As a Hokkaido tourism expert with over 15 years of experience exploring the region, I have written over 1,000 travel articles for magazines and websites and have stayed at hundreds of hotels and inns across the region, including about 40-50 in Sapporo alone.

As the central city of Hokkaido, Sapporo boasts many lodging options, ranging from city hotels, business hotels, and inns to apartment hotels and guesthouses. Many of these accommodations pride themselves on their breakfast offerings, thanks to the abundance of fresh fish, meat, and dairy products from across Hokkaido.

So without further ado, I will now provide a quick guide with four points to keep in mind when selecting accommodation for their breakfasts, followed by five recommended hotels.

How enjoyable a meal is ultimately depends on individual taste and preference, but can also be influenced by the environment in which you eat. Hotel breakfasts generally come in two main types: buffet and set menu. Buffet breakfasts offer a wider selection of dishes for guests to choose from, while set menu breakfasts provide predetermined servings of food to each guest.

Accommodations in Sapporo come in different types. Some are buffet-style, some have set menus, and some offer combinations of both, with set menus plus a buffet of side dishes and other items.

Buffet-style hotels are recommended for those who want to enjoy a wide variety of dishes, catering to families and groups with diverse tastes.

On the other hand, hotels with set menus are best for those who prefer a more curated dining experience or simply don’t want to keep getting up to serve themselves at the buffet.

Sapporo boasts a rich culinary scene featuring local delicacies such as jingisukan, soup curry, sushi, seafood bowls, ramen, ramen salad, zangi, and more! And since Sapporo sources high-quality ingredients from all over Hokkaido, many places offer original dishes that make the most of these premium ingredients.

Some hotels offer buffet-style meals featuring local specialties and original dishes, while others provide set menus featuring the hotel’s signature dishes. Which hotel you choose ultimately depends on individual preference.

To gain insight into the kind of foods served at a hotel’s breakfast, we recommend checking out the descriptions and photos on the hotel’s official website and across other travel platforms. If the information you find is not enough, you can also look for word-of-mouth reviews on social media for recommendations.

Word-of-mouth reviews and social media content can be valuable sources for determining the quality of a hotel’s offerings. They provide insights into not only the food itself but also the atmosphere and user-friendliness of the environment.

However, it’s essential to approach such information cautiously and not rely on it 100%. Breakfast menus often vary from day to day, and of course, individual tastes also differ greatly. Moreover, the dining experience can be influenced by factors like mood and ambiance. But by reading and comparing a number of reviews, it can be easier to get a more comprehensive idea of which hotels have the best reputations for their breakfasts.

When selecting a hotel with breakfast, it’s important to consider the timing of the service, as a rushed or hectic breakfast can diminish one’s enjoyment of the meal.

For those planning to catch the early express train from Sapporo Station before 8 AM, your timing is important. A 7 AM breakfast will leave you in a rush, while a 6 AM start time allows for a more relaxed dining experience.

During peak hours, typically between 7 and 8 AM, hotel breakfast rooms tend to become crowded. However, if your planned departure time isn’t too early and if you’re in no particular rush, you may find it more convenient to opt for a hotel with a slightly later breakfast ending time.

Some hotels may offer the option to reserve breakfast either the day before or on the same day. However, in many cases, breakfast is only available with advanced reservations. To ensure availability, we recommend reserving your breakfast when booking your room.

Many accommodations in Sapporo are located in the city center near Sapporo Station, and scattered in suburban areas like Jozankei Onsen. In this article, we have carefully selected five hotels out of the hundred-plus options available in Sapporo. Each of them have been personally visited by Nobuka, and consistently receive high ratings and reviews. And notably, each of them boast excellent breakfasts!

At Cross Hotel Sapporo, guests can enjoy a buffet-style breakfast consisting of an impressive selection of nearly 60 dishes of both Japanese and Western cuisines. The menu includes original meals made from a variety of vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and other Hokkaido-produced specialties. In addition to soup curry, other local Hokkaido delicacies include fried hokke (mackerel), stewed jingisukan (a mutton dish), and zangi (fried chicken), all of which vary by day.

The allure of this restaurant lies in its customizable dining experience, where patrons can tailor an array of dishes to their own preference. You can also create your own original soup curry by picking your favorite ingredients, such as steamed and grilled vegetables or zangi, placing the in a bowl, and pouring the spicy soup over them. For added depth and richness, you can even add a drizzle of flavored oil. This delicious dish pairs excellently with not only rice, but also bread.

Choose your favorite bread from the available options, pick your cold vegetables, then make your open sandwich or burger with bacon, amongst other toppings. We recommend trying different arrangements until you create something to your liking.

In addition to ingredients like butter and honey, the salad corner also has truffle oil and lemon oil, as well as a selection of dressings. With such variety at your disposal, the flavor possibilities are endless!

Cross Hotel Sapporo's breakfast menu offers a variety of dishes designed to be enjoyed in different ways, so we recommend taking small portions of each on your plate. Opting for smaller servings allows you to fully appreciate the food without feeling full too quickly. During Nobuka's visit, she enjoyed the soup curry in three small portions, each with a different flavor.

Guest rooms are primarily designed for two people, although there are options available for solo travelers as well as groups of three or four. The concept of this hotel is "Staying with Art," and artworks adorn the walls of the hotel, with pieces by Hokkaido-based artists decorating the rooms on the standard floors.

Guests staying on the upper-level Cross Floors gain access to meetlounge, an exclusive lounge reserved solely for their use, adding an extra touch of luxury to their stay.

Breakfast at Onsen Ryokan Yuen Sapporo is a set menu of Japanese dishes. One of these is Japanese Gozen, prepared with seasonal Hokkaido ingredients. This option is perfect for those who really want to enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine!

The highlight of the Japanese-style set meal is the hokke hitsumabushi. Originating from Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture, hitsumabushi is a local delicacy of eel fillets broiled in sauce and served atop or accompanied by rice.

Onsen Ryokan Yuen Sapporo's Hitsumabushi is an original Hokkaido-style dish, inspired by the classic Nagoya City dish of the same name. However, the fish used here is not the traditional eel, but "hokke," or mackerel, a fish more commonly found throughout Hokkaido. And while hokke are sourced from all over the region, those from the Rausu and Wakkanai areas are particularly prized for their high fat content. They are then dried overnight, and prepared in a homemade sauce.

This dish can be enjoyed in three different ways. First, serve the hokke from the rice bowl into into a separate dish, and relish its fluffy texture and rich flavor as-is. Next, elevate the change of taste by pairing it with green onion, wasabi, and Japanese pepper. Finally, enjoy it as chazuke by pouring dashi broth over the remaining portion of your meal.

Breakfast here is more than just hokke hitsumabushi. At Onsen Ryokan Yuen Sapporo, guests are treated to a full-course meal that includes sashimi (like Hokkaido Sarufutsu scallops), appetizers, and hitsumabushi, along with a hearty soup and drink.

Another standout dish is the hassun, traditionally served in the middle of a kaiseki course, which is a sumptuous plate featuring a medley of seasonal delicacies from both the sea and mountains, ensuring a satisfying breakfast for all guests who enjoy it!

Onsen Ryokan Yuen Sapporo is an accommodation that epitomizes the essence of Japanese hospitality, drawing inspiration from the rich ryokan tradition. It has a large bathing area with an open-air bath—a rarity amongst lodgings in Sapporo. The open-air baths are supplied with rejuvenating spring water from Karurusu Onsen in Noboribetsu City, Hokkaido, offering guests the therapeutic benefits of natural hot springs during their stay.

All rooms include a yukata, tabi, and setta sandles, as well as either a shower or bath. Guests must remove their shoes in the bedroom, and can sleep on the tatami mats or on a low bed on a wooden floor.

A variety of room sizes are available to accommodate different group sizes, from 1- or 2-person rooms to 3- or 4-person rooms, with some featuring futons for additional guests. It's an ideal choice for those truly seeking to immerse themselves in Japanese culture.

The Sapporo Grand Hotel offers breakfast at a choice of several restaurants. The Northern Terrace Diner (East Wing, 1F) serves a 90-course Western and Japanese buffet-style breakfast, while Garden Dining Waraku (Main Wing, 4F) features a Japanese set menu with beautiful views of the Japanese garden.

Here are the breakfast offerings at Northern Terrace Diner. The menu features an array of dishes made from local Hokkaido ingredients, with many unique to the hotel. Guests particularly enjoy the fresh-cooked omelets prepared by the chef right before your eyes, amongst other demonstration items. While all the dishes are exceptional, we've carefully selected three must-try items, exclusive to Sapporo Grand Hotel!

First, let’s look at the Ramen Salad, one of Hokkaido's local delicacies. Interestingly, the Ramen Salad originated right here at Sapporo Grand Hotel, where the beer hall Big Jock opened on the first floor of the hotel's annex in 1985. The head cook at the time wanted to offer ramen that could be enjoyed even in summer, so he developed a new product that had never been offered before.

With its perfect pairing with beer and other alcoholic beverages, it quickly gained popularity, spreading to izakayas across Hokkaido and becoming a beloved regional dish.

Next, let’s check out the hotel bread, freshly baked by skilled boulangers right at the hotel's bakery. The bakery at the Sapporo Grand Hotel has earned a long-standing reputation among Sapporo residents for its deliciousness, and every item is of exceptional quality. You can also try it with butter and honey for breakfast!

Lastly is a selection of sweets, also crafted by the hotel’s bakery. Amongst them, the French toast and apple pie are must-try treats. The French toast is prepared by soaking the hotel’s bread overnight in their traditional corn soup, which is made from local Hokkaido corn and slow-baked in a low-heat oven. Meanwhile, the apple pie has been a longstanding favorite since the hotel’s inception in 1934, and is served with a modern twist while preserving its traditional essence.

The Sapporo Grand Hotel is directly connected to Chikaho, an underground passageway conveniently linking Sapporo Station to Odori Station. There are three buildings—the main building, the east wing, and the annex—with a wide range of room types available, from single and double rooms to more spacious ones capable of accommodating up to four guests. This variety allows guests to choose the accommodation best tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

At The Knot Sapporo, breakfast is a set menu featuring both Japanese and Western dishes, known as the Knot Orb Breakfast. This breakfast is served in a round “three-tiered oju,” a traditional stacked food box symbolic of Japanese food culture and typically reserved for special occasions or lavish meals.

The three-tiered box boasts a sleek, modern design and a spherical shape. Each tier is revealed in sequence. First, you remove the lid to unveil the top tier. Then, you lift the first tier to reveal the second tier. Finally, the third and final tier is revealed upon removing the second tier. It’s a fun, playful mechanism that adds an element of excitement to your meal, as guests eagerly anticipate the delicious delights hidden within each tier.

Dishes are prepared using primarily ingredients from Hokkaido, with the menu changing to reflect the seasons. The breakfast set includes the variety of dishes from the three-tiered Oju, the grilled fish of the day, homemade dashimaki egg, and salad.

On top of that, guests can also enjoy rice, miso soup, the bread of the day (made from Hokkaido wheat), and an array of beverages at the buffet corner, all of which can be refilled as desired. Guests can also choose from one of two extras: “Two Hokkaido Delicacies,” made to accompany rice, or the “Hokkaido Yogurt and Sweets from Senshuan" (a century-old confectionery on the hotel's first floor) for dessert.

For your reference, the contents of the three-tiered Oju from March to May 2024 are as follows:

The Knot Sapporo is directly connected from the hotel’s basement to the underground shopping arcade that runs from Odori Station to Susukino, providing access without exposure to rain or snow. It’s also highly convenient for shopping and dining, as it’s a brief two-minute stroll to Tanukikoji shopping street and downtown Susukino, which are popular attractions amongst tourists.

In the hotel lounge, you can use your “KNOT Coins,” the hotel's original currency that is given to guests at check-in which they can exchange for food and drinks (4 PM - 11 PM, Last order at 11:30 PM). The entrance fee is two original coins per person, and includes a welcome plate.

There are several room types suitable for two, all of which use Hokkaido materials in their construction, including Donan cedar wall surfaces and Sapporo soft stone night tables. The Deluxe King room has a spacious layout with a king-size bed and a stunning view, and is especially recommended for couples seeking a tranquil retreat.

Breakfast at Keio Preilia Hotel Sapporo is buffet-style, with Western-style meals that highlight the bounty of Hokkaido's seasonal ingredients. Those craving seafood can explore the affiliated restaurants outside the hotel for delights like kaisendon (seafood rice bowl).

However, if you're staying at Keio Prelia Hotel Sapporo, the hotel's Western-style cuisine is a must-try! The chef, bestowed with the title "Le Disciple d’Auguste Escoffier," a prestigious recognition among French culinary experts, personally explores producers across Hokkaido to craft original dishes using carefully selected local ingredients. Each ingredient is procured at the peak of its season, guaranteeing that every dish is an exquisite culinary experience.

The chef's demonstration menu showcases dishes made with seasonal ingredients (contents vary daily based on ingredient availability). You’ll be amazed as you wonder how one could possible indulge in such magnificent cuisine in the morning! The lavish appearance of the meals are sure to delight, as well!

All dishes are so delectable that you're bound to want to indulge! Here are three of the most notable menu items.

Rooms primarily consist of twin rooms for one or two guests, with some triple rooms equipped with three beds for groups of three. In addition to the large public bath, guests also love the ladies-only lounge and powder room.

Which of these hotel breakfasts grabbed your attention most? When traveling to Hokkaido, with its wonderful range of ingredients, selecting the perfect morning meal is essential.

Especially in Sapporo, where hotels abound, and foods are of top-notch quality, the array of breakfast options can be overwhelming. So take your time to research each location, and pick the hotel that perfectly suits your preferences. You’ll be practically guaranteed a delicious start to your day!

*Information in article as of March 2024. Please see official websites for the latest updates & information.

English translation by: Krys Suzuki