Toriyasa

Attentive service in a great riverside setting We gave ourselves a treat during our 5-day visit to Kyoto shortly after Japan opened itself up to foreign visitors. We found Toriyasa (with 200+ years of experience) from a webpage about riverside dining and we went for it immediately being enticed by... their chicken hotpot set menu. It was a perfect autumn evening for alfresco dining with a very light breezy and temperature holding up really well. We were provided with a blanket in case we found the air chilly but we never needed it. We want to commend the restaurant for the first-class service they offered to every guest. The meal started with a plum wine appetif, mushroom and an assortment of cold starters. The main course was the chicken hotpot with side dishes such as tofu, mushroom and vegetables. The soup doubled up as a stock for cooking rice towards the end of the meal (like a risotto). The meal was rounded off with a Japanese dessert and tea. I really enjoyed the taste of the soup and the rice, which was cooked in the chicken-flavoured stock. This is a clever way of making use of all the ingredients without being wasteful. What made the meal, in itself quite an elaborate affair, special was the attentive service from a very friendly, courteous staff member. The restaurant assigned one waiting staff to look after each table and our bowl or cup was refilled promptly every time we finished. Even though it was a big hotpot dish, our lovely waiting staff made sure that each time she served, the food was nicely presented in the bowl. Every single moment was well anticipated, which reflects her professionalism. The restaurant also helped us to call a taxi and the waiting staff even saw us off, making sure that we were settled on the taxi. This is a very memorable experience which we would love to relive at some point in the future. We would like to thank the staff of Toriyasa for making our evening a highlight of our trip.

Visited October 2022

I find it difficult to review Japanese restaurants having eaten at quite a few since we arrived in Japan several days ago, as they seldom have English names. We were brought here by our local friends after sight seeing, and were immediately impressed by the traditional building and decor. Toriyasa h...as been around almost 230 years and is famed for its set course of mizutake which is a chicken hot pot called nabe. Apparently, the chicken broth has been cooked for 3 days. There are hors d'oeuvres of chicken liver and other delicacies, followed by the main of chicken broth, with vegetables and chicken pieces. Actually there are other stuff besides chicken within the course or else it would been over the top. We were a big party of 10 and the waitresses in kimonos had to scramble around putting 4 tables in a line to fit us. Other diners were couples only. You sit on tatami mats, traditional style and as the weather was still warm, we sat outside by the river. Although I did not see the menu or the final bill, I can tell that this was by far our most expensive meal so far on our travel. The service was incredible, and not only did the waitresses and chef do the traditional bows and "arigatos", they even followed us out to our mini bus (including the chef, as we were also the last guests) to bow and say goodbye...making us feel like royalty. Toriyasa is in a very old and beautiful part of the city and were told that this is an area where geishas train. What an experience.

Visited September 2017

Very good restaurant with fantastic service. Fixed service of chicken soup made and varied at the table. Never new I could feel so full on what is a cross between a soup and a stew. It's expensive, different and still very Japanese (with none of the dishes you normally get). Worth a visit if your no...t on a budget. We also had a nice window seat overlooking the river.

Visited April 2016

I was excited to visit this place based on it's inviting decoration and waitresses in traditional Japanese dress. I could not fault the setting and the service. But it is a restaurant I was expecting good food. We ordered the set menu of chicken soup. We were given chicken liver to start , with some... small Sushis and cold pickles. Then four courses of chicken soup!! The Soup was wonderfully prepared and presented by the staff, but ultimately it was four courses of chicken soup with different variations. using tofu, spring onion, quail eggs and cabbage, mushrooms and different parts of the chicken. Finally cold rice is heated in the soup to make a Congee/Porridge. I can make this soup at home in London just as easy. The dessert was good! A grapefruit jelly, which I really enjoyed. We had 3 beers and the bill came to £160.00 for 2 people.

Visited September 2015

A Japanese friend recommended it. It sooooo tasty at any standard. But prepare to pay ¥10,000 pp for the course. Stunning soup. Entry has abalone, tofu base tasting dish& other things i cannot remember. Its just amazing. Our friend booked for us. We can't speak Japanese at all. There is a lady ser...vice us all the time there as we had no idea how to start. Compare to other restaurants ( they are great as well), this is superb!! Have to write this review. Money well spent. Its so far one of the best meal of my life. Love it. Love it. Love it.