Rin Unagi

Rin Unagi has earned a spot on Tabelog's Top 100 Unagi Restaurants list by treating Hamamatsu's signature ingredient with a fine-dining sensibility rather than the fast-turnover diner format common elsewhere in the city. The seasonal unaju tasting course changes with the eel supplier's best fish and is built around a charcoal-grilled shirayaki course that lets the eel's flavor stand on its own before the sauced dishes follow, and the kitchen rounds out the meal with side dishes built from other Hamamatsu-area produce. The dining room, a five-minute walk from Hamamatsu Station, is quieter and more composed than the city's casual eel counters, with low lighting, spaced-out tables, and no music competing with the sizzle of the grill; smart-casual dress fits the mood, though there is no strict code. The drink list favors regional sake selected to complement the richness of the grilled eel over an international wine program. Given the restaurant's reputation and limited seating, reservations are recommended and essentially required on weekends and holidays, ideally made several days in advance.