Hachidaime Gihey

It was such an amazing experience coming to this beautiful and cozy restaurant!! Everything was such perfection. The design of the building and the lighting is such a magical step away from the outside. The warmth and hospitality is so welcoming, you really feel like you just joined a new family 😆 I can’t thank enough to the wonderful staff and immaculate head chef Koji, for taking great care and after my family and I. Also, did I mention the food? Oh my! The presentation and consideration of the layout for each dish is remarkable. Each dish after the next is so different from the previous one, adding so much depth and time into each one. It’s so aesthetic and it tastes so good!! I would highly recommend having a visit and seeing this graceful paradise!! I am so grateful for my lovely two friends introducing my family and I to this restaurant! When I return to Kyoto, I will definitely be back! 💛

We chanced upon this restaurant as we saw the queue, so it must b good. The waiting time was pretty long but it was worth the wait. Food arrived immediately when you’re seated. The staff takes your order while waiting. Several choices on the set menu. Had the 3 types of grilled fish which was very tasty & the rice was perfectly cooked.

A very special and high quality experience! The courses were so good and were brought out in such a timely manner. The staff could not be more polite. Great for an occasion or just a nice night out! We were seated directly across from Yasaka Shrine lit up at night.

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU GO HERE. As a fellow foodie, this is my warning to you. I read the other reviews, saw the ratings, and thought I was in for a treat. Beautiful place. Thats the only pro. The food was mediocre and below mediocre, not worth the price AT ALL (over 25k yen btw). Beautifully plated but the taste was not right - either plain or dont go together or just tastes off (to the point my partner and I couldn't eat some of the dishes, despite being so hungry after a day of hiking). The rice was good, I guess. They couldnt even do dessert well AND the matcha drink was clumpy?? I've had better mochi and eel and wagyu and sushi at stalls. The portions were so small for the price (we were still hungry after, we had to go elsewhere). The service was so slow that it felt torturous. We spent 1.5hrs in this place. Never going back.

Incredible food and service! The restaurant itself is absolutely amazing!!! All food was thoughtfully cooked and beautifully presented. Thanks to the amazing staff who will take care of you from the beginning until the end.

For rice and crispy rice lover this is the place ! Very popular among local Japaneses. Lunch is good for money and you can ask for more crispy rice (koge), so delicious! Reservation is a must and even with reservations a queueing is perhaps needed.

Food was not only yummy but so beautifully plated. Employees were so kind, welcoming, and attentive. Great experience :)

Reasonably price for such high quality food and service. Atmosphere best for couples or a group of close friends. Chefs and assistants will take time to explain the food to you and to make sure you get the best experience out of it. Deserving to be featured in Michelin. Left with gifts from the restaurants, specifically for foreigners to remember how good this place was.

There were 6 options when we arrived, and we ordered both the "Luxe" bento and the Unagi bento. Regardless of your bento choice though, the restaurant offers unlimited rice refills. And I tell you, the rice is amazing. The first bowl of rice is a typical bowl. The second bowl though *always comes with a bit scraped off of the bottom -- a.k.a., the crispy, best part of a bowl of cooked rice. As you wait in line by the entrance, you can see the dedicated rice chef handling 6 ceramic "pots" of cooking rice. The rough idea is that guests are guaranteed to get fresh rice, no matter when they ask for a bowl. The unagi is also delicious. Perfectly cooked. Granted, there's no crispy edge to it like at one other chain, but it's delicious nonetheless. Their rice is what makes this dish stand out, in my opinion. We came here twice: The first time we were seated at the "bar" on the first floor. Here, you have easy access to the kitchen, and you can ask the man right next to the chef for rice. On the second floor, we were seated at the window seat, where you get a nice view of the commotion outside. The waitstaff is just as attentive, and you can easily get all of your rice refills as need be. Highly recommend! The rice is the highlight here, so if you're a rice afficianado (read: a rice snob), then this is the place for you! You're also guaranteed quality ingredients and cooking, be it fish, unagi, etc. but it's not the highlight of the show.

Hachidaime Gihei is off the corner of Shijo-Dori Street in Kyoto, Japan. At the Kyoto location, they have a set course menu with two options (the Gion Course for ¥7,260 or the Yasaka Course for ¥5,280). We visited around the end of December, so they had a cute Christmas arrangement for one of the courses. It was a fun dining experience with unique dishes. Their speciality they are known for is rice dishes. As you finish each dish, they prepared the next course. I got the impression that they typically only have local customers, and they don't have many tourists visiting their business. They were kind and welcoming. They make a set amount of rice per person. Any leftover rice from the meal is made into an onigiri (rice ball). I really appreciated this practice as there is no waste from the meal, and I had a nice snack for later!