Gion Gyuzen — Restaurant in Kyoto

A fairly average shabu shabu / sukiyaki place, the food here is pretty good and the buffet has great side options such as chicken karaage, chicken cartilage, boiled dumplings, tsukemono, and so on.

We got the mid price Japanese Beef buffet (just under 5,000 ¥/pp). The beef quality was decent, as long as you cook it correctly. We also got quite a few sides and overall I think the value was okay.

The venue is super large (and requires a bit of a walk through the building) and was very lively when we went, with several large groups enjoying themselves. There is a good variety of drinks, though I would not recommend drink buffet unless you can drink at least 3 drinks per person.

The service was generally okay but there was one time they forgot about our sides order and I had to re order. When you enter the restaurant they ask you to order first and when they take you to your seat the food is already waiting, which is...

Was recommended by a friend and I couldn’t have been happier. Atmosphere? Felt like you could come by yourself, with a date or in a group and you were going to have a grand time. There is a tutorial on how to maximize the experience and once I got it? Oh it was on. I came here solo and I would absolutely come back. Food? More than worth the all you can eat and drink menu. Beware of the Sake, it’s a sneaky little trollop but still fun 😏. Service? My waiter was ever present, polite, patient and helpful. I am pretty easy to please but even I felt bad asking him for help so often because his presence and timing was inch perfect.

Overall it was one of the best solo dining experiences I have had in a long time and I would come back. Even if they did promise me a free kimono for the review 😁.

If you were thinking about coming here? You are 93% already here. No ragrets, I...

If you are looking for a traditionnal shabu shabu, go somewhere else. This was the hotel recommandation and I regret following it. The meat is nice, hence the 3 stars. However, the menu is complicated and you are pushed to take the " all you can eat", even for small appetites. A proper shabu shabu should include plenty of vegetables and noodles cooked in the broth at the end. Here, if you have finished your meat, you're just told to go and pay. Not even rice on the side. A proper shabu shabu is a refined and balanced meal. Here, I have only eaten meat, more than I needed, and that was it.. Went to a Konbini for desert afterwards and even considered taking a onigiri....

Changing my rating following a night were both my daughter and I were sick. Our last dinner in Japan was ruined. Really, don't bother...