Maruyama

Having had an AMAZING and far cheaper meal at Tsujifusa the night before, this left us disappointed. It is a long menu with never ending dishes but the taste was not there.. the quality of the ingredients was average (I am a big foodie), and the taste was quite bland. It felt like a tourist trap. Fi...rst time I am disappointed by a meal in Japan.

Visited April 2025

The food was exceptional, with the chef and staff going above and beyond to cater to our dietary restrictions and ensuring my husband had a thoughtfully curated vegetarian menu. The setting was quintessentially Kyoto—elegant and serene, perfectly complementing the dining experience. The service ...was impeccable, attentive yet unobtrusive, and the chef himself was incredibly pleasant and welcoming. Every dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. A truly memorable experience that combines exquisite cuisine, a stunning ambiance, and warm hospitality. Highly recommended!

Visited August 2024

This was the most expensive meal we had on our latest Japan trip. I picked this place because it’s Michelin starred Kaiseki that you can do with kids. I brought along my infant and toddler to dinner, where we had a private traditional room with a sunken table. It was probably the most memorable m...eal, if not the best of the trip, but very pricey. My wife and I had the dinner kaiseki and we got the children’s kaiseki for my toddler as well. With the sake the bill came out to over $600. The experience was interesting for sure. My toddler still talks about the “real” fish that dad ate. Part of the course is Japanese sweetfish which they present alive on a plate (still moving) and then cook over charcoal. Usually we just eat salmon filets at home so I’m not sure my toddler makes the connection between the filet and the fish even though we tell her what it is. The grilled sweetfish was very tasty and the theatrical grilling in the patio behind the private room was interesting as well. Other interesting dishes were the Yaki-Ongiri (grilled rice ball) and Tai-Shirako (sea bream semen). I knew what Shirako was going in and was a bit afraid to try it, but it was good. I’d never had a grilled ongiri but it had an amazing texture and I wish I could get it somewhere else. A lot of the other dishes were harder to appreciate as someone who doesn’t regularly eat Kaiseki. They were beautiful but I always had to refer to the English printout they give you to decipher what it was. Is it something you should try once? Probably, but if you’re not sure it may be best to go for the cheaper lunch course. I at least discovered some new foods, I want to try grilled sweetfish, shirako, and grilled ongiri again. But will I do another $600 kaiseki? Probably not, there’s other high priced Japanese food I’d appreciate more (sushi and wagyu).

Visited May 2023

Superb tastes in a well balanced meal, beautifully served by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Could not have been better.

Visited January 2023

It was Kaiseki alright but felt more like a standard production evening show. Our hotel booked the place for us and repeatedly confirmed our dietary requirements. We said we do not eat beef but guess what, our main course was a Hugh piece of roast beef! The restaurant did apologize for overlooking ...the information from the hotel and replaced it with a very underwhelming small piece of fish. We feel that they think we were tourist and would not go back any way so it did not matter to them so much. We thought it would be a very special dinner for 25,000 yen per head but honestly many restaurants in Japan can do better than them at half the price.

Visited July 2022