From tyres to the industry leaders in recognizing the tastiest dishes in the world, you’ve probably heard of the Michelin Guide before… and good news!
The Michelin Guide 2024 for Kyoto and Osaka was just announced, giving you a few new restaurants for your Osaka and Kyoto itineraries.
We’re going to tell you all about the newly Michelin-recognized restaurants in Kyoto right here, but if you’re heading to Osaka and want some Michelin star eats, check out our 2024 Osaka Michelin Guide blog!
Kyoto restaurants recognized in Michelin Guide 2024:
- Kikunoi Honten (Three Michelin Stars)
- Hyotei (Three Michelin Stars)
- Tenjaku (One Michelin Star)
- Tokuha Motonari (One Michelin Star)
- Doppo (One Michelin Star)
- Nijo Minami (One Michelin Star)
- Muromachi Yui (One Michelin Star)
- MASHIRO (One Michelin Star)
- MOKO (One Michelin Star)
- Anpeiji (One Michelin Star)
- Shigetsu (Michelin Green Star)
- Mizuno (One Michelin Star)
- la bûche (One Michelin Star)
- Saketosakana DNA (Michelin Bib Gourmand)
- Muromachi Kaji (Michelin Bib Gourmand)
- NOODLE SHOP RENNOSUKE (Michelin Bib Gourmand)
- sonoba (Michelin Bib Gourmand)
Michelin Guide 2024 Kyoto restaurants you can reserve on byFood:
1. Kikunoi Honten (Three Michelin Stars)
Retaining its 3-star status for an impressive 15 consecutive years is Kikunoi Honten, based in the historic Gion district of Kyoto, delighting diners with unrivaled Kyo-ryori cuisine.
With delicious kaiseki dishes that change with the seasons, you’ll always find something new on the menu to appreciate. Filled with fresh, local ingredients that capture the simple beauty of Kyoto’s multi-dish cuisine, you won’t be surprised that Kikunoi has held onto their Michelin star status for so long.
Dating back to 1912, when the grandfather of the current owner opened Kikunoi’s doors for the first time, this restaurant boasts a traditional Japanese backdrop that’s as memorable as their Michelin-recognized dishes, including tatami mat rooms, sliding paper screen doors, painted scrolls, and a beautiful Japanese garden.
Book at Kikunoi Honten if you’re craving Michelin star cuisine in Kyoto!
2. Hyotei (Three Michelin Stars)
Hyotei is another kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto that’s been awarded 3 Michelin stars for 15 years in a row, a feat that not many restaurants can claim! However, this is a blink of an eye compared to the restaurant’s heritage, stretching back four and a half centuries to when it operated as the temple’s teahouse.
Equally long-standing in their specialty, Hyotei Tamago, a true winter warmer of quail rice porridge that’s said to have been on the menu since Kyoto was the capital of Japan.
Dining in a big group? Hyotei has a private hire space that can fit up to 28 people at one time, promising an unforgettable experience for you and your fellow diners!
Find a table at Hyotei for Michelin star wining and dining in Kyoto!
3. Tenjaku (One Michelin Star)
Tenjaku isn’t just a restaurant to owner-chef Nishioka Ryo, it’s home. From the age of three he was watching his grandfather impress the people of Kyoto with delicious kaiseki and tempura dishes, inspiring him to take over the restaurant after training in the Michelin-starred kitchens of Otagi and Kodaiji Wakuden.
Even though you’ll never quite know what delicacies await with the omakase nature, you can be sure they’ll follow a tried-and-tested path of hassun — assorted Kyoto-style delicacies — for starters, followed by soup, sashimi, and tempura that’ll have you wondering why they didn’t get a Michelin star sooner.
Taste Michelin star kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto at Tenjaku!
4. Tokuha Motonari (One Michelin Star)
Dining at Tokuha Motonari is a sight to behold, as Chef Matsumoto Shinya performs irori-style grilling in miniature. Watch as he skewers fish, mushrooms, tofu and other local ingredients and grills them carefully in an eye-catching, sand-filled brazier filled with bincho-tan charcoal. Crispy, smoky, and worthy of a Michelin star, this is one Kyoto restaurant you won’t forget any time soon.
Reserve your table for Michelin star Japanese food at Tokuha Motonari!
5. Doppo (One Michelin Star)
Borrowing its name from the word for self-reliant, independent, unique, or peerless, Doppo was destined for greatness, with head chef Miyazawa Masato taking inspiration from the late Japanese artist and painter Kitaoji Rosanjin.
Unique certainly describes the offerings at this Michelin star restaurant, featuring fresh soba noodles wrapped into temaki handrolls, wood-grilled mutton, and even dishes including bear and Matsuba snow crab during the colder months.
Dine in style with Michelin star Japanese food at Doppo!
6. Nijo Minami (One Michelin Star)
Nijo Minami is the legacy of Chef Minami Kengo, who trained for 25 years under master chefs like Matsui Shinshichi and Kato Hiroyuki — considered to be two of the greatest chefs in modern Japanese cuisine — before opening his own Michelin-recognized restaurant. Here, you’ll have a chance to try rare seasonal dishes like whole female red crab from northern Hyogo Prefecture and thin-sliced pike conger and whale boiled in white miso.
Reserve your table at Nijo Minami!
7. Muromachi Yui (One Michelin Star)
Muromachi Yui is named after the Japanese proverb “yuiitsu muni,” meaning “one of a kind.” With that at its core, Chef Maeda Kazuteru single-handedly took his restaurant to the lofty heights of Michelin star status. From the morning market selecting fresh seafood and picking mushrooms in the foothills of Kyoto to the award-winning kitchen of his restaurant, Maeda handles every single aspect alone, creating a unique Japanese kaiseki menu that only he could make.
Make Michelin star memories at Muromachi Yui!
8. MASHIRO (One Michelin Star)
Under the expertise of Chef Koshimo Hiroyuki, it was only a matter of time before Mashiro received a Michelin star, the third of three restaurants graced by Koshimo to be awarded such a title. Although he trained in French cuisine, Koshimo aspires to a genre-less cuisine, embracing techniques from multiple schools to create the most innovative dishes with one goal: “I just want my guests to return to their everyday lives refreshed and full of energy.”
Reserve your table at Koshimo’s latest Michelin star restaurant, Mashiro!
9. MOKO (One Michelin Star)
Chef Alex Moko transformed a traditional Japanese townhouse into a Michelin-starred French restaurant in record time. He lends his name to MOKO, your latest must-go restaurant near Kyoto Gyoen National Garden.
You’ll find dishes inspired by ingredients from across the nation, including white asparagus from Hokkaido, smoked Biwa trout and red sea bream from Nagasaki, and duck from Ibaraki. His signature dish, however, is said to be his uniquely French-inspired chawanmushi.
Make time for a Michelin star dinner in Kyoto at MOKO!
10. Anpeiji (One Michelin Star)
Head-chef Ampeiji Masashi delights diners with his craft from this Michelin-starred restaurant’s open kitchen, while pâtissière Nakamura Yuki tempts you to save room for something sweet, serving French desserts like canelé and financier. For a sophisticated dining experience on your next visit to Kyoto, Anpeiji is waiting for you.
Reserve your table for Michelin star French food at Anpeiji!
11. Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu (Michelin Green Star)
Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu’s sustainable practices have seen them awarded the coveted Michelin Green Star for the second time since 2019 — proving that Kyoto’s traditional shojin ryori is still appreciated in the modern day.
Travelers come here in search of flavorful, all-natural vegan menus inspired by the harmony and simplicity of Buddhism, where plant-based dishes are put in the spotlight. Equally deserving of your attention is the picturesque views of a Japanese garden.
Save your seat at Michelin Green and Bib Gourmand restaurant, Shigetsu!
Still hungry for the mouth-watering dishes of Michelin star restaurants in Japan? Explore all that this country’s talented chefs have to offer, from Michelin star restaurants and affordable Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants in Kyoto to Tokyo’s best Michelin star spots for foodies.
Kyoto Michelin Guide 2024 FAQs
How many restaurants were added to the Kyoto and Osaka Michelin Guide in 2024?
Of the 440 Kyoto and Osaka-based restaurants that were recommended in 2024, 138 were selected, 90 of which were new.
Awarded Michelin stars included:
- Three Michelin Stars: 8
- Two Michelin Stars: 27 (1 new)
- One Michelin Star: 50 (17 new)
- Michelin Green Star: 11 (2 new)
- Bib Gourmand: 117 (8 new)
How does a restaurant get a Michelin star?
Every year, Michelin-worthy restaurants are recommended and these are considered within the Michelin Guide’s key categories:
One star: “A very good restaurant in this category.”
Two stars: “Excellent cooking that’s worth a detour.”
Three stars: “Exceptional cuisine that’s worth a special journey.”
Bib Gourmand: A restaurant that’s been recognized for high-quality ingredients and standards, yet still retains affordable prices.
Michelin Green star: A restaurant that has been recognized for its eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
