Gion Owatari

2-star kaiseki restaurant Gion Owatari is a favourite with Japanese gourmands, and no wonder — the cooking here is at once soulful and impeccable.

Kaiseki can be an intimidating affair — a parade of dishes with dozens of ingredients unfamiliar to the average tourists, served in an environment that can feel more stern and stiff than welcoming and relaxed. But eating kaiseki in Kyoto can be a real highlight of your time in the city at the right place. For top-notch kaiseki meals with friendly service, Gion Owatari is fantastic — provided you can snag a reservation there.

It’s not just about the seasonal ingredients — that would make it sound just like every other kaiseki restaurant in town. It’s all about the details here. Instead of skipjack bonito flakes for dashi, Chef Owatari uses tuna flakes to make a distinctive yet delicate stock. One of his specialties is a gomadofu with uni, or sesame tofu with sea urchin — it’s at once delicate yet gelatinous and bouncy, having been whisked for at least an hour to achieve this texture.

Like the best kaiseki meals, dinner here hits all the high notes and will leave you full and satisfied but not overstuffed and sick. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get a little bit of the okoge during the rice course at the end of the meal — that’s the crispy rice adhering to the bottom of the claypot. It’s divine.

Unsurprisingly, reservations at Gion Owatari are difficult to secure and virtually impossible at short notice. Call your concierge and plan ahead for this one. Don’t forget your credit card.

For more Kyoto kaiseki choices, see our Best Kaiseki in Kyoto page.

Name in English:
Gion Owatari

Name in Japanese:
祇園 大渡

English address:
570-265 Gionmachi-minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku

Japanese address:
東山区祇園町南側570-265

Opening hours:
6pm-9pm

Price:

Non-smoking area: Completely Non-Smoking

Nearest Transport:
3min walk from Higashiyama Yasui Bus Stop, Kyoto City Bus 206 from Kyoto Station

Reservations:
Possible

Telephone: 551-5252

Website: none

Near To Here:
Gion Owatari is located in Kyoto’s Southern Higashiyama district. See our complete list of things to do in Southern Higashiyama, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

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