LURRA° — Restaurant in Kyoto

Visited Lurra in December so we got the chance to taste their Autumn/Winter menu. Located in a traditional house just off the beaten path of Kyoto, a delicious and innovative Michelin starred tasting menu is awaiting you at the counter surrounding the kitchen, and don’t be late since all the 10 guests eat together at the same time. As the house is quite old, there’s no gas and most of the food is cooked using the wood fire, which is the main character of Lurra together with the chef, a nice guy who decided to run his own restaurant after working in the kitchen at Noma. I love to eat at the counter because it always amazes me to see the great work that goes into the kitchen, the creative genius that lies behind every dish. Unfortunately, while on one hand the wood-fired oven is super interesting to see, on the other the smoke that invades the room is at times a bit excessive: my eyes starting to burn and my clothes filled with the smell of smoke were the only downsides of the night. I won't tell you much about what we ate also because the dishes are seasonal and I don't want to ruin the surprise. I will tell you though that you can absolutely feel the influence of Noma, combined with local-sourced ingredients. For this reason you might be disappointed if you are looking for a proper Japanese experience, because Lurra is actually an excellent restaurant that, at the end of the story, you could find anywhere in the world. Favorite course of the evening? The duck from a local farm, amazing. But also the beetroot that tasted like meat was surprisingly great. Maybe I didn't particularly love the fact that you’re forced to do the wine pairing (already included in the menu, they also have a non-alcoholic option): don’t get me wrong, wines were good - not great - but at least don't leave me with an empty glass while I’m still eating. Is it expensive? Yes. But if you want a different dining experience (and also different from the traditional Japanese cuisine), then book your place in advance and go to Lurra, you won’t be...

Not great, not terrible - would not visit again. Generally very nice and creative cuisine, well executed. Beautiful location. However - and as others have pointed out - the staff is just too cool and does not interact or create a relationship with their customers. A piece of wild boar was so tough/chewy that half of it went back chewed up on the plate and it was not noticed at all - at this (price) level I expect this to be noticed, addressed and if possible somehow rectified. Same was true for the guest seated next to us. When we raised it st the end of dinner, there was a meek apology and that was about it. And then you do feel kind of used as the whole 12 course is over in exactly 2 hrs - way too fast a tact rate, even when knowing that after three hrs there is another set of guests (then tact it at 2:45). Alcohol pairing is OK, not awesome - though the pairing is mandatory, seems like non-alcoholic may be the better choice. If you are in Kyoto, go to Familie Morinaga, Daikichi or other amazing places where you will receive amazing service & great value for money. Small present at the end, which is nice, but at this price level at Joel Robuchon in HKG you get a nicer cake and better service. Expect a 10% surcharge for service, also breaking with the normal Japanese standard that „the price is the price & outstanding service comes...

Perfectly well cooked and executed Michelin-esque meal, if a bit pretentious.

Main quibble is with price. There is a mandatory wine pairing and a bunch of not-insignificant service fees and taxes (including taxes on the service fees lol) due to the venue outsourcing reservations to a 3rd party (which btw doesn’t handle USA credit cards - extremely frustrating) which brings dinner to just under $300 per person. This despite the lack of any particularly premium ingredients or wines (mostly some funky sake, bio-dynamic wines from the south of France, and their own infused liquors). Also, in a desire to squeeze in two seatings before 9 pm when corona rules dictated that restaurants must close, everyone was asked to shift to a somewhat “cozy” group table towards the end of the meal so they could prepare the main counter space for the next round of diners. The last two courses were served here amid the bustle of prep for new folks arriving.

You’re left in the end feeling like you’ve taken part in a money-optimization experiment where the owners have researched just how much they can get away with 😆

However, the veggies were fresh and well presented!

Dining at high-end restaurants of course has its cost but when the price and product don’t quite match it impacts your overall impression of the...