Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
OAD-ranked yakiniku in an easy-to-miss Nishigotanda address.
Yakiniku Shimizu is an OAD-ranked dinner counter in Nishigotanda, Shinagawa, that has climbed from Highly Recommended in 2023 to #317 in 2024 on the Opinionated About Dining Japan list. It is easier to book than Ginza's headline yakiniku names and better suited to two to four guests who want an attentive, grill-focused evening. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 pm; Monday closed.
Yakiniku Shimizu has earned a place on the Opinionated About Dining (OAD) Leading Restaurants in Japan list three consecutive years running, moving from Highly Recommended in 2023 to #317 in 2024 and #395 in 2025. That trajectory tells you something useful: this is a serious yakiniku counter in Nishigotanda, Shinagawa that the specialist crowd tracks. If you are planning a Tokyo dining itinerary that goes beyond the obvious tourist circuit, Shimizu belongs on the shortlist. Book it for dinner — it is dinner-only — and plan to arrive close to opening at 5 pm if you want the full unhurried experience before the room fills.
The address puts Yakiniku Shimizu on the second floor of a low-key building in Nishigotanda, a neighbourhood that rewards the diner willing to step off the main drag. Shinagawa's dining scene is less photographed than Shinjuku or Ginza, which means tables here are easier to secure than the headline yakiniku names closer to the city centre. That relative accessibility is part of the value proposition: OAD-ranked quality without the booking battle you would face at the most sought-after Tokyo counters.
The room is compact and intentional. Yakiniku at this level depends on proximity , to the grill, to the smoke, to the cut being prepared in front of you. A second-floor space in a residential neighbourhood building tends toward the intimate rather than the grand, which suits the format well. This is not a venue for a table of ten arriving in a rush. It rewards a slower pace: two to four guests who want to eat attentively through the cuts on offer.
For a group booking or a special-occasion dinner, that spatial intimacy works in your favour. A smaller, focused yakiniku counter gives a private-dining feel without requiring a private room. The grill becomes the centrepiece, the cuts arrive in sequence, and the experience is closer to a chef's counter than a casual grill-your-own operation. If you are comparing this to a larger, more theatrical yakiniku house, Shimizu sits at the quieter, more concentrated end of the spectrum , better for conversation and attention to what is on the grill, less suited to a loud group celebration.
Hours run Tuesday through Friday from 5 pm to 11:30 pm, with Saturday and Sunday closing slightly earlier at 10 pm. Monday is closed. The later closing time on weekdays gives you flexibility: this is a practical option for a post-meeting dinner or a late start when earlier reservations elsewhere have sold out. No price range data is available in the public record, so budget by the OAD context , venues ranked in this company in Tokyo typically sit in the mid-to-upper range for yakiniku, though not at the stratospheric levels of the most famous wagyu counters in Ginza or Azabu.
Google reviews sit at 4.1 across 299 ratings, a credible signal that the experience holds up across a broad range of guests, not just the specialist audience tracking OAD. For context on how Shimizu fits into the wider Tokyo dining picture, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide. If you are building a longer Japan trip, comparable serious restaurant energy is available at HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, and akordu in Nara.
Within the Tokyo yakiniku category, Shimizu sits alongside a cluster of neighbourhood specialists that the OAD crowd has identified as worth the detour. Venues like Jumbo Hanare, Nikusho Horikoshi, and Kiraku-Tei occupy similar territory , serious meat-focused counters outside the obvious tourist zones. Cossott'e and Kinryuzan round out the set for anyone cross-referencing options before making a reservation. If your interest in the yakiniku format extends beyond Tokyo, Totoraku in Los Angeles and Yazawa Yakiniku in Singapore offer useful points of comparison.
For everything else in Shinagawa and beyond, our Tokyo hotels guide, Tokyo bars guide, Tokyo wineries guide, and Tokyo experiences guide cover the full picture. Regional escapes worth pairing with a Tokyo trip include Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. No booking method is listed in the public record, so check for an online reservation system at the address directly or look for availability through a Tokyo concierge service. Given the OAD ranking and the compact room, booking a few days ahead is sensible rather than showing up without a reservation. Arrive at opening if you want first pick of the evening's pacing.
This is a dinner-only counter in Nishigotanda, open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 pm. It is OAD-ranked , #395 in Japan for 2025, up from Highly Recommended in 2023 , so the quality baseline is high relative to an average neighbourhood grill. Booking ahead is advisable. No English-language website is confirmed in the public record, so use a concierge or hotel staff to assist with reservations if needed. Budget for mid-to-upper yakiniku pricing based on its peer set, though exact prices are not publicly listed.
Specific menu items and signature dishes are not in the public record, so avoid ordering based on anything listed here. What OAD ranking at this level implies is a focused, quality-driven cut selection rather than a sprawling menu. In practice, yakiniku counters of this calibre typically guide you through the session , follow the recommendation of the staff, order the premium cuts first, and pace yourself. If in doubt, ask what is leading that evening rather than working from a fixed list.
Seating configuration is not confirmed in the public record. Given the second-floor, compact setting typical of serious yakiniku counters at this level, counter or grill-adjacent seating is likely, but this cannot be stated definitively. If bar or counter seating is a priority for your visit, confirm directly when booking.
Dinner is the only option , Shimizu operates Tuesday through Sunday from 5 pm, with no lunch service listed. Friday and Saturday evenings close at 11:30 pm and 10 pm respectively, giving you a clear window. Early evening on a weekday gives you the most relaxed pacing; weekend evenings are likely busier.
Yes, with the right group size. The intimate second-floor setting and OAD-ranked quality make it a credible special-occasion choice for two to four guests who want a focused, attentive experience rather than a large-group celebration. The grill-centred format works well as a shared event. For larger groups requiring a private room, check availability directly , no private dining configuration is confirmed publicly.
Within the yakiniku category, Jumbo Hanare, Nikusho Horikoshi, and Kiraku-Tei are the closest comparisons in the neighbourhood specialist tier. If you want to pivot format entirely, Harutaka covers the sushi counter experience at a similar seriousness level, while RyuGin is the kaiseki option for a more structured multi-course evening. Shimizu is the right call if yakiniku is specifically the format you want and you prefer a quieter room over a high-profile address.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Yakiniku Shimizu | — | |
| Harutaka | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| RyuGin | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| L'Effervescence | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| HOMMAGE | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Florilège | ¥¥¥ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Yakiniku Shimizu and alternatives.
The venue's layout is not documented in public records, so bar seating can change. Yakiniku Shimizu occupies the second floor of a building in Nishigotanda — call or message ahead to ask about counter or bar options before booking. For a yakiniku format in Tokyo, seating arrangements vary significantly by restaurant, so it is worth confirming directly. Check the venue's official channels for the latest details.
This is a dinner-only spot: doors open at 5pm Tuesday through Sunday, and the restaurant is closed on Mondays. It sits on the second floor in Nishigotanda, a quieter part of Shinagawa that takes a little effort to find. The OAD ranking (Top 395 in Japan for 2025, up from Highly Recommended in 2023) signals a place that has built a following through consistency rather than hype — go with time to settle in rather than rushing.
Specific menu items and dishes are not documented in available records. At an OAD-ranked yakiniku in Japan, the standard approach is to let the kitchen guide you through cuts if a set course is available — ask the staff on arrival whether a course menu or à la carte is the format that evening. Avoid over-ordering early; yakiniku pacing rewards restraint.
If you want Michelin-level precision in a tasting format, RyuGin and Florilège offer more structured courses but at a higher price point and with more competitive bookings. HOMMAGE and L'Effervescence are French-influenced and suit diners who want a sit-back progression rather than table-side grilling. Harutaka is the counter omakase benchmark for those who want Tokyo's high-end Japanese dining without the yakiniku format.
Lunch is not an option — Yakiniku Shimizu opens at 5pm every day it operates. Dinner is the only format, with service running until 11:30pm Tuesday through Friday and 10pm on weekends. The later closing on weekdays makes it a viable option after other plans without feeling rushed.
Yes, with the right expectations. Three consecutive years on the OAD Top Restaurants in Japan list — climbing from Highly Recommended in 2023 to Top 317 in 2024 and Top 395 in 2025 — gives it credible standing for a celebratory dinner. It is not a flashy address: Nishigotanda is low-key, and the room is on the second floor of an understated building. The occasion works if you want a dinner driven by food quality rather than room theatre.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
