu primarily consists of plate meals, with light options like sandwiches also available.

Personally, I recommend not only the food but also the sweets. I was particularly charmed by the "Strawberry Crème Ange (a traditional rare cheesecake from the Anjou region of France)" – it was so feminine and delightful!

Since the establishment started as a bakery, buying bread after your meal to enjoy at your accommodation or campsite will further enhance your feminine charm!

7 UNO CAFE (Teshio Town)

UNO CAFE is a farm cafe run by Uno Farm, located in Teshio Town, a town in the northern Hokkaido region known for its dairy farming.

Its popularity surged after its soft serve ice cream was featured on the popular TV show "Matsuco's Unknown World," making it a top spot in Teshio Town!

On clear days, you can see Mt. Rishiri Fuji from this superb location. The parking lot is gravel but well-compacted, so it's fine for on-road motorcycles.

Sasurai Rider's Top Tip

The signature menu item at UNO CAFE is, of course, the soft serve ice cream. Although it looks small, it has a rich and refined flavor!

There are no flavors like chocolate or strawberry; they are purely competing with the quality of their soft serve ice cream – it's the real deal.

They offer a decent variety of hot and iced drinks, so please enjoy your favorite drink paired with their exquisite soft serve.

8 Photo Cafe Yufusha (Akkeshi Town)

Among the many wonderful cafes and restaurants in Hokkaido, my most cherished and supreme destination is "Photo Cafe Yufusha."

Located in "Akkeshi Town," the only place in Japan that can ship oysters year-round, it's a quiet and serene "adult space." Its solitary presence amidst the grasslands truly embodies "This is a Hokkaido cafe!"

It's a gallery and cafe run by photographer Shigeru Oyagi, with numerous beautiful photographs displayed inside.

Sasurai Rider's Top Tip

The standard menu item at Photo Cafe Yufusha is the "Freshly Baked Waffle Set," where you can enjoy fluffy waffles made with Hokkaido-grown wheat!

As you gaze out at the beautiful grasslands before you, with melodious music playing in the cafe... you might feel like you've achieved enlightenment, thinking, "Perhaps this is all one needs in life?"

So, if you're looking to ask yourself "What is life?" during your Hokkaido tour, you might find the answer here... (I found mine).

9 Restaurant Bokusya (Nakashibetsu Town)

Restaurant Bokusya is a pioneering farm restaurant, located near "Kaiyodai," a sacred place for riders within the sacred land of Hokkaido for riders – essentially, the sacred land of sacred lands!

Established in 1987, the restaurant has undergone several management changes over the years, eventually settling into its current form.

The specialties are the long-standing regular menu items, the "Bokusya Curry" and "Cottage Cheese Curry." The former is a rich curry simmered with beef shank, and the latter is the Bokusya Curry topped with "fried cottage cheese" (delicious!).

Sasurai Rider's Top Tip

Restaurant Bokusya is located within the vast grounds of "Saeki Farm." Right in front of it, there's an "unmanned bread stand."

Incredibly! In this day and age, you choose your desired bread from inside the store and calculate the price yourself, leaving the money... This system relies entirely on the honesty of customers!

This business model, which entrusts customers with their honesty, might be an opportunity to rediscover something we Japanese have forgotten... So, after enjoying the signature curry, let's buy some bread with a good conscience (it's delicious, of course).

10 Mugione (Obihiro City)

Mugione is an establishment in Obihiro City, Hokkaido's representative "bakery kingdom," that's like a "bread theme park."

It's the flagship store of "Masuya Pan," which originated in Obihiro. You can purchase freshly baked bread made in the open kitchen inside!

It opens incredibly early at 6:55 AM, and closes at 6:00 PM, which is quite late for a bakery... making it a great ally for us free-spirited touring riders, usable for breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks, or dinner.

Sasurai Rider's Top Tip

The biggest feature of Mugione is that you can enjoy the bread you buy inside the store right in the spacious garden on the premises. They also sell eat-in-only menus and drinks like coffee.

This is especially pleasant for morning visits on a sunny day, allowing you to enjoy an elegant start to your day! ...And it will make you lose the urge to ride...

There's also a large parking lot, making it a recommended spot for group tours for breakfast or lunch.