Sushi Iwa is a japanese sushi restaurant in Gion, Kyoto.
An eight-seat Edomae sushi counter just off Hanamikoji in Gion, Kyoto, run by chef Iwa with Tsukiji-trained habits. 20-piece omakase, no menu.
Signature dishes: Edomae sushi omakase
Must order: Chef's omakase, 20 pieces over 90 minutes
Tip: Lunch is half the dinner price and easier to book; weekday seats open up two weeks ahead.
Address: Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0074, Japan
The grandmother of Kyoto obanzai counters. Daily-changing seasonal dishes set in clay pots along a tatami room since 1958, three minutes from Sanjo Station.
Signature: Obanzai counter spread, Simmered Kyoto vegetables
Order: Obanzai assortment with simmered ebi-imo and yuba
Tip: Walk-ins land easier at 17:30 dinner opening or after 21:30.
An obanzai counter five minutes from Hankyu Kawaramachi in Kyoto where the tofu plates outshine the rest. Daily set lunches, no reservations needed.
Signature: Tofu obanzai, Seasonal vegetable plate
Order: Daily tofu obanzai set with simmered fish
Tip: Cash only at lunch. Closed irregularly, call ahead in winter.
AWOMB Karasuma Honten in Nakagyo in Kyoto is the original teori-zushi machiya, around 50 seasonal vegetables and obanzai to assemble hand-rolled sushi.
Signature: Hand-rolled sushi tray, Obanzai mosaic plate
Order: Tesaki sushi assemble-your-own tray
Tip: Reservations open online a month ahead; weekend lunches sell out within hours.
An izakaya in Kyoto pairing fresh seafood from Maizuru Port with Kyotamba chicken plates. Karasuma-side address, almost everything under 1,000 yen.
Signature: Maizuru sashimi platter, Kyotamba chicken plates
Order: Maizuru sashimi mori-awase platter for two
Tip: Reservations recommended on weekends. Lunch from 11:30, dinner runs to midnight.
Yakitori and kushikatsu on a Kiyamachi second floor, the house tare on its 20th year of topping-up. Three dipping sauces, late-night counter trade.
Signature: Kushikatsu, Yakitori with house tare
Order: Yakitori assortment plus three-sauce kushikatsu set
Tip: Open until 02:00 on Saturdays. Counter seats welcome solo diners.
A modern kappo on Pontocho serving 10-course kaiseki anchored by Maizuru seafood and Tamba wagyu. Counter seats face the river through sliding shoji.
Signature: Seafood kaiseki, Wagyu courses
Order: Premium kaiseki with seasonal seafood and wagyu
Tip: Riverside kawayuka deck active May to September; weekday lunch is cheaper at ¥4,400.
