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JAEN
A quiet street in Kyoto’s Gion district at night lined with traditional machiya townhouses

019KYOTOJAPANESE · KAISEKI

Kikunoi Honten

菊乃井 本店

MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026Three Stars(as listed for 2026)

Context image — not a photograph of this restaurant: A quiet street in Kyoto’s Gion district at night lined with traditional machiya townhouses — Photo: lumoplank / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons

No.
019
City
Kyoto — Higashiyama-ku
Region
Kyoto / Kyoto
Cuisine
Japanese cuisine · Kaiseki
Guide
MICHELIN Guide Japan 2026 — Three Stars

03

Introduction

はじめに

Seasonal kaiseki in Higashiyama, Kyoto, since 1912.

A restaurant near Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama, Kyoto, surrounded by the greenery of Kodaiji Temple. Founded in the first year of the Taisho era (1912), it serves seasonal kaiseki cuisine. The official site states that the family's ancestors were tea attendants who tended the Kikusui well used by Kita-no-Mandokoro for tea.

  • Founded as a restaurant in the first year of the Taisho era (1912). Source
  • The official site states the family's ancestors were tea attendants who tended the Kikusui well used by Kita-no-Mandokoro for tea. Source
  • Located near Yasaka Shrine, surrounded by the greenery of Kodaiji Temple. Source

04

Cuisine

料理

JAPANESE

日本料理

Cooking built around dashi and the season, where vessel and room are part of the menu.

More in this cuisine

KAISEKI

懐石・会席

A sequence of small courses that traces the turning of the season, one plate at a time.

More in this cuisine

Classification follows the wording of the restaurant's official website.

05

Chef

料理人

Yoshihiro Murata

村田吉弘 — Owner

  • Has served as head chef at the Kikunoi main restaurant since 1993, the third generation of his family to do so. Source
  • Opened his own restaurant in Kyoto in 1976, the present-day Roan Kikunoi. Source
Wooden gate with open double doors leading to the garden of Isshin-in temple, Kyoto
Wooden gate with open double doors leading to the garden of Isshin-in temple, Kyoto — Photo: Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

07

Ingredients

食材

A general introduction to ingredients behind japanese cuisine cooking — not a statement of what this restaurant uses.

  • Katsuobushi (dried bonito) and kombu, the two pillars of dashi

    DASHI

    出汁

    Stock drawn from kombu and katsuobushi is the foundation of Japanese flavour.

  • Traditional Kyoto breakfast at Tamahan Ryokan: grilled mackerel, dashimaki omelette, rice and small dishes

    RICE

    米

    Sushi rice, sake, miso, koji — much of Japanese food begins with rice.

  • A sushi chef’s hands presenting kasugodai (young sea bream) nigiri at Sushi Tokami, Tokyo

    FISH

    魚

    Fish from the seas around the archipelago, different by season and by water.

08

Seasonality

季節

Seasonal produce in Kyoto varies with origin, climate and year. For menus and what is served, please refer to the restaurant's official information.
Story: Four seasons on a plate

Final course of a kaiseki dinner at Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto: setoka orange, strawberry and mint
Final course of a kaiseki dinner at Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto: setoka orange, strawberry and mint
Taranome (Japanese angelica tree shoots), a spring mountain vegetable
Taranome (Japanese angelica tree shoots), a spring mountain vegetable

09

Space

空間

Location (as stated officially)京都市東山区下河原通八坂鳥居前下る下河原町459

Details of interiors and designers are shown only when confirmed by a source.

Matcha bowl and wagashi at the Senri-an teahouse, Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka
Context: Matcha bowl and wagashi at the Senri-an teahouse, Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka — Photo: Laitche / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

10

Tableware

器と工芸

An introduction to the crafts of the Japanese table — not the vessels used at this restaurant.

  • Hagi ware tea bowl, 18th–19th century (Freer Gallery of Art)

    CERAMICS

    Arita, Kyoto, Bizen — each place with its own clay, glaze and firing.

  • Solid-red Wajima-nuri lacquer rice bowl of Japanese zelkova

    LACQUER

    Wood built up in coats of urushi lacquer — Wajima-nuri among the best known.

  • Edo kiriko cut-glass drinkware

    GLASS

    Edo kiriko and Satsuma kiriko cut glass — coolness for the summer table.

11

Guide History

ガイド掲載履歴

  1. 2026

    MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026

    Three Stars

    As shown on the official page: 「ミシュラン 三つ星: 卓越した料理」

    Verified 26 September 2026 — Source (MICHELIN Guide official page) (opens in a new tab)

  2. 2025

    Not verified — no record

  3. 2024

    Not verified — no record

  4. 2023

    Not verified — no record

This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Michelin or the MICHELIN Guide. Guide information is quoted as text only from each restaurant's page on guide.michelin.com, together with the distinction year and the date we checked it. Distinctions change from year to year — please refer to the official page for current information.

12

Location

所在地

Address
459 Shimokawarmachi, Higashiyama-Ku, Kyoto 605-0825 Kyoto Prefecture
City
Kyoto
Prefecture
Kyoto
Region
Kyoto
Open in maps (opens in a new tab)

Map position from the coordinates on the official MICHELIN Guide page.

13

Official Information

公式情報

Status
Open (per official website)
Official site
kikunoi.jp/restaurant (opens in a new tab)
Reservations
External booking page — MY CONCIERGE JAPAN (linked from the official English page for overseas guests); phone/email per official Japanese page (opens in a new tab)

The booking destination linked from the official website. This site does not take reservations; conditions at the destination may change.

Lunch
Entry 12:00–12:30
Dinner
Entry 17:00–19:30
Closed
1st and 3rd Tuesdays (closed over year-end and New Year; may vary by month)
Reservations
Reservations 10:00–22:00 (phone, email). Guests from outside Japan book online via the English/Chinese pages.

Verified 26 September 2026 — Source: Kikunoi Honten
Hours, closing days and booking conditions change. Always check the official website before visiting.

14

Gallery

ギャラリー

No licensed photograph of this restaurant has been found. The images below show its region and cuisine as context.

  • Context: Machiya facade with sudare blinds, wooden balustrades and a lamp on Shinbashi-dōri, Gion — Photo: Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Context: Hassun course of a kaiseki dinner at KAI Tsugaru, Owani Onsen, Aomori — Photo: 663highland / CC BY 2.5 / Wikimedia Commons

14b

Films

映像

Broadcaster / mediaThe 505 February 2020

Profile of Yoshihiro Murata, third-generation chef of Kikunoi in Kyoto and kaiseki master.

Kikunoi HontenYoshihiro MurataKaiseki

Source: YouTube (embedded with the official player) — Watch on YouTube · Verified 26 September 2026

Broadcaster / mediaカンテレNEWS10 July 2026

News feature on the philosophy and succession of Yoshihiro Murata of Kikunoi Honten, Kyoto.

Kikunoi HontenYoshihiro MurataJapanese cuisine

Source: YouTube (embedded with the official player) — Watch on YouTube · Verified 26 September 2026

15

Related Tables

関連する食卓

001JAPANESE

Nihonryori RyuGin

日本料理 龍吟

TOKYO — Yurakucho

MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026Three Stars(as listed for 2026)

002JAPANESE

DEN

傳

TOKYO — Jingumae

MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026Two Stars(as listed for 2026)

003JAPANESE · KAISEKI

Hyotei

瓢亭

KYOTO — Nanzenji

MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026Three Stars(as listed for 2026)

16

Stories

関連する特集

17

Sources

出典

  1. 01Official菊乃井本店 | 菊乃井Kikunoi Co., Ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  2. 02Official菊乃井について | 菊乃井Kikunoi Co., Ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  3. 03Officialご予約・お問い合わせ | 菊乃井Kikunoi Co., Ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  4. 04OfficialKikunoi (English)Kikunoi Co., Ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  5. 05Guide菊乃井 本店／Kikunoi Honten — MICHELIN GuideMICHELIN Guide (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026

Last verified 26 September 2026

18

Photo Credits

写真クレジット

  1. A quiet street in Kyoto’s Gion district at night lined with traditional machiya townhouses

    Gion, Kyoto

    Photographer / creator

    lumoplank

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC0

    lumoplank, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

  2. Wooden gate with open double doors leading to the garden of Isshin-in temple, Kyoto

    Higashiyama, Kyoto

    Photographer / creator

    Basile Morin

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  3. Katsuobushi (dried bonito) and kombu, the two pillars of dashi

    Photographer / creator

    サフィル

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    サフィル, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  4. Traditional Kyoto breakfast at Tamahan Ryokan: grilled mackerel, dashimaki omelette, rice and small dishes

    Tamahan Ryokan, Kyoto

    Photographer / creator

    MichaelMaggs

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

    MichaelMaggs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  5. A sushi chef’s hands presenting kasugodai (young sea bream) nigiri at Sushi Tokami, Tokyo

    Sushi Tokami, Tokyo

    Photographer / creator

    City Foodsters

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

    City Foodsters, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  6. Hagi ware tea bowl, 18th–19th century (Freer Gallery of Art)

    Photographer / creator

    AnonymousUnknown author

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

    AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  7. Solid-red Wajima-nuri lacquer rice bowl of Japanese zelkova

    Photographer / creator

    yuuki ゆうき(金野裕希)

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    yuuki ゆうき(金野裕希), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  8. Edo kiriko cut-glass drinkware

    Photographer / creator

    Nesnad

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

    Nesnad, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  9. Matcha bowl and wagashi at the Senri-an teahouse, Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka

    Suita, Osaka

    Photographer / creator

    Laitche

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Photo by Laitche

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  10. Final course of a kaiseki dinner at Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto: setoka orange, strawberry and mint

    Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto

    Photographer / creator

    Paul Keller

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

    Paul Keller, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  11. Taranome (Japanese angelica tree shoots), a spring mountain vegetable

    Photographer / creator

    Kentin

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Kentin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  12. Machiya facade with sudare blinds, wooden balustrades and a lamp on Shinbashi-dōri, Gion

    Gion Shinbashi, Kyoto

    Photographer / creator

    Basile Morin

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  13. Hassun course of a kaiseki dinner at KAI Tsugaru, Owani Onsen, Aomori

    Owani, Aomori

    Photographer / creator

    663highland

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

    663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment