Monk

An outstanding multi-course meal crafted by a team that clearly respects and celebrates each ingredient. Their attention to detail extends beyond the plate, creating a warm and attentive dining experience. Vegetarians, in particular, should make this a priority—it’s a rare and thoughtful offering. Just make sure to specify you want all vegetarian courses. However, if you’re visiting mainly for the pizza, you might find stronger options elsewhere in the area.

Five stars hardly feel enough to capture the experience at Monk. From start to finish, every moment was deeply intentional and inspiring. The atmosphere was calm and reverent — almost meditative — allowing us to fully appreciate the craftsmanship behind each dish. The food was a quiet revelation: intricate, seasonal, and prepared with extraordinary mindfulness. You could feel the care and thought that went into every step, from the sourcing of ingredients to the final, graceful presentation. Dining here felt less like a meal and more like a moving experience — a reflection of harmony between nature, people, and the art of cooking. Unforgettable. If you’re in Kyoto and want to experience something truly special, Monk is a must.

This is one of the experiences have while visiting Japan. The food is prepared and curated and harvested with such love and respect. The taste are pronounced yet not complicated. Layered and accessible for anyone who wants to delight in Monks approach and appreciation of good tasty Italian based cuisine. Monk and his team are also gracious and professional, respectful to all who appreciate what they want to achieve and bring to your taste buds at the so inspiring Philosophers walk! To me it was worth all the effort!

Monk is a kaiseki that chooses pizza for the first and next-to-last courses, normally rice and carbohydrates (rice again). But the pizza is not really the star. The highlight of the meal is the kyōyasai grown by the chef in nearby Ohara. This alone makes the visit to Monk worthwhile. If you have seen the feature of Monk on the Netflix series Chef’s Table: Pizza, Episode 5, 2022, then you have a good idea of what your experience will be. It is a very accurate portrayal. I think rewatching before going would enhance your experience. There were 13 diners when we went for the 8:30pm seating. That seating capacity is not unusual in Japan. Most of the diners were American. I think the counter is a much better experience than the tables. For beverage, I’d recommend one of the restaurant’s own, infused alcohol drinks. The wine list isn’t a good option. Maybe, my visit to Monk was my best window into what the (non-tokyo) Japanese enjoy most from their lifestyle. Monk is in a residential neighborhood, and I had to walk a bit along The Path of the Philosopher to get there. It’s in a former home, so I got a sense of the snugness of Japanese abodes. At the counter I could feel the warmth of the fire on my face. And, best of all, I was served the local produce. I enjoyed every bit of the experience, including the ice cream for a 2nd dessert from the nearby vending machine. Perhaps the only way this restaurant could be more Japanese would be if it were Japanese-only. Is that the point of being known for pizza? Pizza joints are for everybody.

Deliciously fresh food, creative dishes, and a wonderful ambiance. Each dish was intentionally crafted and let the natural flavors of the ingredients speak for themselves. Make sure to book a reservation exactly 2 months ahead as seats fill up almost instantly once the reservations go live. Highly recommend getting a counter seat if available.

It's an experience for sure, but not something to repeat. Didn't get the best of places unfortunately. The food creativity is top notch, but too many vegetables before 1 small pizza for 2 people.

Nice food and good atmosphere. The seasoning is a little bit light but follows the philosophies of the shop. Worth trying if you can get a seat.

I had been trying to get a reservation for several years and had very high expectations. Once I got a reservation, the staff were accommodating in requests and moving the reservation. The food is fair to good but often tasted the same and lacked seasoning - for example, the buri was very bland albeit a special kind. I had to ask for salt. The Kyoto Vegetables were good, but again tasted very similar even though they featured several different times throughout the menu. The pizza and simple focaccia were good. The spinach from Ohara was outstanding. For 17,500 pp, which included 2-3 drinks, it seemed expensive for what it was. I wanted more dishes to wow me. Some of the staff were nice but some were not, which is actually rare in a Japanese restaurant. Inconsistency of staff was definitely a drawback. One example is that I was still eating and the staff member insisted taking away my plate while I was mid-bite. For reference, I speak Japanese and have been living and working and visiting in Japan for over 35 years.

My favorite restaurant in the whole world! I've always been a pizza lover but Chef Imai takes it to another level entirely. You begin with a simple appetizer of his pizza dough and end with a pizza of your choice. Each and every food item he serves is cooked by him and has been carefully sourced locally or personally picked by Chef Imai. My entire group was amazed by the quality and flavors of each course. Some of the memorable items were the roasted edamame on the branch, roasted tomato, seared bonito, and fig panna cotta. But star of the show was definitely the pizza dough! Nothing beats the pizza dough flavor and texture. It's even better than Italy and I dream of dining here again. My group of 6 was so lucky to get a reservation when the site was down and we had the entire half of the restaurant to ourselves. Chef Imai brought out each dish himself and also signed a few copies of his book for us. Dining here was the perfect ending of my trip to my favorite city in Japan. This review was made in connection with a Toast promotion.

Years ago I walked by this place on Philosopher's Path in Kyoto, and wondered if it was a restaurant or a local hosting a dinner party. It had a distinct and memorable vibe. Fast forward 7 years and I'm watching Chef's Table on Netflix and was delighted to have my answer. Reservations are tough but if you love special, real experiences, it's worth the effort. After a week of eating out while traveling through Japan, dining at Monk felt like comfort food. Real. Exquisite in the simplicity. Beautifully executed. Chef Yoshihiro is a talented and very humble man. We're delighted to have experienced his talent on this trip to Kyoto.

Amazing dinner. Incredibly well-planned and executed. Service was fantastic. Ambiance amazing on the Philosophers Path. Don't believe the naysayers. It was fantastic from start to finish! The pictures are completely out of order

I watched the series and read the mixed reviews. I had three simple expectations. 1. Perfectly roasted vegetables with light sauces that will still let the vegetables shine. 2. Rustic and simple. 3. Incredible pizza dough. All three of my expectations were met. It was a fun experience. The staff was very accommodating to my wine requests. The pizza alone was incredible. Tons of food, so come hungry. Also, I didn't even know I liked beets, until today.

This is a gem of a restaurant in Kyoto. Situated along a tiny street of homes outside the main city, Monk delivers vegetable forward eclectic cuisine with a focus on the wood burning oven. The pizza is spectacular. They don't have a wine list. Rather they match your taste with what they're opening that day. Service is great. A must when in Kyoto. Plan ahead. You'll need a Resy.

This is a must if you are in Kyoto. We got our reservation two months in advance when they went live and grabbed some counter seats. A truly memorable meal with a great and friendly chef and staff. I could go on for days about how great this place is, you just need to go and experience it firsthand.

It is appropriate that the Japanese word for complain is Monk-u because that is what you will do when you leave, overcharged, full of bread and burnt vegetables after hours of waiting for your food. It's the kind of place people assume is good because of something they saw on the internet. But inasmuch as if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, if you have a pizza oven, that's the extent of your repertoire. It was a joke. We were served dried up vegetables that we chewed like jerky. The first pizza was meh and didn't improve after serial courses of the same thing. THE SAME THING! You couldn't even cut through some of the food. The last straw was that there was dirt on the mushrooms--that manure-y bitter taste. I get that you might brush mushrooms instead of washing them but you need to do it thoroughly. Service was absurdly slow and clumsy. I couldn't believe someone recommended this place to us. It was the stupidest experience I've had in a long time. (It turned out that they'd just watched the tv show.) Winelist was meh, but you kept drinking because there was nothing else to do. It was excurciatingly awkward, boring and unending. It was not just us--a party of six (seated at the farmhouse table) alongside us was laughing in an ironic way because the meal was such a joke. The courses took forever and everyone looked at each other when each course arrived as if to say, "This is really what we waited for?" The downstairs dining room was full of tourists. It is NOT as some have befuddlingly compared here, a KAISEKI meal. Kyoto is full of excellent restaurants, many of which are well, well under the tab you'll pay for the menu at Monk--some are exquisite, some are simple but well executed. Do not waste your time, your money or your opportunities at this place. There is nothing to redeem an overpriced, poorly executed, unimaginative meal of pizza dough and dried vegetables. I imagine the place is geared toward tourists who visit the city, eat there once and think maybe the place had an off night. It has never been good.

Food Art. This is a place you go to experience a whole host of food items and flavors that one would not normally put together. A very attentive staff that is well trained by the owner who also takes great strides to serve his customers with a divine meal. I don't see how you can go wrong here. I found this place on a whim and was fortunately able to get a reservation with one days notice. Enjoy!

We had an upcoming trip to Japan and one of our destinations was Kyoto. After watching the Netflix series we attempted to make resys at Monk. We were able to score one. We were all excited for the experience but felt there were highs and lows...more lows imo. Let me start by saying the chefs pizza dough is on point and ridiculously good. If you get one thing in this experience it is that the pizza crust is perfected. Things we enjoyed: - The starter which is an intro to his pizza dough along with a soup. It was a pureed sweet onion soup served cold which was a great compliment to the pizza crust - Semi dried tomato. Best tomato I've ever eaten. - margherita pizza - pork ragout pizza - loquat dessert - had many flavor profiles Everything else was too simple. There were 2 fish dishes. The bonito tataki had a nice smoke flavor but it was ordinary. Cucumber that accompanied it was bland n plain. The seabass with carrot was also just plain and tasted like it was just steamed n charred. Roasted vegetables tasted like just that. One of the pizza we picked had the baby silver fish and although it was different the flavor profile was meh. If you are just into just tasting just how fresh ingredients are prepped then this may be the place for you. It's essentially earthy imo. Don't come expecting any culinary magic.... Although the pizza crust is insanely good. 2.5 stars.

I learned a new Japanese word yesterday: すごい. It means 'amazing' which is how I would describe Monk. The Yelp listing incorrectly pins this place as "Pizza" but it is more like a modern spin on the traditional kaiseki dinner from an up-and-coming master chef who uses a pizza oven for each of the 7 courses. I found out about this place after reading the WSJ May 28, 2018 article (search it up). If you are coming to Kyoto, have your hotel book you into this cozy, intimate space that only seats 14 - it is well worth the cost and the trek. PRO TIP: They only accept reservations 2 months out - so have them book EXACTLY at the 2-month mark so you get a counter seat to watch the magic happen. 7 courses at ¥7000.

A real pleasure to eat at Monk. Everything thing we tasted was of superb quality. If we lived in Kyoto, this would be a restaurant we would visit again and again. Wonderful cocktails. Never had a better mojito in my life. Each dish was creative, delicious, and made with the freshest possible ingredients. The special pizza made with Japanese flour would totally win over an Italian style pizza any day! Monk might be the best restaurant we have ever eaten at and we live in NYC, where there are a lot of fantastic options, so that says a lot. Couldn't recommend more! We will be following Monk to watch it flourish. What a hidden gem!

Stunning! Delicate flavor explosion. The food is too varied to list and the menu changes all the time. Most of the dishes are roasted, baked or charred in an Italian wood burning oven - sunchokes almost blackened, sliced delicately and sprinkled with course salt. Striped Benito drizzled with olive oil and beets sliced so thin you can see light through them. Listing the ingredients and the dishes don't do it justice. You have to experience it, watch the chef move around the kitchen in that certain rhythm that chefs have and last but not least, taste his art. That's what this is - art. Put it in your mouth and enjoy.

Monk's dining experience is one that imprints its guests in such a way that it becomes the new standard of what you will measure your special meals against. From the walk along the Philosopher's Walk to reach the restaurant to the enchanting layout of the open kitchen, you will feel you entered a different space and time when you sit at your seat. The progression of the coursed meal and its ingredients reveal themselves at a poetic pace that simulates the experience of foraging in Japan. I absolutely love it here.

This place is amazing. Every course was beautiful and delicious. The fresh local vegetables were outstanding and the wine/sake selection kicked ass. The pizza is great but be prepared for a meal that is much much more than just pizza.

More than pizza, more than local, culled flavors and dishes, an experience. If you can get a reservation, take a couple of hours and go.

Incredible dining experience. Small, intimidate setting in a beautiful part of Kyoto. Chef Yoshihiro was a delight, and made us feel completely at home. The fresh grilled vegetables, fish and pizzas were delicious and the price points were more than reasonable. Only negative was the wine selection was hit or miss, but otherwise the experience was perfect. Would highly recommend!

Excellent food and the chef is very friendly. One of the highlights of our time in Kyoto.