Akiyama

This was our top meal during our 8 nights in Japan. We were so grateful to our hotel concierge for securing us a reservation, and delighted that we were the only diners not from Kyoto. The food is incredibly good, and it was a wonderful experience sitting in the open kitchen and watching the food pr...eparation. I was also so happy that the restaurant accommodated my food allergies. Note that this restaurant is cash only, and dinner lasts 3.5 hours.

Visited March 2024

Kamikamo Akiyama located at a old traditional house in the quiet outskirts of Kyoto city, who serve the Kaiseki (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) by reservation only. The menu and ingredients are decided seasonally. Since we visited at September, Eggplant, peer and fishes of the season are... the theme of our dinner. Every dishes are all amazing, the mostly impressive part to me is how the vegetables are prepared, stand out with beautiful flavor but also balanced and blended well with seafood and other ingredients. All seats are in front of the open kitchen, so customer is able to witness and experience how those artful dishes is prepare. During the whole dinner, the master chief, Mr.Akiyama, will lively explain for every each dishes and treat customers at the waiting room with the green tea prepared by himself as the ending. The atmosphere is very relaxing, light-hearted. So someone can help to translate Japanese will help a lot for the fully enjoyment of the dining experience. Kamikamo Akiyama only serves about 10~15 customer at both lunch time and dinner time of each day, which makes it pretty hard to get a reservation. At the first day of each month, they will start to take the reservation by calling for next month so better plan early if wish to visit to Kamikamo Akiyama. The price is relatively high for a dinner in Kamikamo Akiyama, but even think of that I still feel superbly worthy for the excellent cuisine and wonderful service. A must visited again for me.

Visited September 2015

Cannot compare to any similiar experience apart from very few other ordinary japanese restaurants (apart from homestay/ryokan/monastery kaiseki). As always in japan it was quite an event - great presentation, nice people, superb food (seasonal we've been told) and full of interesting flavours on eac...h serving. Didn't seem to be so commercial as other places you usually hit on your travels - so please do not spoil it! Definitelly will to go back sometime. A japanese-english speaker might come handy during presentation of meal.

Visited October 2013

Kamikamo Akiyama is in a quiet Kyoto suburb where few tourists would go. Entering the restaurant is like entering an old charming rustic home of a dear friend. We were warmly greeted on arrival and led into a sitting room where we were offered tea while we waited for our friends to arrive. When t...he finally arrived, we were then taken into the dining area where the 13 of us sat at the bench facing the kitchen. For each of us, it was the best ring seat where we watched Chef Akiyama blow us away with his creations throughout the dinner. We had 14 very interesting, very fresh and yummylicious courses consisting mainly of sea food. I particularly enjoyed the sword fish with yukon potato, apple, carrot, mushroom, celery and fried green vegetable - a lovely blend of textures and flavours. The boiled shrimp sitting in crab sauce was excellent. There was venison, "blood rice" and other fascinating dishes. Hard to pick a favourite course but among the top would be "Japanese Autumn" - 3 small dishes sitting in a basket decorated beautifully with colourful Autumn leaves. The first dish was crab with ginger and vinegar. The second dish consisted of tofu accompanied by a tasty bean sauce, dried persimmon, carrot leaf and shitake mushroom. The third dish was made of fresh persimmon and a sesame salad. If you are going to Kyoto, it is well worth a trip out to Akiyama for this wonderful culinary experience. The food is exquisite and the service, impeccable. Have someone write the address for you in Japanese and make sure that the taxi driver knows how to get there. I understand that the restaurant can take a maximum of 15 guests at a time. So do book well in advance.

Visited November 2013

our dinner at this 1 star Michelin restaurant, located in a very quiet residential suburb of Kyoto was the best meal we had in Kyoto. Chef-owner Naohiro Akiyama was friendly and always cheerful. Being a kaiseki restaurant with only seat for 15 pax, you never know what you are going to get. Our group... of 12 had some fantastic swordfish, file fish and red socks prawn.

Visited November 2013