Gion Uokeya U — Restaurant in Kyoto

Unagi was so soft, fluffy, fatty, delicious... Unbelievably good. On the pricey side, but the quality is definitely worth it. Coming with a reservation, if you can manage it, helps for wait times (there was a line forming outside when we came for our reserved time). Relatively small restaurant with a small menu, but everything... EVERYTHING on the menu is amazing! Dashimaki tamago (rolled egg in soup stock), unagi gobo (burdock wrapped in unagi and simmered), unagi liver skewer (definitely a bit bitter, but an interesting menu item to try). The sake served was also very good, and I personally don't like alcohol that much. It didn't have a sharp alcohol taste and was very easy to drink.

Onto the main course... I believe they have a policy of minimum purchase (3000 yen/person) for the giant unagi rice service... and it was amazing. The rice and unagi were both flavored to perfection and no extra unagi sauce (they have some at the tables) is needed at all. Perfect balance of sweet, smokey, savory... You can do the giant unagi bowl service for as few as 2 people (I believe, as the table next to us seemed to be doing so). We had 6 in our group and everyone left full with the giant unagi service (2 servings of unagi each, perfect so you can each try a tail portion and head portion which have different flavors/textures), 1 each of the appetizers mentioned above, and the accompanying eel liver miso soup.

There is a restroom in the restaurant, which was convenient. It let us converse and eat leisurely without needing to hurry on account of anyone's bladder.

Also the area around the restaurant is great for a pre- or post-meal walk along Hanamachi or shopping, on the main street.

Tip for seating: The upstairs was a little smokey smelling (from the kitchen, not tobacco), and warm. Though personally I thought it added to the experience, one might prefer downstairs which may be less warm, smokey, "stuffy". Also there are fairly steep stairs going upstairs and the tables upstairs are for sitting on pillow seats, so for those who are older, bad knees/hips/back, you may want to request a downstairs table.

Bonus: For dessert, I recommend Patisserie Gion Sakai nearby for some unique cakes (e.g. blood orange, tea and plum, sesame crusted cream puffs) or packaged goodies(e.g. Dacquoise cookies), though they close at 7pm (you can buy cakes/pastries beforehand and they can provide you with ice so it...

Visited end of March 2025.

Reservation process is a bit of a hassle- they only take Japanese language phone reservations, and only during business hours, when the line is frequently busy because… well it’s service time! We had to ask a friend to help reserve and felt really bad asking them to keep calling restaurant over and over. Hilariously, after we sat down it appears every customer inside the restaurant was a (Mandarin speaking) tourist. They even had an English menu.

Atmosphere: there is one table on the first floor that is a western style table and chairs seating, everyone else must sit upstairs on the tatami floor. If your group has bad knees keep this in mind. Also not an ideal situation for a room filled with tourists wearing stinky socks from walking around all day. Idk, maybe they should give us those plastic shoes covers so people can cover up their stinky feet?

Service: there is plenty of staff and they were attentive albeit a bit cold by Kansai standards. We didn’t feel that they were impolite, food and drink came quickly, but we didn’t feel rushed even if we finished eating and sat around a bit.

Food: Was drawn to this place for their wooden bucket unagi rice, and it was indeed quite visually pleasing. Taste was average, a little bland for everyone at the table, but the sauce at the table tasted like straight soy sauce and less like unagi sauce? A couple of small bones were in the eel but nothing that you’d choke on. The rice wasn’t soggy though (low bar right? But that was a problem I had with an actual michelin starred unagi rice restaurant in Tokyo, they did lose their star the next year though).

Some facts: this restaurant was last awarded a Michelin star in 2018, and as of 2025, is not mentioned anywhere in the Michelin guide (no bib or gourmand), if you are someone who chases Michelin starred restaurant, this ain’t it.

The perfect unagi rice experience still eludes me. The...

If there is ZERO STAR I WILL RATE THEM THAT !!

Worse experience in Kyoto ever! staff was snobbish, discrimination on tourist ( but i can see many tourist were there eating which was their main customer !! ) total disappointment on this kind of standard of service and attitude in " SO CALLED " Michelin Unagi standard.

I was stuck by unagi bone after eating few bites.. I was in pain and not comfortable.

Told the staff.. but they keep saying it's soft bone and normally no big deal and they can't do anything!! staff told me to swallow rice and drink vinegar.. but nothing seems to work..

They don't even bother to check on me and left me struggle with the stuck bone ..for longest time.. trying find out if there is any hospital or clinic to go.. only the chinese speaking staff help in getting the hospital address..

left the restaurant with so much disappointment with the stuck bone in throat and no supervisor that bother to come forward to check on customer which needed medical attention...

shame on this kind of service in Japan... unagi taste damn normal .. I don't understand where that Michelin rated about... can get better taste and cheaper price with that kind of standard of unagi rice..

( Note after 3days I returned to my country. I got high fever for 2days. Apparently the bone causes me throat infections . I went to hospital ..xray found the tiny bone and Dr had to use tools to remove the...