Fortune Garden Kyoto — Restaurant in Kyoto

While the food here was great, the overall dining experience left a bit to be desired.

Before our visit, my family informed me that we needed to choose our set meals in advance when booking, so we spent some time carefully selecting our dishes beforehand. However, upon arrival, it seemed unnecessary as we were asked to order our set meals again. This left me a bit confused, wondering why we bothered with the pre-selection process.

Though this is a fine dining restaurant, the atmosphere didn’t quite match the expectations. The music was so loud that it made having a conversation difficult, which detracted from the experience. The lighting was also unusually dim for a restaurant, and my dad struggled to read the menu because of it.

Another issue was the slow service. Despite ordering a set meal, it felt like we had to wait longer than expected between courses, and this continued throughout the entire meal. While the food itself was delicious, the slow pace definitely impacted our enjoyment. One dish, the fish, was served in plastic wrap, which felt a bit cheap for a fine dining setting, even though the taste was good. On the bright side, the fried onion soup was incredible and definitely a highlight of the meal.

Overall, while the food was enjoyable, the service and atmosphere could definitely use some improvement to match the quality...

I was really excited for this experience because it looks like such a beautiful place to eat from the outside. I was wish a group of 4 people and 2 people ordered the fish plate and the other 2 ordered the meat.

The venue was really beautiful but there was some miscommunication between the staff inside and the staff for seating areas outside. Our friend wasn't allowed in and had to exit before going to the check-in specifically for the outdoor seating.

We were placed in the corner right by the speaker and the music was so loud we couldn't talk well. It was also difficult to get the waiters attention. All of this would have just been a 3.5 star because the food was yummy. But the 2 star rating is mostly because the food portions were so pathetic for the price.

Every dish had to be shared with two people but the serving sizes were small and the plates weren't cut so it was easy to share. We had to divide our plates ourself and it felt more like we were eating fancy scrapes than a proper meal.

I wish the portions were proper for one person or at least they separated the dish so that two people could...

Great decor and atmosphere. Sharp service. Food missed the mark.

The fish appetizer was under seasoned and one of my slices was cut poorly to make it very tough and I had to swallow the piece while as I could not chew it. But, that happens. Overall an interesting dish which would have been great with a little salt. The onion soup was divine, as was the dessert. Cocktails were also excellent!

The fish course was comically small. The charred onion was triple the size of the very frugal cube of fish. The taste was good; the portion just made the restaurant seem pretentious or cheap. The pork in the entree was undercooked (medium rare is pushing it) but not a deal breaker. The quality of the meat was what ruined the meal. My entire piece was nothing but fat and tendon. Inedible. Whoever cooked it clearly did not care about the diner’s experience.

The disappointing food ruined what was otherwise an exceptional restaurant. We would go back for cocktails, and then walk down the street for a more enjoyable dinner. Or maybe stay for just a bowl of...