Tabelog ratingBENJAMIN STEAK HOUSE Kyoto (ベンジャミンステーキハウス 京都) is the Kyoto branch of the Manhattan steakhouse, housed in a renovated machiya, a traditional wooden townhouse. The kitchen is built around USDA Prime dry-aged beef. The porterhouse is carved at the table and brought back with the bone trimmings. There is also Kyoto-raised kuroge wagyu, seasoned with nothing but salt. The restaurant was selected for Tabelog's Steak・Teppanyaki WEST "Tabelog 100" in 2024 and 2025.
Nearly every review praises the steak: a crisp crust over a pink, tender interior. The veal and USDA T-bones and the wagyu are named most often. The Caesar salad, the whipped butter served with the bread, the lobster bisque and the tuna tartare also earn repeated praise. Many foreign diners named individual servers for their patience and attention, and the semi-private booths are a favourite.
Service is the weak point. Several guests reported forgotten drink orders, waits of up to 20 minutes for a menu, and slow plates. One server refused to take late side dishes off the bill. The smaller complaints were loud American pop music, a chilly dining room, side portions far larger than expected, and one dry T-bone.
Between 2024 and 2026, reviewers paid around ¥5,500–6,500 for the select lunch (salad or soup, steak, sides and coffee). Cheaper lunches at about ¥3,500 are pork or seafood. Dinner typically runs ¥15,000–20,000. The porterhouse dinner course came to ¥16,363 and a T-bone à la carte to ¥32,500. Adding lobster bisque to a course cost ¥550 extra.
Lunch is where the value lies: guests describe full-size portions and meat well above what the price suggests. Dinner is fair for a steakhouse of this tier, though à la carte steaks and wine raise the bill quickly.
- Getting there: 3-minute walk from Karasuma Station (Hankyu Kyoto Line) and Shijo Station (Subway Karasuma Line). The restaurant occupies the 1st and 2nd floors.
- Booking: not required, but recommended. Book online via Tabelog or by phone (050-5596-7624), and ask for a semi-private booth or the 2nd floor. The 1st floor is a more casual grill with a different menu, and solo diners may be seated there.
- Lunch: Monday to Saturday only. Sundays and public holidays are dinner only.
- Payment: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners and UnionPay cards. Suica and other IC cards and QUICPay are accepted. QR payments accepted: PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, Alipay and WeChat Pay. A 10% service charge is added.
- Children: welcome.
- Seating: 137 seats, including counter and sofa seating. Private rooms seat up to 8 per room, or 24 across three rooms, from ¥10,000. The restaurant can be hired privately, and group bookings of up to 100 are taken by phone.
- Smoking: non-smoking, with a separate smoking area inside.
- Parking: none.
- Language: staff handle English well.
- Ordering: sides are very large, so order fewer and share.
