Kikkoya — Restaurant in Kyoto

We had the best meal for our last day in Kyoto in this charming restaurant called Kikkoya. The staff was superb and very helpful even though we do not speak Japanese. There is counter seating at the bar but tables available as well and reservations are recommended. The food experience is well worth it. The term for the food is obanzai which is food native to Kyoto. The dishes are conservative in size so that you can try several different dishes which adds to the charm and the flavor. There are just enough selections to satisfy many different tastes. For a party of two, we tried 4 different dishes and in addition a Shabu Shabu (got to try this one). I also recommend the mixed tempura and fried tofu with soy bean paste (yum). The fish and sashimi seemed quite popular but that will be next time. Their bar has a great selection of wines and sake and other standard fare. We ordered three drinks (centered around plum wine). For the full experience, expect about 5000-6000 yen per person which based on our dining experiences in Japan is a tremendous value.. I cannot stress how great the staff is. They were engaging and seemed genuinely pleased to see happy customers. Our servers even walked us out to say good bye and ensure that we knew how to get back to our hotel. Can you beat that hospitality. We will...

This was the best meal I had during 2 weeks of travel in Japan.

If you’re looking for an authentic Japanese Izakaya dining experience, away from the other tourists, this is your spot. We stumbled in and were met with a warm atmosphere and gracious hosts. It’s one of those spots that a tourist would only find if recommended by a local and that all the locals call their favorite. I had the seasonal tasting menu in addition to the Japanese fried chicken and whale bacon… Which was a first and did not disappoint. The chef is the owner And I’m various occasions he would come in and check on us. My girlfriend is vegetarian, and she had no issues eating here. The fried tofu was the best she’s had.

Please do yourself a favour and get here while in Kyoto. This was one of the experiences that made our trip truly special. As I mentioned before the best meal I...

Everything was excellent; from the starter sashimi of the day to desert, vanilla ice cream with plum sauce (keep a little room for that - perfect flavour combination). The highlight was, of course, the house specialty shabushabu which was delicious, as was the sake and plum wine - fantastic. But what really made my night was the kind and very patient owner/head chef, and his staff, whose hospitality towards a lonely traveller was greatly appreciated - my sincere thanks.

(Top tip: You may need a backup if you visit ad hoc. Whilst the front of house girl was very helpful in suggesting a time to return which fortunately worked in my favour, this is a very popular restaurant with limited capacity so be prepared should...