Shigetsu

Had the pleasure of having one of the most zen dining experiences in the garden of Tenryu-ji temple. We ordered the Hana course which offered the most variety. We tried an assortment of tofus (bean curd, soy, sesame etc.) Each dish show-cased their local specialty with meticulous presentation. We highly recommend this restaurant for those who want to try vegetarian Buddhist cuisine. All dishes were delicious! Reservations are essential especially if you want to try the Hana course.

One of the most incredible meals I had since I have been in Japan. This was peak traditional Buddhist vegan food, with ample plates and clearly handmade with love. The green tea mochi is something I will dream about for a long time and the broth and the miso aubergine… everything was phenomenal. Also unique seating and experience. You must book in advance and get there on time! But an unmissable food experience for veggies and non alike

Eating in paradise - we couldn't imagine a more perfect setting for eating delicious and healthy vegan food. We went for the Hana (flower) - rice, soup, and 7 side dishes. We sat down and looked out at trees, and the temple grounds. We were pleasantly surprised by the variety and ingredients in the dishes, and were treated very well! There's nothing like dining at Shigetsu!

I must say this place was over my budget but as a vegetarian, I didn't have any options since another vegetarian restaurants were closed when I visited Arashiyama on Monday. I even said to my friend after I did my reservation that their food better to be that good 🤣. Talking about reservation, yes, you need to do online reservation. It can be made through several platforms but I reserved it directly from their official website. I didn't remember how much that I paid, but I chose the cheapest set meal they have and it cost around 3800 Yen. The restaurant was a little bit hard to find. You can follow my simple guide to reach them since the maps is a little bit misleading: First, you can walk to entrance gate Tenryu-ji Zen Temple (easy to spot), you can just follow the path until you see an area where the tour buses can park there. You can turn right then continue your walking until you see a big building, keep walking and you will see sign to the garden on the left. The restaurant is on their garden area and you need to pay the garden entrance fee. After that, the route will be so easy for you to follow. I think you can actually walk-in but the meals will be limited. Everything was already sold when I came. The food was coming around 10 minutes of waiting and it wasn't crowd around lunch hour. I was so happy to see lots of things in the meal that need to be tried one by one 🤣. To be honest, I must say this was one of the best meals I've ever had in Japan after ramens. The portion looked small but it could make me feel full until night without eating snacks. This place is worth to try! However it wasn't satisying enough for the eating experience. But I already prepared for it by looking on another reviews. You actually can't see the fully garden as your lunch background. But it is still peaceful to stay here and enjoy the meal.

Excellent Buddhist vegetarian food. Highly recommend. It’s very popular and advance booking is a good idea. Excellent flavors. And service is with a big smile!

One of the highlights of our 2 week Japan trip! Amazing food in a serene location. Everything was so thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented!

📍Looking for the ultimate vegan temple meal in Kyoto?⬇️ We had the most serene and unforgettable vegan dining experience at Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu 🌿🍵. Every dish in the Hana (Flower) course was a work of art — delicate, fresh, and bursting with flavor. From creamy miso broths to the heavenly miso custard eggplant 🍆, every bite was perfection. Portions were generous, balanced, and full of love ❤️. Sitting in a private room, overlooking the koi pond 🐟 and the stunning Arashiyama mountains ⛰️, made the experience feel magical. The staff were incredibly warm and attentive, even timing our matcha 🍵 perfectly so it arrived fresh and frothy. This isn’t just food — it’s a moment to slow down, enjoy peace, and savor every bite of authentic vegan Japanese cuisine. Don’t forget to explore the gorgeous temple gardens after your meal 🌸. Alex from Perth/Western Australia Credit #VeganKyoto #VeganJapan #PlantBasedDining #TempleFood #VeganEats #HealthyEating #TravelForFood #VeganExperience #VeganFoodie #AlexFromPerth

We had an amazing dining experience here. Pre-booking is a must for this vegan restaurant. The dining area is peaceful and calming. Staff were polite and served the food efficiently. The vegan food comes in a set and is excellent, easily the best we have eaten. The flavours are refined, delicate and very delicious. Serving portion is good, with main dish, side dishes and desserts. We had an excellent dining dining experience here.

One of the few places to get shojin ryori (Japanese Buddhist cuisine). It's on the grounds of Tenryu-ji, a temple recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Award-wise, it is a Michelin Bib Gourmand and has a Green Star. Recommended to reserve this in advance as they will likely sell out (they had a sign saying so during our visit, and I saw a few come by disappointed). You can choose between 3 courses, and the price range is actually quite large, from ¥3800 to ¥6500 to ¥9000. I went for the most expensive one as when would you get another chance to try shojin ryori? Though I think the other two would be pretty good as well! The spread of food was quite amazing. Everything was quite tasty. If you're complaining about the lack of veggies in your food during your trip, shojin ryori definitely has you covered: mushrooms, soybean, even bamboo, and a few others we couldn't quite identify. When the food started trickling in, it was actually overwhelming. A bowl of matcha as well! The persimmon was quite ripe and gigantic. Note, you will have to sit on tatami mats, and eat from a tatami table. Our room was quite spacious, and only 1 other couple was with us. The staff are friendly, restrooms are clean. Be sure to check out the garden nearby, which features quite a few flower species.

Made a reservation in advance on their website for the HANA course (7 side dishes in addition to rice and soup) and also had to confirm by email 3-4 days before the date to keep the reservation. The HANA course is more than twice the price of the basic 5-course one but I was told the contents are all different and not just an additional 2 courses. We were also led to a private room after taking off our shoes so that's probably part of the cost, as the surrounding rooms sounded pretty noisy. I definitely counted more than 7 dishes so I guess the pickled/fermented stuff didn't count as sides, and the fruit and other figs on two separate plates counted as one side dish since those were brought out together. Everything was very interesting in texture and taste. We were given fried lotus root as the centerpiece but there were also foods like some kind of potato shaped into a flower, mozuku seaweed, "tofu" made out of white sesame (that went very well with the wasabi), potato chowder, and greens drenched in creamy horseradish paste (not quite wasabi but fairly spicy too). The peach manju for dessert had an amazing dense texture and the slightly bitter and foamy matcha helped wash the sweetness down.

Easy to make a reservation on Tabelog (like Japanese yelp) for a minimal fee. You need to choose the course and so we just went with their most popular which also happened to be the cheapest at 3800 yen. Take some time to walk around their amazing garden before lunch to work up an appetite. Check in at the front, take off your shoes, and they escort you to a large room where you eat at a small table on the floor. Everyone is lined up on either side but they spread out the parties. Your food comes out pretty quickly along with a pot of hot hojicha. I enjoyed the vegetarian fare especially a new type of white bean soup I've never had before. Overall very clean and light tasting. My leg fell asleep at the end - I'm pretty impressed by the Japanese people would can sit with their legs folded under themselves. Looks very proper but I prolly wouldn't be able to stand after. Bring your check with you to the front to pay. Clean bathrooms out behind check in desk. Overall definitely worth the experience if you're going to Tenryu-ji temple.

If you want to treat your tastebuds to amazing, exotic food, something you would never make at home, this is the place to go. Shojin-Ryori is Buddhist cuisine. completely plant based, exquisite in taste and presentation. You will need to make reservations ahead of time. They have different sized course meals. I recommend getting the Hana Course . It's pricey at 9000 yen, but definitely worth the experience. When we got there, we were asked to take off our shoes and were escorted to a semi-private room where we were seated on the floor at the traditional low tables. The various courses were served one after the other and we just had to sit back and enjoy! Tip - Do the Arashiayama Bamboo Forest in the morning, followed by Tenriyu-Ji temple and have lunch here around 1 pm. Set aside at least 1.5 to 2 hours for the lunch.

Great shojin ryori (temple food) in a fabulous setting (a traditional building within the grounds of the Tenryuji Temple complex) Reservations are required and you will pick your meal--three choices varying by price and amount of food. YOu can reserve online. Reservations: required. https://www.tenryuji.com/shigetsu/ Location: inside the Tenryugi temple complex 〒616-8385 Kyoto, Ukyo Ward, Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, ６８ We went twice recently, once in Feb and once in March. There was almost nobody there in February and the service was great. In March it was much busier and we didn't get much attention. It was hard to get refills on tea, for example, and the first course took a really long time to come. Shojin Ryori doesn't use garlic or onion, so some people might find it bland food. Notes: A wonderful location to experience shojin ryori or vegetarian temple food. If you are vegetarian you should make this a destination, but even non-vegetarians will delight in the offerings. They range from 3,500-5,500 yen and you choose when you make the reservation. This is a multi-course meal served in beautiful, formal style. It is recommended that you plan time to see the temple grounds either before or after your meal; you must pay a separate admission to the garden in order to enter the Shigetsu restaurant anyway, so get your money's worth. All the food was good at our February lunch, but some standouts were a mochi with yuzu filling, a soymilk hot pot, and lovely yuba with pickled fiddlehead ferns. If you have trouble sitting on the floor at a low table they can provide you with a chair. When you enter the building remove your shoes, step up to the main area. There is a call bell at the desk in front of you if no attendant is present. Shoe storage is straight ahead on the left. You will be in your socks only during the meal.

The most memorable dining experience of our time in Japan. Bask in the amazing views of the mountains around Arashimaya and take in the beauty of the gardens of Tenryu-ji temple while enjoying a healthy, well-balanced meal. We had originally reserved for 3 couples but 1 couple could not make it, and the staff was understanding of the last minute change. We enjoyed the Hana (Flower) course and had the privacy of a personal dining room. Each piece of the meal was thoughtfully crafted and we felt the love that went into the meal. The ingredients tasted fresh as if just plucked from a garden for the meal. The soups were heartwarming and all the flavors worked in perfect harmony. Toward the end of our meal, our server asked us when we would like to receive the matcha so that we can enjoy it fresh and warm. The matcha was oh-so delicious, warm and frothy! We also were not rushed to finish our meal, so we took some time to meditate and reflect on our experience with the stunning views from the private dining room. I highly recommend this vegan-friendly temple meal if you are planning to visit Kyoto! Definitely take some time to explore the gardens after the meal as well, the temple is gorgeous #vegan

This is the kinda place of dreams where veggie temple food is brought out to you plate by plate...and it is so delicious. The service is swift and booked fully (so make a reservation). You'll get by ok without Japanese here just buckle up if you order the biggest meal as you won't be able to stand afterwards. each plate and each dish is absolutely beautiful. The flavors are temple japanese so think delicate and thoughtful. Don't expect bold but know everything will be absolutely perfect. Also you'll be seated on the mat for this but they have little chairs if your knees and ankles can't take it; go ahead, no shame and they won't tell anyone you asked for the chair.

This place serves authentic "Shojin ryori" which is complete vegetarian meal that the monks eat. Super tasty. The food comes out very fast. The seating style is tatami style so if you have bad legs, you can ask for low chairs. The service is friendly but minimum English.

Phenomenal dining experience. This was probably my favorite meal out of my 10 day trip in Japan. It's on the grounds of the Tenryuji temple which I was visiting anyway and the perfect place to grab lunch. Also, as this is restaurant is on the grounds of a temple, it's temple food, as in vegetarian and not extremely spiced. I for one LOVE temple food as the flavors can be so delicate and I see chefs get unimaginably creative with the different vegetarian ingredients. Make reservations if you can, I did and it was extremely easy to do so, you just email them what course you want, how many people and what time. As a solo traveler, this was also a great place to eat solo and not feel awkward, each person gets their own little table and I also saw a lot of other solo travelers as well. I felt sooo special walking in here because it seemed like very few people did this while at the temple and the grounds area stunning. It was easy to get in, they took me to a room and table brought out my pre ordered food. Service was very friendly and thorough, they gave you everything you would need for your entire meal, instructions, and left you alone which I really appreciated because I wanted to focus on the subtle and different flavors. It's fairly priced for what you get and I would highly recommend.

I'm a devoted carnivore, but if all vegetables tasted like theirs, I might consider giving up meat... For a few days per week. Everything was delicious and fresh and my the peaceful setting makes it all the more wonderful.

Okay, so let me say that the food was 4.5 stars. But the experience was definitely 5 stars. We made reservations a few weeks before our trip with pre-ordered meals (7 course kaiseki). When we arrived, they greeted us and had us follow them. We walked by some large rooms with huge groups of people and I was so worried that we would be put in one of these large rooms with a bunch of other tourists. But thankfully, she kept walking past those rooms, down some stairs and to the garden. We then put on the slippers they provided and walked through the garden into a private room. Yay! We had our own room and overlooked the garden and pond. It was a beautiful setting and we were far enough away from the main building that it was quiet. Then the food arrived and each dish was a work of art. We did not want to eat any of it because it was so beautiful. But we reluctantly dug in and the food was delicious. Some were good and some were really good. Then they brought more and then more food. We could not finish it all. We ate slowly and enjoyed the view and the cool breeze wafting through the room. It was a sublime experience. When we were done, I was glad we were able to find our way back to the front desk...

Temple food... in a literal sense. After a couple of morning experiences, we were led here for lunch. Located in a Buddhist temple, you can guess the cuisine... yes, vegetarian. Our group was seated in a private room, tatami style (shoes off, please), with individual eating stations. Our menu was preordered and there was no printed version given to us, so excuse the possible inaccuracies in the descriptions of the food. Our menu was Kaiseki, which is a series of small dishes. Again, love that the portions are small, giving the diner a larger variety of dishes. Given the number of dishes for a lunch, it was more than satisfying. The most filling was the fried rice and the eggplant. Most of the other vegetable dishes were refreshing as they were either pickled or softly cooked, meaning still with crunch to them. I also enjoyed the Yuba dish (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=FfgcqDfXo51ApJ5M6DdyxQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) since that is one of my favorite forms of tofu, and the texture mixed well with the crunchy green bean and shiitake mushroom. Being a meat eater, this wasn't my favorite meal, but, for a vegetarian menu, it is certainly a very innovative and colorfully presented meal. Service was very stoic as food was merely presented without descriptions or explanation. Efficient, but cold. Recommend to vegetarians and those who want to try something different that you can't get at home. Four stars.

First time eating temple food and fell in love with it. Also enjoyed the eating environment - vegetarian food in a quite temple garden. The review is based on lunch menu. However given the menu selection is extremely limited (they only serve 1-2 lunch course choices), I highly recommend to check the official website for menu before you came to ensure you liked the food style. The restaurant located in the world heritage Tenryu-Ji temple. It is nearby the main entrance of the beautiful garden. I got the snow menu (came solo so I didn't have any choices). It served rice, soup, 5 small dishes, hot tea, and fruits for dessert. It served all at once. The main dish is grilled eggplant topped with sweet sesame paste. It was grilled to the right level - crisps for the outer skin but still had enough moist inside. I also like the tofu skin in dashi soup. The cold cucumber pickle salad is also outstanding - crispy and mixed with rich sesame sauce. The other two dishes was ok - one was sesame tofu (this was definitely a Japanese special given I haven never seen it outside of japan) and a mixed dish with sweet potato, red bean paste rice cake and sweet plum. The restaurant had huge space and you got to sit on a tatami - I wouldn't say it was the most comfortable seating option but may be interesting to see and try out for a tourist visit. Recommended for a walk in lunch or to try out traditional Japanese vegetarian cuisine.

In terms of contemporary, none can be more contemporary than Shigetsu, the Zen vegetarian restaurant owned by Tenryu-ji - a temple listed on the UNESCO world heritage list. Shigetsu has an English homepage subtitularly notifying the potential visitors that it was a "Bib Gourmand...a restaurant serving exceptionally good food at moderate prices" and little flyers of explanations for the uninitiated foreigners. Its "snow" course consisted of one soup, one rice and five dishes, in lacquered bowls and served on pedestals in the traditional style of honzen ryori. The difference between a kaiseki ryori and a honzen ryori is, quite roughly speaking, the focus: the former is a series of dishes to be served with sake (and that is why the rice comes at the end), while the latter is a meal in that the dishes are to be eaten with rice and soup. Shigetsu's dining room was stifling with the steam rising from the hot pots. Lined up on two strips of red synthetic carpets on tatami were the diners - Italians, Americans, Chinese and Japanese - slurping soup, scratching behinds, spitting and shouting and snapping selfies. A simulacrum of what a mess in a Buddhist monastery must have been like - one of the few international places, well, maybe merely intercontinental, with the visiting Chinese and Korean teachers. The soy milk hot pot came first. Pieces of wheat gluten (a.k.a., seitan), bean curd skins, and a tiny brown ball made of lotus root floated in the milky bath. However, the marvelous sight of the "pot," made out of folded paper, boiling above a burning blue flame captivated the attention longer than the stale flavor, as ponzu dipping sauce - soy sauce with citrus juice - was all there was for the entire pot. A goma-dofu - sesame tofu - is a typical delicacy of shojin ryori - made by churning a mixture of ground sesame seeds and kuzu (a root prized for its medicinal benefits) over and over clockwise on a low fire (so it is said, for over half an hour, depending on who is talking). Shigetsu's sesame tofu was unguent but not too heavy, like a good panna cotta, and when warmed by the palate, it released a satisfying savory scent and filled the mouth with its full-bodied nutty creaminess. So far so good, until the simulated wasabi ultimately spoiled the dish. The stew was a large piece of round gluten in dashi, which had a uniquely smooth sweetness, emanating from none other than the humble toasted soy beans. Aha! Finally, there appeared a glimmer of hope on the horizon of this bonito-congested dashi haze. The best was saved for the last, however: a piping hot, big ball made of ebi-imo (a type of indigenous taro) and okara (the debris of soy milk - no waste in shojin ryori), stuffed and fried, then dunked into a silky sauce. Despite its formidable appearance, the velvety ball melted gently in the mouth, revealing the hidden gems one by one - a ginko nut, a lily bulb, a shiitake and a strand of kombu. While some of the dishes were plainly mediocre, their use of soy beans in the dashi and their attention to texture confirmed that the Japanese cuisine, the vegetarian version, was not dead. Not yet, anyway, if a commercially conscious Tenryu-ji could still produce such a high level of mass marketed shojin ryori. If you want to learn more about vegan/vegetarian/shojin ryori, please visit my blog.

First, I should admit that I went to Shigetsu as a tourist with limited knowledge of shojin ryori cuisine, and came here primarily because we were already planning to visit Tenryu-ji. Tenryu-ji itself was beautiful, easily one of my favorite gardens in Kyoto. The food though was less impressive. While I enjoyed some of the dishes, I found many of them bland and lacking variety in texture. Overall, as a cultural experience I'm glad I went to Shigetsu, but if you're just looking for a good lunch in Arashiyama there are probably better options.