One of our writers who has been visiting Tokyo's yakiniku restaurants for about 20 years now has compiled this list of carefully selected Tokyo yakiniku restaurants that you absolutely must visit if you want to enjoy wagyu beef.
From local stores to super high-class restaurants, all of the restaurants on this list are sure to serve up delicious food!
If you're looking to enjoy yakiniku in Tokyo, you can't go wrong choosing a restaurant from this list!

This restaurant can be considered one of the founders of modern yakiniku in Japan, as it was the first restaurant to offer "rare cuts" and "thin-sliced" meat when other yakiniku restaurants only served "thick-cut kalbi" and "thick-cut loin."
Every dish on their menu, from the tongue and heart to their "nohara-yaki," hamburger steak, and omrice, is absolutely delicious!
Despite being located in a fairly remote location that is almost outside of Tokyo, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit to experience a legend in Tokyo yakiniku.

This super-popular yakiniku restaurant has many fans both in Japan and from abroad.
The second-generation owner of this restaurant also studied at "Yakiniku Jambo Honten."
Only high-quality meat is used in the dishes here, regardless of actual brand names, and the unique taste of exquisite meat cooked in their secret sauce has clearly been passed down to the second generation.
The signature dishes here include "nohara-yaki," "wagyu nigiri," and the finisher "hire-niku takikomi gohan (seasoned rice with fillet)."
You should absolutely try their exquisite "nohara-yaki," Jambo's take on sukiyaki, at least once; the thin-sliced meat with just the right amount of fat is quickly grilled, then dipped in their amazing tare sauce or raw egg before being eaten.

This branch of the popular yakiniku chain "Yakiniku Jambo" opened in 2006.
While the manager is not part of the Nanbara family, but the menu at this location is packed with Jambo-quality dishes.
If you'd like to try this restaurant group's famous dishes like "nohara-yaki" and "hire-niku takikomi gohan" while in the downtown area, this Shirogane location is the restaurant for you.

This established restaurant has been called the peak of the yakiniku world.
The beautifully marbled meat used here is famous, and the top dish here, their "Extra-Special Kalbi," is so tender that it almost melts in your mouth.
The tare sauce is also amazing, and it leaves no trace of greasy feeling from the meat in your mouth.
While this is one of the hardest restaurants to get a reservation for in Japan, if you love melt-in-your-mouth fatty wagyu beef, you absolutely should try to get in.

This restaurant is so famous and iconic that hardcore yakiniku fans have even said that "Kunimoto is the essence of yakiniku."
The flavor of the tare sauce used is said to be a dearly important part of yakiniku, and the tare at Kunimoto is leaps and bounds above that at other restaurants.
Kunimoto does not use a specific brand of meat, but rather it sources only the best-quality meat from all across Japan.
Best enjoyed alongside their delicious tare with a great balance between tart and sweet flavors, Kunimoto's omakase course "bekkaku" is one of the top tastes in Tokyo's yakiniku scene.

This new restaurant was opened in the chic area of Daikanyama by an owner who has experience working at "Kunimoto."
Here you can enjoy the highest-quality wagyu beef in Japan, from breeds like Tamura cattle from Tottori and Kobe beef raised along riverside pastures, alongside the same exquisite tare sauce the owner learned to make at "Kunimoto."
The new original dish thought up by the chef, Kaneko's "roast beef," is shockingly flawless.
No other dish brings out the rich umami flavors of wagyu like this combination of rare-cooked wagyu beef and a fruity tare sauce.

SATO Briand is ranked as the #1 most popular yakiniku restaurant in Japan according to Tabelog ratings.
It grew into incredible fame thanks to its skillful preparation of lean meat, which has a stronger umami flavor than fattier marbled cuts.
This restaurant is home so several famous dishes that are frequently uploaded on Instagram, like its "buri-katsu sandwich," made with a cutlet of Chateaubriand steak, and its "buri-meshi," a donburi (rice bowl) dish topped with Chateaubriand, uni, and caviar.
If you're looking to try yakiniku from one of the hottest restaurants in Tokyo, SATO Briand is the place for you!

Yoroniku is a pioneer in the modern world of yakiniku.
Originally, yakiniku was essentially just grilling meat over a grate, but by adding both Japanese and western-style techniques into the preparation process, it was eventually elevated into a refined dish.
The dishes at Yoroniku use a variety of seasonal ingredients, such as bamboo shoots and matsutake mushrooms, elevating them almost to kaiseki levels of refinement.
Until recently, Yoroniku's omakase course was only available to regular customers, but now even first-time customers can enjoy the experience.

Namaiki is a sister sister store of "Yoroniku" located in the popular tourist spot Akihabara.
They not only serve popular items from Yoroniku, like their "Chateaubriand" and "silk sirloin," but they also serve their own unique and popular Namaiki dishes like "tongue sashimi" and "sirloin sashimi."
The omakase course starts at a quite reasonable 6000 yen.
If you're looking for yakiniku in Akihabara, "Namaiki" is the clear choice.

Yakiniku Shimizu is a hugely popular restaurant among Tokyo's most passionate yakiniku fans.
The owner of Shimizu takes huge care to only choose the highest-quality meat, using only top-class A5 Kobe beef that is then served at around half the price you'd have to pay at other restaurants.
The signature dishes here are their "thick-sliced tongue" and "shacho 5-shu mori."
Supposedly only 5 servings of the "thick-sliced tongue" can be made from each head of cattle, and the dish's sweetness and delightful texture can only be fully experienced in Tokyo here at "Shimizu."

Like "Shimizu," this popular restaurant also only uses Japan's highest-quality wagyu beef.
There are many VIPs from overseas who always make sure to stop by Nakahara when they visit Japan.
Nakahara's signature dishes are its "maboroshi (phantom) tongue" and "sirloin."
The delicious sirloin, with its visible extremely fine grain, has an exquisite aroma and a deep umami flavor that explodes in your mouth.
While the omakase course here at Nakahara is certainly on the pricier side at 20,000 yen and up, it is absolutely a meal you should experience at least once if you're a fan of yakiniku.

This restaurant was newly opened in 2017 by a chef who trained at "Nakahara."
Here you can enjoy the same sort of high-level yakiniku served at "Nakahara" in an omakase course starting at a shockingly low 6800 yen, so Fuchioka has received a large amount of attention from yakiniku fans across Japan.
The meat used here is carefully cut to near perfection, already making it one of Japan's top restaurants.
Building upon the procurement skills taught to him by his mentor, the day where Fuchioka's owner makes this restaurant one of Tokyo's iconic spots is probably closer than you think.

Sutamina-En is a long-standing yakiniku restaurant that has already been featured on TokyoTableTrip.
Supposedly at one point even the prime minister lined up to wait for a seat here at Sutamina-En, hoping to enjoy fresh, high-quality yakiniku.
They offer a variety of specialty dishes, including "nikomi (stew)," "skirt steak," "upper tongue," and "mixed horumon (offal)."
If you're visiting Tokyo and are hit with a sudden craving for yakiniku, go ahead and line up for a meal here at Sutamina-En!

This restaurant specializes in horumon (offal), and it's garnered a deep amount of respect from passionate yakiniku fans in Tokyo.
The owner of Sumibiyaki Yuuji is the younger brother of the owner of famous Tokyo kappo-ryori restaurant "Higuchi," and he is just as talented of a chef as his older brother.
Horumon is a dish that can vary wildly depending on where you eat it, but Yuuji only uses fresh, high-quality cuts for its horumon, and when that quality is combined with seasoning that draws out the highest potential of the meat, other restaurants simply cannot compare.
Enjoying the smoky omakase course here at Yuuji after sightseeing in Shibuya is truly one of life's pleasures.

This popular yakiniku restaurant is tucked away at the foot of Tokyo Tower, an iconic Tokyo landmark.
The more modern-styled dishes here are its unique draw, and it's common to see couples enjoying yakiniku here together.
We highly recommend trying the "naka-rosu (middle sirloin)."
The tender meat pairs beautifully with the heavily garlic-flavored tare sauce, and you'll find yourself downing bowl after bowl of rice.
Be sure to stop by if you're sightseeing around Tokyo Tower!

This super-popular yakiniku restaurant in downtown Tokyo has stellar cost performance.
Their most popular dish, "special rump," is only 1300 yen per portion despite being made with high-quality ingredients that result in a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
If you're looking to enjoy high-quality meat in a casual location without worrying about the cost, this is the restaurant for you!

This hidden gem of a yakiniku restaurant is secretly visited by huge fans of yakiniku.
Most customers visiting here are looking to order their signagure dish, "salted tongue."
The tongue here has the perfect amount of fat, and it's served with an absolute mountain of scallion and garlic. While it's sliced thinly, the texture is perfect, and the strong flavors of the condiments pair beautifully with the delicious juices from the meat.
If you're more on the wild side and don't want to simply eat the more refined yakiniku served in the city center, "Seiryu-En" may just have the food with a punch to it that you're looking for.

This yakiniku restaurant has become a hot topic on social media lately!
The amazing menu here was inspired by popular Tokyo restaurants like "Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara" and "SATO Briand," and it's garnered a lot of attention!
The dishes most popular with young foodies are the "fillet donburi," made by topping a bowl of rice with thick Chateaubriand steak, and the "thick-sliced tongue."
If you are interested in visiting, be sure to check out Pocket Concierge!

"USHIGORO S." first opened in the basement of "USHIGORO Nishi-Azabu" in 2017.
Here you'll find more high-class items than at "USHIGORO," including high-end wagyu beef from Tamura cattle and Kobe cattle raised in riverside pastures.
Additionally, the entire restaurant is made up of private rooms only, and each room comes equipped with its own grill, so even if you're not a yakiniku fanatic you can enjoy the experience in the best way possible.
The luxurious omakase course starts at 14,000 yen, and includes wagyu beef sashimi to start, followed by thick-sliced tongue, thick-sliced skirt steak, beef katsu (cutlet), Chateaubriand, and sukiyaki.
If you are looking for a luxury yakiniku experience, this is our #1 most recommended restaurant.

"Yakiniku Yokocho" is the nickname given to a narrow alleyway in Asakusa that is lined to the eaves with yakiniku restaurants.
Every restaurant along the alley is fairly small, and none boast an exterior that could be considered as flashy or chic by any sense of the word.
Many of the restaurants are filled with children doing their homework or watching TV, and it almost feels like you've traveled back in time to the Showa era.
The restaurant along this street that's consistently been rated the highest is here, "Fumiya."
The meat at Fumiya is never cut in advance; instead, it's sliced fresh by hand for each order as they come in. The sauce, considered by some as the lifeblood of a yakiniku restaurant, is also delicious.
You won't find any flashy performances here like you would at many modern popular yakiniku restaurants, but the earnest and sincere work put in by the owner makes it a real winner.