GYUKATSU Kyoto Katsugyu Shijo Kawaramachi — Restaurant in Kyoto

It feels like a rite of passage for tourists in Kyoto to try GYUKATSU Kyoto Katsugyu, and now I see why — it was genuinely delicious!

We visited the Shijo Kawaramachi outlet and were lucky to walk right in with no wait (a rare win, since some locations had queues of 15+ people). That said, I don’t think it’s worth queuing over 30 minutes — it’s great, but not worth a long wait.

We went all out with the premium Wagyu Kobe steaks, which were beautifully tender and flavorful. We also tried the limited edition sukiyaki beef, and both were excellent — especially when paired with the range of condiments, including Japanese curry sauce, soy-based dips, and that perfectly soft-boiled egg for dipping.

But the real surprise hit? The beef croquettes. Seriously, don’t skip them — they were insanely juicy, crispy on the outside, and packed with rich beefy flavor. Total standout.

In hindsight, the regular cuts might offer better value than the premium ones — they looked just as tasty and came in larger portions. With plenty of outlets around Kyoto, it’s worth seeking out one with a shorter line.

Overall, we really enjoyed it — flavorful, fun, and definitely a must-try (especially for the...

The Famous Gyukatsu place which lives up to its popularity. The place is rather small but cozy. The service time is really fast here, so don't be afraid of coming here in an empty belly and not getting your food ready fast enough.

We ordered the Sirloin Gyukatsu Zen menu set and the Tongue Gyukatsu Zen menu set. The katsu came half-cooked and you need to cook it in a small stove they give you.

The sirloin is crispy on the outside but still remains juicy in the inside (depends how long you cook it of course!) and the tongue is just so flavourful and love the texture which is very deligthful to chew.

What I really like about the set menu is it comes with the soyu egg which fits perfectly when you combine it with warm rice and a slice of the tasty katsu!

The waiters are not only fast but also super friendly! Definitely recommend visiting this placr, especially if you want to avoid queueing for a long time in the main...

Food was delicious, the tenderloin was very tender and loin. The meat came to the table Medium-rare which gave me the opportunity to cook my meat just a little bit more if I needed. The dipping sauces were good as always. There was no water pitcher for me to refill myself which was a shame compared to the other gyukatsu I ate today.

The service was good, we were seated promptly for our party of 8 which is very cool. The male waiter looks like a cool person and the waitress with gold(?) hair in a pony tail is cute :)

The atmosphere is great, jazzy music as always, lights were much more stronger and aggressive compared to the other gyukatsu I ate earlier today (I also left a review for it) which is why I took off a point, but maybe it D also because I'm tired from walking all day, sorry.

Overall, this was a good experience and I would come...