Must have arrived on an off day. A hiccup in the menu order led to an issue with the pacing of the dishes - some arriving too quickly while others way too slowly. Half the dishes were bland/tasteless, the others could have easily been replicated at other restaurants in Kyoto. Undeserving of a michelin star.

This was a dream-like experience for me. Definitely top 5 dining experience in my life. I am a seafood lover and I love fatty things, so everything I had that night was right up my alley. The sashimi course and the octopus were just out of this world… I’d had so much sashimi in my life through various omakase experiences, and didn’t know sashimi could be this good. The good thing is that compared to other kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto, you can easily book this one online via Pocket Concierge (who charges less fees compared to TableAll). I will definitely return next time I’m in Kyoto!

Excellent food. So delicious. Great interpret of Japanese dashi. The chef and the staff are friendly to new guests and are willing to help you get the reservation. The rice is another highlight. Must try all of them - they are all delicious. The Unagi rice is superb. I shall come back~ well, if I could get the reservation. The Nov has been all booked.

We truly enjoyed our dinner at Kiyama. Amazing amazing dashi ! loved each dishes, including the special grilled snow crab dishes and rice dishes! Good selections of Wines here too and for a very reasonable price.

Once in a lifetime experience of seasonal and local specialties. The Chef is most kind and hospitable. We had the lunch menu and it was a LOT of incredible food. Recommend the Sake and Wine “pairling” with 6 accompanying wines and sakes picked by their in house sommelier. The environment was calming and beautiful. Cannot recommend this enough.

The experience started with the small yet sophisticate Japanese garden and the tasteful interior and floral arrangements, which prepared me for delicious and relaxed culinary journey 木山 brought. Creative use of seasonal ingredients, superior technique in food preparation starting from cutting, breaking out of the box of traditional kaiseki (for example using 3 types of bonita including Tuna to make stock) and the friendly atmosphere by master chef and his apprentices who were more than willing to explain in English the ingredients and how the dishes were made. This is not a place for first-time travelers to Japan who enjoy fast food, nor a typical tourist place to try out Japanese kaiseki in Kyoto. This is the place for seasoned Japanese foodie lovers who savor authenticity and would like to take Japanese food enjoyment to another level.

Young chef, and staff are friendly to foreigners, can speak English, vary interesting tastings with reasonable price, some areas still can be improved. This place could be the signature of local Kyoto restaurant in the future of time.

Lovely kaiseki restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. The food is wonderful, and the chef and his staff make every effort to explain their techniques and the seasonality of the produce used. No photos are allowed during service, which truly enhances the eating experience and focusses the mind on the food.

Had a phenomenal meal and unforgettable experience here at Kiyama. The meal starts with a cup of hot water from well of the restaurant that is then used to make all of the dashi, some of which made counter side with the 3 types of bonito flakes shave in front of you seconds ago. The meal is a fantastic journey of flavors and a truly an unforgettable experience. The staff was extremely friendly and skilled, explaining where the fish we are about to eat is from, or giving some history on the 400 year old dish we are eating out of. Eating at Kiyama has been one of the highlights of our trip to Kiyoto and highly recommend to anyone.

My wife and I had the lunch menu here. Spectacular experience from beginning to end. Chef Kiyama gave us incredible hospitality. So much food, struggled to finish at the end, come hungry. Out of all the meals I’ve had in throughout my life, I’m crowning this #1. Every dish was prepared with such care. It was an art form. If you are a foodie looking for a great value kaiseki experience, you must book it here.

This was my first kaiseki experience, and I was smiling from ear-to-ear by the end of the meal. Our chef, Kazuho Ishine, was such a delight to engage with and you can tell that there’s a lot of love and passion in what he does. Some highlights during our meal were lightly fried sawara (Spanish mackerel) with fiddlehead tempura and tofu sauce, grilled bamboo shoots with sansho leaves, hairy crab with white asparagus, and the egg rice with baby sardines. Unfortunately, pictures aren’t allowed, but it was nice to just be in the moment and enjoy all the intricate food.

Unique kaiseki experience ( our lunch lasted 2 hrs). Traditional and contemporary cooking methods with quality ingredients. Chef owner Kiyama looks young but has 20 years of cooking experience. Relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Staff willing to explain and answer questions about each dishes. Menu changes every month. Great lunch value for a Michelin restaurant.

Came here after hearing Kiyama is the best kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto and it definitely lived up to that title! The food was amazing, the chefs knew a surprising amount of English, and the overall experience was definitely one of a kind. They cut their own various types of bonito and maguro flakes, and allow you to taste each one. Tip for foreigners not used to Japanese dining: before you start they will ask you if you have any food restrictions (allergies, specific dislikes, etc), be sure to tell them because it’s kind of rude to not finish your food! Also, eat everything in the exact order they serve it to you, don’t leave something on the side for later- it’s most likely meant to be eaten in a certain order for you to have the best flavor experience. That includes samples of sake or small bowls of soup. Also if you don’t know how to drink the matcha they will likely serve at the end, feel free to ask the chefs how! They were more than happy to explain to even my native Japanese partner how to drink matcha properly.

The soup are the best! All the veggies are so fresh, seasonal and chewy, the best veggies and tempura I ever had! The mackerel is also really good. The chef is so nice and friendly, well deserve Michelin one star, great price!

Excellent excellent excellent 🤩 worth ~190€ tasting menu for lunch. Quite english friendly. Reservation is complicated but worth the effort.

Best meal we had in Japan hands down. This includes many 1 star and a 3 star Michelin restaurant. The chef is welcoming and is a true master of kaiseki. The beef tenderloin was our favorite dish, but you cannot miss here.

Really nice restaurant and superb food. So fresh and delicious!

Horrible service and pacing. A friend well-versed in Japanese fine dining told me that Kiyama has gone downhill and more and more commercialized. Sadly he was right. There are much better, more professional fine dining experiences to be had in Kyoto and in Japan. I highly advise you to take the time to reserve a place that doesn't try to serve as many customers as possible like Kiyama. Kiyama accepts way more customers than typical high end kaiseki restaurants and serves each party in a separate room. Kiyama has chosen quantity (money) over quality, and it shows. The best restaurants in Japan are nothing like this. First the pacing issues - the meal took 3.5 hours with very long, tedious breaks in between courses. The pacing got worse as the meal went on, with the wait times growing longer and longer. The final couple dishes came out in random order, which I have never experienced at a high end restaurant. The kitchen seemed to be struggling to keep up as the course went on. This applied to the quality of the cooking as well as it kept on declining as the course went on. Next the service issue. Do not get the wine/sake pairing here. We got the pairing but the sommelier didn't even explain any of the pairings until we asked him to. The drinks also kept coming out way after the course was served, defeating the point of getting the pairing in the first place. The sommelier was obviously not focused and was remarkably unprofessional. The food was decent but largely unremarkable compared to other similarly priced restaurants in Japan. As I mentioned above, the quality of the cooking declined as the course went on. Kiyama has very clearly sold out, and his team is obviously having trouble keeping up. Pacing and service were borderline amateurish. This was the biggest disappointment of my fine dining trip to Japan. Go here only if you're lazy and can't get reservations at other more respected restaurants.

I wanted to love this; Chef Kiyama is a warm, courteous person who seemed genuinely interested in his guests' enjoyment. It was a memorable experience, at least. Guests are seated at the counter together (no photography allowed, which is fair) and are treated to the spectacle of bonito flakes being grated from aged, dried fish, and witness broth being made from scratch in front of them. Chef Kiyama even welcomed everyone with a complimentary taste of sake. There were some nice touches like this that made it an enjoyable experience I won't forget. The problem was with some of the dishes themselves. Some, like the sashimi, grilled swordfish with lotus root sauce, and vegetable salad with walnut dressing, were very nice, but then you had the stewed fish and eggplant, which were bland and needed a good pinch of seasoning. Another disappointment was the rice and noodles course at the end; it is a nice touch that you can choose from multiple options, but they just weren't that nice. Stewed beef tongue with raw egg on rice was ok, the meat was good but the egg and rice were extremely average. The dessert was also far too simplistic; a few bits of grape in jelly and a small potato cake (the size of a mochi ball) were not what I was expecting. I do not regret going, I am glad for the opportunity, but I cannot recommend visiting and I wouldn't return, even for the lower ¥14,000 lunch menu.

An incredible Kaiseki meal in Kyoto. The staff is warm and professional, the food is sensational, and the experience cannot be beat. We were guided through so many flavors and textures, all while being carefully looked after. The wine pairing was an unbelievable addition, featuring two or three of the best sakes I’ve ever had. Do yourself a favor and book a reservation to one of the most incredible nights you’ll have in Kyoto.

Absolutely wonderful service and experience. Dishes came out in a timely manner and each was set with delicate care. There was enough explanation in English so we were able to know what was being served. There is even a portion for you to adjust the size of the serving as not to be wasting food or overly stuff yourself.

was the best restaurant experience we had in Japan, can't wait to go back

Visited in Mid Feb 2020. Friendly and confident hosts who translated and explained each dish to me in English. Excellent taste. Will not hesitate to revisit when in Kyoto again.

This is a must-try in Kyoto if you like Kaiseki. Chefs could speak English and are willing to explain everything. My vocalubary is limited to illustrate the food xd.

I enjoyed every minute here. The food was fantastic and I can't wait to come back. The atmosphere was enjoyable and the staff was very accommodating. If you meet David-san, tell him I said thank you!

authentic amazing kaiseki cuisine. the experience was exceptional. it is not cheap but totally makes sense.

superb food and service, definitely worth to visit

Who knew dashi could taste so good? I was surprised at the depth of flavour in just a simple dashi stock. Every dish was prepared with care and precision, often made in front of the customers. The balance of flavour and texture, along with showcasing seasonal ingredients, was done extremely well. Chef Kiyama himself was warm and inviting, making an effort to make us feel welcome and even sending me personally out the door. I also greatly appreciate that his sous chef gave us non-Japanese customers explanations in English of every dish despite it not being his first language; and was attentive to our every need. From what I could understand of the Japanese being spoken in the room, the chefs often explained the process behind the dish to their customers as well. A wonderful experience and I will be back, hungry for more.