Sumibi Steak Sakai KyotoSanjo - Kyoto

Most amazing dining experience! We walked in without a reservation and were seated immediately at a bar were you could watch them prepare your meal. The bar was beautiful and had a grill behind the bar. The seats were dining seats and quite comfortable. The chef was very friendly and you could watch him assemble each course of the meal. All the details were perfectly applied. Blowtorch to warm the bowls and char the bread. Thin tongs to arrange the pieces. Our waiter was also behind the bar and super friendly and attentive. He explained each dish and what was included. He was very prompt when filling water and wine glasses. We ordered the set menu for sirloin/tenderloin for ¥8800 ($88). It included your choice of Waygu beef and appetizer, salad, soup, vegetables, and dessert. The first course was ahi tuna chunks with a pesto like sauce and a whole shrimp. There was grated Parmesan cheese and toasted bread with what they called cream cheese but was actually mayo. The tuna was delicious. I loved the bread. Didn't really eat the mayo. The second course was a beautifully prepared soup....Cream of green onion and potato soup. It came in the cutest clay pot and was delicious! The third course was the beef. It came rare but they brought a little charcoal grill to the table so that you could warm it and the accompanying vegetables to your preference. The beef was delicious! It was perfectly marbled and full or flavor. They brought out soy sauce, miso sauce, wasabi, horseradish, and salt to season the meat and veggies. The veggies included broccoli, peppers, green onions and tomatoes...All mini. The char from the grill and the seasoning condiments were perfect for the vegetables! The four course was a crispy rice cake with beef strips arranged on top in a bowl. You added condiments like seaweed salad or strips, and Japanese pickles and then covered everything with a boiling broth that cooked the beef. It was a delicious soup to finish up the savory section of the meal. The final course was a medley of desserts...Sesame mousse/pudding, chocolate cake strips with strawberries and cream, and caramel ice cream. Fresh tea was served with this course. All we're delicious but I love pudding so my favorite was the sesame pudding. The entire experience was delightful and well worth the price. It wasn't cheap but sometimes the extra money is worth the experience and this was definitely worth it! Every detail was well thought out.

Highly recommend to anyone who would like to enjoy Wagyu in Kyoto. Great ambience and most of all great food. Our group was treated by the chef and our young servers with warm hospitality. We came out raving about our experience.

Relaxed and well appointed space. Attentive staff. Top quality Wagyu beef. The food was delicious. No plate from the set menu was a disappointment. Main feature of this restaurant is the chef sears the steak leaving it very blue. You can then finish the steak yourself over a charcoal grill. Steak is presented with 3 sauces but I found simple salt, pepper, drop of lemon and wasabi to be the best way to enhance the flavor of the meat.

5 stars steakhouse. Beef perfectly grilled, and sauce so tantalising. Definitely worth a try!

Dined here for a birthday lunch – it certainly felt very special! Staff were polite and attentive – the waitress noticed we were struggling with our menus and promptly provided us with one in English. While we're not wagyu connoisseurs by any means, we found the beef to be tender and lovely – in both the more affordable hot plate lunch set and the premium-priced charcoal-grilled course. One thing I found not quite suited to my palate was the complimentary tea. It was extremely smoky – I guess it was probably iribancha, which controversially has strong notes of tobacco. I appreciated that they were photo-friendly – they even brought out a beautifully-presented wagyu slab and encouraged us to take some snaps, waiting patiently until we were done. Pricing-wise it is definitely for special occasions, but we thoroughly enjoyed our meals and would recommend Sumibi for anyone who would pay a little extra for a quality beef experience. Lunch sets are more affordable, so choose lunch over dinner if you're trying to stay under $50.

Food is awesome! The chef is really nice and friendly, and they provide English menu. Highly recommended if u want to have wagyu Japanese beef. Price is a little bite higher but worth it.

Such a nice steak meal, we very much enjoyed this wonderful lunch. The staff are very friendly, English menu is perfect, clean, you can see the talented chefs working away if you sit at the bar. Would love to go back again! The food is not just a lump of steak, I had a steak box that I came with wonderful pickles, salad, other delicious Japanese accoutrements. Another positive about this wonderful restaurant is it wasn't full of cigarette smoke!

The best meat I have ever had! All the menu was of high quality. Very friendly staff. Not crowded, we were welcomed even without reservation. Fair price