Vegan
Vegetarian food (Shojin Ryori) located inside Sogen Garden of the Tenryu-ji temple, Arashiyama. Garden admission fee is 500 Yen. Address in Japanese: 京都府京都市右京区嵯峨天龍寺芒ノ馬場68. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-2:00pm.
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Last update on 08 Oct 2014 by Guest
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86 Reviews
First Review by backpasher
Jinbe
Points +305
So good food, great experience - Edit
The food is fresh, tasty and I felt energized afterwards! This was so good, also because of the authentic atmosphere.
Read moreYou should come here, when you visit Arashiyama park. But you should be there at 11-12 o’clock because they can run out of food quickly.
Pros: Authenticity , Tasty and healthy food, Very friendly and polite staff
Guest
plantpowergirl
Points +345
Wonderful Experience - Edit
Incredible introduction to a cultural experience. We both ordered the Tsuki course in advance. Arrive early to navigate your way through the gardens. The Miso Glazed Egglant was out of this world.
Read morePros: Food was amazing, Atmosphere was peaceful
Cons: Not a lot of interaction with wait staff
Guest
SouthernmostVegan
Points +2040
Worth it to pay more - Edit
Spend the money. Get the private room. Full set. You’re welcome.
Read moreGuest
AlexandrineG
Points +158
Incredible experience - Edit
I recommend reservation in advance.
Read moreThe food was a unique experience. Things I never tasted in my life before. Worth it , but a bit pricey.
Guest
Kwr_
Points +1937
Special and unique experience - Edit
Temple restaurant inside a beautiful garden - everything is vegan, should book ahead online. Beautiful meal and unique dining experience, eating shojin ryori seated on the floor with shoes off in a beautiful temple building. It’s expensive but we got the cheapest option which comes with free hojicha and were very full and enjoyed the experience and exploring the garden after. Note that meal is around 3,900 yen each which doesn’t include 500 yen garden entrance fee.
Read moreGuest
ellenellenwatermelon
Points +147
Special Shojin Ryori Experience - Edit
A very special meal at Tenryuji Temple. Beautiful presentation in a traditional setting. Tatami. Tea. A special occasion with dear friends. The temple and gardens are also exceptional. Recommend.
Read morePros: shojin ryori, temple setting, beautiful and delicious
Guest
a_oliv
Points +98
Different - Edit
I ate a lot of small dishes and I have no idea what it was. Very different flavors, great presentation and I didn't like a couple of dishes.
Read moreVery friendly staff amd although you get to try a lot of foods, it is expensive.
Pros: Variety of foods, Experience
Guest
Vysturbed
Points +1845
Great dishes! - Edit
The temple itself is so beautiful and I was happy to learn they serve only vegan food than just vegetarian. There is a 500 yen fee to access the restaurant though, and check for open reservations ahead of time since some days are booked full.
Read moreOur set included a creamy broth you spoon to a vinegary broth that accented into an amazing soup. Along with a delicious miso dressing to go with the veggies.
Definitely take advantage of walking through the garden after eating ❤
Guest
Greggco
Points +2344
Great experience - Edit
Zen Buddhist food in a traditional Japanese setting. Food is really good, there's however no menu or English explanation as to what the dishes are, so I didn't know what I was eating most of the time, but it was delicious 👍
Read moreGuest
Konita
Points +273
Another level food 😋 - Edit
This is an experience you must try if you live/visit Arashiyama. The food is just… Perfect! The garden views from the restaurant are amazing, the people is super friendly and the whole experience is just unique. You must make the reservation in advance before you go 😊 10/10
Read morePros: The amazing quality food, The cooking knowledge , The place
Guest
KlausMurasaki
Points +160
Shojin Ryori Cuisine - Edit
This was our second time eating here and it was still an amazing experience! We had a party of 8 and got a nice private room. My partner and I had reserved the biggest course this time (Hana) while the rest of our group had the medium size meal (Tsuki). Everyone had plenty of food. Even though we came in Autumn last time too, the course meal was different.
Read moreOur favorite was the fig dengaku (miso glazed fig), which only came with the Hana course. Definitely one of our favorite meals in Kyoto! But it comes with a big price tag.
Pros: Traditional Japanese Cuisine, Multiple courses, Beautiful scenery
Cons: Expensive, but worth it IMO
Guest
StJason
Points +269
Amazing Jap Buddhist Cuisine - Edit
First Shojin Ryori experience, a good and fulfilled lunch in traditional Japanese dining culture and setting. There’s many different types of dishes to taste and even their smallest portion - 5 course meal, is pretty filling.
Read moreRestaurant is located within the temple, one has to pay the min. entrance fee of ¥500 to enter Tenryujii Garden to enter the restaurant; no other ways around. Reservation required to avoid disappointment.
Pros: All Veg and Allium Free, Wholesome dishes, Japanese Cultural Dining Experience
Cons: Pricey , Dishes are fixed for all , Additional entrance fee
Guest
ChiaraBernasconi
Points +71
Buonissimo e bellissimo - Edit
Cibo eccezionale e location spettacolare
Read morePros: Cibo ottimo, Location stupenda, Tatami
Guest
NadineRabenstein
Points +68
Headache - Edit
It was closed. Instead of updating their website, Google maps Or writing it at the entrance we had to make the Treck until right before the restaurant to see the small sign that it is closed :(
Read moreGuest
CameronFinley
Points +65
Some of the prettiest food we had in Japan - Edit
In my opinion, there's not much I didn't love about dining at Shigetsu. First of all, the setting is magnificent. Tucked away in a semi-secluded area on the Tenryuji temple grounds in a beautiful machiya style building. The hosts and servers were fantastically polite, friendly, and efficient. We ordered the Yuki set meal thinking that it would be just enough for a light lunch at the smallest set offering. It was still a good amount of food and neither my partner or I were able to finish everything. Even though most of the food was simply prepared (being shojin ryori this wasn't a surprise), the plating and presentation were absolutely stunning. Everything from the serving trays, to the plateware, to the individual vegetable pieces were magazine pretty. I was not able to identify all of the food, but most of it was at lesat somewhat recognizable. There were mushrooms, butdock root, daikon radish, yuba, plain white rice as a backdrop, miso glazed eggplant, and more. Such a terrific array of colors, textures, and temperatures. They really considered all of your senses when designing this menu. The miso glazed eggplant was seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. It was sweet, savory, blasted with umami and very luxurious. I wish I had asked about it's preparation while I was there. The meal was finished off with simple orange slices and strawberries that were perfectly sweet and refreshing. I would not hesitate to dine there again if I ever find myself back in Kyoto. It's a must eat for any plant-based or vegan visitors.
Read morePros: Presentation was stunning and food delicious., Affordable; service and hospitality on point. , The setting is gorgeous.
Cons: Sitting on the floor was tough but you get a chair
plantpowergirl
Great review Cameron. Thank you for the details about the Yuki being being enough for lunch. It looked light, but now I am confident it will be enough for us as well.
Read moreGuest
p.skillz
Points +619
Outstanding - Edit
We went to Shigetsu for lunch on our last day in Japan. They make shojin ryori (Zen vegetarian cuisine) at Shigetsu, a large temple-style restaurant surrounded by the natural beauty of Tenryu-ji’s World Heritage gardens. We had our own private room and enjoyed rice, soup and nine side dishes. The food and the experience were outstanding. You have to book in advance and we booked the most expensive menu, which was still only about £45 each. Great value for the quality of the food, and when you consider we had our own private dining room just for two people. You can get a menu for about a third of that, but the people who did that, were in a big room with 20 or 30 other people.
Read morePros: Amazing food, Stunning location
Guest
Emmalot
Points +199
Amazing - Edit
Great temple food. Come hungry! Everything is so beautiful and tastes good. The place is also nice and peaceful. Need to reserve in advance!
Read moreYou have to buy an entrance ticket for the garden to get to the restaurant - but on the other hand you get to enjoy the garden before or after eating. I've been there twice (-23 and -24). The menu didn't differ much but I would definitely come again if I ever come back to Kyoto.
Pros: Food is great, Peaceful place, A lot to eat
Cons: Need to reserve (early?), Not a cheap option
Guest
JuRibeiro
Points +110
Great surprise - Edit
If you want to experience temple food, this is the place!
Read moreWe went in without a reservation. Though they offer 3 set menus, only one is available without a reservation (the smallest - 3,800 yen). You will sit sideways with your party while facing other customers on the other side of the aisle. The standard is to sit on the floor, but small chairs are offered if you need.
The meal is a set of small plates, each with different items (some savory, some sweet). It is a weird experience to eat without knowing what it is or what it will taste like, but we truly enjoyed it. Though it was the smallest meal, it is clearly not small; my husband ate it all, but I wasn’t able to finish every single dish. The standard drink is Japanese hot tea, but you can order cold drinks as well (water, soda, etc).
The experience overall was truly fantastic! The atmosphere, the silence, the food - everything was worth it! Highly recommend it!
Pros: Food, Atmosphere
Guest
drea1981
Points +1355
Underwhelming/ bland / disappointing - Edit
I feel as though you are paying for the privilege of sitting in the temple while eating. The food should be 1 star. It has no taste / texture is sometimes gross . We purchased the 9000 yen each and we were not able to eat much of it . And we are very open to eating and trying all kinds of food . We even had the tofu set down the street from the temple for 3000 yen each and it was amazing ! If you’re going to go for the experience I’d say get the cheapest meal. The most expensive one only comes with two more dishes for an extra 50$ basically. Definitely isn’t worthy in my opinion controls many delicious high end meals I’ve had all over Japan . Would not recommend.
Read moreGuest
NathaliaZimmermann
Points +384
Delicious temple food and experience - Edit
I almost missed that the restaurant was inside the garden so we wanted to leave already just as we saw it.
Read moreThe food was amazing! Different small dishes, each unique in taste and visual quality, even though we didn't know what everything was. The place is really nice and traditional. The price is a little higher than other places but it's totally worth it!
Updated from previous review on 2024-03-25
Pros: Amazing food, Traditional place, Worth the price
Guest
LakshanFernando
Points +50
Great shojin ryori experience - Edit
Wanted to try this vegan experience since reading about it. I was so happy when the Happy Cow app showed this place when I was visiting the temple. The food, the separate dishes, sitting on the mat, dining with the other guests were an experience that I would carry for ever of my visit to Japan!
Read moreHoneyHan
Hi just curious whether u made a reservation or walk-in?
Read moreGuest
20tleeper
Points +93
A Must Do Experience - Edit
If you are vegan or have any desire to explore traditional Buddhist cuisine, please come here. It will not disappoint. The food was delicious and unlike anything I have ever had in my life. It was also a very filling and clean meal. I felt very satisfied and genuinely felt good after eating it. Some of the food was a little unidentifiable, so I didn’t know everything I was eating…but it was all good. It was of course on the more expensive side of eating in Kyoto but it is understandable why.
Read morePros: The Ambiance, Serving Size
Cons: Some food wasn’t identifiable
Guest
Thunderflop
Points +128
Experience 10/10 - Edit
Shigetsu offers tasty veganized Japanese dishes in a beautiful setting. You will be sitting on tatami mats, savoring every bite of their traditional flavors. Staff is very friendly and they speak English.
Read moreGuest
FaithUgates
Points +472
It was an experience - Edit
It was my first time dining in a restaurant like this and having a shojin ryori meal. This is heaven for a vegan/vegetarian and a must try if you are visiting the area. I ordered the least expensive set but I still ended up very full. I love everything about it, the food, the ambiance, the location and the staff. #Veganuary
Read moreGuest
Tyrni
Points +57
Really good Shojin Ryori - Edit
I was a bit wary since the area around the temple is quite touristy, but the food was fantastic. I haven't had Shojin Ryori anywhere else so I cannot compare it to anything, but everything was delicious and the flavors were very unique for me.
Read moreI paid 3300 JPY for the set menu but prices are due to increase shortly according to the website. There are other higher priced sets where you get more courses. It is a relatively high price considering how inexpensively you can eat in Japan, but it was well worth it for me and I got plenty of food.
Guest
KatharinaW.
Points +60
Very good! - Edit
While this spot is in the middle of such a large tourist attraction and the restaurant seems to run like a well-oiled machine, it is still very good and very worth visiting.
Read moreI arrived without reservation and was served the Yuki/Snow course. It was a full tablet of temple cuisine with a big pot of tea. Among different kinds of veggies, I was served Yuba, Konjak, Rice, Goma Dofu, spinach in Yuzu - A very good mix of flavours.
To my delight they kept bringing more food, so I also received a pumpkin soup with a rice cake, a fresh sweet potato croquette and seasonal fruit.
The food was very good. I ate a lot of temple cuisine in Japan and this was definitely among my favorites. Like mentioned before, temple cuisine tries to preserve the original flavours of the ingredients and can therefore be a bit on the bland side. I found this course to be much more flavorsome than some others I tried.
If you have the chance, don't miss this spot!
I paid 3300 Yen for the whole course tea.
Updated from previous review on 2023-10-23
Pros: Great Seasonal Food!, Friendly English-speaking staff
Cons: A bit on the touristy side
Guest
Beverlovely
Points +19
Not the best - Edit
The venue is lovely and the staff very nice but unfortunately we found the food bland and sometimes unidentifiable. I understand this is a temple and the food is simple but it was not for us.
Read morePros: Soup was nice, Presentation of food
Cons: Found food bland, Unidentifiable
Guest
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