Gion Karoku — Restaurant in Kyoto

The Japanese word for delicious is "美味しい" -- which literally means "beautiful taste." To say that the food in Gion Karoku is delicious is an understatement; the meals we've had here are truly a beautiful art form that are to be admired.

When you enter the restaurant, you'll be transported to a world like no other -- at once, you'll feel like you are in 19th century Japan with its exquisite and elegant interior. It is chic and posh, making you feel like a royal. The true highlight, however, is the delight that is the meals they serve. In the 44 countries I've been to, no restaurant tops the quality of this place.

They have a wide variety of dishes that are crafted in the Japanese art of perfection, and my favourite is the yakiniku. The meat are served with various kinds of unique sauces and spices that you dip them into. We had an assortment of meat that simply melt in your mouth; each bite is one to be savoured. They are extraordinarily good and you'll suddenly realize how truly wonderful meat can taste. The dishes are served in good portions and combine a healthy mix of meat and vegetables.

The servers are the most polite, most hospitable ones we have ever encountered - always checking to make sure we are having a good time, yet at the same time leaving us enough space to enjoy our meal and the company of our family.

This place is a real gem in the heart of Gion, and is a must-go-to if you step foot in Kyoto. This is one of those few places that will make you love...

The place is lovely, the staff is professional and educated. The restaurant is in a 100-year-old japanese house. The place is stylish, and I think a smart-casual dress code is expected. On the first floor, there are the dining tables with the typical embedded japanese grill (yakiniku) in a charming room. We reserved the day before on their website (webpage in japanese) to have dinner at 21h00. Because of the time, it was just us and another couple. We had the degustation menu suggested by the waiters, which included 2-3 appetiser of vegetables with the tipical Kyoto beef tongue and main course made of 5 different types of meat cut, white rice (gohan, but bibimbop was also an option) and yuzu sorbet as dessert. The dessert was served in a different room, on the second floor, with a simple but wonderful japanese style decoration. They have a good selection of European and South American wine, a small but delightful selection of sake. The waiter that served us was very friendly and spoke minimal English, but this is generally the case in Kyoto, and it should not retain you from visiting this superb place. At the end, we had a quick, friendly chat with the manager (I think she was the manager), who spoke better English. In my opinion, it is one of the best places in Kyoto. We are definitely going to visit again next time we...

Recently had a dinner at Gion Karoku. We reserved online the day before for a 2hour sitting which was perfect. The website is in Japanese but the google translator helped us navigate to the bookings. Definitely need to make a reservation though as it can be popular.

We arrived on time and we’re treated so thoughtfully by the staff. The restaurant appears to be a converted house and it’s so lovely. The food was incredible. We had the chefs selection from the front page which was about 8500yen /pp with 5no different cuts of beef (4no of each cut), kimchi, rice, dessert and a couple of other things. Drinks were extra.

After having Yakiniku in Tokyo I initially thought this was expensive. I could not have been more wrong after making my way through it all. The food was amazing and so tasty and the staff were so absolutely lovely. We spent over 20000yen in the end after taking drinks into account and I’m so happy we did.

We already recommended this to a family we met the next day and will continue to recommend.

Again, it is a bit pricey, but...