Decent but affordable Kaiseki Cuisine in Kyoto

HI

We are unable to stay in a Ryokan as 2 of our party are disabled but would love to have a Kaiseki set meal in Kyoto.

Is there anywhere you can reccommend that is affordable - the drop in the 拢 is making this a very expensive holiday!!!!!

We are staying at the Karasuma Hotel for 4 nights 3-7th May

Thanks

Decent but affordable Kaiseki Cuisine in Kyoto

There should be many ';barrier free'; ryokans in Kyoto that are friendly for disabled. I frequent an onsen ryokan in Yufuin which has been awarded for such. Haknoe onsen hotel I stayed has been designed for them also(and had a delicious kaiseki dinner, too). And as Japan has more elder population, many are incorporating ';barrier free'; designs.

Kaiseki is nothing more than a little bit of everything beautifully presented. It started out to stave off a little hunger before the tea ceremony.

So the bento box is a lowest form of kaiseki. Higher end will have many more varieties on a individual dish and some with small heat pot(hibachi) for table top cooking. In Kyoto I have been invited to a place, catered exclusively for local businesses on an expense account, that had a beautiful Japanese garden with bamboo trees, private tatami room and delicious kaiseki food served. If you want to have kaiseki at a moderate price, you can find them in many restaurants in your price range in town, if you recognize it.

I would suggest to look around the cluster of the restaurants underground in Kyoto station.

Decent but affordable Kaiseki Cuisine in Kyoto

I just remembered seeing a Kaiseki restaurant. It is located on the way to Rihga Hotel from the Kyoto station(north exit). They are usually 3-5,000yen so it is better to have it packaged with ryokan/hotel stay. The hotel that I mentioned in Hakone is very reasonably low priced including one of the best kaiseki dinner and bf included, if you happen to visit there.

Given the location of you accommodation, I%26#39;d suggest:

Okakuen

www.kyoto-okakuen.com/restaurant/index.html

Located on the worshippers%26#39; road to Nanzenji Temmple, this restaurant (pronounced like oh-kah-koo-yen) has a good atmosphere inside/outside it. I think the dishes catered here are so called an eclectic-type with a bit of a French taste...

Please don%26#39;t get me wrong; yes, opinon differs, but it takes time to really develop your taste in, or come to terms with, authentic kaiseki. Frankly, you%26#39;ll possibly be tempted to ask about every mouthful you pop in...no, not that it looks to pose some problem on your stomach...um, anyway you can%26#39;t tell what you are going to eat unless you are a real gourmet.

Yes, there%26#39;s one in JR Kyoto Station Complex, or should I say, inside Granvia Hotel, called Kitcho, which is of international renown. But other than that, there%26#39;s none offering real kaiseki inside the restaurant malls around JR Kyoto, that I know of.

So if you weigh authenticity against price, you will perhaps choose to do just fine going to the typically mid-end joint as is represented by Ganko, the name of the sushi restaurant chain (catering also kaiseki for your needs), that is run in the greater Kansai area. It%26#39;d be a good experience dining in here paying less.

For your future reference, visit the following:

1)Ganko in JR Kyoto Station Complex

http://www.gankofood.co.jp/en/

2)Ganko Takasegawa Nijoen

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/k026603/

Thanks everyone

I know Kaiseki pricing looks very expensive but you can find mini kaiseki menus for lunch at a lot of traditional kaiseki restaurants. Ask the tourist info center at the Kyoto Station or your hotel concierge. There should be quite a few restaurants offering mini kaiseki around karasuma -shijo area. Good luck!