I visited "Saeki" located in a corner of Kyoto with a traditional old town atmosphere. This restaurant won the Tabelog Award 2022 BRONZE. It opened in April 2022 and relocated from Nanzen-ji to Kyoto. It is about a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Municipal Marutamachi Station. Inside the restaurant, the wide white wooden counter without steps is a symbol of a high-end establishment. Sitting down, you can enjoy the beautifully maintained garden through the large windows while savoring the sushi crafted by Chef Hiroshi Saeki. Today, I had the omakase course which included: - Marinated bonito and spring vegetables - Chiba's turban shell with turban shell liver sauce, fava beans, and yam - Kyoto Yamashiro's morning-picked bamboo shoots - Nagasaki's red-eyed and Inca awakening sauce - Echizen's golden crab rice bowl with shiitake mushrooms, homemade salmon roe, and onsen tamago - Firefly squid shabu-shabu with Naruto wakame and Yoshino kuzu egg topping - Iwate's bigeye tuna marinated - Yellowtail with kelp - Kohada - Bafun uni bowl with shredded seaweed - Horse mackerel - Golden eye sea bream with kelp - Spot prawn - Iwate's bigeye tuna toro - Simmered clam - Toro-taku roll - Toro-taku roll - Strawberry This time, Chef Taniguchi prepared the sushi for us. The restaurant has a stunning view and we enjoyed delicious sushi. The morning-picked bamboo shoots from Yamashiro were particularly delicious. Thank you for the meal.

The sushi and dishes are delicious. However, the cost performance is not that great. It's expected to be delicious at this price. The atmosphere is nice, but the service is what stands out the most. The service provided by the female staff is worth paying for. That's the kind of service that you pay for. I have learned a lot from this experience.

This place always makes me feel happy with its delicious food. It has a counter and about 3 booths, with around 10 seats at the counter. The chef, Mr. Taniguchi, provides excellent service and delicious food. The female owner also engages in enjoyable conversations, making the dining experience satisfying. From the counter, you can see a Japanese garden, which helps you forget you are in the city of Kyoto. The course menu consists of appetizers and sushi. The rice-to-fish ratio is just right, allowing you to enjoy the course until the end. It makes you realize that sushi is more than just raw fish on rice. The rice melts in your mouth, wrapping around the fish, creating an indescribable flavor. Although it is a popular restaurant, reservations are not too difficult to make, which is a plus. Whenever I crave sushi or seasonal dishes, I always come here because it is truly my favorite. The fatty tuna at the end is a must-try. I highly recommend everyone to visit this place.

This is my first visit, and I heard that this restaurant used to operate in Kita-Shinchi and Nanzenji, but recently moved to Marutamachi. As soon as I sat down, I could see a large garden in front of me, allowing me to feel the atmosphere of Kyoto. The sake and sushi were delicious, as expected, and the service from the head chef and staff was excellent. The seating area was spacious, and being able to watch the food being prepared right in front of me added to the lively atmosphere.

Today, I visited "Saeki" in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City with my boss. I had been to their previous location near Nanzen-ji Temple before, but they have since moved and I didn't realize it, so I almost missed it this time haha. The view of the inner garden from the counter is amazing at this restaurant too. The dishes that come out are all exquisite, so even after finishing the meal, I found myself wanting to go around for another round haha. I definitely want to visit again. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I visited OMAKASE for the first time. I arrived early, so I stopped by a nearby pharmacy to prepare for overeating and a hangover. I avoided sazae, but ended up trying the delicious oni sazae from Ishikawa Prefecture. The combination of nodoguro and potato sauce received the highest praise from the participants.

It was my first time visiting this restaurant. Everything was delicious ❤️ I'm glad I could eat seasonal ingredients. The blackthroat seaperch and Inca awakening dish were so amazing that I had seconds. I like karasumi, so I asked for it to be added, but it's best just as it is at first!!

The best thing about this restaurant is that the back side of the sushi counter is a garden, allowing you to enjoy delicious sushi while looking at a charming garden. Last time, I visited alone, so this time my wife and I came from outside the prefecture just to enjoy sushi together. We had a luxurious time in this extraordinary space enjoying delicious food. Although we can't come often, this is a place we want to visit regularly in the future. This time, we had the Anago shabu-shabu, Hirame and Konbu-zuke scallop for nigiri, and the tuna akami was outstanding. Especially the Hirame was by far the most delicious I have ever had. The homemade gelato for dessert, made by an apprentice from Italy, was unbelievably delicious (laughs). I thought the gelato was delicious when I had it last time, but this time the milk gelato with yellow powder was even more delicious, so I had to tell the person directly. Thank you for a wonderful time. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I heard that the next day was a special day for eating Matsubagani crab only 2-3 times a year, and there happened to be a cancellation, so I changed my plans and visited SAEKI for two days in a row. They have a unique source for Matsubagani crab, so I enjoyed delicious crab at a very affordable price. I will definitely come back for more!

My wife and children went skiing with my father-in-law for one night, giving me a rare opportunity to enjoy a meal alone. I decided to treat myself to some delicious food in Kyoto, so I checked out various restaurants on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. I had always wanted to visit Saeki-san after seeing it on Instagram, and since it was mentioned that the garden was beautiful, I made a reservation for Sunday lunch instead of dinner. When I sat at the counter, I was amazed by the incredible view - usually, I am used to staring at walls, so this was a pleasant surprise even before I had any sushi. Although Saeki-san himself doesn't usually come to this branch, both the sushi chef Taniguchi-san and the other chefs, as well as the female staff, were all incredibly hospitable, making the experience very enjoyable and, most importantly, the food was delicious. This was my first visit, and I was fully satisfied with the quality of the appetizers and sushi. While it is assumed that the appetizers and sushi are delicious, I must say that the Hitoroki sake I had at Saeki-san was the best I've had in years. The weather was also great, and I enjoyed the beautiful view while eating alone, making it a very satisfying experience. I had such a luxurious lunch that I am already planning to come back with my wife next time. Laughing.

First, there were 6 items served, followed by a hand-rolled sushi. The soft and creamy texture was a new sensation. It seems like there are many foreigners in Kyoto, but they all look so happy. I wonder how foreigners make reservations for omakase, it's amazing. Some sushi restaurants tend to look down on foreigners, but not this one. The second chef, who is from overseas, was very kind and provided excellent service. The tourists also seemed to be having a great time, which made me smile. I think this is a delicious and wonderful restaurant.

The deliciousness of the otsumami and sushi goes without saying, but the hospitality at this restaurant was outstanding. The sushi chef engaged in pleasant conversation while skillfully preparing the sushi, creating a comfortable atmosphere. They also accommodated my request to try various types of sake in small servings, allowing me to enjoy not only the delicious food but also a fun time. I definitely want to revisit this place soon.

Sakai Taisho's sushi, which is only available for two days a month, is located in an area lined with townhouses where it gets pitch dark at night. However, once you step inside, the counter overlooks a garden illuminated by lights, creating a bright and spacious atmosphere as if it were daytime. The sushi at Sakai Taisho offers a unique taste compared to its main location in Ginza, with the scenery and ambiance adding to the overall dining experience. I visited with a friend who is a foodie and has already eaten here 170 times in 2022. The meal started with a display of luxurious ingredients, followed by an impressive array of appetizers that exceeded typical sushi restaurant standards. The sushi was served promptly and we had a great time enjoying the meal. The menu for the day included dishes such as anglerfish tempura, abalone with caviar, grilled cod, octopus, mackerel sushi, snow crab shabu-shabu, marinated bonito, fatty tuna, baby red snapper, swordtip squid, spot prawn, sea urchin mini bowl, horse mackerel, sea bream, simmered conger eel, negitoro roll, and mango ice cream with iyokan.

"Tabelog BRONZE 2022. Tabelog Top 100 Restaurants 2022. Originally from Osaka, the restaurant relocated to its current location via Nanzenji Temple. The view of the waterfall garden, created by a gardener from Nanzenji Temple, is magnificent from the counter. The food is also excellent, especially the appetizers. The same course menu is offered for both lunch and dinner. They carefully explain the ingredients before cooking, making the dining experience enjoyable."

It was delicious. Every dish was amazing, with the crab being particularly outstanding - it was tender and full of flavor. The kawahagi had a nice chewy texture and paired well with the liver. The sushi was also delicious, especially the anago which was soft and fluffy. The matsutake mushroom lacked a bit of aroma, but overall, I would love to go back again. The only downside was the limited selection of wine options.

I made a reservation for the first time since they moved. The interior was amazing and I was really impressed by the garden at the counter. The dishes, from the appetizers to the sushi, were all beautifully presented and I was thrilled. The food, using seasonal ingredients, was flawless in every aspect - appearance, aroma, and taste. The service was very polite and friendly, making the dining experience enjoyable. I definitely want to make a reservation and go again. This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Kyoto!

The atmosphere was great. The ingredients were top-notch. The appetizers before the sushi were delicious, but the matsutake mushrooms stir-fry was terrible. It seemed to overpower the quality of the ingredients. And the sushi itself was not tasty at all. The rice and fish didn't complement each other, and I felt like nothing was satisfying. Maybe the chef's taste buds are just different from mine. I read in another review that it wasn't the head chef preparing the food, so maybe that was the reason. I wonder if it would have been different if the head chef (who is now mostly in Ginza) had been making the sushi. But I don't think I'll be going back. I used this place to celebrate my birthday, but it was a disappointment. I feel bad for the hardworking chefs and staff, but maybe they should consider lowering the prices until they get the flavors right. The fact that it's no longer a highly sought-after reservation-only place since the head chef left speaks volumes. The interior and extravagant ingredients make it Instagram-worthy, though.