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Attuned to subtle seasonal changes, Kyoto cuisine emphasizes freshness and contrast. From the finest ryotei (high-class Japanese restaurants) to the smallest izakaya (pub), the distinctive elements of gracious hospitality, subtle flavors, and attention to decor create an experience that engages all the senses. Both elaborate est
Attuned to subtle seasonal changes, Kyoto cuisine emphasizes freshness and contrast. From the finest ryotei (high-class Japanese restaurants) to the smallest izakaya (pub), the distinctive elements of gracious hospitality, subtle flavors, and attention to decor create a
Attuned to subtle seasonal changes, Kyoto cuisine emphasizes freshness and contrast. From the finest ryotei (high-class
Attuned to subtle seasonal changes, Kyoto cuisine emphasizes freshness and contrast. From the finest ryotei (high-class Japanese restaurants) to the smallest izakaya (pub), the distinctive elements of gracious hospitality, subtle flavors, and attention to decor create an experience that engages all the senses. Both elaborate establishments and casual shops usually offer set menus at lunchtime, at a considerably lower price than at dinner. Although the finest traditional kaiseki ryori (the elaborate, multicourse meal) is often costly, this experience is highly recommended at least once during your visit to Japan.
If you find yourself with an unintelligible menu, ask for the o-makase, or chef's recommendation and you can specify your budget in some instances. The custom of dining early, from 6 pm until 8 pm, still endures in very traditional restaurants, but many restaurants are open until 10 or 11 pm. If possible, let the hotel staff make reservations for you. For more formal restaurants try to book at least two days in advance; bookings are often not accepted for the following day if called in after 4 pm. Keep in mind that not all restaurants accept credit cards.
Dark-wood furnishings create a provocative and intimate environment for sampling the bountiful brews at Kyoto's top Korean teahouse. Unlike Japanese and Chinese teas, which pull flavor from leaves or powder, the house favorites here are brewed full of berries, spices, and herbs. The intense aromas are complemented by a menu of vegetable stews, stuffed fritters, and innovative versions of Korean staples like organic bibimbap (a rice bowl topped with various ingredients). Reserve ahead to sample the Gozen menu, with nine bronze pots filled with royal cuisine good enough to leave you wishing you were an ancient Seoul nobleman. Seating is in a cozy private room at the back, on cushions at floor-level tables or at the sturdy wooden counter with a better chance to chat with the convivial proprietors. The restaurant closes at 8 pm, with the last order taken at 7 pm.
This old-style soba noodle shop two blocks south of Tenryu-ji Temple sits right in the thick of things and has a splendid view of the river. Feel free to relax on a cushion and face the river while you recharge before visiting your next temple. The tempura comes highly recommended. An English menu is available.
3 Susukinobabacho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 616-8385, Japan
The signature dish at this well-regarded trattoria is handmade pasta topped with a flavorful tomato sauce. Carefully selected organic vegetables and fine Italian ham are among the antipasti stars. Entrées that might include tender pork steaks or grilled fish in orange-infused balsamic vinegar are uniformly excellent, and the decadent desserts are a great way to finish a meal: the lychee mousse alone is worth the visit. Savoring your multicourse meal on the terrace is a delight in this trendy, bustling area of town.
Kitagawa Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 604-8415, Japan
Leafy banana trees visible from several blocks away mark this airy two-story town-house café that's especially popular at night with young people. Lunch options that include sandwiches, rice dishes, and curries change regularly. All go well with Moroccan chai or imaginative seasonal smoothies like one with strawberry, mint, and ginger. Among the desserts are mango and coconut cream and French toast with candied almonds. While waiting for your meal, you can browse the wall of books. Attached is an art gallery. The cafe is a 10- to 15-minute walk from either the Oike or Marutamachi subway station.
The estate of a former prime minister has been turned into a kaiseki (multicourse-meal) restaurant, and the stroll garden by landscape artist Ogawa Jihei ensures wonderful views by day or night. The century-old traditional structure, between the Kamo and Takase rivers, suits the delicate tasting courses served by kimono-clad women.
Kiyamachi-dori, Nijo sagaru, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 604-0922, Japan
Patrons enter this restaurant through a dark-blue curtain on the east side of Shinmachi-dori. The design inside is pure contemporary, minimalist, and sleek. The chef emphasizes Kyoto vegetables in many of the dishes. Because Izama is the restaurant attached to the Mitsui Garden Hotel-Shinmachi, three meals a day are served, and at reasonable prices. Breakfast, Japanese, and Western-style buffets, start at 6:30 am.
Rokkaku-dori Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 604-8212, Japan
Tempura and tofu hot pots cooked at the table are staples at this attractive two-story restaurant along the tree-lined Philosopher's Path. Try the Kisaki nabe, which includes pork, chicken, beef, chrysanthemum leaf, shiitake mushrooms, and spinach. Though like the nabe some dishes include meat, this is essentially a tofu house whose cuisine is centered on fresh vegetables, including plenty of pickles and seaweed. The hospitable, English-speaking owner, Emiko, will cater to special requests.
19--173 Minamida-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 606-8403, Japan
Exquisite Chinese fare is presented French-style at a wooded resort in Kyoto's northwestern quadrant. The chefs focus on the cuisines of four regions—Szechuan, Guangdong, Shanghai, and Beijing—and the meals are served graciously in dining areas decorated with black carved Chinese furnishings. The eclectic offerings include spicy Szechuan-style buckwheat noodles, dim sum shrimp and pork dumplings, minced duck wrapped in lettuce leaves, and Beijing duck. The grounds, a former kimono magnate's estate, are well landscaped for strolling.
Kita Ku, Gentaku Ishi cho 27, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, Japan
The country-style exterior of this popular noodle shop near the Philosopher's Path echoes the hearty fare served within. Men means noodles; the O is honorific, appropriately so. The ingredients are served separately with a small bowl of fresh sesame seeds for you to sprinkle as liberally as you like. You can dine on stools at the counter, chairs at tables, or tatami mats. Reservations are accepted only on weekdays.
74 Ishi-bashi-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 606-8406, Japan
This branch of the famed soba noodle shop is convenient to the downtown shopping area, just across the river from Gion. It's a perfect place to drop in for a lunch of udon noodle soup with a liberal sprinkling of sesame seeds.
171--1 Kashiwaya-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 606-8044, Japan
Within the Nanzen-ji temple complex is a restaurant designed by Ogawa Jihei 11th, a renowned Showa designer whose predecessor Ogawa Jihei 7th conceived the garden at Heian Jingu. A gnarled red pine stands as the centerpiece of the restaurant's garden. Multicourse kaiseki meals (¥10,000) are available in this beautiful setting. Bento box lunches (¥3,500) and boiled tofu (¥1,800) are served in a tatami room. On the second floor is Ankoan, a Japanese-style café that serves coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages. Desserts cost ¥800.
81 Nanzenji-Kusakawa-machi, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 606-8435, Japan
Nestling right in the heart of Kyoto's traditional geisha district, this café serves up traditional Japanese sweets and desserts in a stylish minimalist setting. Living up to its name, the quiet and cosy space is styled like a modern art gallery, and is a great place to sip on a green tea or coffee while sampling delicate and seasonal treats such as kuzumochi (a jelly-like mochi cake). An oasis of sophisticated calm among the hustle and bustle of Gion.
A Taisho-era kimono business office and home was meticulously renovated into this restaurant whose Chinese cuisine is prepared as though it were Japanese. The streetside former office is furnished with Chinese tables and chairs and tatami rooms with low tables and cushion seating; some of the areas have views of the well-groomed inner-courtyard garden. The restaurant derives its name from the wall in the bar displaying ornate pocchiri clasps used by maiko-san as decoration on the front of their obi (kimono sashes). Lunch is a Japanese-style bento box but with Chinese food. Dinner may be tofu dishes, chicken stews, and delicately flavored sea bream. For ¥11,000 you can order a meal inspired by Imperial Court cuisine, featuring savory Peking duck and seasonal delicacies such as spiny lobster and crab stew.
283--2 Tenjinyama-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 604-8221, Japan
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