Eat in Gion, Kyoto

Sushi Iwa

• ★ 4.5
• Japanese Sushi
• ¥¥¥¥

Order Chef's omakase, 20 pieces over 90 minutes

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.

Gion Sasaki

• ★ 4.8
• 3 MICHELIN stars
• ¥¥¥¥

Hiroshi Sasaki runs a teacher-and-apprentice kitchen on Komatsu-cho. Counter seats deliver a 12-course kaiseki with a freer hand than the old ryotei.

Gion Nishikawa

• ★ 4.7
• 2 MICHELIN stars
• ¥¥¥¥

Masayoshi Nishikawa earned a star a year after opening at 33 in Kyoto. A quiet sukiya counter on a Yasaka Shrine alley with two stars for over a decade.

Tempura Endo Yasaka

• ★ 4.5
• Tempura
• ¥¥¥¥

Tempura in a converted teahouse near Yasaka Pagoda, Kyoto, an ochaya from the early 1900s. Sweetcorn tempura opens each course in early summer.

Hassun

• ★ 4.4
• 1 MICHELIN star
• ¥¥¥¥

Named for the central kaiseki course, Hassun runs a quiet ryotei in Gion, Kyoto, a block south of Hanamikoji. One Michelin star, intimate counter only.

Kyoyamato

• ★ 4.3
• ¥¥¥¥

A Meiji-era kaiseki house on the Kodaiji grounds, established in Kyoto by the third-generation Yamato proprietor in 1949 and rooted in an 1877 Osaka original.

Issen Yoshoku

• ★ 4.1
• Japanese
• ¥

Order Issen yoshoku, the single menu item

A 1925 Gion counter selling one dish only in Kyoto: issen yoshoku, a pancake of batter, green onion, meat scraps and Worcestershire sauce. Kitsch decor.

Senmonten

• ★ 4.8
• Japanese
• ¥

Order 30-piece gyoza order with a draft beer

A Gion counter on Hanamikoji that sells one item: pan-fried gyoza orders, paired with cold Asahi. Wood-finished room, cash only. Priced at ¥.

Gion Tsujiri

• ★ 4.3
• Café
• ¥

Order Matcha parfait

The Gion outpost of the 1860 Uji tea-merchant Tsujiri, opening for matcha parfaits and matcha soba until 20:00, the latest such room in Higashiyama Kyoto.

Kagizen Yoshifusa

• ★ 4.6
• Café
• ¥

Order Kuzukiri with kuromitsu

An 18th-century wagashi maker on Shijo-dori with a tatami tea room behind the storefront. Tsukimi rabbit jellies and the most quoted kuzukiri in Kyoto.

Bongen Coffee

• ★ 4.1
• Coffee roaster
• ¥¥

A tiny stand-only roaster near Yasaka Pagoda in Higashiyama, Kyoto. Aeropress and cold brew on the menu, with a sister micro-roastery in Shirafushi.

Komorebino Natural Wine Bar

• ★ 4.5
• Wine bar
• ¥¥¥

Komorebino in Gion's Hanami Kaikan pours 200 carefully chosen natural wines from Japan, France and Italy with a list rotating to 24 seasonal Japanese terms.

Arigato Travel

• ★ 4.5

Arigato Travel's evening Gion walk in Kyoto, ending in a multi-course kaiseki dinner. Starts at Yasaka Shrine, threads Hanamikoji and Shirakawa lantern lanes.

Issen Yoshoku Budget

• ★ 3.9
• Japanese
• ¥

Try Issen yoshoku pancake

Gion's 1925 single-dish counter selling issen yoshoku pancake for 680 yen in Kyoto. Pre-war Showa atmosphere; eat-in counter or takeaway from the corner.

Senmonten Gion

• ★ 4.5
• Japanese
• ¥¥

A small counter on Hanamikoji in Gion, Kyoto, with one item only: pan-fried gyoza by the order. Queue forms by 18:30. Cash only, no reservations.

Calcium House

• ★ 4.1
• ¥¥¥

Calcium House is a drag and hostess style bar in Gion, Kyoto, mixing cabaret performance with karaoke and conversation every night of the week.