Kaburaya Matsui — Restaurant in Kyoto

During our recent trip to Kyoto, we had the immense pleasure of dining at Kaburaya Matsui, a new gem in the city’s culinary landscape. We were a group of five, visiting with our 13-year-old goddaughter on her very first trip to Japan. It was a special evening for all of us—but especially for her, as she was completely captivated by the experience and learned so much from the kind and generous proprietors, Riichiro and Mika Matsui.

The ambiance was refined yet welcoming, with antique tableware that added a layer of beauty and depth to the presentation of each dish. We sat at the counter, which gave us a front-row seat to Chef Riichiro Matsui’s precise, thoughtful, and quietly captivating work. His innovative cuisine, rooted in Japanese tradition yet full of creativity, delighted us from the first course to the last.

What made the evening truly unforgettable was the warmth and authenticity of the Matsuis themselves. Mika-san made us feel like cherished guests, and Riichiro-san’s calm presence and culinary artistry created a meal that felt deeply personal. Without exaggeration, they are the most kind, generous, and genuine restaurant hosts we have ever encountered.

Personally, having lived in Kyoto for a year, I know the city well and have experienced its rich food culture. Even so, we never expected to find such a special place. Kaburaya Matsui is more than a restaurant—it’s a deeply heartfelt expression of hospitality and craftsmanship.

As a brand-new addition to Kyoto’s dining scene, this restaurant already feels like a classic in the making. We left that night utterly enchanted, cheering for the Matsuis’ success, and already dreaming of...

English: We discovered this wonderful traditional restaurant on our first day walking from Kyoto station to our hotel, we looked out to read the menu (which is changed once a month based on seasonal vegetables) and we said to ourselves "this is where we can finally try traditional Japanese cuisine". So we booked our traditional dinner online for our last night in Kyoto. When the evening of the dinner arrived we entered this splendid traditional restaurant and were welcomed by the owners, a wonderful couple who immediately made us feel at home by having the menu translated into Italian. The dinner was exquisite, one dish after another creating a story of Japanese tradition with some experimental touches that the Chef (and owner) brings to the menu and that speaks of his experience as a Japanese chef around the world. Each dish was delicious and balanced with flavours and textures studied in detail and with very fresh raw materials. The final touch was a delicious dessert made by the owner of red beans and cherry blossom powder. It was definitely the most beautiful dinner and experience we have had so far here in Japan, also because in addition to the delicious food, during the breaks between courses, this wonderful couple delighted us with kindness and sweetness with historical anecdotes, life chats and travel tips. The wife in fact speaks perfect English and even a little Italian (having also lived in Italy), they also gave us precious and fascinating advice on travel destinations we were still undecided about. We recommend everyone to stop by here during their...

Lovely and amazing experience. I recommend to try this lovely place to anyone who wants to experience and honor a traditional Japanese dinner. They started in Japan, collected experience around the world for years, and went back home to create their own little gem. The experience, from the attention to the customers, the service, the attention to the quality of the ingredients, the preparation of the recipes, everything is at the level of a true Michelin restaurant or higher, with the difference that the chef isn't interested in receiving recognition for personal choices. This also allows the prices to be more than fair: 13,500 yen for a full nine-course dinner plus tea. Sake is outside the menu, I personally recommend also that. Reservations are required, as they prepare meals individually and measured out for guests. I obviously recommend to reserve at the counter, to fully enjoy the dinner. During the reservation I marked down a food allergy, they were really nice to do investigation around it, not only about the allergene, but also to possible connections. Really appreciated. I hope to come back there one day, they...