Izuju Sushi

If you’re expecting the kind of sushi you’re used to in the West (nigiri, maki rolls, soy sauce, wasabi, etc.), this is not that. Izuju serves “Kyo-sushi,” a very traditional Kyoto-style sushi that’s completely different from the mainstream Tokyo-style most people know. The place itself is charming: small, quiet, and feels like stepping into history. Staff are polite, but the waitress spoke zero English, which made ordering and understanding the menu a challenge. As for the food - this is where it lost us. The sushi had way too much rice, almost overpowering the fish. Their sushi looked interesting, but to be honest, tasted rather bland and one-dimensional. No soy sauce was offered, even after asking; apparently not part of this style? To our palates, the whole experience was underwhelming. It’s not “bad” sushi, it just seems like a very niche style of sushi, and is probably an acquired taste that won’t click with most Western visitors. Do your research before coming here. If you’re genuinely interested in traditional Kyoto-style sushi and know what to expect, it might be worth a try. If not, you may perhaps leave disappointed.

Kyoto-styled sushi house opened since late 19th century. Sushi is quite different from sushi I had back in my home country. Not the best sushi I’ve ever had in Japan though. But the fact that they’ve been in business for more than 100 years means they’re doing something right.

If you love Hanshin Tigers and sushi / sake then this is the place for you. The former Tigers coach, Yoshida-san, who was originally from Kyoto used the frequent this place so the owner knows all the interesting inside stories from that era of Tigers Great atmosphere

Great atmosphere. Almost more of a modern feel on sushi. Just be aware you may not enjoy it if you’re not used to more subtle flavoured Japanese dishes. Great experience tho!

Absolutely delicious local sushi selection at a long time restaurant. The staff are extremely friendly and speak some English. The food was amazing. I have eaten here a few times, and they have never disappointed! I especially enjoy the sushi wrapped in bamboo leaves. We have been in Kyoto in Autumn, Winter and now Spring. Every season, the fish and its flavouring and garnish has changed. This makes unwrapping the sushi like opening a present. We absolutely love it. Do note that this restaurant is famous for their seaweed wrapped mackerel sushi, but this is not available now in the Spring due to global warming affecting their ability to bring in fish of sufficient quality. I think this is a very respectable take. I was in Kyoto back in January, and I managed to get a set of mackerel sushi as take out, so it may be possible that the sushi is still available in the winter. Highly recommend!

This place serves “kyo-sushi” and it’s different from the popular version of sushis that many people are familiar with. So don’t expect to see makis, onigiris, or fancy sushi rolls, or carbonated drinks on the menu. Make sure to do some research on kyo-sushi beforehand to see if this is the right place for you. For us, it was wonderful —from the receptionist, the waiters, and the food. We were glad to be able to enjoy this traditional sushi which is literally pieces of history. Saba sushi wrapped in kombucha is nothing like I’ve eaten before.

We had just finished an incredible morning of sightseeing starting at Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka, Kōdaiji Temple and Maruyama Park eventually bringing us to the doorsteps of Izuju Sushi. To be honest, if we were walking any faster through this intersection, we would have missed it because the opening to the zen garden pathway to the restaurant in the back is very inconspicuous. Lucky for us, we had keen eyes and decided to explore a little more to find this true gem of a restaurant that has been in business for over 100 years and specializes in "Kyoto style" sushi. Their specialty is an assorted box of Oshizushi with saba that is popular in the Kansai region for a long time. Of course we ordered this along with Inari Sushi and for us, an off menu item because it was not available on the English menu. This very special dish which I have never had before was steamed sushi. It comes in a wooden steamer box filled with sushi rice topped with jullienne of egg and a variety of seafood which is ultimately cooked because the entire box is steamed. It was different, delicate and delicious. There are not very many seats in this very traditional looking restaurant and the decor is incredibly traditional and transports you back in time. This was a very special meal and we all enjoyed the experience greatly. I hope that I have an opportunity to experience this once again someday when we return.

When we stopped by, they can only do take-outs and they ran out of the steamed sushi. That being said, their sushi rice is of premium quality and so do the other ingredients. The vinegar flavor is definitely stronger than other sushi I’ve had, but not too overpowering. Highly recommend!

Best sushi I've had in my life. I can't even read the menu. They got these fat pieces of fish (idk what they are cuz I can't read the menu) on top of this fat chunk of rice. Usually this fish to rice ratio is displeasing, but the rice is so flavorful and the fish is so tasty. Like you can reply taste it fr and I mean that in a good way The seaweed wrapped sushi is insane, and the other pinkish looking one is insane too. I also had their tofu skin one and it was nicely sweet. Wonderful place. Will gladly fly to Japan just to eat this

Came here after sightseeing the Yasaka Shrine. Had vacation in Kyoto. Came here for a belly refill, and I can say, it was impressive! This 100-year-old restaurant lives in a fine corner in next to other urban locations. I never tried Kyoto sushi, but after this, I gotta say, I never had sushi the same before! My family ordered makizushi, deluxe, and gudizushi. The sushi were in bigger portions, unusual in Japan. Glad to stop here. All was great, fast service. VERY unusual for a 100-year operated business. This restaurant defines fine cuisine. Japan sushi is just ..... different. Definitely a sight to see if you are near Kyoto.

I love myself some Kyoto-style sushi, but unfortunately Izuju fell short for me. The restaurant is tiny (expect a wait), the menu is pricey for the portion sizes, and the sushi is good but not mind-blowingly different than the Kyoto-style sushi I've had at other restaurants/Nishiki Market. I arrived around 6pm and waited about 30 minutes for a table for 2. While we were waiting, the host gave us English menus, which had plenty of photos so you could see what you're ordering. The variety sets looked the most interesting, but if you do the math, the value isn't worth as much when you compare it to the regular full-sized dishes. They're actually smaller portions at higher prices! My boyfriend and I shared the sabazushi and the deluxe. The sabazushi comes with six pieces of pickled/cured mackerel on a thickly packed block of rice, each wrapped in konbu (kelp). I love sabazushi, and there's no question that Izuju excels at this dish. The deluxe included a beautiful checkered assortment of shrimp, sea bream, and sweet omelette, all which were also packed with a thick block of rice. A good, solid dish. The whole meal was certainly unique and tasty, but for the wait time and prices, the sushi fell flat for me. I'd probably settle for sabazushi from Nishiki Market next time.

Unique Kyoto-style pressed sushi Told that this is a must try in Kyoto especially for Battera (pressed sushi) lovers. Honten sushi provides an ornate, checkered pattern arrangement to each piece. We also tried the futomaki and the sasamaki (Bamboo leaf wrapped sushi). Taste: Fish is more marinated (like the mackerel/Saba sushi) than the usual sushi variety. Though I like, this may not suit all tastes. Ordered the 3 person combo for 4378¥. Not cheap but you will not get this style on a sushi conveyor belt. I recommend you try.

You feel like you're stepping back in time when you walk in this restaurant. We tried two types of sushi and both were amazing and different than any sushi we've eaten before. Definitely visit this restaurant if you're in Kyoto.

Izuju is the traditional Kyoto style sushi restaurant in front of Yasaka Shrine. If you visit the Yasaka Shrine lunch time by Kyoto trip, I recommend this restaurant. Personally I love the mackerel sushi.

Old school sushi shop in old school area? Check. Izuju is a good place to try Kyoto style sushi. As a lover of all things Japanese, we definitely checked this place out. The shop is over a hundred years old, and it feels like stepping back in time - even just a little bit. Big parties beware, as they only have tables for 2 and tables for 4. Also, the place is small so it may be a wait (or come early!) Without access to fresh fish, Kyoto style pressed sushi was made wrapped in leaves or marinated in vinegar, etc. The sushi were mostly mild in flavor, with a lot of rice to fish ratio! People on the keto diet beware. Frankly, the squares of sushi tasted normal to me, it's how egg+rice, eel+rice or shrimp+rice would taste like. I was most surprised by the saba (mackerel) though! It was very tender, and not fishy at all! It's not cheap, but worth the experience!

Disclaimer: I never have Kyoto style Sushi till my trip to Kyoto. My Day at Kyoto trip includes eating authentic Kyoto style sushi at Izuju. Since I only here for a day, I might as well go for the ONE. As Izuju has been in business for over 100 years sticking to the tradition menu. Located right across from Yasaka Shrine in the Gion District. As a tourist, you would ended up walking by this little sushi place and did not even realize it exist. Arriving on around 12 pm ish, there was only 2 people in line. So we were offered the menu (photos with price!) and we placed our order before we were seated in this small restaurant. We ordered the sampling set B (3132 Yen) that includes Sabazushi, Hakozushi and Makizushi. Sabazushi is something that you can only eat in Kyoto as it is cured pickled Mackerel wrapped in Kombu (Kale). You supposed to unwrapped that and just eat the filling. Since it is cured fish, you can get one to go. I really want to try Inarizushi which Owner Chef Kitamura-san still prepared with woodfire hearth to prepare or the mushizushi which is available during winter. It was a hot hot September afternoon so none of those were available. I definitely recommend as least try Sabazushi once and there is no better place than Izuju in Kyoto for the real thing!

Recommended places to eat in Kyoto. It's a small and quaint place...not a place to bring your toddler or child since they won't appreciate nor enjoy it much, but we ordered the B set and Maki sushi. Both delicious. The egg was fluffy and not too sweet almost cake like texture. The mackerel was my favorite it was pickled just right where there was enough flavor. The rice was perfect! I recommend anyone in the area to try.

Came here for early dinner around 5pm and had to wait around 15mins for a table. They have English menu and they will give you the menu and take your order while you are waiting Service was fast and friendly. We ordered the mackerel pressed sushi, Inari tofu sushi, the hako pressed sushi and the seaweed roll. What I love most is the seaweed roll. 7 kinds of seaweed roll together. Who knew seaweed is so tasty! Dinner cost about $40 for two people. You won't find premium fresh fish here, but Kyoto style sushi are not available elsewhere so if you are in Kyoto, definitely give it a try.

Good variety of sushi! We ordered the combo 2 person B set for ¥4664. It was delicious and filling! The price is very reasonable for the area. You can also order take-out as I saw while waiting for a table. This is Kyoto style sushi, so you just it eat plain without soy sauce or wasabi... Just enjoy the flavors.

First time having tradition Kyoto sushi and it was amazing! I came to Japan to eat all kinds of sushi and I'm so glad we found this place. The rolls were excellent. They used a different type of seaweed and it was topped with something I've never seen. This is a very small restaurant and can only seat about 10-15 people at a time, so the service is very efficient. We actually ordered our food before being seated. The culture, when dining out, is to eat and move on, there is no sitting and socializing.

My fiancé had been coming here for years and even sent me here when I came to Japan without him two years ago. Back then they had a really long line, which deterred me from trying it, so imagine my excitement when this time there was just a short wait to get in at 2:30 pm on a Saturday. Sadly the menu didn't look that great to me, because I love just nigiri or simple sushi rolls. The set we ordered had a vegetarian roll, rice with some little things wrapped in tofu skin, rice and some kind of mackerel wrapped in kelp, and rice topped with some cooked fish. This set had the right amount of food we were looking for. It was a bit heavy on the rice and wasn't that tasty, sadly. I guess it depends on what you are looking for in a sushi restaurant. On the upside it is well situated next to Yasaka Shrine and service is fast. Pay at the register.

The best sushi I have ever had in my life. This restaurant has existed for over 100 years and you can tell in the meticulousness of each dish. The sushi is traditional. No soy sauce no wasabi. Just fish (or protein), rice and whatever herb accompanies for flavor contrast. The miso soup is delish and you are served complementary green tea. If you're ever in Kyoto this is a must. Please write your name in calligraphy and wait outside for your name.

While researching Kyoto, we came across Izuju (祇園いづ重 京都寿司) as a highly recommened option for sabazushi. Saba is mackerel and zushi is, well, sushi. However, sabazushi is slightly pickled in salt and sushi vinegar. Izuju specializes in sabazushi, a Kyoto speciality, and during their near 100 years of operation, they have become famous in Kyoto as one of the best places to eat it. The restaurant is easily located directly across the street from the bright orange Yasaka Shrine on Shijo Street. We stopped by Izuju late in the afternoon one day after exploring southern Kyoto. We had dinner reservations later in the night so Izuju would be a light snack (or first dinner). Arriving around 4pm, there were a few seats available. I began with a small bottle of cold sake and Adam took a large Sapporo to drink. We decided to order a combo that came with sabazushi, inari (sushi rice wrapped in aburaage, or deep fried tofu skin), hakozushi (box sushi) and makizushi. The hakozushi usually comes with grilled pike conger (a type of eel) or mackerel but really depends on the season. Due to it being summer, the hakozushi came with the pike conger on top. The makizushi consisted of shiitake mushrooms, kanpyo (gourd), mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley) and omelet and was reminiscent of the Korean kimbap, as a point of reference. The standout was definitely the sabazushi. It was unlike any sushi that either of us had tasted in the past. The savory pickled mackerel on top of the vinegary rice wrapped in a piece of slippery kelp-all of the textures and flavors really worked well together. We enjoyed how delicate the texture of the fish, which despite being pickled, maintained the subtle flavor of the mackerel. This combined with the vinegary rice made for a perfect bite! We could have ordered a full plate... The makizushi was a nice change of pace from the other items in the combo but wasn't anything too special. We agreed it was definitely our least favorite of the four. The hakozushi was okay, but after the more flavorful sabazushi, it fell a bit flat. The pike conger was cooked well and the rice was again quite good but we both preferred the sabazushi. The inari was a definite close second behind the sabazushi. The sweet tofu skin gave a balance to the vinegary rice and was different from any inari we've ever had in the states. We both preferred this version to ones we had eaten in the past due to how delicate the tofu skin was. Izuju is a place we would both recommend you not to miss while in Kyoto. Their version of sabazushi is fantastic and allows you the opportunity to taste a bit of authentic Kyoto cuisine. It really is something very unique that we both were glad we had the chance to have while in Kyoto. While some items on the menu were misses, the inari was very good as well and something that definitely is worth the trip. Plus, the size of the pieces are much larger than what most people would imagine sushi to be so a few pieces are more than filling. We would highly recommend Izuju as a great place for a quick snack, especially due to its proximity to the Yasaka Shrine!

Did you know sushi can come in a box form? I didn't until I went to Izuju. Experience the real Kyoto sushi meal here at this historic sushi restaurant in Gion! Serving only the primitive types of sushi, Izuju is a culinary destination that all sushi fans should not miss. You won't find the familiar rolls or even nigiri on Izuju's meal. Instead, even the English menu is filled with strange types of sushi that you may never seen before including the box-like hako sushi and the saba sushi that looked like a maki sushi. For the best value (and if you cannot decide how to begin to choose), choose the sushi combo that fits your party size to experience the super traditional sushi. Hako and saba sushi are made by compressing sushi rice with materials either in a box or a tube respectively. The result is a delicious sushi rice box/ball/circle that is infused with the taste of seafood! I don't think sushi can get any more sushi than this, and it would be a shame to miss out these types of sushi that you cannot get easily elsewhere! Expect to pay around 1000 yen per person, although the cost will be significantly reduced if you order the combo instead of a la carte. Izuju is located across Yasaka Shrine's main gate on its left and near the bus stop.

A shop with to-go boxes, a great atmosphere, and in the perfect location. It's right on the corner of a wide road, near many tourist attractions, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find. It really is a great shop, especially during a chilly day! They have table warmers and hot tea when you sit down. And of course the most important piece, the special Kyoto style sushi. I mostly went here to try the box sushi, but also because I heard of how great it is! I didn't find the prices too bad, for the amount you get, and compared to others that I saw. Be adventurous!

A must-visit whenever I am in Kyoto. Delicious Kyoto-style sushi. We shared a large platter for two (there are several options) and added futomaki and a seasonal sushi served with sliced yuzu.

For some reason we had a really hard time finding this place - possibly due to the change in decor in the front so it didn't match any photos, and also possibly because we were delirious from the heat - but by the time we found it we had missed the lunch rush and only had to wait 15 minutes to eat. This sushi is very different - pretty much all cured fish, and mostly shaped in squares. We had one of the set lunches so we could get a good sampling. The eel and tamale pieces were so delicious. We had some nice sake to wash it down. If you are a sushi fan this place is worth checking out to get a taste of Kyoto style sushi.

Let's just say that Kyoto style sushi isn't for everyone. The menu isn't that big so I would start by ordering something small first and see if you like it. I ordered the Saba sushi and Maki sushi. The Saba has kelp wrapped around that you have to peel off... It was really goopy and left a weird aftertaste. This wasn't for me personally... I found there to be much better sushi in Kyoto.

I'd skip this place. Without commenting on the style, which is definitely a question of preference, the service and experience here is underwhelming. So many amazing options in town, pass on this one.

I found this hole in the wall place through a guidebook recommendation, apparently this is the oldest and most respected joint serving kyoto/Kansai style sushi in Gion. If you are a foreign visitor coming here for the typical sushi with raw fish you will be disappointed, this place serves only specialty cut sushi, most of the sushi are served cooked or marinated. It is quite pricey compared to other places so I would recommend it for the sushi connoisseur who wants to try something different. The sushi are huge and doesn't look very appealing to eat, but I find the mackerel sushi to be quite delicious. I also recommend ordering the fish soup to wash it all down.

We came across this place while researching sushi places near Gion and this restaurant is conveniently located near the Gion station and Yasaka Shrine. It's a small restaurant but also has take-to-go counter. I ordered Chimashi Sushi which came in a small amount. Not enough for lunch but very delicious. It is different from the common sushi you find everywhere. A set costs us around 1500 yen per person.

I don't know why this place is still running. The food here should be called Korean food. I'm not saying Korean foods are bad but this place have the worst "sushi"ever. Stuffs attitude suck. The table are soooo tiny. DO NOT EAT HERE. go find somewhere else.

I don't think this style of sushi is for me. The kelp wrapped sushi was too seafood-y tasting. It was interesting to try but I think once is good enough. We ordered 2 dishes and a soup. Nothing stood out. It was a pricy meal but wanted to check it out since others had rated it so high.

Great sushi but also a great location to sit and relax for a long lunch when seeing the sights around Kyoto.

Great sushi. Different style than in the US. Couldn't have been happier. Loved the inari and hako plate!!!

This was arguably the most delicious sushi I've had in my life. The Kyoto-style mackerel sushi is out of this world. My friend and I split one of the smaller combo plates (maybe 12-15 pieces) and at first thought it wouldn't be enough for the two of us, but all the sushi is so dense and delicious, we actually struggled to finish it all. Highly recommended - wish I could have that mackerel again right now!

Delicious and not expensive. Very flavorful. Polite service, yummy green tea. I found this to be a unique type of sushi compared to all I've tried in Japan. Must go & in the middle of everything in Gion.

Really was hoping for delicious kyoto style sushi, I was disappointed with the sushi here. This is only a review of their saba sushi that I had. I did not like it. I had some saba sushi at Nishiki market earlier that day that was very good & better than here. If you are solely looking to try saba sushi I would recommend you try some at the sushi stall mid-market. They have individual saba sushi pieces of a roll wrapped in plastic wrap. It is not at the seafood stall that has the big oysters & sushi skewers, raw fish etc. which seems to be the more popular stall) it is another one a few down from there & the sushi on the table is in plastic containers. A woman was working there. I gave 2 stars for Izuju because the people were friendly. It looked like it was mostly tourists in this restaurant.

Authentic Kyoto sushi makes for the quintessential Gion experience. Also not that expensive (I was VERY full after spending 2000yen. However, the taste might not agree with everyone, particularly those with western expectations. Definitely recommend for the adventurous.