A 15-minute walk to the north from the Nijo Castle World Heritage Site or a 15-minute walk to the west from the Hamaguri Gate of the Kyoto Imperial Palace takes you to Yusoku Ryori Mankamerou, a traditional Japanese restaurant known to all locals. The restaurant first opened its doors in Nishijin, the birthplace of Nishijin fabric, in Kyoto in 1722 during the early Edo period. Since then, this renowned restaurant has preserved its history and traditions at the same location for over 300 years.
The restaurant is now run by Masakiyo Konishi, the 10th proprietor, and Takehiro Konishi, who is set to become the 11th proprietor.
Yusoku Ryori Mankamerou offers Takekago Bentos for lunch and kaiseki and yusoku dishes for dinner. Included in the restaurant’s name, yusoku cuisine evolved from court cuisine while preserving the elegant techniques and styles derived from court culture to transform contemporary ingredients into traditional dishes. Yusoku dishes are served on beautiful plates handed down over generations, such as Raku ware and Kyoto ware created by Ninsei, in a comfortable private room decorated with seasonal flowers and hanging scrolls. Not only the dishes but also the tableware and furniture are remarkable and worthy of attention.
The matching sake, wine, and champagne menus carefully curated by the proprietress are also worth trying.
Yusoku Ryori Mankamerou is one of the most famous Japanese restaurants among countless Japanese restaurants in Kyoto as it is the only official heir to the Ikama School knife ceremony. This knife ceremony is a ritual of food decoration that has been handed down from father to son for more than 2000 years since the Heian period. The performers use a kitchen knife and a pair of cooking chopsticks to cut fish or chicken into auspicious shapes on a large cutting board without touching it with their hands. This ceremony is held before meals for guests who make reservations in advance and pay additional fees.
The restaurant only has Japanese-style private rooms with two large and five small, and they can be furnished with chairs for those in need.
Please visit the restaurant when you take a sightseeing tour of Kyoto or when you feel like having some kaiseki dishes.
Explore its 300 years of history while enjoying the four seasons of Kyoto.
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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.
※ Awarded 2 star on world-renowned gourmet guide Kyoto-Osaka 2023.
Access
A 3-minutes walk for the Kyoto City Bus to 'Horikawa Shimo Chojamachi' bus stop
