Isshisouden Nakamura — Restaurant in Kyoto

Absolutely incredible. A truly breathtaking and unforgettable experience. The food was beautifully prepared with an aesthetic flair, deserving the Michelin Stars, yet elevated by their own distinctive and authentic Japanese twist. The courses, primarily seafood, were exceptionally fresh and exquisitely flavourful, every bite a testament to the culinary mastery of the Chef. As a seafood critic, I couldn’t find a single flaw, even if I tried. This is a restaurant steeped in tradition and history, offering an authentic Japanese dining experience far removed from the conventions of Western cuisine. The waitresses enriched the experience by thoughtfully explaining each dish and recommending drink pairings in English as best they could — allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the meal. (The sake, in particular, was phenomenal.) The service from the waitresses was exceptional, elevating the entire evening to new heights.

After a month of traveling through Japan and dining at many remarkable restaurants with impeccable service, this was the one experience that moved us to tears. As we left, the owners and waitresses stood outside—despite the rain—to bow and express their gratitude. Even as we walked down the street (almost 50 meters away) and turned back for one final glance, they remained there, ensuring we departed safely. It was a moment of pure kindness and reverence that we will treasure forever.

We approached this restaurant with slight skepticism after reading some mixed reviews, but we’ve since realised those critiques likely reflected personal attitudes or an unwillingness to embrace something different like the traditional Japanese cuisine.

Do yourself a favour and book a table at this extraordinary and historic restaurant. The amazing food, combined with the warmth and generosity of the staff, the cleanliness of the private dining rooms with bamboo finish, all creates a dining experience like no other. I can’t...

We dined at Isshisoden Nakamura for our 20th wedding anniversary, excited to experience our first 3-star Michelin restaurant. Unfortunately, this evening was anything but special. As Americans unfamiliar with Kaiseki-style dining, we expected the staff to help guide us through the meal. However, they spoke no English, and communication was nonexistent. Each dish arrived with no explanation of ingredients, flavors, or eating methods—leaving us in the dark about what we were eating or why it was special.

Our private room was eerily silent, lacking any ambiance or warmth. We even had to ask for basic things, like water and wine options, which felt more like pulling teeth than fine dining. And as for the food itself—simply disappointing. Many courses were various bland soups, and the fish was served with skin and bones intact, which we had to pick out of our mouths. One course involved pouring broth over spit-out fish skin and bones and gesturing for us to drink it. It was off-putting, to say the least.

The dessert was literally a persimmon cut in half—hardly what we imagined for a Michelin experience. We’ve dined at other 1 and 2-star Michelin restaurants and had wonderful experiences. Michelin has clearly missed the mark on this one. Torturous is the only way to describe it; we were counting down the minutes until it ended. An enormous disappointment for such a...

This is quite possibly one of the worst restaurants I’ve ever stepped foot into and hands down the worst review I have ever written in over 250 reviews I’ve written for Google review. I would mark it zero stars if that was an option. This kaiseki restaurant does not have a menu as everyday they source the fresh ingredients from the market… supposedly. We were served bland dish after bland dish. Nothing stood out. The flavours were non existent. Without a menu, you do not know what you get served and it could have been that the market had very few options for the day and thus we were left with inferior bits of fish. Even if that were not the case, it certainly tasted like it. We know what is quality home cooked dishes and this restaurant does not serve such dishes. What they do is instead is to serve you 7 blatant slaps to the face as a so called omakase… at a price of ¥34000 per person. The rice cake in mustard soup was pitiful. The tile fish served with the soup as the final dish was as lacklustre a soup I have ever tried in my life. The boring strawberry jelly for dessert? Give me a break… 3 michelin stars? Please do not fall for that trick. You’re paying for these undeserved stars and not for the quality of the food itself. Please avoid this restaurant...