Kyoto, Japan｜Kyoya Kiyomizu honke

I can only describe my experience here as a fascinating gastronomic adventure! The food was delightful – well prepared, fresh, flavorful but balanced, and beautifully presented. It was so much fun to pore over the menu for a full week afterwards, and discover that a lot of the ingredients were seasonal and locally produced right here in Kyoto. There is a bit of a barrier to entry here if you can't read the menu handwritten exclusively in Japanese, but we were lucky to have our Japanese friend dine with us. The menu has likely changed by now, but here's my amateur attempt at translating the menu from the night of our visit. I wish they would make a plain text digital version so non-Japanese-literate customers can easily read the menu using a translation app and just point to order. In the meantime, to unlock the full experience: Go with a Japanese mate. Skip over the limited English menu, and savor the best of Kyoto this epicurean wonderland has to offer.

I loved this place, after all the restaurants I’ve been though in Japan I personally really liked this one in all possible ways.

Very nice little restaurant. Friendly staff. Small English menu and some of the staff speaks a little bit English. Not expensive. If you sit at the bar you can see how they cook. Very good if you traveling alone since a lot is going on. At the entrance you have to take off the shoes. I enjoyed it very much.