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2025.2.26
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19 popular yakitori restaurants in Kyoto - Some of the best restaurants are easily accessible from Kyoto Station!

A must-see for those who "want to eat delicious yakitori in Kyoto."
We pick up the best yakitori restaurants in Kyoto, such as those that serve the freshest jidori chicken and those that grill their yakitori using special charcoal. We also introduce restaurants that are easy to stop by on your way home from work or sightseeing, and that are only a train ride from Kyoto Station! We also provide information exclusively obtained by Leaf's editorial staff, such as the best times to visit, and the owner's recommendations for gourmet foods to eat with yakitori. Check it out until the end to find your favorite restaurant. (TEXT/Yurie Sano, EDIT/Miki Tamura)

Contents of this article

1.
Kushikura, a 100-year-old Kyoto townhouse, is a must-have on your to-do list / Karasuma Oike
2.
Charcoal-grilled Japanese domestic chickens carefully selected in season [Charcoal Kushiyaki Torito-Kawaramachi Sanjo Branch]/Sanjo
3.
Impressed by the crispy and fluffy yakitori at the Taisho-romantic Tsunekiya / Karasuma
4.
Newly opened "Chicken Takumi Tsuyoshi" (Chicken Master Chef): Enjoy your meal at the one-piece wooden counter / Nijo Castle
5.
Gion Torijyu-ji, a new restaurant in Gion, offers excellent food created by a craftsman with 25 years of experience in this field.
6.
Yakitori Seri, a hideout in the back alley of Shijo, serves Omi's specialty chicken/Karasuma
7.
Enjoy the marriage of sake and yakitori [Yakitori Okoshi - Cuttlefish] / Kawaramachi
8.
Lunch service is now available! A new restaurant mixing Japanese and modern styles [Gion Tachi] / Gion
9.
A fine moment to taste brand-name chickens from all over Japan [Kyoto Torihachi] / Karasuma, Kyoto
10.
Taste the true flavor of chicken [Wabiya Koryokudo, Gion Hanamikoji Honten] / Gion, Gion
11.
Yakitori Gyo, a wide selection of mellow hot sake / Kyoto Gosho
12.
Popular restaurant where you can drink until late at night [Nominbeye] / Gion, Tokyo
13.
Charcoal-grilled Yakitori Chabuya - a time-slip back to the Showa period / Shijo
14.
The attentive customer service will satisfy both your stomach and your mind [Yakitori Kai Sanjo-Omiya Store] / Sanjo-Omiya
15.
[Enjoy fresh, morning-drawn, local chicken at Charcoal Grill Toriyuki / Nijo Castle
16.
[Try Irori Chicken Yakiniku at Kyoto Yatai Seseri / Saiin
17.
Grill up a phantom aseptic chicken on a charcoal grill [Charcoal Chicken Yaki Hakku] / Sanjo
18.
Tachitotsuki Torizuki" (Tachitotsuki Restaurant), where you can have a lunchtime drink from 3:00 p.m. / Shijo
19.
A new restaurant [Chikusai Yokodori] / Kawaramachi, Tokyo, where a greedy 16-course menu is the talk of the town.

6. Yakitori Seri, a hideout in the back alley of Shijo, serves Omi's specialty chicken/Karasuma

Yakitori Seri, located in a back alley in Shijo, is a hideaway with only nine counter seats. The owner, Yoshitoshi, is from Shiga Prefecture, so you can taste Omi ingredients such as Omi Gundori, Omi Kuro-hen, and Hitomi Winery wines. Yuzu kosho (yuzu pepper) and lemon salt, both made from Shiga Prefecture's Yahira chili pepper, are available as condiments, so you can enjoy a variety of flavors.

Yakitori Seri boneless chicken wings with green onions (left) Omi Gundori chicken thigh (right)

From left: Boneless chicken wings with green onions, 270 yen; a perfect combination of juicy fat from the wings and the sweetness of the green onions. Omi Gundori Chicken Momo (thigh) 470 yen, with its addictive flavor and firm texture.

Interior view of Yakitori Seri

Hole time / after 20:30 on weekdays (Sold out depending on the part)
Food menu to go with it: Charcoal grilled vegetables 260 yen and up, chopstick rest (cassata) 550 yen

Yakitori Seri

  • chicken pieces (or sometimes beef or pork offal) grilled on a skewer
  • 92-4, Nurushiya-cho, Fukouji-agaru, Tominokoji-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
  • Hankyu "Kawaramachi" station, 3 minutes walk from Exit 11
    6 minutes walk from Hankyu "Karasuma" station or subway "Shijo" station Exit 5.
  • Tel. 075-600-9130
  • https://www.instagram.com/yakitori_seri/

7. Enjoy the marriage of sake and yakitori [Yakitori Okoshi - Cuttlefish] / Kawaramachi

Yakitori Okoshi‾Cuttlefish‾ is a sister restaurant of the Japanese restaurant Sumiyaki Yanonono, located in Uradera-machi Yanagi-koji, Kyoto, where the elegant townscape still remains. With only 7 seats at the counter and 8 seats in tatami rooms, you can enjoy our specialty yakitori in a quiet and relaxing space. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes made with fresh ingredients, such as sashimi made from morning-pickled chicken, which is unique to this restaurant. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of sake, both cold and heated, so you can enjoy a blissful moment with your favorite sake in your hand.

Yakitori Okoshi - Fierce Yakitori

Fluffed and grilled over charcoal in Tosa Bincho, Kochi Prefecture, the more you chew, the more delicious the flavor overflows!

Appearance of Yakitori Okoshi - Fierce

Hole time / 16:00-17:00
Food menu to go along with the meal: morning chicken sashimi for 1,000 yen per person.

Yakitori Okoshi - Cutthroat

8. Lunch service is now available! A new restaurant mixing Japanese and modern styles [Gion Tachi] / Gion

Gion Tachi opened in July 2024 along Shinbashi-dori in Gion, which is characterized by cobblestone pavement. The restaurant is attracting a lot of attention as a space for adults where sommeliers and sake tasters offer their suggestions in an atmosphere that combines traditional Japanese beauty with a modern sense of style. In January 2025, the restaurant will open for lunch, making it possible to enjoy charcoal-grilled dishes from daytime to nighttime.

Gionto OMAKASE Course Example

The OMAKASE Course, priced at ¥12,000, features five types of yakitori and one type of seasonal vegetable, each grilled one by one. Enjoy the deep flavor of the morning-drawn Kyoto red-breasted chicken!

Gion Sword Interior view

Hole time / 12:00-16:00
Food menu to go with it / Charcoal-grilled A5-rank Kobe beef (OMAKASE course menu for 12,000 yen)

Gion Sword

9. A fine moment to taste brand-name chickens from all over Japan [Kyoto Torihachi] / Karasuma, Kyoto

[Kyoto Torihachi is a popular restaurant where you can enjoy brand-name chickens such as Fukushima Prefecture's Date chicken, Tokushima Prefecture's Awao chicken, Kumamoto Prefecture's Umaka chicken, and Tottori Prefecture's Daisen chicken. When you open the door of the restaurant, located at the end of a narrow street lit by lanterns, you will be greeted by a quiet and relaxed atmosphere that will make you forget that you are in the center of Kyoto. The yakitori are carefully grilled and served one by one by a skilled chef while observing the customers. Enjoy a luxurious time at the U-shaped counter seats.

Yakitori at Torihachi, Kyoto

Lightly grilled rustic dishes, plump and juicy kashiwa and shiratama (white rice balls), and other dishes are grilled to lock in the flavor while manipulating the charcoal.

Exterior view of Kyoto Torihachi

Hole time / after 20:00
Food menu to go with it/Gohan with egg 550 yen

Kyoto Torihachi

  • Kyoto and the eight harvest divisions (of rice paddies, including the eight harvest divisions)
  • 59-3 Tsukiboko-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
  • Short walk from Hankyu "Karasuma" station and subway "Shijo" station Exit 26.
  • Tel. 075-741-8300
  • https://www.instagram.com/torihachi.kyoto

10. Taste the true flavor of chicken [Wabiya Koryokudo, Gion Hanamikoji Honten] / Gion, Gion

Wabi-ya Koryokudo Gion Hanamikoji Honten is a chicken restaurant that makes the most of the individuality of its ingredients, paying particular attention to the degree of cooking and seasoning. For lunch, the Ishiyaki oyakodon, a bowl of rice topped with chicken thighs covered with the aroma of charcoal fire and three rich red eggs from Kyoto Prefecture, is very popular. For dinner, the restaurant offers only the Kyoto Yakitori Style Course, which is a seasonal dish. Seven types of pairing drinks, carefully selected by sommelier and manager Mr. Nakatani to match the dishes, are also on standby.

Wabi-ke Ko-rekido Duck Tsukune

Duck tsukune (tsukune is a type of tsukune with duck meat) appears in the 10,000 yen Kyoto Yakitori Style Course. This dish brings out the best of the ingredients and allows you to enjoy Kyoto's culinary culture.

Interior view of Wabiya Koryokudo Gion Hanamikoji Honten

Hole time / 13:30
Food menu to go with it / Ishiyaki oyakodon 2,260 yen

Wabiya Koryokudo Gion Hanamikoji Honten

  • Wabyabyakko-dou Gion Hanamikouji Honten
  • Gion-machi, Hanamikoji Shijo-sagaru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan
  • 5 min. walk from Exit 6 of Gion-Shijo Station, Keihan
  • Tel. 075-532-3355
  • https://www.wabiya.com/gion/
The information is subject to change. Please contact each store or facility directly for the latest information.
All prices include tax.
※内容の誤りや閉店情報などお気づきの点がございましたら、info@leafkyoto.co.jp までお知らせください。
*Since this site uses automatic translation, the translation may differ from the original Japanese content.

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