Ishii

Is Ishii Worth Booking for Yakitori in Osaka?

Yes — Ishii is the right call if you want yakitori treated as a serious dinner rather than a casual grill stop. Backed by a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024), consecutive Tabelog Bronze Awards in 2025 and 2026, and a score of 4.09 on Tabelog, it has built one of Osaka's more credible cases for yakitori as destination dining. At ¥¥ pricing with dinner running JPY 15,000–19,999 per person (with actual spend tracking closer to JPY 20,000–29,999 once drinks are accounted for), it sits in a practical middle ground: more expensive than a neighbourhood grill, less demanding than an omakase at HAJIME or Fujiya 1935. If you've already done the kaiseki circuit in Osaka and want something different for one of your remaining nights, Ishii makes a strong argument.

What Ishii Actually Is

Ishii opened in May 2022 in Fukushima Ward, one of Osaka's more food-focused neighbourhoods, and has accumulated four consecutive years of selection to the Tabelog Yakitori Top 100 — every year since it opened. That kind of consistency from a restaurant not yet four years old is a meaningful signal. Chef Yoshitomo Ishii runs a 12-seat counter-only room, which means every seat faces the action and the pace is set by the kitchen, not the crowd. The format is a course of skewers alongside more composed chicken dishes, running roughly two hours per seating.

If you've been once and are deciding whether to return, the drink program is the strongest reason to come back with more intention. Ishii carries sake, wine, and has a sommelier on site , unusual for yakitori, where the drink list is often an afterthought. The restaurant is noted as being particular about its wine selection, and the sommelier presence suggests pairing is taken seriously. For a returning guest, spending more time with the sake or wine list rather than defaulting to beer is the right move. The format rewards slower, more deliberate drinking alongside the course.

Seating runs in two sessions nightly: doors open at 17:15 for a 17:30 start, and again at 20:15 for a 20:30 start, Tuesday through Saturday (and public holidays). The room seats 12 at a counter , no private rooms, no group tables, no walk-in option. This is reservation-only, with credit cards accepted (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners) and a 10% service charge added to the bill. The restaurant is non-smoking throughout.

One practical note on scent: Ishii explicitly asks guests to avoid wearing heavy perfume, and requests that you inform your companions before arrival. In a 12-seat counter room where charcoal smoke and the aromas from the grill are central to the experience, this makes sense , the kitchen's output fills the room, and anything competing with it works against the format. Plan accordingly if you're coming from another venue beforehand.

Drinks at Ishii: The Case for Paying Attention

At most yakitori counters in Japan, the drink program is functional , cold beer, maybe a highball, possibly a list of sake that rotates infrequently. Ishii positions itself differently. The wine list is curated with care (the venue is specifically noted as being particular about wine), and a sommelier is available , a genuine rarity in this category. For a returning guest, the ask is simple: let the sommelier guide the pairing rather than ordering independently. Whether you come in inclined toward Japanese sake or Western wine, there is enough depth here to make the drink side of the meal as considered as the food side. The two-hour course format, with two sessions nightly and a tight 12-seat room, means service is attentive enough to make that conversation happen naturally. Comparable yakitori counters in the city, like Torisho Ishii and Yakitori Torisen, do not match this level of drinks focus.

How It Compares

Against the broader Osaka dining field, Ishii occupies a distinct position. Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama and Taian are both ¥¥¥ kaiseki experiences that will run significantly higher per head; HAJIME, La Cime, and Fujiya 1935 all operate at ¥¥¥¥. Ishii at ¥¥ is the most accessible price point of any comparable award-holding destination restaurant in the city. If you are building a multi-night Osaka itinerary and want one meal that is recognisably special without the full ¥¥¥¥ commitment, this is the logical candidate. For yakitori specifically in the Kansai region, Torisaki in Kyoto is the closest peer worth comparing notes against.

Know Before You Go

Explore More in Osaka and Beyond

If Ishii is on your Osaka list, round out your research with our full Osaka restaurants guide, the Osaka bars guide, and the Osaka hotels guide. For broader Osaka planning, see experiences in Osaka and wineries in Osaka. For yakitori outside Osaka, Yakitori Omino in Tokyo and Torisaki in Kyoto are the strongest comparisons. For other high-credentialed counter dining across Japan, consider Harutaka in Tokyo, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa. Nearby in Osaka's yakitori scene, Ichimatsu, Ayamuya, and Kitashinchi Shien are worth comparing before you commit.

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