IL PAPPALARDO — Restaurant in Kyoto

This restaurant was an absolute dream from start to finish. Every dish was beautifully prepared, full of flavor, and served with remarkable care.

I began with the pumpkin soup, served with homemade bread. The soup was silky and rich with the perfect touch of cream and a gentle hint of oregano. It had a deep, balanced taste that felt comforting and refined at the same time. I have rarely had a pumpkin soup this smooth and well seasoned. It was the perfect start to the meal. The bread was soft and fresh, complementing the soup perfectly. I enjoyed it with a glass of Chardonnay, which paired beautifully and completed the first course in an elegant way.

For the main course, I had pasta with Hokkaido clams and cherry tomatoes. The presentation was beautiful with plenty of fresh clams and a touch of parsley that gave the dish a vibrant look. The pasta had excellent texture, the sauce was light and flavorful, not too oily and not too salty, just perfectly balanced. The clams were fresh and tender, full of flavor and quality. I might have liked a small hint of lemon to brighten it up, but even without it the dish was wonderful.

The dessert was a small semifreddo with chocolate and pistachio pieces and a delicate fruit syrup on top. The flavor was refreshing and slightly citrusy, the texture smooth and creamy. If it had been slightly less cold, it would have been perfect, but it was still a lovely and satisfying ending to the meal.

The service was exceptional and truly the heart of this place. One person in particular made the experience unforgettable, warm, radiant, and genuinely kind. From the moment I entered, I was greeted with a bright smile and open arms. The atmosphere was filled with warmth, conversation, and genuine hospitality. The rest of the staff were also attentive and polite, creating an environment that felt welcoming and personal.

The restaurant itself was charming with a cozy counter, rustic details, and a beautiful arrangement of wine bottles and decor. The layout felt intimate and stylish, and the open view of the kitchen added to the character of the place.

This is not just a technically great restaurant, it is one with heart. It combines skill, atmosphere, and human warmth in a way that is rare to find. It easily deserves five out of five stars. I can only encourage everyone to visit and experience both the food and the kindness that make this place so special. It is one of those meals I will...

We went there as a walk in. It was NOT busy AT ALL, there were only two other tables seated. The older female staff who was the hostess and server was very demanding from the beginning. She told us to sit at a table, and when we were ready to order and ordered, she demanded that we order at least one dish per person AND one beverage per person. I have NEVER been asked to order one beverage per person in any other restaurants in the world.

After being forced to order one menu and one beverage per person, she did not even give us water until the beginning of our second dish. That’s when we felt for sure that she was discriminating against us, most likely because we were foreigners.

Food was good overall, but that female staff alone made us not want to eat, made the food way less enjoyable, and ruined our dinner.

When paying, we paid and left with the receipt, and thought the sum was off. She never gave an itemized receipt when I asked for one, so we thought it was not possible. We returned back and asked for the menu to reconfirm the amount, and the same lady scoffed at us and only then gave us the itemized receipt. The sum was off than the food, and we found out there was a hidden fee of “seat charge” of 500 yen per person. I’ve been to japan multiple times, and it was not my first time in kyoto, and I’ve never been asked to pay a separate seat charge, nor did she announce it. She took out the menu and said it was stated. I’m not sure if it also said on the japanese menu since she gave us english menu.

Overall, they charge a ridiculous amount of hidden fee, has delay in service, and that one older female lady was very rude and discriminatory.

Do not recommend at all, as they make you feel very uncomfortable and unable to enjoy dinner and the time you spend with the people you love. The service...

The worst service we ever had in a restaurant. We got there around 6pm to have dinner and the restaurant was empty and we were told that all the tables were reserved and we had to sit at the bar, so we decided to do it because we were really hungry, so we ordered pizza and the whole time we were eating the restaurant staff was behind the bar right in front of us, how uncomfortable was this... and on top of it the whole time we were there, the restaurant was empty even when we left was nobody there, so can somebody explain to us why we couldn't sit on a table and eat like normal people.

The food was OK... very overpriced and the experience was so horrible that it doesn't really matter how the food was. If you want to eat in a nice Italian restaurant go around the corner in the Hyatt Regency were the service...