Best Yakitori In Kyoto
- Kyoto
- 29 Aug, 2025
Kyoto has dozens of fantastic yakitori restaurants. Here is our pick of Kyoto yakitori restaurants that are affordable, friendly, and delicious.
[Yakitori in Kyoto: decoplus /
Shutterstock.com]
If you eat meat, it’s hard to argue with skewered, charcoal-grilled chicken. In Japan, this is known as yakitori. The chicken is grilled with either a soy-based tare sauce or salt. Yakitori can be as cheap and cheerful as you please, making a fantastic accompaniment to alcoholic drinks of all sorts. On the other hand, yakitori can be elevated to a veritable art form, given the kind of attention to detail you find in rarefied French restaurants to make the best chicken you’ve ever tasted in your life.
Something that distinguishes Japanese yakitori is the sheer variety of chicken parts available. Eating just thigh and breast is passe; if you’re feeling adventurous, why not try neck meat (seseri), reba (liver), sunazuri (gizzard), tsukune (meatball), or nankotsu (cartilage)?
Kyoto has dozens of fantastic yakitori restaurants. These are just a few that are affordable, friendly, and delicious.
- Torito (Downtown
Kyoto; expensive)
This is “haute yakitori” — dynamite yakitori (various bits of chicken cooked on skewers) in fashionable surroundings. - Bajitofu (Downtown Kyoto;
mid-range)
You won’t have to wander far out of downtown Kyoto to find great yakitori. Bajitofu is a centrally-located izakaya serving some of the best in town. Reservations recommended. - Wabiya Korekido (Southern
Higashiyama); mid-range to expensive)
Wabiya Korekido is a restaurant in Gion that serves top-notch oyakodon (chicken-and-egg rice bowl) at lunch and fabulous yakitori at dinner. If you can’t decide what time to head there, don’t choose — just go twice.
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Kyoto Vacation Checklist
- For a quick overview, see my First Time In Kyoto guide.
- Check if a visa is required for Japan
- Check Kyoto accommodation availability on Booking.com and Agoda.com.
- Buy Japan Rail Tickets and Shinkansen Tickets Online.
- For tips on where to stay, see Where To Stay In Kyoto.
- See my Packing List For Japan.
- Purchase an eSim or SIM card for Japan.
- Compare flight prices on Skyscanner.
- Consider a Japan Rail Pass - see if it’s worth for you.
- Consider a travel insurance.