Day Trips from SapporoRestaurant Boyotei, Lake Toya: A Western-Style Diner Since 1946
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- A Western-style restaurant in Toyako Onsen, open since 1946, with a retro coffee-house feel
- Try the pork chop with the house sauce, or the hamburg steak on a sizzling plate
- 11:00–15:30 and 17:00–20:30; closed on Wednesdays
- Busy at lunch: arrive at 11:00; a few minutes from the lakeshore
Restaurant Boyotei is a Western-style restaurant in Toyako Onsen, the hot spring town on the south shore of Lake Toya. It opened in 1946, and inside it has the calm, slightly old-fashioned feel of a Japanese coffee house. The menu is long, but the two I recommend are the pork chop and the hamburg steak.
Pork chop and hamburg steak
The pork chop comes in Boyotei's own sauce, which goes perfectly with the pork, and the portion fills you up.
The hamburg steak, of beef and pork, comes on a sizzling iron plate under plenty of demi-glace; the slightly tangy sauce and the soft patty are excellent together.
It is popular and gets busy at lunchtime, so go early; it opens at 11:00. As it happens, the baseball legend Sadaharu Oh has eaten here: his autograph, signed "doryoku" (effort), hung above the seat I happened to sit in.
Fans of the anime Celestial Method may know it as the family home of the character Yuzuki; there was a limited clear file on sale.
The menu
The official site lists as popular: hamburg steak (200 g), the hamburg set (160 g, with rice and coffee), spaghetti Napolitan, butter-grilled salmon and pork chop (200 g). I had the pork chop and the hamburg steak. There are also courses with soup, a main, rice and coffee, and a salmon roe bowl; in winter, onion gratin soup and nabeyaki udon are added. Prices are not on the official site, so check the menu in the shop, and ask whether cards are accepted.
Hours and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | 11:00–15:30 (last order 14:30); 17:00–20:30 (last order 19:30) |
| Closed | Wednesdays (as of July 2026, per its X account), plus occasional closures |
| Seats | 44 at tables, 8 at the counter, 28 on the veranda in summer |
| Parking | About 10 cars; the large Toyako parking lot is 2–3 minutes away on foot |
See the official site (in Japanese) for notices.
How to get there
From Sapporo: about two and a half hours including breaks. Take the Do-o Expressway toward Tomakomai and Muroran and leave at Abuta-Toyako IC (Date IC for the Usu side). Tarumae SA and Usuzan SA both have viewpoints worth a break.
From New Chitose Airport: about an hour and three quarters on the same expressway. From Abuta-Toyako IC, follow Route 230 to the lake and turn right into the hot spring town.
Near Boyotei
The lakeshore and the cruise boat pier are a minute or two away on foot.
Nakajima Island, Lake Toya: The Cruise, Landing and the Daiheigen WalkA local's guide to Nakajima, the islands in the middle of Lake Toya: the cruise from Toyako Onsen (1,800 yen), landing on Oshima from late April to October, the forest museum, the walk to the Daiheigen meadow, schedules and parking.
Toya Kohantei Day Bath: A Ninth-Floor Hot Spring Over Lake ToyaA local's guide to the day bath at Toya Kohantei in the Lake Toya hot spring town: the ninth-floor bath looking over the lake, the sauna, the water, price, hours and parking.
Lake Toya Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's Route, Viewpoints and OnsenA local's day trip from Sapporo to Lake Toya by car: Mt. Usu, a lakeside lunch, an onsen with a lake view and the quiet viewpoints on the north shore, with tolls, parking and winter tips.
FAQ about Restaurant Boyotei
Q1. What should I order at Boyotei?
The pork chop or the hamburg steak.
Q2. When is it closed?
On Wednesdays, plus occasional closures.
Q3. Is there parking?
About 10 spaces, or use the large Toyako parking lot nearby.