Kyo-no-Yakinikudokoro HIRO Sanjo-kiyamachi Branch - Kyoto Wagyu Beef Restaurant - — Restaurant in Kyoto

North American / UK / English review

UPDATE - DO NOT EAT HERE! Husband got food poisoning and was up all night vomiting and had diarrhea!! I went back to read any one star reviews and apparently many people got sick from this restaurant!

For parties 6+, they have several course options to choose from, or you can do a la carte. Just keep in mind, portion sizes are a little smaller than what we're used to in the states!

My husband and I came here with a reservation at 5pm, but due to slow moving crowds during their Fall season in November on a Saturday night, it took us longer to get to the restaurant from our hotel, and we arrived 15 minutes late. They still seated us graciously at a two-person booth indoors on their 2nd floor.

The meat quality is great, but the portions are a little small for the prices. They also didn't have many selections of meat available, there was only beef. No vegetable options, pork, chicken, tofu, or fish (at least from what we saw on the English menu we were given).

However they do have a few different marinade categories of beef: regular, Korean kalbi, tare, etc. They also have several other side dishes to choose from, like Korean style cold noodles, soups, salads, rice, and raw Wagyu sushi.

Their a la carte options were the only option we saw for yakiniku, no course options or sets unless you had a large party. So, just the two of us spent about ¥12,000 on maybe 5-6 portioned plates of beef, a beer, two Cokes, and a scoop of citrus sorbet. However, their beef options and sauces are very tasty, and they come around often to change the grates for you to prevent smoke buildup.

Some of their servers speak English, some of them speak none. So it was a little difficult trying to order at first and we had to pull out our translator, so just a head's up!

Overall, this place is very nice but not recommended for first-time visitors to Japan without a guide...

Okay, listen up, folks. I've eaten at some fancy places, including a Michelin-starred restaurant here in Kyoto, but nothing prepared me for the absolute perfection that is Kyoto Yakiniku HIRO Kiyamachi. My friend and I opted for the ¥6000 per person wagyu omakase experience, and let me tell you, it was worth every single yen (and then some!).

From the moment we sat down, the service was top-notch. The staff were attentive, friendly, and clearly passionate about the quality of their meat. They explained each cut we were served, giving us tips on how long to grill it to maximize the flavor.

Now, let's talk about the meat. Oh. My. Goodness. The wagyu was simply divine. We had a special course, and each cut was more tender and flavorful than the last. You can see from the photo the beautiful marbling – it practically melted in your mouth. Seriously, I’ve never tasted beef this good. The flavor was rich, buttery, and just… wow. It was so good, it made our Michelin-starred meal feel like a distant memory.

The omakase experience was a culinary journey. We sampled a variety of cuts, each with its own unique texture and taste. The grilling process itself was part of the fun, and the staff were always on hand to offer guidance.

Honestly, I can’t recommend Kyoto Yakiniku HIRO Kiyamachi enough. If you’re looking for an unforgettable wagyu experience in Kyoto that will absolutely blow your mind, this is the place to go. Forget the hype of Michelin stars – this is the real deal. It’s an investment, yes, but it’s an investment in pure culinary bliss. Five stars...

I go to many restaurants, quite a few of which I make previous bookings for.

We booked a reservation for this place with over twenty four hours notice as we wanted to sit outside, when we arrived we were told that all of the seating except a small area upstairs had already been booked and reserved.

When the restaurant opened at 5 o’clock, the staff member informed us that we had to select an option to sit outside. We opened up the booking website with him, and no option existed.

He then explained that these people had called ahead or had asked to sit outside when we arrived.

We waited politely to enter at 5 o clock, and several people had already entered who had clearly been given priority on seating.

We decided not to eat here, and for a country that prides itself on doing things correctly this is a really poor experience. With limited time here, we can see we made the wrong decision and won’t be returning.

I don’t think our expectations are unreasonable, and it’s truly disappointing to have the staff member outright lie to us and then deflect and present an argument we couldn’t refute (as it simply can’t...