Shinmonzen Yonemura

The entrée tasted weird. The tartare overpowered the uni, and the brownie overpowered the caviar. The eel and jelly was the only okay dish. The soup didn't pair well with green tea ice cream. We thought they wanted to covered the fishiness of the lobster, it turned out the lobster was very sweet and fresh... The lobster was wasted. The scallop in cream source was bad. The cream tasted like Saizeriya cream pasta sauce, and the truffle overpowered everything. We picked the sauce and truffle away and the scallops tasted very fresh. What a waste of good ingredients. The fried fish was very bitter... So bitter that I couldn't swallow it. The corn risotto looked like rice with corn in an university canteen, and the sauce on the rice was Peking duck sauce... The wagyu beef itself was high-grade, but it should not be paired with tempura and corn rice and Peking duck sauce. The risotto was not really risotto, but steam rice with too much water. At this point of the meal, we highly doubted if the chef can cook at all. The Japanese sea eel was a normal dish and this dish was the expected level of restaurants of this price range. The soup tasted weird again. There's sand in the mushroom. The soup texture was slimy and tasted ok. The fish was fresh and tasty though. It's a waste of good fish. The next dish was eel on pasta in cream sauce. It was ok. The mayonnaise dish was disappointing. The main dish was wagyu beef. One beef tasted excellent, the other one smelled bad and made me gagged. Not sure why a piece of grilled beef could smell so bad... The dessert combo was average. Not something I would had paid for at this price range, but at least I didn't gag when I ate them. My companion ate a few bites and thought the calories wasn't worth it. Other customers seemed to be satisfied with this restaurant. I guess they came for the service since the waiters and waitress were very polite, but I wouldn't pay over 60000yen for Saizeriya dishes.

Dining at Shinmonzen Yonemura was an unforgettable experience. Chef Yonemura’s dedication is evident in every detail—from the precision of preparation to the beautifully balanced flavors. Each dish is not only visually stunning but also full of depth and character, reflecting both Japanese tradition and global sophistication. The sake pairing was a perfect touch, thoughtfully curated by a highly skilled maître d’, enhancing the experience without overwhelming the food. This restaurant is truly on par with Western Michelin 2-star establishments. Refined yet approachable, luxurious yet warm—it is without a doubt one of the finest restaurants we've ever visited. Highly recommended for anyone seeking an extraordinary culinary journey in Kyoto.

This is the best Michelin starred restaurant I have been too.  Using the freshest, in season Japanese ingredients, combined with French and Japanese techniques.  Only 8 seats were filled (out of 10), and all the servers also work in the kitchen. It’s $185 including a drink, worth every penny.  The chef is very generous with pricey ingredients like wagyu beef, truffles, caviar, and fugu.  He literally shaves 1/4 of a French truffle from Bordeaux on top of the gratin.  The pace of the dinner is well set, alternating between refreshing dishes with richer dishes. The dessert consists of 7 dishes! Even though I was full to the brim, I finished all the desserts. The Madeline might be my favorite, light as a cloud. This is the Michelin restaurant I am most likely to return to.

We had very enjoyable anniversary dinner here. Dishes were creative, very nice blend of Japanese and western ideas and ingredients. Every dish was given in depth explanation by the staff. Despite being seated at a kitchen counter there was enough space between guests to maintain good level of privacy. First time I experienced celebration of rice as an separate entity, quite like Italians celebrate their pasta. I did like Japanese wine selection, tried both white and red, proper taste and quite an eye opener.

This was my second time experiencing a dinner over 15k yen at Gion, and we chose the 25k yen per person dinner. Everything is reasonable, excellent service. (I don't know if some restaurants in Quebec that charge tips should kneel down and apologize?) This restaurant remembered that I couldn't eat shrimp and alcohol, and substituted the appropriate ingredients. The taste of the dishes makes people feel very comfortable, which is very suitable for the hot and humid rainy season. The combination of ingredients is very reasonable, and the production method combines tradition and modernity. The atmosphere of the whole store is great, and some small details are also taken care of very well! Overall, 25k is worth it! Looking forward to meeting you next time!

Probably deserves a 6 star. This is one of the nicest restaurants I have ever visited. The service was absolutely amazing. The food was impressive in taste and presentation. The atmosphere is fantastic and this is truly a remarkable experience that is extremely recommended! Please book in advance as availability is very limited. During lunch they accept only cash.

Wow, what a meal!! At 12k yen per person (incl. Water, hot drink and service), this is the best Michelin class lunch one could get anywhere in the world. Very sophisticated yet tasty meal, with a generous offer of many different things to try... You don't have to choose - you simply get it all... Wonderful service, comfortable sitting. Loved it. We enjoyed so much! Many thanks!!

One of the best meals I’ve had in my life. My wife and I have been traveling Japan for two weeks. We went to Shinmonzen Yonemura during our stop in Kyoto and both of us agree, this was our favorite meal of the trip by far. Every dish is perfectly portioned and each is as beautiful as it is delicious. The staff is friendly, speak good English (very helpful for us Americans), and are extremely hospitable. I’ll be recommending this place to every person we know.

The slightly French spin on Japanese kaiseki here is simply superb if you are after the kaiseki experience, but want something just a tiny bit different. Downstairs is mostly bar seating with a lovely private booth we got (can't remember if that was random or what we reserved), upstairs is a big table for larger groups. Service is attentive and everything is explained in detail, even for non-Japanese speakers like us who are best described as doing our best to not be hapless Americans. The food opens with a lobster/lobster jelly appetitzer graced with vegetables and only gets better from there. Well worth the splurge if you can afford it.

The food at this restaurant was absolutely amazing. The staff was extremely attentive and the food came out very quickly. I enjoyed the padded booth that made us feel like we have our own private room. The wine pairings were exceptional, the best I've had in a long time!