A combustion apparatus includes a burner and a heat shield plate. The heat shield plate includes a main plate portion located on a lateral side of a flame formation region above the burner to erect, a stepped portion protruding from a lower end of the main plate portion toward the burner and set at approximately the same height as that of a flame hole surface of the burner, and air passage holes provided in the stepped portion. The main plate portion is provided with a facing wall portion which protrudes from a middle part of the main plate portion in a vertical height direction thereof toward the flame formation region and faces the air passage holes so as to be subjected to a collision with air travelling upward from the air passage holes. This configuration allows the heat shield plate to be properly cooled/protected, while reducing consumed air.