Sushi Iwa in Kyoto, 京都府

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Telephone:	+81 75-371-5782
Website:	www.sushiiwa.jp
Address:	下京区下珠数屋町通間之町西入西玉水町282, Kyoto, 京都府, 〒600-8155
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	630 ftKarasuma Shichijo (烏丸七条) 920 ft七条河原町 940 ft河原町正面
Categories:	Sushi Bars

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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations	Yes
Delivery	No
Take-out	No
Accepts Credit Cards	Yes
Good for Kids	No

Good for Groups	Yes
Attire	Casual
Noise Level	Quiet
Outdoor Seating	No
Has TV	No

Today

Today	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm Closed now
Local time (Kyoto)	22:01 Monday, 30 June 2025

Business hours

Monday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday	12:00 pm – 2:00 pm 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

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13 reviews of Sushi Iwa

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Latha D.

Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA

Best sushi I had during my entire trip. The chef is super nice too and we got a picture with him!

Ravi D.

Place rating: 5
Fairfield, CA

Hanging out with Onishi-san in Kyoto. 2^nd generation owner of Sushi Iwa. Best Sushi I have ever had! If you don’t mind dropping $ 20 bucks per piece of fish you can’t go wrong.

Bob O.

Place rating: 5
Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Most amazing sashimi and nigiri I have every had. Had the seasonal sashimi plate with toro. Amazing! Also ordered fatty baby tuna, more toro, more salmon, and tuna. Everything we had was the best I have ever had. Worth the money. Extremely attentive and friendly staff.

Bertil N.

Place rating: 5
London, United Kingdom

Amazing Sushi!
Otoro sashimi & chutoro nigiri both very good.
Akagai (ark shell, my favourite) alive and amazing.
Best uni I have ever had. From Hokkaido of course but it must have been harvested that same morning…
Zero melting was evident, it was quite firm, Wow!
The worst thing we had was good most things fabulous.
Obviously don’t eat salmon and California rolls etc this is Japan…
This is now one of my two favourite sushi places in the world.

Frank R.

Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA

Great sushi could have had more but my wife is not a big seafood fan. Was very quiet when we went in during the mid week just us in the restaurant. But the owner was very friendly and hospitable and offered helpful recommendations for our next stop in Osaka. Highly recommend even have a great wine selection that includes some California wine.
About 10 minutes walk from Kyoto station

Lisa B.

Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA

I’ll add another review stating the same: the sushi is amazing, the chef is great. Come here a bit of a walk from the more commercial areas of Kyoto but worth it

Shaila S.

Place rating: 5
Manhattan, NY

Seriously never thought I could get better sushi but I found it in Kyoto. This place makes sushi into an art. Get the seat at the sushi bar and show up early in the evening. As in most places in Japan, no one speaks english, but you know what you want so point to it on the menu or just order it.
All the sushi is good. I got fatty tuna over and over again. The rice is perfectly vinegared, and the chefs are so meticulous it blows me away. Definitely go here.

Josh K.

Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA

Best sushi I’ve ever had. I walked in around 6:30 pm on a Wednesday night, and was seated at the sushi bar for an omakase dinner — no reservation needed, but things got a little more crowded as the night went on. So, I probably showed up at the perfect time. As others have said, the Chef will greet you at the door and make sure you’re OK with paying a minimum of 10,000 yen (or more) for your omakase dinner. Just do it. I went with the 10k option and had, truly, one of the great dining experiences of my life. Just to watch the man cut figs would have been enough. Everything was fresh, delicious, and truly, the best sushi/sashimi I’ve ever had… these Michelin-starred joints in LA don’t even compare!
The restaurant has been open for 60+ years. It was started by the Chef’s father, who is in his 80s and still works behind the counter. They live upstairs. It is a Japanese treasure, and I’m so grateful that Unilocal steered me there.

Ben D.

Place rating: 5
Southgate, MI

WOW!!! This place really is the best sushi I have had in my life!!! I am offended at how the U.S. attempts to do sushi after eating here.
No one really speaks English here except the owner/head chef. He came out and gave us the download and it was really impressive.
We had a tuna roll with a salmon roll. We added the chefs special along with that. (It was his desired fishes all together) that was about 8 pieces of sushi (sashimi style).
I had green tea for my drink and when we got finished we ordered more salmon and tuna. What I can say is that I have eaten the most sushi in my life at this place and do not regret it.
The ginger was so fresh and was softer than any other ginger I buy at home. (I buy from a farmers market) the soy sauce is also a little different. Not as salty and a little more thick. It tasted so much better. The wasabi was also very different in that it was fresh and not sitting somewhere waiting to be served.
All in all, if I ever come back to Kyoto this is the distrust place I will come to. I recommend everyone go here for sushi. You will not leave disappointed.

Yvette M.

Place rating: 5
Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, CA

Let’s start by confirming this guy is probably the nicest guy in Kyoto. Genuinely caring about our trip around Kyoto and even offered is tips and places to go. Humble, and has an amazing restaurant.
Yes, Steve jobs used to eat there.
Yes, fatty tuna was absolutely worth it.
Yes, expensive a. f! :(
I read the reviews and decided to try it and just receiving the warmest welcome from this guy. We sat down ordered drinks and he walked us through the menu and his recommendations page by page. Well by the time we got settled and really looked at the menu I got sticker price shock. Certainly not budget friendly.
BUT! Don’t let that discourage you!
There is an «a la carte» option which is what I did because I love sushi and had to try the fatty tuna. No regrets. I’d do it again if I had time to go back.
I would say come ready to drop at least 11,500 yen to make it the most awesome memory of your life.
But, 2,000 yen will get your taste buds tingling too :)

Jj k.

Place rating: 5
Marina del Rey, CA

I’m in Kyoto and I’m craving sushi, which according to the locals is not typical «Kyoto» due to proximity of the ocean. Well hell if Las Vegas can do sushi I’m going to try it in Kyoto… Sushi Iwa was the best sushi I have ever had. OK bold statement but I’m am Angeleno surrounded by great sushi since the 70’s. Please go to to Sushi Iwa and enjoy !!!

Rachel S.

Place rating: 4
El Cerrito, CA

SO this sushi is REALLY good. Dare I say it’s the best sushi I’ve ever had? It quite possibly is. We went with a la carte as we were a little gun shy with the 10,000 yen/person price tag on the chef’s selection. We actually enjoyed this and had a bunch of different items and we went with the higher quality fish. Although we aren’t sushi connoisseurs, we definitely enjoy a good sushi meal. This sushi meal was fantastic. We ended up paying about $ 80/person which coming from SF, is a steal for some beers and good sushi. Didn’t realize Steve Jobs loved the place but the chef/owner has a signed piece of paper framed proving it :-).
Seemed like there was an upstairs area for groups. We sat at the bar downstairs and it was just us and 2 other people. This allowed us to chat with the owner/chef who spoke great English. Also, wouldn’t have known this place was even a sushi restaurant. The outside has a small sign in Japanese but that was it.
If you are ok with spending a bit more money on some good quality sushi with a great ambiance, this place is worth a try.

Kenneth B.

Place rating: 5
Richardson, TX

This is the best sushi restaurant in Japan. Which, by definition, makes this the best sushi restaurant in the world…
The owner speaks fluent English, and will explain his concept: only the freshest wild fish from Japan. No frozen. No farmed. No imported.
The fatty tuna and salmon simply melts in your mouth. Everything was amazing in appearance, texture, taste, and freshness!
The prices reflect the quality of the food and the gorgeous surroundings that have been created for your dining pleasure. I enjoy eating at the counter with a glass of wine, so that I can experience the action. Robert Deniro enjoys tequila with his sushi here at one of the tables upstairs. To each their own…
You MUST have sushi here if you visit Kyoto. Otherwise you are missing a national treasure!

Sushi Iwa

Kyoto, Japan