Kyoto Garden Restaurant YACHIYO — Restaurant in Kyoto

We originally planned to go to a different restaurant but couldn’t make a reservation since it was booked out so we decided to give Yachiyo a try. Not sure how to feel about the entire experience - the food was beautifully presented in a bento box and all the dishes were prepared with great care. However, the tofu hotpot was the most disappointing part of the meal. That said, Nanzenji is famous for tofu and yutofu hotpot, so my expectations were quite high. The broth itself had no flavour, no umami. A single tiny piece of kombu was placed on top of the tofu but it seemed the broth itself was just water. The kombu that was provided was not enough to bring any flavour or umami to the tofu. Honestly, the tofu hotpot I make at home is more flavourful. The staff is ok, our server was quite young and inexperienced, they told us that our requested bento course was sold out, even though we had made a reservation for that course in advance, when we asked for a cold sake recommendation they gave us hot sake instead and they put the flame of the hotpot boiler to high, which led to the delicate tofu to fall apart. When we called them to turn down the strength of the burner we were ignored.

I'm not sure what this restaurant wants to be. It feels classy with the garden view, the tatami mats, tokonoma and staff dressed in kimono. At the same time, there were many families with small children who were screaming and running around, a pram was parked in front of the tokonoma and the whole place seemed a little loveless.

All in all, the bento box was ok, the tofu was a disappointment. If you want to eat a Kyoto-style meal that is reasonably priced but are afraid of the stiff etiquette at traditional kaiseki ventures this restaurant is for you. After all, it’s a hotel restaurant. The atmosphere is relaxed and family friendly, the bento course doesn’t break the bank but looks and tastes nice. I won't come back but if you're in the area and are looking for a family-friendly dinner options you can...

This restaurant is part of the ryokan next door and serves both staying guests and walk-in. First we were welcomed warmly by the staff which offered us to pick our own seat. Since we arrived quite early we took the opportunity and seated outside next to the PHENOMENAL Japanese garden. Surrounded by pine trees, koi, frogs and sound of flowing water, that immediately boosted the experience two folds. Chatted with the staff they said they take great pride in the upkeeps of the garden and genuinely happy hearing guests enjoy the beauty as well. On to the food, we ordered a set tofu meal which is the fully loaded option available. The food was obviously carefully selected and prepared. The greens were in season and the portio just right. The ingredients were fresh and living up the Kyou cuisine spirit of a lot less seasoning in order to highlight the ingredients' natural flavour compared to it's Kansai Kanto counterparts. Even so, the balance of flavour was balanced SO well. I especially enjoyed the 茶碗蒸し(chawanmushi or steamed egg in a cup). You can't make a good chanwanmushi without a good broth and it can easily overpower the ingredients which it didn't. Also the gingko is fresh and portioned perfectly with the protein (chicken). It's easy to miss these details but I feel everything was prepared carefully so allow guests to enjoy the finest details of the season.

Overall, very pleasant experience and would recommend to anyone who wants an authentic Japanese...

We booked the earliest available time slot months in advance — and it was absolutely worth the wait.

Our first impression was how spacious the restaurant is, with ample seating and a stunning backyard garden featuring a large koi pond. Since we were the first to arrive for dinner service, we practically had the entire place to ourselves and could fully enjoy the peaceful scenery in the garden.

The food isn’t at a fine-dining level, but we ordered the bento box set, which came with a wide variety of small, well-prepared dishes. It made for a perfect, relaxed meal — especially when paired with a glass of wine while overlooking the tranquil garden.

A lovely personal touch: the owner kindly gave my girlfriend some fish food so she could feed the koi, which made the experience even more memorable.

All in all, this was one of the most unique and enjoyable dining experiences of our Japan trip — not just for the food, but for the setting, atmosphere, and...