14 Best Restaurants in Kyoto, Japan

The care lavished on every aspect of dining is unparalleled here, thanks to the conscientious attention of Kikunoi's owner, Yoshihiro Murata, a world-renowned chef and authority on Kyoto cuisine. A lifetime study of French and Japanese cooking, a commitment to using the finest local ingredients, and a playful creative sense make every meal hum with flavor. Once seated in a private dining room, you are brought a small sakizuke, or appetizer, the first of a multicourse meal, all of whose selections are seasonal and decided by the chef. Each is exquisitely presented and unfailingly delicious. Dishes like cedar-smoked barracuda fillets, citrus-infused matsutake mushroom soup, or sashimi served on chrysanthemum petals keenly accord to the nuances of each new season. This restaurant is on the northern edge of Kodai-ji Temple. Lunch is about a third the cost of dinner.

Since 1722 Mankamero's specialty has been yusoku ryori, cuisine intended for members of the Imperial Court. Every step of the meal is incredibly elaborate, down to the ceremonially dressed chef who prepares your dishes using specially made utensils. A dramatic if oddly named course is the "dismembered fish," in which each part of a single fish is prepared and served on pedestal trays. Prices reflect the aristocratic experience. However, a wonderful take-kago (bamboo box) lunch set contains a series of steamed surprises and is much cheaper than the full dinner. Mankamero is on the west side of Inokuma-dori north of Demizu-dori. Look for the white noren (short curtain) hanging in the doorway.

If you visit Tenryu-ji at lunchtime, consider dining at Shigetsu, within the temple precinct. The tenzo, a monk trained to prepare Zen cuisine, creates a multicourse meal that achieves the harmony of the six basic flavors—bitter, sour, sweet, salty, light, and hot—attributes necessary to balance body and mind. Although you won't partake in the monk's daily helping of gruel, a salted plum, and pickled radishes, you will try vegetarian Zen cuisine at its tastiest. The price for lunch in the large dining area overlooking a garden does not include admission to the garden, however. Open from 11 am to 2 pm. Reservations are required and can be made online.

This intimate and upscale, yet friendly, tempura restaurant offers an omakase menu and wonderful service. Try the sake pairing to round off the meal, but make reservations because this is a popular place.

Only a few hundred feet from Kyoto's main street of Shijo-dori, the Kinmata has retained its historic character and appeal despite the garish evolution of the surrounding area: stepping into the incense-tinged entranceway instantly calms the spirit. Originally an inn, it is now a restaurant—and one of the best choices in Kyoto for an authentic kaiseki meal consisting of first-class fresh, seasonal fare with an air of understated simplicity. A framed chart of ryokan guidelines from the Tokugawa shogunate speaks to the inn's long history, as does an old photograph depicting the house and the current master's great-grandfather. Private rooms (some with garden views) and counter seating are available, plus English-speaking staff.

Five generations of chefs have preserved the delicious sukiyaki recipe prepared since 1873 at this restaurant that was among the nation's first to serve beef. A kimono-clad attendant will serve and assist with the dishes cooked at your table. The beef dishes include sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and oil yaki. All beef is of the highest quality and price, as shoppers buying from the associated shop nearby can attest. The lunch course is a good value for such high-end dining. Reservations are not always needed at off-peak times; otherwise, you can make one on the restaurant's website.

Homestyle o-banzai cooking is the specialty of this sophisticated restaurant found in a beautiful machiya (town house). Bonito sashimi, simmered pumpkin, and gingery ground chicken are artfully presented on lacquer trays, feasts for the eyes that taste even better than they look. There's a choice of set meals (lunch and dinner), featuring a rich variety of local seasonal fare often numbering between 8 and 12 courses. Kimono-clad hostesses will attend to you. The lovely inner courtyard garden makes for a relaxing dining experience.

Near Nanzen-ji Temple, Kikusui serves elegant kaiseki ryori (traditional cuisine) with an aristocratic flair. Dine on tatami mats at low tables or at table-and-chair seating, all overlooking an elegant Japanese garden. The subtle flavors of the set menus are embellished by the setting, where in spring a canopy of pink-and-white cherry blossoms accents a meal, and in autumn the fiery red-and-orange maples highlight the warm flavors. Kyo-no-aji, smaller versions of kaiseki ryori served for lunch, make it possible for you to savor Kikusui's elegant setting and fine cuisine for less than half the price of dinner. This restaurant seats 200, yet the serene garden view makes it feel cozy and intimate.

An adventurous menu sets this restaurant inside a 150-year-old town house apart from its competition. The chef here goes to the market daily and improvises based on what's fresh. Charcoal-color walls, wooden staircases, and a great view of the Kamo River provide an elegant setting for dishes like sea urchin in wasabi broth, grilled river fish, and the ever-popular kami-nabe, a hot pot made of treated paper and cooked on an open flame at your table: it's mesmerizing and tasty. Deck seating is an option during the summer.

The best in Kyoto-style nouvelle cuisine is served in this intimate spot in the center of town. Dishes depend on the chef's whims as much as on what's in season, but the menu might include buttery, risotto-like rice pilaf topped with delicate sea urchin; duck meat and foie gras in bite-size portions; and hors d'oeuvres such as oyster gratin, crab-and-scallop stew, and wild mushroom tempura. The fruit and vegetable salads are exceptional, and for dessert there's a take-all-you-want dessert tray with tarts, tortes, and pastries. With notice the chef will even grant special-order requests.

Nestled among the backstreets of northwest Kyoto, Tozentei emphasizes to-the-letter traditional Japanese cooking. The meals here, made with only local produce, are old-school enough to please a shogun. A wooden wall with a low gate fronts this intimate hideaway that fits only 12. Lunch is less pricey than dinner.

Enjoy fine traditional fare inside this distinctive red and wooden-latticed machiya-style townhouse in the heart of Gion. If you snag one of the counter seats, then the chefs prepare everything right in front of you. Dishes comprise high-quality fresh and seasonal local produce, so that means ingredients such as bamboo shoots in the spring, ayu (a succulent and small freshwater fish) in early summer, and matsutake mushrooms in the fall. The mini-kaiseki lunch costs less than half the price of dinner.

Along one of the centuries-old exit roads from the city into the mountains, this roadside inn is beloved for its multicourse kaiseki ryori dinners, duck hot pots, boar stew, and boxed lunches with mountain potatoes and barley rice. There were seven roads that led out of the city, and wayside inns such as Yamabana Heihachi-Jaya provided travelers with food and respite before the long trek ahead. On the bank of the Takano River, it is one of the more picturesque examples.

Adjacent to an inn of the same name, Yoshikawa serves multicourse kaiseki ryori lunches and dinners. The beautifully presented meal includes soup, vegetables, grilled or baked fish, and a light, crisp tempura that is the house specialty. Roasted duck is available for those who don't eat raw fish. Tempura dinners include 13 pieces of fried fish, meat, and vegetables. A special shabu-shabu set is offered to hotel guests, and a visit by a maiko or geiko can be arranged by the hotel staff. The establishment boasts a breathtaking Enshu-style landscaped garden that greatly complements this truly elegant experience.