Wagyu (Japanese beef) is a kind of high-quality beef that is famous for its soft texture that just melts in your mouth. With different types to choose from, including Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef, Wagyu is definitely something you have to try when you visit Japan. Below are 10 recommended restaurants serving Wagyu yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) in Kyoto that have menus in different languages!
[Kyoto Station Area]
Daishogun Kyoto Ekimae Branch
Daishogun is a yakiniku restaurant that serves premium Japanese Black beef at affordable prices. You can choose your course depending on your budget at this restaurant - from the reasonably priced banquet course that offers Japanese Black beef and other carefully selected beefs, to the special course featuring items such as marbled meat that would melt in your mouth. Take note of the selection of dipping sauces for the meats as well. The sauces are made differently depending on what cut of beef they should be eaten with.
Foreign language menus: English, Chinese (simplified), and Korean
Foreign languages spoken by staff: English
Average budget: 3,500 JPY (790 JPY for lunch)
Pound Kyoto Ekimae Branch
Pound is a restaurant where you can enjoy aged Kobe beef and Japanese Black beef. The dry-aged beef, the pride of this restaurant, is set aside for about three weeks under strict quality control. The excess muscles and fat are scraped off to condense the delicious flavors, and the fragrant aroma of the beef will surely whet your appetite. There is also a wide selection of wine, all of which make for a perfect accompaniment to the robust flavors of the aged meat.
Foreign language menus: English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), and Korean
Average budget: 5,000 JPY (1,200 JPY for lunch)
[Shijo Karasuma Area]
ICHIBA COJI Karasuma Branch
ICHIBA COJI is a yakiniku restaurant that buys whole Japanese Black cattle that have been carefully selected, so you can order and enjoy various cuts of meat, including rare ones. Their menu offers a wide selection of dishes and courses, including the Honjitsu no Gensen 7-shu Moriawase (assortment of seven handpicked cuts of the day) featuring recommended cuts, the Yakiniku Lunch at lunchtime, and the Enkai Course with choice Japanese Black beef prepared in different ways. This restaurant uses smokeless grill, so you can enjoy yourself without having to worry about the smell.
Foreign language menus: English and Chinese (simplified)
Average budget: 4,500 JPY (1,800 JPY for lunch)
Matsusaka Beef WHAT'S Kyoto Muromachi Branch
Matsusaka Beef WHAT'S is a restaurant where you can eat yakiniku in an 80-year-old Kyo-machiya (traditional townhouse of Kyoto). This restaurant, with an atmosphere that would take you back in time, has authentic Japanese-style private rooms as well as sofa seating where you can sit back and enjoy your meal. They serve Matsusaka beef, one of the three best Wagyu of Japan. You can eat top-quality Wagyu to your heart's content at a reasonable price, which is only possible because they buy the whole head of cattle. Furthermore, they use Nefesh Rock Salt from the Himalayas and raw wasabi to draw out the flavors of the beef.
Foreign language menus: English
Foreign languages spoken by staff: English and Chinese
Average budget: 8,000 JPY
Ittetsu Grazie
Ittetsu Grazie is a yakiniku bar where you can have reasonably-priced Japanese Black beef along with wine and beer. They are known to have a rich variety of dishes on their menu. For example, the Grazie Moriawase (Niku no Kaidan) (Grazie assortment - a staircase of meat) comes with five premium cuts of meat and looks great in addition to tasting delicious. The Tongue Bouquet, a tongue dish that you're going to want to upload onto your social media, is also recommended.
Foreign language menus: English, Chinese (simplified), and Korean
Average budget: 3,900 JPY (1,000 JPY for lunch)
[Kawaramachi Area]
YARUKI Shijo Kawaramachi Branch
YARUKI is a yakiniku restaurant with a modern Japanese vibe that mainly serves Kobe beef. They cut costs by buying whole cattle, thus managing to offer the best ingredients at reasonable prices. In particular, the Meibutsu Hamideru Yaruki Rosu (plateful of loin) packs a punch when it comes to presentation. It offers an exquisite balance between the sweetness of the fat and the savory deliciousness of the meat, so it's a good choice as a first dish to order. The Tsubozuke Gyutan, is tongue marinated in a jar with a special sauce, and is also popular.
Foreign language menus: English and Chinese (simplified and traditional)
Foreign languages spoken by staff: English and Chinese
Average budget: 2,500 JPY (1,500 JPY for lunch)
Nikuya-no Daidokoro Kyoto Kiyamachi Meat
Nikuya-no Daidokoro is a restaurant where you can enjoy cuts of meat that are served at high-end yakiniku restaurants. They offer a low-priced all-you-can-eat course due to the fact that they purchase a large number of whole Wagyu cattle. Another appeal of this restaurant is the cheap prices of alcoholic beverages. You can enjoy Dassai and other Japanese sake and highball, among other drinks, almost at cost price. They have a wide selection of craft beers from around the world as well as local sake.
Foreign language menus: English and Chinese (simplified and traditional)
Foreign languages spoken by staff: English
Average budget: 3,500 JPY (1,200 JPY for lunch)
Kyo Kurozakura
Kyo Kurozakura is a specialist yakiniku restaurant where you can order Japanese Black beef of A5 grainge, which is the highest possible rank of beef. They serve Kagoshima brand Japanese Black beef which are known for being raised on special feeds and water. Aside from Wagyu yakiniku, they also have other dishes, such as shabu-shabu (sliced meat parboiled with vegetables) and sukiyaki (sliced meat and vegetables cooked in soy sauce-based soup), and use other quality ingredients like Kagoshima-bred Kurobuta (Berkshire pork) and local chicken. The elegant restaurant has a calm, relaxing atmosphere. If you get a seat on the terrace, you will get to enjoy various luxurious dishes while admiring the nighttime view of Takase River that runs through Kiyamachi Street.
Foreign language menus: English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), and Korean
Average budget: 5,000 JPY
Yakinikunogansan
Yakinikunogansan is a place where you can enjoy famous Wagyu brands at reasonable prices. They mainly serve ribs, sirloin and skirt of Matsusaka beef, whose meat is characterized by a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This restaurant specializes in tongue in particular, and their selection includes the hearty, thickly sliced Bo-tan (a block of tongue). They also have an extensive drinks menu. With 12 brands of shochu (distilled liquor) available, you can enjoy high quality Wagyu along with a glass of alcohol that you can only find in Japan.
Foreign language menus: English and Chinese (simplified)
Average budget: 4,000 JPY
[Nijo-jo Castle Area]
YAKINIKU DAISEN Main Branch
YAKINIKU DAISEN is a yakiniku restaurant that has been in business for over 50 years. Being a long-established restaurant, it has a refined atmosphere, while the Korean celadon porcelain jars and artwork on the wall create a fantastical air. The dishes here incorporate brand Wagyu such as Omi beef, Kagoshima beef, and Saga beef. They procure the best ingredients of the day from all over Japan. The meat is carefully sliced by hand only after you place your order. They do not over-handle the meat, ensuring that their customers get to enjoy it at its freshest. Their special fruity sauce has remained unchanged since the restaurant first opened, and is definitely worth a try.
Foreign language menus: English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), and Korean
Average budget: 4,500 JPY
The restaurants featured in this article have menus in different languages, so you can order what you want even if you don't understand any Japanese. Revitalize yourself with a delicious yakiniku dinner, and you'll be ready for another adventurous day in Kyoto in the morning!
*Please note that the information in this article is from the time of writing or publication and may differ from the latest information.
