Yotsuya Uemura

The owner of Yotsuya Uemura trained in Kyoto for many years before opening this place at 36 years old. His restaurant brings Kyoto to Tokyo in the truest sense, with a menu which values simple combinations of premium ingredients, leaving the components to speak for themselves. This approach has won this Tokyo kaiseki restaurant a Michelin star every year since 2012. If you’re lucky enough to land one of the seven counter seats, you’ll be able to discover why for yourself. The oaks meal is filled with delicate dishes with great attention paid to the texture and clarity of the flavors. Dishes vary depending on the time of year, but might include freshwater eel grilled with soy sauce in summer, and winter offerings like eggplant with sea urchin. A seasonal rice pot always finishes the meal, capping off what is sure to be one of the most authentic tastes of Kyoto outside of the city itself.