Gion Owatari

Take a walk through the beautifully moonlit streets of Gion in the evening and you’ll find an endless array of traditional restaurants offering local dishes to visitors and residents alike. Few demand quite as much reverence as Owatari. The young chef is Fukuoka-born and Osaka-trained, and is now one of the most accomplished exponents of the quality and elegance of Kyoto cuisine. The set menus he prepares showcase the traditional dishes of Kyoto in their authentic forms. Quality ingredients and expert cooking are accompanied by some elegant little touches. For example, the water used in the kitchen is drawn from the nearby Shimogoryo Shrine. The service philosophy is inspired in part by tea ceremony, with some courses followed by palate cleansing tea, and the building itself evokes thoughts of the old tea houses popular in the Edo period. A qualified sommelier is on hand to pair each dish with the perfect wine, or guests can indulge in a range of excellent local sake. There's no set closing time, so feel free to relax into the experience, and make the most of your unforgettable time here.