Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu — Restaurant in Kyoto

Booked here based on recent Google reviews, and honestly we were disappointed. Came in excited to try new flavours and have a zen experience. Instead it was more miss than hit.

Arrived 10 mins early, person on the front desk was friendly but rushed. Sat down in a room with other Caucasian travellers (no issue with this) and dishes were served progressively. Minimal information given when dishes dropped off, and when requested more, responses were limited to “tofu” or “salt”. All the servers were lovely and friendly, but very VERY rushed. Running past the door of the room we were eating in, rushing around the room, unintentionally dropping plates, giving others repeats of dishes they’d already eaten, the list goes on.

This would have been fine if the venue was zen and temple like, however we could clearly hear lots of noise coming from rooms next to us, which evidently were the room for local visitors. The segregation was odd and that plus the noise detracted from the atmosphere. Lady taking payment at the end wasn’t very polite.

On the whole, the food was unique and good to experience. Both being plant based we had anticipated potential dishes. On the whole, no particular flavours jumped out at us or dish was memorable. We’re glad to have done it, but wouldn’t rush to repeat it, especially at this location and for the price of ¥18,000...

The most memorable dining experience of our time in Japan. Bask in the amazing views of the mountains around Arashimaya and take in the beauty of the gardens of Tenryu-ji temple while enjoying a healthy, well-balanced meal.

We had originally reserved for 3 couples but 1 couple could not make it, and the staff was understanding of the last minute change.

We enjoyed the Hana (Flower) course and had the privacy of a personal dining room. Each piece of the meal was thoughtfully crafted and we felt the love that went into the meal. The ingredients tasted fresh as if just plucked from a garden for the meal. The soups were heartwarming and all the flavors worked in perfect harmony. The standout was a miso custard eggplant- how creative and so so delicious!! Best eggplant I have ever had and I’m a big fan of eggplant dishes.

Toward the end of our meal, our server asked us when we would like to receive the matcha so that we can enjoy it fresh and warm. The matcha was oh-so delicious, warm and frothy! We also were not rushed to finish our meal, so we took some time to meditate and reflect on our experience with the stunning views from the private dining room.

I highly recommend this vegan-friendly temple meal if you are planning to visit Kyoto! Definitely take some time to explore the gardens after the meal as well, the temple...

I hate to give a bad review, but I was seriously disappointed by my meal here. Maybe my expectations were too high (Michelin-starred shojin cuisine, rec’d by Kyoto native friend, and I’d previously worked as a Zen monastic veg chef), but the experience/food were underwhelming in all respects. Service was unaccommodating, impersonal, rushed (i.e. they industrially drop the bowls in front of you and leave, ushering in new guests as fast as possible, so it took 15 minutes for me to flag a server to actually tell me what I was eating). If you don’t order the highest cost meal, you’re seated in an interior room walled off from garden views. The miso eggplant, ginger cucumbers/lotus root, and yuzu wagashi were notably great, but not necessarily a league above any other solid Japanese restaurant. The rest of the plates were average fare, and three were legitimately gross or insipid (a soup with a gelatinous mushroom glob? some steamed single vegetables / starch glob? a watery cold potato soup?) Also uncomfortable / unfitting to sit on plain floor without a cushion - monks either sit on a cushion or in “jizo” without a cushion (i.e. kneeling, which is only really sensible if you’ve been doing it for years or grew up sitting that way, as...