28 BEST Restaurants in Kyoto: Top Recommendations

Kyoto is one of the world's great dining cities, and this guide covers 20 of the best restaurants it has to offer. From Michelin-starred kaiseki counters and prime wagyu to freshwater eel grilled the old Kansai way, the restaurants here are organized by cuisine type, each with practical details to help you plan your visit with confidence.

Kyoto's food culture is inseparable from its history. The city served as Japan's imperial seat for over a millennium, which meant that the highest culinary standards were set here first. Over centuries, chefs developed kaiseki as a structured, multi-course meal that follows the seasons rigorously, using ingredients from Kyoto's mountains, rivers, and fields. The city's "Kyo-yasai" (Kyoto vegetables), such as Kamo eggplant, Kujo green onion, and Manganji sweet pepper, remain central to local cooking.

Kyoto cuisine is typically not flashy (at least compared to Osaka, its nearest neighbor). It favors restraint, subtlety, and the kind of depth that only comes from long experience and pruning of everything unnecessary. This philosophy carries across all categories: from the elegant multi-course kaiseki served at Michelin-starred counters to the humble bowl of unagi over rice at a century-old neighborhood restaurant.

The Michelin Guide covers Kyoto and Osaka together, and the 2024 edition brought a wave of new recognition to the city's dining scene, with dozens of new additions and upgrades. Whether you are chasing stars or just want to eat extraordinarily well, Kyoto delivers at every level.

Related reads:

• What to Eat in Kyoto
• Best Michelin Star Restaurants in Kyoto
• Bib Gourmand Kyoto
• Best Restaurants in Gion
• Instagrammable Restaurants & Cafes in Kyoto

Kaiseki is Kyoto's greatest contribution to world cuisine. Born from the tea ceremony tradition and refined over centuries in the city's ryotei (high-end Japanese restaurants), it is a structured multi-course meal that follows the seasons with extraordinary precision. A kaiseki dinner typically moves through small, beautiful dishes: a seasonal appetizer platter (hassun), soup, sashimi, a simmered dish, a grilled course, rice, and dessert. Every element, from the tableware to the garnish, is chosen to reflect the time of year.

Kyoto's kaiseki chefs are among the most skilled in Japan, many of them trained under legendary masters before opening their own restaurants. The city's access to premium seasonal produce, pristine mountain and river water, and a centuries-deep tradition of culinary craft makes Kyoto the natural home of this cuisine.

If you're ready to experience kaiseki for yourself, browse the full selection of Kyoto traditional Japanese restaurants on byFood.

byFood Rating: 4.9 | Google Rating: 4.7 Area: Central Kyoto | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–15:00, 17:30–21:00 | Closed Tuesdays

Seiwaso is one of Kyoto's most storied mid-century kaiseki restaurants, housed in a breathtaking sukiya-zukuri-style building that evokes the elegance of classical Japan. Established in 1957, the restaurant has built its reputation on an unwavering commitment to local Kyoto ingredients: the dashi is carefully crafted, the seasonal produce is sourced from the city's finest suppliers, and every plate is arranged with the precision of a still life.

Guests can reserve private rooms overlooking the tsubo-niwa courtyard garden, one of the most serene dining settings in the city. Chef Tetsuo Takenaka's seasonal tempura and premium kaiseki courses are the highlights, and the restaurant can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diners if notified at least three days in advance.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Central Kyoto (Nakagyo-ku) | English Menu: Limited Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–14:30, 18:00–22:00 | Closed Wednesdays

Jiki Miyazawa has been featured in the  Michelin guide continuously since 2014, making it one of the most consistent kaiseki counters in Kyoto. The original restaurant in what became the acclaimed Miyazawa group, it introduced the philosophy that would later define sister restaurants Godan Miyazawa and Doppo: "Ingredients are life."

The counter has ten seats, creating an intimate atmosphere where guests can watch every dish take shape.  with a subtle contemporary sensibility: natural flavors are brought forward with precision. The restaurant's signature sesame tofu is legendary. Located a five-minute walk from Shijo Station, it is one of the more accessible fine-dining destinations in Kyoto for international visitors, with staff who make every effort to explain each course.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.5 Area: Central Kyoto | English Menu: Limited Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–14:00, 18:00–21:00 | Closed Mondays

Chef Minami Kengo spent 25 years training under two of the most celebrated chefs in modern Japanese cuisine, Matsui Shinshichi and Kato Hiroyuki, before opening Nijo Manami. That extraordinary preparation is evident in every course. The restaurant specializes in rare seasonal delicacies that are difficult to find even in Kyoto: whole female red crab from northern Hyogo Prefecture, thin-sliced pike conger boiled in white miso, and seasonal vegetables at the absolute peak of their quality. The serene atmosphere and careful pacing of each meal make this a destination for diners who want to immerse themselves fully in Kyoto's culinary culture.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Central Kyoto | English Menu: Limited Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 18:00–22:00 | Closed Sundays.

A recent Michelin Guide addition, dining at Tokuha Motonari is an experience unlike any other in Kyoto's kaiseki scene. Chef Matsumoto Shinya performs irori-style grilling at a miniature scale, skewering fish, mushrooms, tofu, and seasonal local ingredients over a sand-filled brazier packed with bincho-tan charcoal. The result is food that is crispy, smoky, and deeply flavored, each bite a reflection of the chef's mastery over fire and timing. The restaurant earned its Michelin star for good reason: the combination of theatrical presentation and extraordinary flavor is impossible to forget.

byFood Rating: 4.9 | Google Rating: 4.7 Area: North Kyoto | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–15:00, 18:00–21:30 | Closed Wednesdays

What sets Funaokayama Shimizu apart from Kyoto's many other excellent kaiseki restaurants is its obsession with rice. Chef Shimizu personally selects the variety used and cooks it using pure Kyoto groundwater drawn from Daitokuji Temple, producing a bowl of rice that is fragrant, fluffy, and cooked to absolute perfection in an earthenware pot. Every other course in the Michelin-starred menu is designed to complement the rice. The restaurant's serene atmosphere and attentive hospitality make it an ideal choice for a special-occasion dinner.

byFood Rating: 4.7 | Google Rating: 4.5 Area: Northwest Kyoto (near Kinkaku-ji) | English Menu: Limited Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–14:30, 18:00–21:00 | Closed Tuesdays

Tozentei is a family-run Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant with a story behind every dish. The Watanabe family draws inspiration from the literary world of Professor Aoki Masaru, and chef Watanabe Toshiro brings that creative spirit to life through cuisine. The signature steamed horsehead tilefish (amadai, 甘鯛) in pickled plum and powdered kelp broth is extraordinary: delicate, complex, and deeply rooted in Kyoto's culinary traditions. Nestled near Kinkaku-ji Temple, the restaurant offers a warm and intimate dining experience in one of the city's most culturally rich neighborhoods.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Higashiyama | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–13:30, 18:00–21:00 | Closed Wednesdays

Noguchi Tsunagu is the sister restaurant of Kyotenjin Noguchi, a former two-Michelin-starred restaurant that became legendary in the city and notoriously difficult to book. The sister restaurant offers access to the same critically-acclaimed style of kaiseki in Kyoto's historic Higashiyama district. Chef Noguchi blends traditional and contemporary elements, using premium ingredients including Japanese kuro-ge wagyualongside local seasonal specialties. The intimate setting and artful presentation earned Noguchi Tsunagu its own Michelin Star in 2021.

byFood Rating: 4.7 | Google Rating: 4.4 Area: Central Kyoto | English Menu: Limited Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–14:00, 18:00–21:30 | Closed Mondays

For owner-chef Nishioka Ryo, Tenjaku is not just a restaurant; it is a family legacy. From the age of three, he watched his grandfather delight the people of Kyoto with kaiseki and tempura, inspiring him to train in the Michelin-starred kitchens of Otago and Kodaiji Wakuden before taking over. The omakase menu changes with the seasons, but it always follows a comforting and satisfying arc: hassun (assorted Kyoto-style starters), soup, sashimi, and tempura that is as light and precise as anything in the city. Tenjaku is a restaurant with genuine warmth and soul.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Central Kyoto | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00 | Closed Tuesdays

MASHIRO is the third Michelin-starred restaurant from Chef Koshimo Hiroyuki, a remarkable record of sustained excellence. Although he trained in French cuisine, Koshimo's philosophy at MASHIRO is deliberately genre-less, drawing on techniques from multiple culinary schools to create dishes that are innovative and exciting. His stated goal for every meal is simple: "I just want my guests to return to their everyday lives refreshed and full of energy." The result is a dining experience that is intellectually stimulating and emotionally nourishing in equal measure.

byFood Rating: 4.9 | Google Rating: 4.7 Area: Central Kyoto | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–14:30, 18:00–21:00 | Closed Wednesdays

The second flagship restaurant in the acclaimed Miyazawa group (alongside Jiki Miyazawa and Doppo), Godan Miyazawa offers an innovative omakase experience informed by the elegance of the Japanese tea ceremony. Chef Masato Miyazawa changes the menu a little daily and makes overhauls monthly, ensuring that every visit is a fresh encounter with Kyoto's seasonal pantry. The preparation of three distinct bowls of rice during the meal is a particular point of pride, and the careful plating and cultural depth of each course make this one of the most educational and enriching dining experiences in Kyoto.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.5 Area: Central Kyoto (Nakagyo-ku) | English Menu: Limited Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 18:00–22:00 | Closed Sundays & Mondays

Ogawa is a Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant that preserves the deepest traditions of Japanese cuisine while introducing subtle contemporary touches. Chef Ogawa sources seasonal ingredients from across Japan and the world, and his dedication to each element, from the tableware to the temperature of every dish, is evident throughout the course. The intimate counter and attentive service create an atmosphere in which the food can speak fully for itself. This is a restaurant for guests who appreciate restraint and depth over spectacle.

Kyoto is not the first city that comes to mind when people think of sushi. But that perspectiveoverlooks a genuinely exciting sushi scene that has been growing for years and the ancient roots of fermented, long-lasting fish from which sushi inherits its most essential features . The city's proximity to Osaka's Central Fish Market, the Nishiki Market, and the shipping capabilities of legendary Toyosu Market in Tokyo gives Kyoto's sushi chefs access to exceptional seafood. What distinguishes Kyoto sushi is the influence of the city's old ways and deep running dashi culture: a careful, nuanced approach to flavor that runs through all Kyoto cooking finds its way into the shari (vinegared rice) and the pairing of ingredients.

Kyoto's sushi scene has more depth than most visitors expect. Explore the full range of Kyoto sushi restaurants on byFood.

For a deeper look at the city's top counters, our guide to the best sushi in Kyoto is a great place to start.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.7 Area: Gion / Pontocho (near Shirakawa River) | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–15:00, 18:00–22:00 | Closed Tuesdays

Sushi Rakumi is the descendant of three-Michelin-starred Gion Sasaki, which is widely considered one of the most famous kaiseki restaurants in existence. Earning its own Michelin star surprised no one aware of its origins. Situated on the banks of the Shirakawa River in Gion, the restaurant is especially spectacular in spring, when cherry blossoms frame the water.

The omakase menu bridges Kyoto's dashi tradition with Edomae sushi techniques from Tokyo, producing a seasonal course that is unlike sushi anywhere else in Japan. Chef Nomura sources seafood from the Kyoto Central Market, Osaka's Central Fish Market, and Yaizu Port in Shizuoka, ensuring the highest possible freshness. The signature abalone risotto, made from abalone stewed for over six hours, is a defining dish. The counter is shaped like the Japanese letter "く," giving every guest an equally good view of the kitchen.

13. Gion Tsuzaki

byFood Rating: 4.7 | Google Rating: 4.5 Area: Gion | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Recommended | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: Lunch & dinner from ¥7,300 | Closed Sundays

Located at 436-2 Rinka-cho, Higashiyama-ku, an eight-minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station, Gion Tsuzaki is a beautifully approachable sushi restaurant in the heart of Kyoto's most historic district. Chef Tsuzaki has spent over 20 years honing his skills at top Gion restaurants, and his omakase blends Edomae and Kansai-style sushi with rare finesse. Seasonal seafood such as sea urchin, medium-fatty tuna, shrimp, and anago eel are prepared with subtlety and care. The atmosphere is warm, relaxed, and unpretentious: a rare quality for a restaurant of this caliber in such an elegant neighborhood. For first-time visitors to Kyoto sushi, this is an ideal starting point.

Wagyu in Kyoto occupies an interesting space between the city's refined kaiseki tradition and the more theatrical world of yakiniku (Japanese grilled meat). Several of the city's best meat restaurants incorporate kaiseki principles into their wagyu menus, presenting each cut as part of a thoughtfully paced course rather than a simple grill session. Kyoto is particularly known for its access to premium Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef, two of Japan's most celebrated wagyu brands.

Kyoto's wagyu restaurants range from intimate kappo-style counters to thrilling tableside grilling. Browse the full selection of Kyoto wagyu restaurants on byFood.

For a closer look at where to find the city's finest beef, our guide to the best wagyu restaurants in Kyoto covers everything you need to know.

byFood Rating: 4.7 | Google Rating: 4.5 Area: Higashiyama (The Junei Hotel Kyoto) | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 18:00–22:00 | Closed Mondays

Nikukappo Futago, located inside the refined Junei Hotel Kyoto, opened in 2020 and immediately established itself as one of the city's most elegant wagyu dining destinations. The restaurant's moon-themed menu changes seasonally, reflecting Kyoto's deep appreciation for the transient beauty of nature. Dishes range from wagyu knuckle appetizers and grilled fish to broth-based courses and wagyu shabu-shabu hotpot, each one served with expertly paired sake. Not far from the Kamo River and the Kyoto National Museum, this is a restaurant that combines luxurious ingredients with a genuinely serene and sophisticated atmosphere.

byFood Rating: 4.7 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Gion (Yasaka Street) | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 17:00–23:00 | Closed Tuesdays

Along the historic stretch of Yasaka Street in Gion, Kyoyakiniku Hiro Yasakatei began as a wagyu yakiniku restaurant and has evolved into something far more interesting: a fusion of yakiniku and kaiseki that uses fresh premium wagyu purchased directly from the Kyoto Meat Wholesale Market. Guests can sample wagyu yukhoe (beef tartare) with creamy egg yolk, taste the crosshatch-scored thick tongue grilled tableside, and explore a rotating selection of the finest cuts of Japanese beef, all served with the restaurant's signature range of dipping sauces from soy-based to their distinctive "red mud" preparation.

Unagi (freshwater eel) has a long and celebrated history in Kyoto's food culture. The city's Kansai-style preparation differs significantly from the Kanto method used in Tokyo: rather than steaming the eel before grilling, Kansai chefs grill it directly over charcoal, producing a crispier skin, more concentrated flavor, and a texture that many eel enthusiasts consistently prefer. Several of Kyoto's unagi restaurants have been preparing eel for generations, with histories stretching back over 150 years.

Whether you prefer the crisp, direct heat of Kansai-style grilling or the tenderness of the steamed-then-grilled Edomae approach, you'll find your ideal bowl among the Kyoto unagi restaurants on byFood.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Central Kyoto | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 11:30–14:30, 17:00–20:30 | Closed Mondays

Kyogoku Kaneyo is a Michelin-recognized institution with a singular obsession: the kinshidon. This signature dish is a large blanket of Kyoto-style dashimaki tamago (savory Japanese omelet) laid over Kanto-style grilled eel and the chef's favorite rice. What makes it extraordinary is the interplay of textures and flavors through each layer: the sweet, fluffy omelet, the fatty and savory eel, and the sauce-soaked rice beneath. Chef Higuchi's philosophy, formed by advice from his brother, is that each guest only gets one bowl, and that bowl deserves to be the best it can possibly be. This convenient spot is located a five-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station.

byFood Rating: 4.6 | Google Rating: 4.4 Area: Pontocho | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 11:30–21:30 | Closed Mondays

Izumoya has been serving unagi along the banks of the Kamo River in Pontocho since the Taisho era, making it one of Kyoto's longest-standing eel establishments. Its riverside location near the Shijo Ohashi Bridge and Minamiza Theatre offers one of the most scenic dining settings in the city. Unlike most Kansai-style restaurants that grill without steaming, Izumoya uses the Edomae method of grilling and steaming together, producing eel that is exceptionally tender and delicately balanced. The Hana Izumo set, a combination of eel rice bowl, sesame tofu, and eel liver soup, is the house favorite. The glass walls overlooking the Kamo River create an atmosphere that is unmistakably Kyoto.

byFood Rating: 4.7 | Google Rating: 4.5 Area: Gion | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 11:30–14:30, 17:00–21:00 | Closed Tuesdays

Gion Uokeya U is a Michelin-starred unagi restaurant tucked into a quiet backstreet one block west of Hanamikoji Street in the heart of Gion. The restaurant is famous for its signature "Uoke": a generous serving of juicy, charcoal-grilled eel laid over perfectly seasoned rice and presented in a traditional cedar barrel, a vessel originally designed for delivery that has since become the restaurant's defining icon. The Umaki, an eel-filled omelet, and the tender eel skewers are also standout dishes. The warm, sophisticated interior and attentive service make this a memorable destination for anyone seeking a distinctly Kyoto take on Japan's beloved eel cuisine.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Central Kyoto (Daimaru Kyoto Store) | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 11:00–15:00, 17:00–21:00 | Closed irregular days (check ahead)

Across 25 years, Unafuji earned itself a place in both the Michelin Guide and Tabelog's Top 100 Restaurants — an unprecedented achievement in the world of unagi, which is astoundingly longlived. Its Kyoto outpost, located a three-minute walk from Karasuma Station inside the Daimaru Kyoto building, brings that same exacting standard to the ancient capital. Chef Mizuno sources only extra-large, ultra-fatty, and melt-in-your-mouth tender "blue eel" directly from an exclusive network of suppliers across Japan. 

His selection process is famously strict: even from that already exceptional catch representing only 20 percent of eels available, he exclusively uses Shinko unagi. The result is eel of extraordinary quality, cooked over a blue-hot charcoal flame and coated in Unafuji's closely guarded secret sauce. The signature hitsumabushi is the dish to order: a bowl of eel and rice eaten four ways, a deeply satisfying ritual that showcases every dimension of the eel's flavor.

Kyoto's international fine dining scene isn’t as widely advertised to travelers, but it is certainly exceptional. The city has attracted a handful of celebrated chefs who bring global techniques to Kyoto's world-class seasonal ingredients, creating restaurants that feel entirely at home in this ancient city while opening new culinary horizons.

byFood Rating: 4.8 | Google Rating: 4.6 Area: Central Kyoto (near Kyoto Gyoen) | English Menu: Yes Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes Business Hours: 12:00–14:30, 18:00–21:30 | Closed Mondays

byFood Rating: [to confirm] | Google Rating: [to confirm] | Area: Karasuma Oike (Central Kyoto) | English Menu: Yes | Reservations: Required | Credit Card: Yes | Business Hours: 12:00–13:30, 18:00–20:00 | Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays

MOTOÏ has held a Michelin star every year since it opened in 2012, which is a record that speaks for itself. Chef Motoi Maeda trained for a decade in Chinese cuisine before turning to French, and that unusual path is exactly what makes his cooking distinctive: Sichuan-style tofu mousse appears as a chilled hors d'oeuvre, and consommé arrives brightened with Sichuan spice and chili oil. The restaurant is housed in a century-old Taisho-era residence in central Kyoto, with the dining room overlooking a quiet courtyard garden. Vegetables are sourced directly from producers, and the menu rotates with the seasons, sometimes incorporating ingredients the chef has foraged or hunted himself.

byFood Rating: [to confirm] | Google Rating: [to confirm] | Area: Downtown Kyoto (Shijo Kawaramachi) | English Menu: [to confirm] | Reservations: Available | Credit Card: [to confirm] | Business Hours: [to confirm] | Private rooms available

Is it a wine bar? Is it a tempura restaurant? Tenpu is both, and that tension is exactly what makes it interesting. The concept is simple: creative tempura paired with wine, served in a lively izakaya-style setting in the heart of downtown Kyoto. The menu spans more than 30 varieties of tempura, from the classic to the genuinely inventive. The signature Tenpu Roll wraps three types of fresh seafood in seaweed and fries the whole thing, while the Uffu Mayo Ten takes the French classic egg mayonnaise and transforms it into a piece of tempura finished with house pickles. All of it is fried in rice oil, which absorbs less grease and makes for a lighter, more surprising result than you might expect from a casual spot. Private rooms are available, making it a solid pick for groups.

byFood Rating: [to confirm] | Google Rating: [to confirm] | Area: Southern Kyoto (Fushimi, near Fushimi Inari Shrine) | English Menu: Limited | Reservations: Required | Credit Card: [to confirm] | Business Hours: 12:00–13:00 (L.O.), 18:00–19:00 (L.O.) | Closed Thursdays | 12 seats

anpeiji is a family story told through food. Chef Masashi Ampeiji grew up watching his parents run a Western-style restaurant on the very same plot of land where his restaurant now stands, and after training in France and in French kitchens in Tokyo, he came home and built something that feels entirely his own. The menu is rooted in the local territory: vegetables grown by his father become purees and garnishes, and herbs sourced from the south of France lend fragrance and lightness to each dish. The result is French cuisine with deep personal stakes, intimate in scale (just 12 seats at an open counter) and quietly extraordinary in execution. Dishes like kobako-gani, where female snow crab meat is stuffed back into the shell and garnished with herbs and pickled vegetables, or a bear meat red wine stew served inside a bear-shaped monaka wafer, reveal a chef who has a sense of play without losing his rigor. anpeiji holds a Michelin star.

byFood Rating: [to confirm] | Google Rating: [to confirm] | Area: Shimogyo (near Gojo Station, 1 min walk) | English Menu: Yes | Reservations: Required | Credit Card: [to confirm] | Business Hours: 18:00 or 19:00 (dinner only, by reservation) | Closed Wednesdays and the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays of each month | 10 seats

Named for white asparagus, Asperge Blanche is built around a philosophy of unwavering simplicity. The chef, who followed his father into French cuisine, refuses to chase trends: no molecular gastronomy, no outlandish ingredient pairings, just classical French technique applied to the finest produce he can source from Kyoto and the Ohara region. Everything possible is grown organically. All cooking is done over Kishu binchotan charcoal, including the bread. The interior is furnished with antiques collected from French flea markets, which gives it the feel of a Parisian bistro transplanted into a quiet Kyoto side street. Courses are fixed and purposeful: three appetizers, a fish dish, a charcoal-grilled meat, bread and dessert. A premium course adds wagyu beef stewed in red wine. Asperge Blanche has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2022 and is widely considered one of the best value fine dining experiences in the city.

byFood Rating: [to confirm] | Google Rating: [to confirm] | Area: Central Kyoto (Nakagyo, near Marutamachi Station) | English Menu: [to confirm] | Reservations: Required | Credit Card: [to confirm] | Business Hours: [to confirm] | Address: 533-2 Tsuboyacho, Higashinotoin-dori, Nakagyo-ku

Hunter is exactly what it sounds like: a restaurant built around the hunt. Chef Imai trained in classical French kitchens before settling in Kyoto, where his focus on meat, smoke and maturation found its home. The menu is an omakase-style prix fixe built around charcoal grilling and French-informed sauces, with game taking center stage in autumn and winter: wild boar, venison and duck, sourced responsibly from local producers. Spring and summer lean into pork, beef and duck. The signature charcuterie is served on stump-shaped wooden slabs, nodding directly to the forest it came from. Hunter also produces its own proprietary spice blend combining umami-rich ingredients, herbs and Basque chili pepper, which threads through several dishes. The counter seating gives guests a direct line of sight to the kitchen, where the chef works with an almost monastic intensity. Hunter has received Michelin recognition.

Shojin ryori, the plant-based Buddhist cuisine developed in Japan's temple kitchens over a thousand years ago, reached its highest expression in Kyoto. With over 1,600 Buddhist temples in the city, this deeply thoughtful vegetarian cooking has been refined here for centuries. Following the Buddhist principles of non-violence and zero waste, shojin ryori uses seasonal vegetables, tofu, and mountain plants to create meals of remarkable depth and beauty. It is always vegetarian and usually vegan, although dashi does sneak in.

Kyoto is probably the most vegetarian- and vegan-friendly city in Japan, thanks to this heritage and its strong tradition of locally grown produce (Kyo-yasai). Several restaurants in the city offer fully plant-based kaiseki menus, and many others can accommodate dietary restrictions with advance notice.

Shojin ryori, the plant-based Buddhist cuisine developed in Japan's temple kitchens over a thousand years ago, reached its highest expression in Kyoto. With over 1,600 Buddhist temples in the city, this deeply thoughtful vegetarian cooking has been refined here for centuries. Following the Buddhist principles of non-violence and zero waste, shojin ryori uses seasonal vegetables, tofu and mountain plants to create meals of remarkable depth and beauty. It is always vegetarian and usually vegan, although dashi does sneak in.

Google Rating: 4.5+ | Address: 68 Susukinobaba-cho, Saga-Tenryuji, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 616-8385 | English Menu: Yes | Reservations: Required for groups of 2+ (at least 3 days in advance) | Business Hours: 11:00–14:00 daily | Note: separate ¥500 garden admission fee applies

Just an 8-minute walk from the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu sits within the grounds of a UNESCO World Heritage temple founded in 1339, making it one of the most atmospheric places in Kyoto to experience shojin ryori. Every dish is completely vegan, built around seasonal vegetables, tofu, soybeans and wild plants, all served on traditional vermilion lacquered trays with views over the celebrated Zen garden. The menu rotates with the seasons but always follows the classical structure: rice, soup and a selection of plant-based dishes harmonized in flavor, color and texture. Three set courses are available at different price points. Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu received a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a Michelin Green Star in 2024 for its all-natural approach to Buddhist cuisine.

Google Rating: 4.6 | Address: 278 Shin-Goryoguchi-cho, Kuramaguchi Higashi-iru, Karasuma-dori, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8146 | English Menu: Yes | Reservations: Required (minimum 2 people) | Credit Card: Yes (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners) | Business Hours: 12:00–15:00 (L.O. 13:00), 17:30–21:00 (L.O. 19:00) daily | Smart casual dress required

Kanga-an is a Zen temple of the Obaku school founded in 1671, and its restaurant serves fucha ryori, the Chinese-influenced cousin of shojin ryori that arrived in Japan alongside the Obaku sect. Where standard shojin ryori is plated individually, fucha ryori is served communal-style at the center of the table, reflecting the Zen principle that no diner is superior to another. The cuisine is characterized by a skillful use of cooking oil, which the high monks of the Obaku tradition are said to have eaten for centuries. Lunch courses start from ¥6,500 and dinner from ¥10,000, and the restaurant spills across a network of beautifully maintained traditional rooms and gardens. There is also a rumored reservation-only bar with what may be the finest garden views in the city, open until 11pm.

Address: 198-1 Higashiuoya-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8055 (inside Nishiki Market, between Fuyacho and Tominokoji streets, north side) | English Menu: [to confirm] | Reservations: Recommended | Business Hours: Tue, Wed, Sun 11:30–14:30; Thu–Sat 11:30–14:30 and 18:00–21:00 | Closed Mondays

Tucked just off the chaos of Nishiki Market, Hale offers one of the most intimate shojin ryori experiences in Kyoto. : a single teishoku set meal each day, built entirely around whatever seasonal ingredients the kitchen is working with. Hot and cold dishes appear alongside each other, with varied textures and quiet, considered flavors. The restaurant has been passed down through three generations of women, from grandmother to mother to daughter, and that continuity shows in how the place feels: unhurried, personal and deeply rooted. It is a rare find in the middle of one of Kyoto's busiest neighborhoods.

Kyoto is Japan's most welcoming city for plant-based diners, with a rich tradition of Buddhist cooking that stretches back centuries. If you eat eggs or dairy, the options open up even further. Explore Kyoto vegetarian restaurants on byFood for the full picture.

For a focused guide on temple cuisine specifically, our article on where to eat shojin ryori in Kyoto is the best place to start.

Ready to book your next meal in Kyoto? Browse and reserve from the full selection of Kyoto restaurants on byFood.