Best 5 Restaurants in Kyoto

The food culture in Japan is very attractive, so that when you travel to Japan, you will definitely have a few restaurants to dine. Where to eat in Kyoto? There are tofu restaurants, the vegetarian restaurants or the Michelin restaurants that you can choose when dinning in Kyoto. If you don’t know where to eat in Kyoto, here give you 5 recommended restaurants.

Japanese restaurant in Kyoto - Kikunoi Honten

• Tel: +81-075-561-0015
• Address: Higashiyama 459, Shimokawaracho 605-0825, Kyoto
• Recommended reason: Classic Japanese restaurant in Kyoto
• Price recommended: 4,000-30,000 JPY for lunch, 15,000-30,000 JPY for dinner, 15% service charge

Founded in 1912, this restaurant is a family-run restaurant. The restaurant is named after a well. The water in this well is constantly emerging, which is like a chrysanthemum in full bloom.  In addition to the restaurant Kikunoi Honten in Koyto is a Michelin three-star restaurants. The other two branches are Michelin two-star restaurants. If you want to try classic Japanese food, you can’t miss this restaurant.

Kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto - Kitcho Arashiyama Honten

• Tel: +81-075-881-1101
• Address: Kanagawa-cho, Kanagawa-ji Temple, Kyoto
• Recommended reason: One of the most famous traditional Kaiseki restaurants in Japan
• Price recommended: 43,200-86,400 JPY for lunch, 48,600-86,400 JPY for dinner

Kitcho Arashiyama Honten is one of the most famous traditional Kaiseki restaurants in Japan. If you want to try Kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto, you can’t miss this restaurant. In 1930, the first Kitcho was opened in Osaka. In 1948, "Kyoto Yoshizumi" was opened. Today, Kitcho has branches in Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka and Tokyo. Every dinner set in the restaurant is carefully selected to match the food.

Michelin restaurant in Kyoto – Chihana

• Tel: +81-075-561-2741
• Address: 584 South side of Gion, Higashiyama, Kyoto
• Recommended reason: Michelin 3-star restaurant, privately ordered dishes
• Price recommended: 10,000-40,425 JPY for lunch, 15,015-40,425 JPY for dinner

Established in 1946, Chihana has become the standard for dishes in Gion, focusing on traditional Kyoto seasonal cuisine. In 2006, after the founder of Chihana passed away at the age of 82, his eldest son, Nagata Yuki, took over the restaurant and has been awarded Michelin 3-star restaurant for seven consecutive years. The restaurant is characterized by a chef who cooks food in front of the diners and the chef will create unique dishes based on the different needs of the guests. If you want to try privately ordered dishes, you can’t miss this restaurant.

Vegetarian restaurant in Kyoto - Vegans cafe and restaurant Kyoto

• Address: about 8 minutes walk from Fujimori Station.
• Recommended reason: Vegetarian and healthy dishes
• Price recommended: 1000 JPY, adding 540 JYP to update to a set of meal

Vegans cafe and restaurant offers a vegan menu as well as organic food! If you are looking for a healthy menu, recommend this to try their dishes. They are very caring, especially for people who are allergic to food, so they can enjoy their food with peace of mind. Special menu vegetarian menu needs to be booked in advance. They have many different dishes, they have Japanese cuisine and pizza! If you are a vegetarian but want to try ramen, you should eat organic ramen.

Tofu restaurant in Kyoto – Tousuiro

• Address: Osaka-machi 517-3, Sanjo-cho, Kiyamachi, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
• How to get to there: Take the subway east and west line and get off at the Kyoto City Hall Station.
• Recommended reason: Most distinctive tofu restaurant in Kyoto
• Price recommended: around 4,000 yen per person.

It is the most distinctive tofu dish in Kyoto, known as the Kaiseki cuisine of tofu. Tousuiro is hidden away from the noisy and bustling alleys. The shop is a wooden house that was built in the Taisho era for more than 130 years. Walking into the store, the quiet courtyard is like crossing the time and space, and the antique interior decoration has the feel of old Kyoto. Every summer from May to September, the store also offers a cool bed, where diners can enjoy authentic traditional Kyoto tofu dishes and enjoy the scenery on both sides of Kamogawa.

As a special tofu restaurant, Its tofu dishes can rank in the top three in Kyoto. The dishes in Tousuiro have a traditional ancient Kyoto flavor. Although the location of this restaurant is relatively hidden, there will still be many diners visiting every day. If you are worried about the location and the seats, you can book in advance, which saves time and make sure that you can taste the food.