Our menus are fixed menus for 2 people. If one of the two people is vegetarian or vegan, we can adapt the menu, with prior notice, so they can enjoy different dishes without meat or animal protein, even if the other person eats meat.
Tradition, fire, and the most exclusive wagyū transport us to a small sumibiyaki in Kyoto. A unique ritual that awakens all the senses.
In 2020, nine years after opening the first Akaneya, Ignasi Elías and Chiho Murata decided to pour everything they had learned into a new sumibiyaki. Pilar Akaneya was born in Madrid’s Chamberí district.
It becomes the first restaurant outside Japan to offer Crown Melon—the world’s most prestigious melon, originally from Fukuroi, Murata’s hometown. It also becomes the third restaurant in Spain to serve Kobe Beef. In 2023, Hiroki Ito personally presents his Matsusaka Beef from Ito Ranch.
The aesthetics of classic Kyoto take shape at 33 Espronceda Street in Madrid, in a space designed by Chiho Murata and the C97 studio. Handmade rice paper lamps and seven custom-built barbecue tables are arranged across two adjoining rooms. Wood, iron, clay, and ash come together to create a space where beauty and functionality blend with Japanese sobriety. Stepping into Pilar Akaneya means seeing, touching, hearing, and tasting the purest Japan—without ever leaving home.
Born in 1987 in Algeciras, Pepe Fernández grew up surrounded by his grandmother’s stews and the flavor he still associates with childhood: “charred meat cooked over wood and tucked into bread.” He started out washing dishes in Tarifa, learned to serve at Hotel Alborán, and had Tili as his first mentor at Bar Ivory. At 23, he moved to London and faced the harsh side of the trade. He returned to Spain with a clear goal: fine dining in Madrid.
After training at the Aranda school, he worked at El Club Allard —a two-Michelin-star restaurant— under José Carlos Fuentes, who introduced him to Japanese cuisine. At Étimo, he applied French techniques with Begoña Fraire and learned precision and product respect from Jairo Calvo.
That’s when Chiho Murata invited him to lead Pilar Akaneya. Pepe trained in Barcelona, developed the Madrid concept, and together with Murata, created the Sansekai Menu: a sumibiyaki experience inspired by Japan. “Work had never felt so fulfilling.”
First sumibiyaki in Madrid
Best restaurant in Madrid in the 2023 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards
Best Japanese restaurant in Spain in the 2023 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards
Top 10 Restaurants in Spain in the 2023 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards
Sol Guía Repsol Award 2024 and 2025
First establishment in Europe with Crown Melon
Second restaurant outside Japan to serve Matsusaka Beef — after Marie Akaneya.
One of the first three restaurants in Spain to serve Kobe Beef.
License “EU No. 03” for Ito Ranch Matsusaka Beef
Our menus are fixed menus for 2 people. If one of the two people is vegetarian or vegan, we can adapt the menu, with prior notice, so they can enjoy different dishes without meat or animal protein, even if the other person eats meat.
Of course. The menus consist of several shared dishes, so the adaptation applies to both diners. To adapt the menu, you just need to inform us of your intolerance when making the reservation.
All menus are for a minimum of 2 people, and the menu price is per person. However, if there is a minor among the 3 people, it is possible to share a single menu for 2 people.
No, the restaurant has 11 tables distributed across two small adjoining rooms. We cannot guarantee privacy or a noise-free environment.
No. Reservations can be made for a maximum of 4 to 6 people, depending on availability.
Visit the gift section to purchase a gift voucher for the menu of your choice.
The sumibiyaki’s own air extraction and supply system ensures constant air circulation and ventilation. Additionally, the restaurant is equipped with the most advanced air purification system on the market.
If you cannot arrive on time for your reservation, please call us at +34 91 330 76 99.
We appreciate all requests, but unfortunately, we do not engage in this type of collaboration.
Espronceda 33, Madrid 28003
2 hours of free parking for customers at SABA/BSM, entrance via Carrer dels Àngels, corner Pintor Fortuny.
Open every evening and Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes.
+34 91 330 76 99