5 Restaurants You'll Want to Visit Together with Old Shrines and Famous Temples in Kyoto Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Jan 17 2024

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

5 Restaurants You'll Want to Visit Together with Old Shrines and Famous Temples in Kyoto

Every time you visit Kyoto, the capital dating back a thousand years, you might discover something new. We would want you to include both enjoying delicious dishes and exploring the historical shrines and temples on your visit to such a historic capital. This time, we have chosen a variety of stores, from well-known stores to unusual stores with amazing ideas that are easy to get from popular areas. Please use it as a guide for a schedule that enables you to partake in both religion and gourmet cuisine.

See full listings of Kaiseki restaurants found in and around Kyoto.

1. Kiyomizu Gojo [Higashiyama Garden]

Savor French and Italian cuisine in an intimate atmosphere with a garden view.

Higashiyama Garden is close to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and blends into the atmosphere of Higashiyama. A French-Italian restaurant where you can relax and enjoy a meal while gazing at the garden created by a landscape artist. Spending time in the Japanese-style interior creates ultimate comfort. Another appealing feature is that you can take a stroll down the slope that leads to Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

Fresh seafood caught in the Sea of Japan and locally grown veggies from Kyoto are just a few of the carefully chosen items. They are proud of their menu since it features locally produced foods like Roasted Uji Duck, which is created by marinating aged duck meat with their own seasonings for four days. You will be delighted by the gorgeous presentation of the meals, which captures the essence of Kyoto.

Higashiyama Garden

Open: Dinner 4:00 pm (L.O. 7:30 pm)
Closed: Monday, Tuesday
Average price: 6,000 JPY
Access: 15 minutess walk from Shimizu Gojo Station on the Keihan Main Line
Address: 4-166 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto
More Details

2. Gion Shijo [Kyoto Cuisine ISOBE]

The food's distinctive tastes will delight you, and one delicacy is homemade yuba produced in the Kyoto manner.

Kyoto Cuisine ISOBE was established more than 50 years ago in Maruyama Park, the center of the Higashiyama area. The spacious restaurant, surrounded by rich nature and known as one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Kyoto, offers a variety of seating options, including sunken kotatsu-type seats, casual table seats, and private tatami-type rooms. It is an ideal spot for a stroll to Kodaiji Temple or Yasaka Shrine.

An extensive variety of cuisines use homemade Kyoto raw yuba and Kyoto vegetables. You may savor the flavors of talented chefs who have dedicated themselves to traditional techniques through anything from straightforward bento menus to Kaiseki feasts. Kyoto lacquerware in the form of a Gion lantern is used to serve the "Myodai Maruyama Bento." They also offer a large variety of wines that go nicely with Japanese cuisine.

Gion Shijo [Kyoto Cuisine ISOBE]

Open: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9 pm)
Closed: IrregularDecember 30 and 31 (Only reception of osechi)
Average price: Lunch: 4,000 JPY / Dinner: 7,000 JPY
Access: 10 minutes walk from Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan Line
Address: City-owned land, Maruyama-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto
More Details

3. Kitaoji [Shogetsu]

A famous Kitaoji restaurant serving traditional Kyoto fare with a contemporary touch.

Shogetsu is a short 7-minute walk from Kitaoji Station and close to Hanki Shrine, which is located in the typically beautiful Kyoto Botanical Garden. The devoted hospitality of the fourth proprietress may be experienced at this classic Kyoto eatery. A basic wood counter and a private room with a view of the courtyard are located on the first floor, and a spacious, atmospheric tatami room is located on the second floor. Additionally, Shimogamo Shrine is also located close by.

The four shifting seasons of Kyoto are expressed through the delicate aromas of seasonal ingredients that are completed one by one like handicrafts. Shogetsu provides contemporary Kaiseki food and especially suggests the Four Seasons Kaiseki so that you may completely appreciate the chef's talents. Popular is the Ozashiki Lunch, which is available even throughout the day in a totally private setting. Enjoy a moment unique to the ancient capital.

Shogetsu

Open: [Weekday,Saturday] Dinner 17:00 - 22:00 / Lunch 12:00 - 14:00
Closed: Sunday, Holidays
Average price: [Lunch] 2,500 JPY
Access: 7 minutes walk from Kitaoji Station of Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line
Address: 24, Shimogamo Kamikamikawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Map
More Details

4. Demachiyanagi [Aoi]

A creative soba restaurant run by a young owner who is a qualified vegetable sommelier.

Aoi is a unique soba restaurant situated close to Shimogamo Shrine. The inside of the store, which receives natural light from the huge window, resembles a stylish cafe. With an open kitchen, there are primarily counter and table seats. The slightly different options, like employing vivid Hasami and Kutani ceramics for soba cups, are also a big challenge. You ought to certainly make a visit to this location.

You may get dishes like "Fluffy Tororo Soba" with meringue added to grated yam here that will make you want to take a photo. Of course, the flavor is genuine. The soba is made from domestically produced buckwheat noodles and kaeshi, a soup stock based on a unique blend of three types of seafood and kelp.

Demachiyanagi [Aoi]

Open: 12:30 pm - 9:30 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Lunch] 1,000 JPY / [Dinner] 1,500 JPY
Access: 16 minutes walk from Demachiyanagi Station on the Keihan Electric Railway Keihan Main Line
Address: 1F, 52-1, Matsunoki-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
More Details

5. Kinugasa [Kyo no Ryotei Senjukaku]

Experience the delicacies of Kyoto in a historic space surrounded by nature.

You shouldn't miss Kyo no Ryotei Senjukaku when you are at Kinkakuji and try the exquisite Kyoto Kaiseki food. The store's interior, which was relocated from the Meiji era, is exceptionally beautiful. There are many different sorts of seats, including private rooms and tatami table seats with views of the lovely garden with Takagamine Sanzan in the background.

Through the talents of professional chefs, a magnificent Kaiseki meal that inherits the cuisine of Kyoto is created from premium, nourishing ingredients. You may savor Kyoto's culinary delights, such as the seasonally available Kyoto vegetable pickles from the famous retailer Uchida Tsukemono, and the vegetable sushi made with yuba from Kyoto Miyama with the long-established Matsuno Soy Sauce. This is the best place to make memories if you are visiting Kyoto.