Hanato Sushi — Restaurant in Kyoto

This place was so fun! I have never left a google review before but I had to because we had such a great experience! My friend and I had just gotten off the Shinkansen and found our hotel and were starving we strolled around and found here. It has a very small interior so seating was limited but they happened to have two seats so we sat down.

The food was incredible (they have menu’s in English in case you’re wondering). We both got sets and they were delicious. My friend got a set with tempura and I got one with various sushi. They both came with miso soup which was SO good, the tofu literally melted in our mouths and the broth was still piping hot even though we ate it after taking our time on the sushi! The matcha desert was refreshing and the perfect thing to have after our meal.

The service was quick and efficient as well as friendly. Our server spoke English well and was very accommodating to our hemming and hawing while we tried to decide on what to eat.

The atmosphere was our favorite part. All staff and even the regulars were so friendly. They spoke English when they could and tried their best to connect with all the foreigners in the restaurant. Some of them used google translate to joke and tease each other while letting us in on the jokes.

I speak a little Japanese (not very well haha) but they were excited to hear me try! They even started teaching us some of the local dialect.

Overall had a great time and would...

This was easily the best meal we had across Osaka, Kyoto and Hokkaido. Simply because the sashimi was fresh, everything was authentic. We stumbled upon it on accident, too!

We had the sashimi set and it was perfect! It was so fresh and so succulent, with the yellowtail melting in your mouth.

Also had the Unagi Don and it was so light and authentic, none of that overly sweet slathered unagis you get at others. The freshness of the unagi speaks for itself through the light sauce.

The atmosphere was also amazing and the chefs did custom orders for us when we requested for a temaki (hand roll). We also took pictures with him and he came all the way to the shop front and escorted us out, bowing as a sign of thanks which really showed their sincerity in their craft as well.

Plus points everywhere! It’s also quiet and serene, unlike other sushi places nearby (ahem shall not name names but there is one near a 100 yen shop which really is quite horrible…). Skip that, come here instead. If you’re reading this, just pop by. I don’t think you’ll be...

We found this place by chance after a long day out and we were starving. For anyone who visits, you can tell immediately that they love their jobs and interacting with their customers - they always reach out even if you may not speak the language. Even the locals were so friendly - there was a sweet elderly couple next to us who interacted with us despite that we couldn’t speak the language well. I wish we had something like this in our home country - a place for great food and a spot for community members to gather.

The fish was very very fresh and absolutely delicious. We had the chirashi bowl and the nigiri set - both beautiful and delicious! The matcha pudding at the end was the perfect complement - the matcha flavour was nice and strong balanced with the cream and chestnut.

I hope to come back in the future - this was worth the taste and experience.

Plus we got the cutest complimentary lollipops in the...