A collection of top Michelin three-star kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto.

This traditional restaurant began as a teahouse on the Nanzenji road and has a 450-year history. These establishments have retained much of their character, while accumulating the specialities of each era. The restaurant has grown to become a three-star Michelin restaurant today, with its "lady-tei tamago" and "asagayu" (morning porridge) dishes being well known as representative dishes. The 14th owner, Eiichi Takahashi, was recognised by the government as an intangible cultural asset, and now the 15th owner, Yoshihiro Takahashi, continues to protect the family's taste.

The two generations have combined mobility and stability, and have made incremental innovations on top of the unchanging ladyfingers tradition. The soup made with dried tuna instead of dried bonito is an innovation of Eiichi Takahashi, while the tomato soy sauce with Akashi snapper sashimi is an innovation of the current chef Yoshihiro Takahashi.

The name Kikunoi comes from the fact that Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife (Ning) wanted to use the water from Kikunoi in a tea room, and the water flowed out like a chrysanthemum in full bloom. Kikunoi has been used and guarded from generation to generation, and continues to use the well water for cooking.

In the elegant garden, the ceremony space creates an intimate atmosphere derived from unbroken traditions. The dishes served reflect the credo of "kirei sabi", the joyful beauty of classic forms. What is unchanging is constantly changing. Innovation begets tradition, which is Chef Yoshihiro Murata's human science. According to Murata, "a traditional Japanese restaurant is an art gallery of Japanese aesthetics," and Kyoto's aesthetic is one of elegance and simplicity.

Since 2011, "Ichiko Sagiden Nakamura" has been ranked among the top restaurants in the world with a 3-star Michelin rating, and is considered to be one of the leading long-established restaurants representing Kyoto cuisine. The head chef, Nakamura Motoki, is the sixth successor of the restaurant and has inherited the traditional flavour of Ichiko Sagaden. Our signature dishes are the mizutaki with the mildly spicy flavour of chilli and the sweet taste of white miso, and the sakiyaki sea bream, which is brushed with sake and grilled over and over again.

The restaurant was founded by Ichiko Nakamura at the end of the Edo period, and it has been passed down from generation to generation as the signature dish of the present day by providing food to the nobility (aristocrats and samurai generals) of Kyoto through the road that connects Kyoto to the local area, commonly known as Mackerel Street. As soon as you pass through the door of the shop, the wet stone tiles stretch to the end, and the moment you step in, you feel as if you are surrounded by tranquillity.

"Located in Enoyama Park, one of Kyoto's most famous cherry blossom viewing spots, Mizuno is highly rated on all the major food review sites and is very difficult to book. Chef Hitoshi Ishihara learnt his trade at the famous Yoshizaki restaurant and rose to the position of head chef at the age of 24, and then became the head chef at the age of 38, making him a master of his craft. Mizuhari is based on the concept of "building a house" by the tea sage Chirikyu, symbolising his determination to build on the foundations of Chawaiishi.

MUJI means "not yet realised", which is the credo of owner and chef Hitoshi Ishihara. Ishihara's meticulous attention to detail is evident in everything from the cuisine, utensils and plating to the in-house hanging scrolls, flower arrangements and potted decorations, which are seasonally enriched to stimulate all five senses, starting with the traditional Chawaiishi one soup and three dishes, with a lavish feast of 300 carefully selected ingredients each day.

"Gion Sasaki is a three Michelin starred kaiseki restaurant located in the Gion Kinenji neighbourhood of Kyoto, and is one of the top few restaurants in Kyoto where reservations are hard to come by. Chef Hiroshi Sasaki comes from a family of cooks, and at the age of 27, he became the head chef of Fujita, a Japanese haute cuisine restaurant in Kyoto. In 1997, he opened Gion Sakuragi. Gion Sakaki was awarded two Michelin stars in 2009 and three Michelin stars in 2019, and continues to maintain its solid position.

What makes Gion Sakaki so special is its interpretation of Japanese food, which is completely different from other restaurants. The chef changes the menu ingredients according to the seasons, and presents a theatre show of the chef's culinary skills with seasonal and luxurious ingredients from all over the country, using exquisite techniques. With beautifully crafted utensils and exquisite cuisine, diners can enjoy a feast for the eyes and taste buds as General Sasaki's cooking demonstrations and light-hearted conversations take place.