Located 5-minutes walk from Kyoto Subway Gojo Station, “SEN” is a one-star Japanese restaurant, on a quiet street a short distance away from the busy city. Owner Takeshi Sugisawa welcomes you when you pass through the restaurant's entrance curtain.
After training at Tokyo's 2-star “Akasaka Kikunoi” and Kyoto's 1-star “Muromachi Wakuden”, owner Sugisawa served as manager and head chef at a Japanese restaurant in Gion. He worked as a private chef in London for about a year, honing his sensibility and returning home. In March 2018, he opened the long-awaited SEN. The character used in the restaurant's name originates from owner Sugisawa's kanji character and it became a popular restaurant that gained a star in the blink of an eye, with a strong desire to improve itself.
The cuisine at “SEN” uses the best ingredients such as Tamba's Matsutake mushrooms, Matsuba crab and black abalone, and values the sense of the season. Local vegetables, including Kyoto vegetables, are purchased directly from farmers with whom they are connected. Most of the seafood is delivered directly from the fishermen. Using water from Kyoto's Ohara, the local Kyoto produce is made into gem plates with "Grilled milt cooked in a small pot" in winter and "Steamed abalone with vinegared jelly" in early summer. As for Japanese sake, the selection comes from breweries run by young Toji and there are a total of 8 -10 varieties available, mainly from the Tohoku region, especially Fukushima, with the aim of supporting the disaster-stricken area. There are 5 kinds of red and white wine, including champagne.
The building is a Japanese house built by a shrine carpenter. There is a modern Scandinavian counter (8 seats), where you can enjoy your experience with your date, dine with friends, entertain guests from overseas, and even if you are alone, you can enjoy your food in front of the owner as he prepares the next dish. There is also an authentic Japanese style private room (up to 6 people) where you can take off your shoes and relax on special days such as family anniversaries, and business occasions such as entertaining guests. You can choose the type of seat according to the situation.
※ Awarded 1 star on world-renowned gourmet guide Kyoto-Osaka 2023.
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
A 5-minute walk from Gojo Station (Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line)
About Reservations
Please register on the “Waiting List”. Pocket Concierge will inform you when there are seats available.
