Yes, if you're visiting Japan and it's your first time, definitely make time for sushi and seafood dishes… but also spare a meal or two to explore the vast possibilities of Japanese beef, including the world-renowned wagyu variety and other premium meats.
If you’re in Tokyo, you’re in luck. There are many restaurants that serve incredible wagyu courses — so many, in fact, it might be hard to pick just one!
7 Best Tokyo Restaurants For Wagyu
Here are seven Tokyo restaurants that meat lovers (especially wagyu seekers) will simply adore.
- Yakiniku Kappo Note
- Oniku Karyu
- Salon de AgingBeef
- Nikutei Futago
- USHIHACHI
- Yakiniku Ushi Jirushi
- The Yakiniku Palace
1. Yakiniku Kappo Note
In recent years, Tokyo's Azabujuban neighborhood has seen dozens of yakiniku and niku kappo restaurants open for business. But if you only have time for one, it should be Yakiniku Kappo Note. This intimate restaurant only seats about eight people, which, in true kappo style, allows for easy conversation with the chef. The base course features about 20 dishes that showcase creativity while enhancing the flavors and textures of the highest-grade wagyu.
While the beef is the star of the show, it's accompanied by delicious seasonal ingredients. The dishes are minimalist, but every bite is an explosion of flavors. We promise you will love every single moment.
Reserve a table at Yakiniku Kappo Note.
2. Oniku Karyu
The concept behind Oniku Karyu spawned from Chef Katayanagi Haruka's first dining experience with steak, which he described as "exquisite." The restaurant's name is taken from a Zen saying about beauty, and Chef Katayanagi is fully committed to showing the true beauty of wagyu beef.
He personally selects cuts of A4- and A5-grade kuroge wagyu from the finest suppliers all over Japan, presenting them in kaiseki-style course menus with luxurious seasonal ingredients. Even the tableware leaves a lasting impression, chosen specifically to enhance the visual aspect of the dining experience by highlighting each ingredient's color.
How better to enjoy the richness of wagyu than with a glass of wine or sake chosen by Chef Katayanagi himself? A trained sommelier, he also handpicks the spirits served at his restaurant and expertly pairs them with every dish.
An omakase course meal at Oniku Karyu is on the pricier end, which makes this restaurant a good pick for special occasions and celebrations.
Reserve a table at Oniku Karyu.
3. Salon de AgingBeef
This Korean-inspired yakiniku restaurant in Ginza is a true hidden gem. Salon de AgingBeef provides diners with a luxurious meal in a casual setting that perfectly matches the mood and vibe of its home neighborhood. Its specialty, as its name implies, is aged beef.
Lunch here is relatively affordable, ranging between ¥3,000 and ¥5,000 for filling lunch sets. For dinner, you can pick from the many courses — all feature fun twists on your standard grilled beef, like beef sashimi, which leaves room for discovery without straying too far from the meat lovers' comfort zone.
English-speaking staff and easy meal adjustments (just let them know of any dislikes or allergies when booking) make it all the more enjoyable and stress-free. Preface your meal with a shopping spree around Ginza or follow up at one of the neighborhood's cozy jazz bars.
Reserve a table at Salon de AgingBeef.
4. Nikutei Futago Shinjuku
Nikutei Futago offers an intimate yakiniku experience despite being located in one of Tokyo's liveliest neighborhoods. The extensive 80-dish menu uses carefully selected wagyu: Ota beef sourced from Hyogo Prefecture and Sendai beef from Miyagi Prefecture. The sizeable list of cut meat allows visitors to embark on a culinary venture or choose familiar dishes — or do both.
Nikutei Futago exclusively offers dinner courses, making this the perfect spot for a special night in Shinjuku.
Reserve a table at Nikutei Futago Shinjuku.
5. USHIHACHI
With hundreds, if not thousands, of yakiniku restaurants nationwide, Ushihachi's claim to the monarchy does not go unchallenged. As a celebratory meal, yakiniku shouldn't have to be expensive, according to Ushihachi's philosophy. As such, it aims to be the most reasonably-priced yakiniku franchise in Japan: a place where you can bring your family, your partner, or a group of friends to enjoy high-quality grilled meat, all without worrying about breaking the bank.
And the quality doesn't suffer for it either. Ushihachi is uncompromising in its choice of meat, purchasing and using only female kuroge wagyu cows.
Ushihachi has numerous branches in Tokyo, each with a slightly difference atmosphere:
6. Yakiniku Ushi Jirushi
Yakiniku often conjures the image of a group around one single grill, flipping meat until it's cooked — sometimes too cooked. It's safe to say we don't always know the best ways to grill or cook a specific meat. What about various parts of the tongue — how done is too done?
This issue is what gave rise to the Yakiniku Ushi Jirushi series of restaurants, the latest dining experience innovation from arguably the most famous name in yakiniku, the Toraji Group. Rather than have customers grill the meat themselves, each party is assigned a "master griller" — one of the restaurant's expert chefs trained to cook each type and cut meat to maximize the flavor and texture.
The beef served at Ushi Jirushi is all Toraji's brand of kuroge wagyu. Each cow is raised on Toraji Ranch, the first company-owned ranch in the industry. There, strictly female cattle from the Kanto region are safely, sustainably, and humanely raised in extremely limited numbers.
Hungry?
Check out Yakiniku Ushi Jirushi's two Tokyo locations:
7. The Yakiniku Palace
Chef Otsuru Tetsuo, inspired by the communal aspect of yakiniku, founded The Yakiniku Palace in Jimbocho. Here, customers can have truly one-of-a-kind experiences.
According to Chef Otsuru, the key to the yakiniku experience is top-quality meat. That's why he spares no expense to get his customers the finest A5-grade wagyu beef. Perhaps unexpectedly, the meat is chosen particularly for its aroma when on the grill. The olfactory aspect of yakiniku is often overlooked but is crucial to the experience!
Just imagine coming to The Yakiniku Palace with someone special. What would you remember? The firm but soft texture of A5-grade wagyu marbled to perfection, the hiss and sizzle of rendering fat, and, of course, the mouth-watering smell of meat over an open flame.
Reserve a table at The Yakiniku Palace.
FAQs for wagyu and meat restaurants in Tokyo
What is wagyu steak or wagyu beef?
Wagyu steak or wagyu beef is a cut of meat that comes from one of four Japanese breeds of cattle: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown or Japanese Red, Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn.
By crossbreeding native cattle with certain overseas cattle, these four breeds of cattle have become famous for their tender, flavorsome cuts of meat, recognized at a glance for their unique marbling.
Where can I get A5 wagyu?
You can find A5-grade wagyu all over Japan, including in Tokyo! In fact, you’ll find A5 wagyu in many of the must-visit wagyu restaurants in Tokyo that we mentioned above.
When did wagyu beef start?
Wagyu as it’s known today likely began with Kobe Beef, which first began to garner fame in the 1860s for its unrivaled quality. Since then, many areas have laid claim to their own type of wagyu beef, but Kobe is still known to have one of the best wagyu steaks in Japan.
