Relations

Went on the recommendation of an ex-food critic, who used to live here. Wanted a break from Japanese eating, and six of us had dinner here. 3 set menus, we had the cheapest 4-course one. Although nobody speaks English, and just a tiny bit of French, we communicated beautifully. Even our two members ...on diets managed to get what they wanted, the chef came to talk to them to ensure compliance with wishes. Excellent terrine, foie gras and salmon carpaccio for starters, nice bread rolls, lamb steak and duck for main courses. All excellently prepared, accompanied by OK red wine at an acceptable price (by the glass or bottle). Creme caramel and gelato also enjoyed, other desserts available. Total cost around 4000 yen pp, which for a Kyoto dinner is very good. Could not fault anything. Reservation advisable: +81 75-213-2570. We returned for a second evening.

Visited April 2016

Relation provides a very small bistro lunch menu every day. Usually one offering is fish, and the other isn't. Sometimes they have three things. You order the A or B set (main, sides, bread, hot drink afterward), and can add soup or dessert a la carte if you wish. Or order the C set, which includes ...both soup and dessert. A and B are about ¥1100, C is about ¥1600. Glass of wine is ¥400-¥600. A la carte soup or dessert is about ¥300. For this very modest price, you get an excellent, if rather basic, bistro meal. This is a great thing if you're spending a good deal of time in Kyoto: sometimes you can get more than a little overwhelmed by Japanese offerings, and then the Italian can be rather alien (ketchup spaghetti? really?), and a lot of the French is quite expensive. Once you realize where Relation is, the location is superb -- smack in the middle of the central destination area (a few blocks north of the entrance to Nishiki Market, about seven or eight blocks south of the Imperial Park, etc.). Of course, at these prices and with that location, you won't be surprised that it's tiny: eight seats at the bar, and then four two-person tables in the back. They have dinner, which seems much more upscale -- the blackboard always posts foie gras specials and the like -- but I haven't tried it. As a rule, dinner in a place like this will be 3 to 4 times as expensive as lunch, though. Bear in mind that nobody here speaks any English that I've noticed. The menu is sort of technically in French, except that it's written in Japanese kana. So you really have to be able to understand some Japanese if this is going to work. If nobody in your party has any Japanese, be prepared for a lot of polite smiles and awkwardness. But you'll eat well. NOTE: Relation is not easy to find, and the English address listed is useless. Go to Sakaimachi-Aneyakoji (intersection one block south of Oike, three blocks east of Karasuma). Walk south on Sakaimachi just a few doors. On the west side, just past the bicycle shop, you'll see Relation.

Visited March 2016