Best Yakiniku in Kyoto: 9 Places to Eat

JGO! editorial team — WEBMARKS Inc. (Fujisawa, Kanagawa)

For a special dinner, book a wagyu course at YAZAWA or Gion Karoku. For a more casual meal, try Aje’s salt-seasoned offal or Hiro’s original restaurant near Nijo Station. If you’re shopping around Kyoto Kawaramachi, MARUTOMI makes an easy lunch stop.

Yakiniku is a meal of grilled meat, usually cooked in small portions at the table. Kyoto’s restaurants range from lively offal specialists to traditional townhouses with private rooms, so the best choice depends as much on your itinerary as on the beef.

Compare Kyoto’s Yakiniku Restaurants

For an inexpensive starting point, MARUTOMI’s facility lists budgets from ¥1,000 at lunch and ¥3,000 at dinner. Those are budget guides rather than prices for particular dishes. Hiro’s published dishes and courses give a more specific way to plan an order. (kyoto-kawaramachigarden.com)

Yakiniku Around Shijo and the Kamo River

1. Yakiniku YAZAWA Kyoto

Choose it for: A polished wagyu dinner and a course you can reserve online.

YAZAWA selects Japanese Black cattle beef by cut. Its TableCheck page lists a ¥14,000 tax-inclusive course without a finishing rice or noodle dish, and a ¥16,000 course with a choice of finishing dish and dessert. The latter includes tongue, skirt steak, sirloin and other selected cuts. You can also reserve a table and order from the menu when you arrive.

Dinner is served from 5 to 10:30 p.m., with last orders at 10 p.m. On weekends and holidays, there is also lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The restaurant closes from December 31 through January 2. TableCheck lists a two-hour seating period; call 075-352-2914 if you want a private room.

YAZAWA provides an English dinner menu that is useful for learning the names of cuts before your meal. Its restaurant page gives the address in the Shijo area. Find YAZAWA on a map. (valuet.co.jp)

2. Aje Matsubara Honten

Choose it for: Hoso shio, Aje’s salt-seasoned small intestine, and a more casual offal-focused meal.

At Aje, start with the house specialty, then add a different cut and rice or vegetables. Hoso is a good choice if you enjoy rich, fatty offal; ask the staff for grilling guidance and let it cook thoroughly.

The main-store page lists hours of 5–11 p.m. on weekdays and 4–11 p.m. on weekends and holidays. It closes Wednesday and Thursday and may finish earlier if it sells out. Reservations are accepted on weekdays; call 075-352-5757 with your preferred time and party size. For a weekend visit, give yourself room in the schedule rather than planning around a tight departure.

Aje is in the Matsubara area, south of central Shijo. Find Aje Matsubara Honten on a map. (aje.to)

3. Horumon Chiba Honten

Choose it for: An evening centered on horumon, or grilled offal, near the Kamo River.

Chiba is a useful contrast to a course built around premium loin and sirloin: come here when you want to explore offal and ask the staff which cuts they recommend. If members of your group prefer lean meat or do not eat particular organs, mention that when ordering.

The official branch listing gives the address as 234-1 Sendocho, Shimogyo Ward. It lists dinner from 5 to 11 p.m., with last order at 10 p.m., and accepts reservations. Call 075-352-6162 to request a table. Pair it with an evening around Kawaramachi or the river rather than confusing it with the group’s Tokyo branches.

Find Horumon Chiba Honten on a map. (chiba-group.jp)

4. YAKINIKU MARUTOMI

Choose it for: A convenient lunch or dinner while shopping around Kyoto Kawaramachi.

MARUTOMI is on the eighth floor of Kyoto Kawaramachi Garden. The restaurant serves owner-selected beef, including Japanese Black wagyu, and has counter, table and sunken seating. The facility’s English listing notes an English menu and children’s chairs.

The facility lists budget guides starting at ¥1,000 for lunch and ¥3,000 for dinner. Lunch is listed from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with last order at 1:45 p.m.; dinner runs from 5 to 10 p.m., with food last order at 9 p.m. Reservations are available: call 075-221-2329 and ask for the lunch or dinner menu that suits your group.

This is a practical choice if one person wants to browse shops while another would rather sit down for a meal. Find MARUTOMI on a map. (kyoto-kawaramachigarden.com)

Yakiniku in Gion

5. Gion Karoku

Choose it for: Charcoal-grilled wagyu and a long dinner after exploring Higashiyama.

Karoku serves Japanese Black cattle beef in a historic Gion building. Its ¥12,000 Karoku course includes tongue, selected salted and sauced cuts, skirt steak, offal, cold noodles and seasonal shaved ice. The English booking page lists that price with tax included and service charge separate. A premium course is listed at ¥18,000.

Lunch is by reservation, with requests due by 10 p.m. the previous day; lunch is unavailable on Tuesdays. Dinner is listed from 5 to 11 p.m., and Monday is the regular closing day. Call 075-561-6500 or use TableCheck to book. At lunch, the booking page also asks each guest to order a drink.

Karoku works well after a day around Gion and the eastern temples: make dinner the final stop rather than rushing through the course to reach another activity. See Karoku’s access page or find it on a map. (gionkarokuonline.com)

6. Hiro Gion Yamanaan

Choose it for: A townhouse setting, a private room and a planned course dinner.

Beside Gion Shirakawa, Yamanaan occupies a building associated with a historic inn. The restaurant offers counter seats and private rooms, including rooms for two. It is a good match for couples or groups who want a quieter setting than a busy shopping-street dining room.

The official Japanese menu lists the Tatsumi course at ¥6,000, Gion at ¥8,000 and Yamana at ¥10,000, all tax-inclusive. The Yamana course includes selected grilled beef, a chateaubriand steak, a choice of finishing dish and dessert. There is also an à la carte menu.

Hiro lists the branch as a four-minute walk from Keihan Gion-Shijo Station and a five-minute walk from Hankyu Kyoto Kawaramachi Station. Dinner is served from 5 to 11 p.m. Use the English branch page for directions and the booking link; English reservation assistance is available through Hiro’s site. The restaurant states that wheelchair use inside this branch is not possible.

Find Hiro Gion Yamanaan on a map. (yakiniku-hiro.com)

7. Tendan Gion Honten

Choose it for: A lighter-tasting dipping sauce, a choice of dining rooms and a family meal.

Tendan’s signature is grilled beef served with a clear, beef-bone-based dipping sauce. Try the loin with the sauce, or order the mille-feuille loin, made by layering thin slices of meat. The second-floor dining room has tables, counter seating, private rooms and facilities for children; the third-floor Royal Floor offers charcoal grilling in private rooms.

The Gion Honten page lists weekday hours of 5–11 p.m. and weekend and holiday hours of 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. The Royal Floor closes between 3 and 5 p.m. Call 075-551-4129 or start with Tendan’s reservation page, specifying the Gion main store and your preferred floor.

For an occasion meal, ask about a private room and the menu for that floor. For a relaxed family outing, the second-floor facilities make this a useful option after a walk along the river. Find Tendan Gion Honten on a map. (tendan.co.jp)

Chef’s Choice and a Meal Near Nijo Station

8. Yakiniku Yamachan

Choose it for: An omakase dinner where the meal is selected by the chef.

Yamachan combines wagyu and offal with dishes inspired by Japanese cooking, including gentle dashi flavors. It is a better fit for travelers who want to settle in for a complete meal than for someone looking for a quick plate between stops.

The restaurant’s official page gives a ¥20,000–¥29,999 budget range for its omakase course. It lists dinner from 6 to 11:30 p.m. and Wednesday as the regular closing day. The restaurant is a four-minute walk from Hankyu Kyoto Kawaramachi Station, not Kyoto Station.

Book through the web link on the restaurant page or call 075-366-4829. When arranging the meal, mention any ingredients you cannot eat and ask for the expected total, including drinks. Find Yamachan on a map. (tominokoji-yamagishi.com)

9. Hiro Senbon Sanjo Main Store

Choose it for: A casual wagyu meal near Nijo Station, with options for both small parties and larger groups.

Hiro’s original restaurant occupies a renovated townhouse facing the Sanjo shopping street. Its menu includes a daily assortment of selected cuts, thick-cut tongue and individual dishes. On the official menu, thin-sliced loin is ¥980, salted beef tongue is ¥1,180 and black-pepper grilled heart is ¥480; prices include tax.

For parties of at least six, Hiro lists all-you-can-drink banquet courses at ¥5,000, ¥6,000 and ¥7,000 per person. The plans have a 90-minute last order for drinks and a 120-minute seating period. These are all-you-can-drink, not all-you-can-eat, courses.

The English branch page lists a three-minute walk from JR and subway Nijo Station and dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. It describes partial wheelchair access, while noting that the toilet is not wheelchair-accessible. Use the branch’s online booking link or call 075-812-8929.

Find Hiro Senbon Sanjo on a map. (yakiniku-hiro.com)

How Much Should You Budget?

The published options cover several styles of meal:

• A casual lunch: MARUTOMI’s facility guide starts its lunch budget at ¥1,000. Choose from the restaurant’s menu and add drinks or sides as you wish.
• À la carte dinner: Hiro Senbon Sanjo lists individual plates, so you can build a meal around a few cuts, rice and vegetables. For example, its ¥980 loin and ¥1,180 tongue total ¥2,160 before other dishes and drinks.
• A set dinner: Hiro Gion Yamanaan’s courses start at ¥6,000; Karoku’s ¥12,000 course has a separate service charge.
• A special-occasion meal: YAZAWA lists courses at ¥14,000 and ¥16,000, while Yamachan publishes a ¥20,000–¥29,999 omakase budget range. (kyoto-kawaramachigarden.com)

When comparing a course with individual plates, look at the whole meal: a course may include starters, several cuts and a finishing dish, while drinks may be ordered separately. Ask, “What is the total per person including tax and service?” If you have a fixed ceiling, give the restaurant that number when booking.

Booking, Getting Around and Ordering

Book the branch, not just the restaurant name. Hiro’s Senbon Sanjo and Gion Yamanaan branches have different menus and settings. Save the branch name and address with your confirmation. YAZAWA asks guests to use TableCheck or call directly; its booking page says it does not accept reservations through AutoReserve. (tablecheck.com)

Build your meal into the day’s route. MARUTOMI and Yamachan suit a Kyoto Kawaramachi shopping day; Karoku, Yamanaan and Tendan fit an evening in Gion. Hiro Senbon Sanjo is convenient from Nijo Station. Kyoto Kawaramachi Station and Kyoto Station are different places, so enter the full station name when planning your journey.

Allow time to eat. A leisurely dinner is easier to enjoy without a train departure immediately afterward. As a planning starting point, leave about two hours for a sit-down meal; YAZAWA’s booking page and Hiro’s group plans each specify a two-hour seating period. For an omakase dinner, ask the restaurant how long to allow. (tablecheck.com)

Ask for the table you need. For a group, say: “We are six people. Can we sit together, and is a course required?” For step-free access, ask specifically about the entrance, table and toilet. Parents can ask for a child’s chair or a room away from the grill.

Order and grill in stages. Start with a few cuts rather than filling the grill at once. Add rice, kimchi, salad or vegetables, then order another plate if you are still hungry. Use separate utensils for raw meat and cooked food, and ask staff how thoroughly to cook unfamiliar cuts. If someone has an allergy, name the ingredient and ask about marinades, dipping sauces and side dishes as well as the meat.

FAQ

Which restaurant is easiest for English speakers?

MARUTOMI’s facility listing notes an English menu. Hiro has English branch pages and reservation assistance, while YAZAWA publishes a dinner menu in English and offers online booking. (kyoto-kawaramachigarden.com)

Where can I eat yakiniku at lunch?

MARUTOMI lists daily lunch hours. YAZAWA and Tendan Gion Honten list lunch on weekends and holidays. Karoku offers lunch by advance reservation, except on its listed lunch closing days. (kyoto-kawaramachigarden.com)

Is there an all-you-can-eat choice?

Tendan identifies its Takeda branch as offering an order-buffet plan. That is a different branch from Gion Honten; contact Takeda for its current plan, eligible dishes and time limit. Hiro Senbon Sanjo’s group courses include all-you-can-drink, not all-you-can-eat. (tendan.co.jp)

Can I go alone or with a vegetarian companion?

For a solo meal, ask whether a counter seat or table for one is available. If someone does not eat meat, ask whether the branch can provide a satisfying meal and whether sauces, soups and side dishes contain meat or fish stock.

References

• YAZAWA: Restaurant and hours · Dinner menu · Courses and reservations · Map
• Aje: Matsubara Honten · Map
• Horumon Chiba: Official branch information · Map
• Gion Karoku: Courses · Access and hours · Reservations · Map
• Yamachan: Restaurant and reservations · Map
• Hiro Senbon Sanjo: English branch page · Japanese menu · Map
• Hiro Gion Yamanaan: English branch page · Japanese menu · Map
• MARUTOMI: Kyoto Kawaramachi Garden listing · Map
• Tendan: Gion Honten · Reservations and branches · Map

Prices, hours and booking information checked November 7, 2026; confirm the branch and current terms before visiting.