14 Best Shabu-Shabu Lunch Spots in Kyoto

Shabu-shabu is a beloved Japanese dish, perfect for chilly autumn and winter yet light enough to enjoy in spring and summer. Because excess fat melts away during cooking and the meal includes plenty of vegetables and mushrooms, it's also a popular healthy dining option. Its mild seasoning makes it easy to enjoy a variety of dipping sauces, from classic ponzu and sesame to spicy, Korean-style, and green onion salt flavors. In Kyoto, don't miss the local specialty Kyo no Mochi Pork, a premium three-way crossbred pork raised with high-quality water, feed, and Kyoto's rich natural environment. It's known for its tender, springy texture and natural sweetness. We've selected 14 excellent restaurants, from popular spots serving Kyo no Mochi Pork to renowned restaurants in Gion and convenient station-side lunch spots where you can enjoy premium wagyu at reasonable prices.

• Kinki
• Kyoto
• lunch
• ShabuShabu

Go-En Kyoto Sanjo Shinmachi

This restaurant is known for its Kyoto Mochi Pork Shabu-shabu Course, featuring generous servings of Kyoto Mochi Pork and seasonal vegetables. Kyoto Mochi Pork is prized for its pleasantly chewy texture and natural sweetness, making it delicious both as shabu-shabu and yakiniku. To finish the course, choose from Chinese noodles, rice porridge, or stone-grilled cheese risotto. The restaurant also offers private rooms overlooking a traditional courtyard garden, fully private rooms for up to four guests, and tatami seating, making it a great choice for families, gatherings with friends, and many other occasions.

Kyo Ryori Kaji

In addition to year-round Kuroge Wagyu shabu-shabu and sea bream shabu-shabu courses, seasonal specialties are also available. From late March to late April, enjoy cherry sea bream and Kyoto Yamashiro bamboo shoot shabu-shabu, while cold yellowtail shabu-shabu is served from around December to mid-March. Lunch is equally appealing, with full-course meals available from ¥4,000. Enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine prepared with carefully selected ingredients and water drawn from Shigenoi, one of Kyoto's Seven Famous Springs, at a relaxed pace.

Miyako

Miyako specializes in certified Omi beef, selected from premium Japanese Black cattle raised in the rich natural surroundings of Shiga Prefecture. The restaurant's signature Omi Beef Sukiyaki is served with fluffy cotton candy that melts into the warishita sauce, creating a memorable tableside presentation. On weekdays, the Certified Omi Beef Shabu-Shabu Set, prepared in a crystal pot, is a popular lunch option. The menu also features a variety of à la carte dishes, including freshly lifted yuba (tofu skin), grilled wheat gluten with miso, and seared toro sushi made with the rare triangular rib cut. With English menus available, the restaurant is an excellent choice for gatherings with friends, dates, family meals, and international visitors.

Pontocho Izumoya

Located along the Kamo River, the restaurant offers kawayuka (seasonal riverside dining terraces) from May through September, where guests can enjoy a meal in the cool evening breeze. The sukiyaki is prepared with warishita sauce and coarse sugar, creating a sweet-savory flavor that enhances the beef's natural richness, while the shabu-shabu offers a lighter way to appreciate the meat's delicate flavor. In addition to tatami rooms, the restaurant also offers private dining rooms with table seating, making it ideal for business dinners, family gatherings, and other occasions. English menus are available, making it a welcoming choice for international visitors.

Kyoto Butashabu Hide honten

This popular shabu-shabu restaurant is known for its carefully crafted homemade soups supervised by a former sumo wrestler. It's easy to visit while exploring Kyoto. The menu features a wide variety of ingredients, including premium domestic pork, Awao Chicken, beef, and seafood. All-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink options are also available, making it a great choice for group gatherings. From the main shabu-shabu to the finishing rice porridge or special egg noodles, the meal is satisfying from start to finish.

Kyoto Butashabu Hide honten

This popular shabu-shabu restaurant is known for its carefully crafted homemade soups supervised by a former sumo wrestler. It's easy to visit while exploring Kyoto. The menu features a wide variety of ingredients, including premium domestic pork, Awao Chicken, beef, and seafood. All-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink options are also available, making it a great choice for group gatherings. From the main shabu-shabu to the finishing rice porridge or special egg noodles, the meal is satisfying from start to finish.

Issunboushi Kitayama Honten

This popular course lets you enjoy marbled high-quality Wagyu beef in sukiyaki and shabu-shabu. The set also includes hotpot vegetables, Wagyu sushi, Inaniwa udon, and dessert for a satisfying, hearty meal.
With a full selection of drinks, it’s perfect for a Kyoto lunchtime treat. Window seats offer sweeping views of the city and nightscape, creating a romantic atmosphere, and private rooms with sunken kotatsu tables make it ideal for families with children.

Junidanya Honten

This is the main branch of Junidanya, a restaurant said to be the birthplace of shabu-shabu. Its elegant interior, subtly decorated with masterful works of art, has long attracted celebrities from various fields, while private tatami rooms provide the perfect setting for a leisurely meal. A signature tradition since the restaurant’s founding is to briefly swish carefully selected Kyoto beef sirloin through a traditional charcoal-heated copper pot before dipping it in the restaurant’s secret sesame sauce.

Kyo no Kawabata

From the restaurant, guests can enjoy views of the Kamo River, where cherry blossoms, vibrant autumn leaves, and evening lights reflected on the water create a beautiful setting throughout the year. The menu features dishes such as the Beef Shabu-Shabu Gozen and the Obanzai Gozen, which showcases traditional Kyoto-style side dishes made with seasonal ingredients. The colorful Obanzai Gozen includes 12 small dishes, allowing guests to sample a variety of flavors in one meal. In addition to counter seating, the restaurant offers private horigotatsu (sunken-floor) rooms for group dining, making it a great choice for family meals, business gatherings, and special occasions. A wide selection of sake, whisky, wine, and other drinks is also available.

Hamatoku Honten

This long-established restaurant is dedicated to creating a memorable dining experience through exquisite flavors, elegant tableware, and beautiful presentation. With fully private rooms, it is an excellent choice for celebrations and other special occasions. The restaurant’s Kyoto beef shabu-shabu is also available to order for home dining, complete with ground sansho pepper from Miyama, Kyoto, yuzu pepper, homemade ponzu, and sesame sauce, so you can enjoy the restaurant’s signature flavors at home.

Kyoutentou

Ryori Ryokan Fushimiya

Ryori Ryokan Fushimiya, with more than 110 years of history, offers its popular Pork Shabu Nabe Plan for groups of six or more, which includes both the meal and all-you-can-drink. With its fixed-price format, it is an excellent choice for year-end parties, New Year gatherings, class reunions, and other large group occasions. Another recommended option is the Mini Kaiseki Plan, which includes an appetizer, two kinds of sashimi, and an individual hot pot for a reasonable 3,500 yen per person. Enjoy authentic kaiseki cuisine at this historic ryokan.

Gurumeria Tajima Uji

Gurumeria Tajima Uji is a farm-run restaurant serving Kobe Takami Beef, which won the top prize at the National Wagyu Beef Competency Exhibition, often called the "Olympics" of wagyu. Food lovers can enjoy this premium beef as yakiniku, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and more. The shabu-shabu menu offers three options—Special Lean, Special Marbled, and Special Mix—allowing you to choose your preferred cut. (Reservations are required from April through September.) Savor the rich, distinctive flavor that makes Kobe Takami Beef so exceptional.

Sawarabi Sanso Akamasa

Sawarabi Sanso Akamasa, a long-established unagi restaurant with more than 100 years of history, also features the lesser-known but popular beef sukiyaki and shabu-shabu, available throughout the year. Another highlight is that every seat is in a private room. In addition to cozy rooms for small groups, the restaurant also offers a spacious banquet hall, making it an excellent choice for everything from intimate meals to large gatherings while enjoying shabu-shabu or unagi.

Looking for a more upscale lunch in Kyoto? Treat yourself to shabu-shabu.

We’ve introduced four excellent shabu-shabu restaurants, from long-established favorites to casual spots. Savor the rich flavors of carefully selected ingredients while enjoying a touch of luxury—perfect for a sightseeing lunch break. Refuel with a delicious shabu-shabu meal before continuing your exploration of Kyoto.