MIZAI Kyoto

Awards

MICHELIN Guide

Three stars restaurant, 2026

All Michelin stars in Kyoto All Michelin stars in Japan All 3 stars Michelin in Kyoto All 3 stars Michelin in Japan

OAD

Japanese Restaurants 2026, 130

All OAD Japanese in Kyoto All OAD Japanese in Japan

Tabelog

2026 Bronze

All Tabelog in Kyoto All Tabelog in Japan All Tabelog Bronze in Kyoto All Tabelog Bronze in Japan

La Liste

La Liste, #335

All La Liste in Kyoto All La Liste in Japan

Restaurant Ranking

Restaurant Ranking 2024, #226, PRO #18.83, USER #17.50

All Restaurant Ranking in Kyoto All Restaurant Ranking in Japan

Ratings from the web

Tabelog

4.27

Chef

Hitoshi Ishihara

Cuisine

Japanese Cuisine

• 2026
• 2021
• 2016

9 / 10

Dinner at MIZAI

on 01 Jul 2026

by JO E太郎

Located at the far end of Maruyama-cho, the entrance can be a bit hard to find. Even before the scheduled time, the apprentice was there to greet us. The meal begins with the owner, who seems strict about his work, teaching us the proper etiquette for the tea kaiseki course. The sashimi selection is impressive, with a wide variety of condiments and seasonings. Throughout the meal, including the final course of hassun, we enjoyed our food while savoring some sake.

8 / 10

Dinner at MIZAI

on 01 Jun 2026

by JUN 1994

I had read an article about the pinnacle of Japanese kaiseki cuisine, so I decided to visit.Photography of the dishes is prohibited, so I have no pictures.At the beginning, the chef mentioned the etiquette of kaiseki dining, which made me a bit nervous, but I felt relieved when I was told I could enjoy the dishes in my preferred way starting from the second course.The sashimi, fish dishes, and meat dishes were all incredibly delicious, and the portions were quite generous. Additionally, the other... More

I had read an article about the pinnacle of Japanese kaiseki cuisine, so I decided to visit.Photography of the dishes is prohibited, so I have no pictures.At the beginning, the chef mentioned the etiquette of kaiseki dining, which made me a bit nervous, but I felt relieved when I was told I could enjoy the dishes in my preferred way starting from the second course.The sashimi, fish dishes, and meat dishes were all incredibly delicious, and the portions were quite generous. Additionally, the other customers had a refined demeanor, which added to the atmosphere.There were hardly any Instagrammers focused on taking photos; most guests were genuinely enjoying their food and drinks.Many guests, including myself, ordered wine. Since there were no price listings, I felt a bit anxious about the total cost, but it ended up being around JPY 130,000 for one person and JPY 260,000 for two, which is on par with a travel-level meal.However, the location, ambiance, and cuisine of the restaurant all contributed to a unique experience that felt more like an activity. Less

10 / 10

Dinner at MIZAI

on 16 May 2026

by 短 い夜

Wonderful. Mizai. It’s a relaxed yet tense atmosphere. I can’t take photos, so I can’t fully convey how amazing it is, but I truly feel fortunate to be seated in such a top-tier restaurant. The presentation of the sashimi, the deliciousness of the meat, and the main dish featuring conger eel were all exceptional. The crispy rice dish was delightful. The initial tea ceremony course and the final matcha were both exquisite. And then there was the hassun that came out later, which was impressively... More

Wonderful. Mizai. It’s a relaxed yet tense atmosphere. I can’t take photos, so I can’t fully convey how amazing it is, but I truly feel fortunate to be seated in such a top-tier restaurant. The presentation of the sashimi, the deliciousness of the meat, and the main dish featuring conger eel were all exceptional. The crispy rice dish was delightful. The initial tea ceremony course and the final matcha were both exquisite. And then there was the hassun that came out later, which was impressively arranged. Indeed, it’s incredible. Less

9 / 10

Dinner at MIZAI

on 01 May 2026

by yuya n1223

Visited in May 2026.This is a restaurant I had wanted to visit for a long time.I found an available table on Tabelog and made a reservation.Regarding the food,it was generally delicious.For example, while the sashimi was good, there are other places that might serve even better individual ingredients.However, considering the variety, overall quality, and the effort put into the dishes, I was quite satisfied.I enjoyed the grilled tuna skin, which was unique and interesting.That said, the sashimi portions... More

Visited in May 2026.This is a restaurant I had wanted to visit for a long time.I found an available table on Tabelog and made a reservation.Regarding the food,it was generally delicious.For example, while the sashimi was good, there are other places that might serve even better individual ingredients.However, considering the variety, overall quality, and the effort put into the dishes, I was quite satisfied.I enjoyed the grilled tuna skin, which was unique and interesting.That said, the sashimi portions are quite generous, so some might not be able to fully enjoy it all the way to the end.As for the portion sizes,I had heard they were very large.I had set my expectations high, so it was less than I imagined.I managed to finish everything, but I think most people would typically eat about 70-80% of it.Regarding cost performance,considering the ingredients and portion sizes, I think the cost performance is not great.When taking into account the atmosphere, the restaurant's prestige, and the service, I still feel the cost performance is lacking.However, personally, I believe the dishes are of the highest level and intricately prepared within the genre of Japanese cuisine.Experiencing the unique world of the tea kaiseki that a legendary restaurant like Mizai offers, along with the originality of the dishes, makes it worth visiting.This time, perhaps because some guests were taking the Shinkansen home, the meal concluded in just under 2 hours and 30 minutes.Considering the volume of food, it was hard to keep up with the alcohol.Mizai is an interesting restaurant that offers a dining experience that transcends taste and cost performance.Personally, I would like to visit again. Less

8 / 10

Dinner at Mizai (未在)

on 18 Jan 2021

by Gerhard Huber

Dinner at 未在

on 16 Jan 2021

by Reisa Jiang

Mizai 未在 2nd visit — as good as the first time. Really enjoyed the takenoko and wakame dashi. For me two important qualities of an outstanding kaiseki meal are the balance and profoundness of the dashi; and the presentation, complexity and creativity of the hassun. Mizai excels in both. Loved the beautiful sake carafes and glasses too. Wish food photos are allowed.. •
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#foodgasm #yum #eat #foodpic #foodpics #foodphotography... More

Mizai 未在 2nd visit — as good as the first time. Really enjoyed the takenoko and wakame dashi. For me two important qualities of an outstanding kaiseki meal are the balance and profoundness of the dashi; and the presentation, complexity and creativity of the hassun. Mizai excels in both. Loved the beautiful sake carafes and glasses too. Wish food photos are allowed.. •
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#foodgasm #yum #eat #foodpic #foodpics #foodphotography #foodlover #tasty #hungry #foodblogger #dessert #foods #cooking #foodies #eating #chef #foodblog #nomnom #delicious #mizai #kyoto #japan #japanesefood #kaiseki #未在 #懐石料理 #日本 #日本料理 #京都 #finedining Less

9 / 10

Dinner at Mizai

on 06 Oct 2016

by I. Anna A

No pics allowed.

9 / 10

Dinner at Mizai (未在)

on 03 Oct 2016

by Gerhard Huber

Tugged away in the Maruyama Park is one restaurant which is one of the hardest to get into.

Thanks to the connection of a friend I got a reservation and flew just for this meal to Japan.

The food is outstanding, the ingredients as good as they get and the presentation as you would expect in Kyoto very beautiful.

The atmosphere is a bit austere with the Chef only warming up to his customers once the meal was over.

If there were one criticism it would be that the amount of food served... More

Tugged away in the Maruyama Park is one restaurant which is one of the hardest to get into.

Thanks to the connection of a friend I got a reservation and flew just for this meal to Japan.

The food is outstanding, the ingredients as good as they get and the presentation as you would expect in Kyoto very beautiful.

The atmosphere is a bit austere with the Chef only warming up to his customers once the meal was over.

If there were one criticism it would be that the amount of food served is too much for a normal customer. There are 11 seats on the counter and a table of 4. On the counter there were 7 women and 4 men seated, not one of the women were able to eat the entire meal. It is a shame to send back such great food.
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