Kyoto Tempura Ten no Meshi Gionhonten — Restaurant in Kyoto

We arrived well ahead of our reservation, almost an hour and fifteen minutes early. I suggested we play dumb and see if they might seat us anyway. At first it looked like our luck had run out, but the hostess kindly told us that if the 7:45 party was late, we could take their spot. Womp-womp for them, they were late, and we got the table.

Inside, the restaurant has a modern and polished feel. It is clear that a professional restaurant group is behind this place, with careful attention to detail in the design, finish, and staff training and consistency. The hostess welcomed us warmly, asking where we were from and then sharing it with the entire room in Japanese. She did the same again once we reached our seats upstairs. It was a small but memorable touch that made us feel immediately included.

Our server, Jeni, made the evening special. She has been in Japan for several years and brought a wonderful personality to the meal. She explained each dish to us in a way that helped us appreciate both the flavors and the proper way to enjoy them. Her presence was warm, helpful, and engaging, and I hope anyone who dines here has the chance to meet her.

The menu is prix fixe with three options. We chose the middle course of ten dishes, which felt just right. Every course was beautifully presented and each bite was a pleasure. The pacing of the meal allowed us to savor the flavors without feeling rushed.

This was an excellent dining experience and a perfect way to finish our first night in Kyoto. If you are looking for refined tempura in a setting that balances professionalism with genuine hospitality, Kyoto Tempura Ten no Meshi Gionhonten is a place worth seeking out.

Kyoto gave us many surprises on our first night, and this meal was one of the...

Kyoto Tempura Ten no Meshi Gionhonten – The Ultimate "Tempura-tainment" Experience!

I had a truly wonderful experience at Kyoto Tempura Ten no Meshi Gionhonten—this place is the very definition of Tempura-tainment! 🍤✨

From the moment we walked in, we were warmly greeted by the entire staff, and their friendliness set the tone for an elegant yet casual and fun dining experience. The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed, filled with smiles, excitement, and heartfelt hospitality.

What sets this restaurant apart is not just the incredible food but the way it’s served—with flair, fun, and genuine joy. We were seated at the counter, where we could watch each dish being prepared with precision and care. The energy from the chefs and servers made each course a moment to remember.

I chose the OMAKASE Tasting Course, and every dish was a delight. Highlights included:

🍤 Mixed Seafood Tempura

🐟 Salmon Tempura with Salmon Roe

🍗 Chicken Tempura

🍆 Eggplant Tempura with Miso Glaze

🥕 Seasonal Vegetables Tempura

🥩 Wagyu Beef Tempura with Sukiyaki Flavor

🍚 Shrimp Tempura Rice Bowl Bound with Egg

🍠🍨 Miraculous! Sweet Potato Tempura with Vanilla Ice Cream

Each dish was thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented. The cheerfulness of the staff as they served each course added such a special touch—it truly felt like a performance!

If you’re in Kyoto and looking for a memorable dining experience that combines top-tier food with warm, engaging service, I highly recommend Kyoto Tempura Ten no Meshi Gionhonten. You’ll leave with a full belly and a...

Disclaimer: I was probably not as hungry as I should have been, and I had already eaten wagyu that day so I was pretty sick of fat and oils.

This place is a tough nut. The venue is beautiful and the staff are great. They have these rituals they perform as they serve the food that makes it clear that have designed the place to one day become TikTok famous. Some clever viral marketing going on. They are very foreigner friendly, which is usually a tourist trap red flag, but in this case it feels more like them trying to make themselves more accessible, which is good. For the atmosphere being as playful as it was, the kitchen was surprisingly disciplined: I got a "work hard play hard" kind of vibe. They are really trying, and I bet they are aiming for Michelin

Ten no meshi it's a pun. It can mean "heaven's meal", but the place is also a tempura(tenpura in Japanese) speciality store, so there's a double meaning here. Expect to eat a lot of fried food.

The food is high quality and well cooked, but by the end I was pretty fed up with fried food. I wish the menu had more variation, the textures were pretty similar and what was a tasting menu felt more like 10 variations of the same thing. Especially for that price point, I'd expect something a bit more interesting.

If you like fried food and come hungry, it's probably a good experience if you have the money to spare, but I wouldn't call it a...