10 Restaurants to Enjoy Omi Beef, One of Japan's Three Great Wagyu Breeds for Lunch

Omi Beef, one of Japan’s three great wagyu brands and the country’s oldest branded beef, is known for its finely textured meat, sweet marbling, and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. This article introduces 11 restaurants in Shiga Prefecture, the birthplace of Omi Beef, where you can enjoy this historic wagyu.

• lunch
• Localgourmet
• Meat dishes

La Cuisine Enju

La Cuisine Enju is a French kappo restaurant where dishes are finished on a teppan grill. The menu combines premium ingredients from across Japan, including abalone, Ise lobster, and Omi beef, with locally sourced produce. Course options include the Espoir course, which is prepared according to guests’ requests, and the Enju course, featuring seasonal ingredients from both land and sea, with all dishes prepared by the chef in front of guests at the counter.

Yakiniku Okina

Yakiniku Okina offers Omi Beef at reasonable prices. Lunch options include teishoku (set meals) such as the Omi Hime Wagyu Gokujo Yaki-shabu Teishoku and the Nikutama Teishoku, a popular choice among local office workers. Course meals and items from the regular menu are also available during lunch hours.

Omi Beef Kanekichi

Omi Beef Kanekichi is a long-established restaurant specializing in Omi beef, originating from a butcher shop founded in 1897. The menu features a variety of ways to enjoy Omi beef, including its signature junjun (a local sukiyaki-style hot pot), as well as steak, shabu-shabu, and oil-grilled preparations. Lunch options include the Omi Beef Konabe Lunch (small hot pot) and the Omi Beef Cut Steak Lunch. The restaurant also offers several private dining rooms with a traditional atmosphere.

Nikudokoro Gyushin

Nikudokoro Gyushin is a meat-focused kappo restaurant operated by an owner with a passion for meat and wine. The kitchen serves dishes featuring Omi beef sourced from Morisan Farm. Lunch is available only on weekends and public holidays, with two options: the Age-niku Sushi and Omi Beef Soba Set and the Cold Beef Don Set. À la carte orders during lunch hours are given priority to guests with reservations.

Yainiku Tantan

Yakiniku Tantan is a yakiniku restaurant in Otsu, Shiga, serving Omi beef and premium Japanese Black wagyu. A signature offering is the large-cut wagyu ribeye, which is grilled briefly on one side and enjoyed with an egg yolk dipping sauce or house-made grated ponzu sauce. The restaurant also serves harami sashimi, a cut of skirt steak from which only about two kilograms can be harvested from a single animal. The relaxed space accommodates both solo diners and groups.

Jun Omi Beef Yakiniku Akane

Jun Omi Beef Yakiniku Akane is a specialty yakiniku restaurant in Moriyama dedicated to Omi beef. The restaurant serves certified Omi beef, a designation awarded to beef that meets established quality standards. Lunch options include gozen (set meals) such as the Omi Beef Yakiniku Gozen, the Omi Beef Oju (beef rice box), and the Akane Gozen, which features two daily-selected rare cuts and beef tongue. All lunch sets come with complimentary refills of rice and soup, followed by dessert and coffee.

chika cafe

Chika Cafe, located within the Chika Moriyama complex, is known for its fluffy pancakes and Omi beef steak ju (steak rice box). The European-inspired interior features counter, terrace, and sofa seating. Free Wi-Fi and power outlets are available.

Issuian

Issuian serves Omi beef prepared in a variety of styles, including shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, and oil-grilled dishes, presented on ceramic tableware created by the owner, who is also a ceramic artist. An all-you-can-eat sukiyaki option is available. Seasonal offerings include bamboo shoots in spring, pike conger and ayu sweetfish in summer, matsutake mushrooms in autumn, and duck hot pot in winter. The restaurant also features kawadoko riverside seating, where guests can dine beside a flowing stream in summer.

Omi Suehiro Honten

Omi Suehiro Honten serves Omi beef, selected domestic beef, and premium wagyu prepared in the restaurant’s original shabu-shabu style, which has been preserved for more than 100 years. The menu also includes steak and sukiyaki. The restaurant features a Western-style first floor and a Japanese-style second floor, with table seating, private rooms, and banquet rooms available.

Restaurant Tiffany

Restaurant Tiffany is operated by Kanekichi Yamamoto, a long-established butcher shop founded in 1896. Carefully selected wagyu and Omi beef are prepared by experienced chefs to highlight the characteristics of each cut. Lunch options include the Omi Beef Short Course—which features roast beef, steak, and hamburger steak, along with a variety of other menu items. The restaurant is housed in a retro brick building featuring a variety of seating options.

Looking to enjoy Omi beef for lunch during your visit to Shiga?

Omi beef is one of Shiga’s signature local specialties. While it is often associated with fine dining, a number of restaurants offer lunch options that make this brand more accessible. Whether you prefer yakiniku, steak, sukiyaki, or shabu-shabu, there are various ways to experience Omi beef.