Great place in which to sample a variety of food rather than having to stick to a set menu. Interesting local delicacies (such as stewed pumpkin and aubergine) as well as classics such as grilled black cod in miso, grilled eel, Japanese beef, fried chicken (especially good with mustard), sashimi and tempura. A small selection of desserts, but the wagashi/warabi mochi with kinako and green tea was delicious,as was the ice cream. Good selection of sake and some local beers as well as more conventional choices. Located in a picturesque side toad. Well worth a visit. Staff very attentive and all seem to speak excellent English as well as having an English menu. We sat in a private room upstairs, but there is public seating and a bar counter on the ground floor.

a top notch izakaya 🏮 in the heart of Gion.Awesome atmosphere. Reasonable prices for sublime dishes (recos: red miso, black cod, grilled octopus and steak— went 3x to this place!!) update 2022: steamvegetables are also highly recommended

After getting rejected from a few Kaiseki restaurants in the Gion area because of our party of 8 with 3 kids, finally we were accepted by Gion Manzara, with the host welcoming us with a smile. We had to sit separate as they only have counter seating and 4 seater tables. The food and setting is like a higher end Izakaya. Me and my wife ordered the set course, which is a collection of some of their chef recommendations in the ala carte menu. The dishes were izakaya style with some creative twist. If you do not know what to order from the ala carte, just take the course and you will be full and satisfied. They also have a wide selection of wines, but being in Kyoto, of course i ordered sake and it was good. Their service was really friendly and they were able to speak English well. Despite my youngest fussing quite alot throughout the meal, they continued to smile and helped us alot. Probably the very few family/foreigner friendly place in the Gion area.

Whist this restaurant was recommended by Hotel Granbell, we happened upon it accidentally whilst meandering through the heart of old Gion. Down a delightful magical lane at Gion Manzara’s entrance lamp beckoned. Given we did not book, we were fortunate to be seated at the bar, overlooking the chef’s preparing the restaurant’s dishes. The meal and theatre did not disappoint. Exceptional food and service. We chose miso for 2, tempura vegetables, fried chicken with a wonderful radish dressing and assorted sashimi. The atmosphere is warm and discreet. We were offered Japanese tea at the end which was a great ending after great beer and sake.

One very Decent Izakaya in Gion Kyoto We patronize this Izakaya almost every time we are in Kyoto. (There is slight dip in standard) Food is good overall , with some good mix of Obanzai (Kyoto home cooking) and Japanese bar food like pickles, fried chicken, Japanese omelette etc. We particularly enjoyed the pickles, the miso cod, Yuba (cold tofu skin), Namafu both chilled and deep fried in broth, Orchazuke (tea rice soup) , black soy bean ice cream and Warabimothi jelly dessert. There are quite unique and not often found in other parts of Japan, perhaps only in Kyoto. They also have good selection of local sake- including House sake, Namasake (which is raw sake), and high brow Jumai Daijinjo sake. Both food and drinks are on par, which is one important key for me in Izakaya. Book in advance, usually full.

Great food and service. Very pleased with this restaurant. They mix shochu in coke too fantastic! Recommend the chicken rice and the pork cubes and the deep fried chicken. Decent prices and they have set meal choices too for Gaijin after variety if you're looking to try several things you wouldn't normally be brave enough to eat.

This place is amazing. So authentic and the staff are lovely! Everything we ate was phenomenal. Get the chefs tasting.

Situated at a prime location in the Gion neighbourhood, this restaurant has an elegant decor and a spacious seating arrangement. We arrived when they opened at 5pm & were seated right away. As for the food, the obanzai was delicious and a perfect starter. For mains we took wagyu steak & pan-seared black cod. I can recommend the plum wine with the fish, they pair wonderfully.

Super friendly staff. Very cozy atmosphere. Beautiful place. And the food you ask? The food is amazing. I mean -can you really have a bad meal in Kyoto? But this place is great. Order a bunch of stuff you've never tried or don't understand what they are. You're going to miss and hit (more hits than miss) and you're going to try new things and learn. Tuna and avocado, the konji with cod, japanese peppers, anything pickled, anything tempura. Try it all and don't start anything you've eaten before. You'll thank me later

Obanzai was really awesome. The food and service was top-notch. The restaurant even went the extra mile to throw in a surprise for my wife's birthday tonight. A fantastic way to end our last night in Kyoto. Thank you Gion Manzara! We will definitely be back when we visit Kyoto!

Good service, no problem for ordering. Didn't make a booking but may be is a bad idea if is peak season. But we go to sit at the bar which got all the action in front of us! One of the best kizakaya I had with best quality ingredients!

We enjoyed both sashimi and the friend chicken. This spot is in an excellent location and an easy 5-8 minute walk from public transit. It’s also open quite late which is a huge plus. The atmosphere inside was also very pretty, and the staff very polite.

Great food and sashimi! Only downside was our meat was cooked well, so make sure to tell the chef how you want to cook your meat.

I have rarely had such a delicious dinner in my life. A hidden gem in Kyoto. A symphony of different tastes and culinary pleasures. We had seats in front of the kitchen where the chefs cook in front of you. What an experience! Highly recommended! The English menu is quite limited, so talk to the waitress if you want to explore some of the more interesting seasonal dishes.

Never would I have expected a disappointing dining experience in Japan, yet here we are. Gion Manzara offers an upscale izakaya experience, but clearly fails at it. The food is ok: sashimi is good but overpriced, obanzai is well made and presented (although it has a peculiar taste as it's mostly made with what is normally considered waste material), "seasonal pot rice" was just rice with mackerel that strongly reeked like fish. Wagyu beef was absolutely delicious. The service is disastrous. We asked the waiter "how many dishes should we order?" as we didn't know the size of the portion. After convening for a few minutes with two other waiters, they concluded that we could order however many we wanted. Lost in translation, probably. The waitress kept bringing plates without taking the empty ones away, and was constantly asking us to make space for the new ones. I had much better service in less pretentious places. Ambience is pleasant, the bill appropriate.

Great small Japanese restaurant. Friendly english speaking staff and an international clientele. The mwnu is quite varied with different items on the menu. We settled for the "recommendations" and were not disappointed. Great miso soup, sashimi and vegetables/prawn tempura. Recommendation from me is to make a reservation before going to the restaurant as it gets quite full.

Some of the best sushi I’ve had in the world. I know being from San Francisco might skew my thinking. But this place is next level. Charming decor. Very nice but casual. Great staff. Salmon, scallop, black cod with miso were all fantastic. Best shrimp tempura ever. And the best part, the entire staff is so welcoming. Would recommend to anyone. You won’t be disappointed.

Best restaurant experience we had in Japan. Amazing cuisine, nice and friendly service, Amazing atmosphere.We had the best beef. Thank you very much from a couple coming from Modena! Hope you will enjoy the balsamic vinegar;) Marcello & Vitalba

loved this place! had the 8 course special menu and every dish was amazing! read other reviews that said the dishes were too small, and although small, i felt the portions were all perfect, balanced and we left very satisfied. super friendly staff, cozy place and good prices. all around a special dinner. hope i can come back and try the rest of the regular menu one day. recommended!!

Probably the best restaurant we visited in Kyoto. The selection of Japanese food was delicious. Nice French wine selection. It’s fun to be able to watch the chefs prepare the food behind the counter. It’s also great that you can reserve a table online in advance.

Great food, English speaking staff and menu. Fabulous dinner

We had the set menu (around 7,000 Yen), and it's a good value, but some dishes were pretty unexciting, and the sashimi wasn't as good as I have had at many other places. Good selection of wines by the glass. Maybe an unlucky night, but given the great selection of restaurants in this town, I wouldn't return.

Small dishes full of flavor, with a seasonal sake and beer

Amazing. All the dishes were exceptional. The only thing I would improve is the steak - would be better without the salad with the basic dressing. Recommend to take the dinner course.

Delicious food. Very friendly staff. Great atmosphere. It is ok to walk in, but I think it's better to reserve a spot in advance. They do have english menu available. However, the english menu is somewhat basic. The seasonal and the specials are written in Japanese only. But don't let that distract you! The staffs are very accommodating and will gladly recommend you the season's best! I had their karage and wagyu beef. Very recommended.

Super overpriced. Tiny portions for price asked and took too long. Dishes came out every 10 minute. Got tired of waiting so ate first and finished when the last dish came out. Taste was no bad but nothing special either. Meat (wagyu beef) came out 20min after first dish and had to call the waiter just to receive it cold. Asked for it to take it back.