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“An amazing lunch with family”
Review of Shoraian

Shoraian
Ranked #115 of 16 313 Restaurants in Kyoto
Cuisines: Japanese
More restaurant details
Restaurant details
Dining options: Reservations
Neighbourhood: Western Kyoto
Reviewed 28 April 2018

First time in Kyoto, and a big family trip with 3 families. We booked the private room that overlooks the river. The walk to the restaurant also added a nice touch, with the lush forests and nature.
A delicious Kaiseki meal, with such variety of tastes and unobtrusive service. The tofu was AMAZING. Restaurant was recommended by my Japanese friends and by family who've been. I too would recommend a visit! Book in advance, and try to get a room if you have a large party. Certainly the main room is very nice too.

Date of visit: September 2017
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
Thank icybeta
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviews (146)
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18 - 22 of 146 reviews

Reviewed 13 April 2018 via mobile

The food was impeccable. Both beautiful and very yummy. But the process of getting reservation was a nightmare. I called more than a month ago and I have to wait for an English speaking staff to answer my call. Then she said new policy that no reservation for foreigners unless booked by hotel concierge. Well we are staying with Airbnb, so I asked the host to call. She couldn’t get me reservation. So I have to do a mock hotel booking in order to have hotel concierge made my reservation. Well even then I still bumped into problem. We want to try the most expensive set dinner. But Shoraian said we could only order the least expensive Shofu dinner. What a way to treat foreign travelers.
So despite top notch food, I still have a bitter taste.

Date of visit: April 2018
5  Thank windsorho
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 4 April 2018 via mobile

Being the only traditional Kaiseiki styled meal we had in Japan, Shoraian in Kyoto surely did not disappoint. I made a point to make prior phone reservation about one month before my trip and it was just easy and fuss free! The man who answered my call was fluent in English and we had no issues making reservation and booking our meals through the phone.

What we love about Shoraian:

- Ambience: Traditional style Japanese house build on a hill overlooking the beautiful river. Need to climb a few stone steps before arriving at the restaurant. Restaurant seating is of tatami style.

- Service: SUPERB. Makes us feels like a VIP throughout our meal. Super polite and courteous.

- Food: Shoraian serves tofu dishes that are a speciality to Kyoto and the food is just delicious. We cleaned out our bowls with every serving and we left feeling super satisfied.

- Pricing: Affordable. All the prices for the set meals can be found on their website. Great information for tourists.

We will not hesitate to visit Shoraian in the future if we have the chance to.

Date of visit: March 2018
Thank Jisushika1126
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 2 March 2018

We booked Shoraian in advance after seeing it featured in a video online. The restaurant is situated in a forested area and is a short and beautiful walk from town. We did not book a western room but were seated in one anyway. We had a set menu and everything was very traditional, beautiful and tasty. The service was good but quick between courses. Our dining room had a lovely view of the river. I would recommend eating here if you want to experience Japanese culture and fine food.

Date of visit: February 2018
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
Thank Yviess
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 February 2018

Location: Arayashiyama near the bamboo grove. The restaurant is not exactly near a train station but it is not hard to find. If you are in the area, you are probably heading to the bamboo grove. Stroll thru the bamboo grove and there is only 1 split junction, 1 carries on thru the bamboo grove while the other leads to a public park. Head towards the park. Cut across the park diagonally and you will reach Shoraian which is near the Katsura river.

Environment: The whole restaurant is traditional Japanese house with multiple rooms. It feels like you are in somebody's home instead of a restaurant. It makes you feel comfortable.

Service: The ladies from Shoraian can speak basic English. They are polite and explain each dish to you while serving.

Food: I have the Tofu Kaiseki menu. I am not a big tofu fan but I am amazed by how well the dishes were presented. The tofu dishes are lightly seasoned to bring out the natural taste of the tofu. It is like a simple country girl smiling at you in flower meadow, simple yet elegant. From the appetizer to the dessert, the whole course is well planned.

If you already make your way to Arashiyama, you should really visit Shoraian. I asked my hotel reception to help me make a reservation. I think it is tough to make a booking via English, as you might encounter some issues. Or they might have issues contacting you when they need to make any changes to your reservation.

The courses are not expensive and the environment is really great. I went on a February late afternoon at 5pm. While waiting for my reservation time, I was waiting beside the Katsura River where the restaurant is. The sky turn dark and it started snowing lightly (lucky). The atmosphere is really good as I look at Arashiyama across the river. This is also the view from my room when I had my meal.

Date of visit: February 2018
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
2  Thank skteo79
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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