Akai

Name: Akai
Address: 430-2 Kamibentencho, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Telephone: +815054863140
Price range: $$$$
Rating: 3.7

31 votes

#1136 of 10650 sushi restaurants in Kyoto

ClosedOpens at 12PM

Updated 1 month ago

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Seeing Nenenokomichi asks for time and efforts, so if you feel hungry afterwards, visit this restaurant for a good meal. You will be served Japanese cuisine at Akai. The staff is appealing that's what makes this place so nice. Visitors mention that the service is fast here. Many guests are faithful to this spot because of the spectacular atmosphere. As for the Google rating, this restaurant achieved 4.4.

Frequently mentioned in reviews

lunch dinner

fish fried fish grilled vegetables filet américain sea urchin uni

Ratings of Akai

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Not rated yet

Google

(4.4/5)

Visitors' reviews on Akai

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Yulan Wang 8 months ago on Google

This place is fantastic, with a quiet and Japanese style atmosphere. The food is also fabulous and beautifully displayed. I recommend you to pay a visit if you want an authentic and delicate meal in Kyoto Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Response from the owner 8 months ago

熊野古道の帰り道、京都旅行のラストディに当店をお選び頂き幸栄です。食事マナーが綺麗なカップルでした。海外ゲストのメニューは難しさがあるのですが？完食くださりありがとうございます。またのご来店お待ちしております。

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Qi Xu 8 months ago on Google

A Michelin hidden gem — and unquestionably worthy of two stars. — I have visited Akai twice, eight years apart, and both experiences left a mark that stayed long after the meal ended. Some restaurants you visit once out of curiosity; Akai is the opposite. It is a place you find yourself longing to return to — for the seasons, for the quiet sincerity of the cooking, and for the gentle presence of the couple who run it. The meal itself was extraordinary. Chef Hiroki Abe and his wife create Kyoto cuisine that is rooted in tradition yet alive with a painter’s sense of color and a poet’s sensitivity to the seasons. Their “八寸” platter alone feels like a miniature landscape of the day’s moment — gingko leaves, persimmon shades, mountain yams, konnyaku, the signature Akai Egg, all arranged with a freedom rarely seen in conventional kaiseki. Every course reflects something they have personally gathered or observed in nature. The couple live in the mountains of Yase, and you can taste this closeness to the seasons in everything: the scent of yuzu lifting grilled fatty fish, the delicacy of matsutake in dobin-mushi, the sweetness of autumn vegetables, the quiet glow of Uni topped with chrysanthemum petals. Even the leaves placed on the plates carry a gentle intention. Chef Abe’s background—training at icons such as Kichisen, Tsubakiya Ryokan, and Irifune—shows in the technique, but his spirit is entirely his own. He does not cook to impress; he cooks to share. He is, quite simply, an artist who chooses food as his medium, and an earnest craftsman who keeps nothing in reserve. His wife’s service is equally heartfelt: calm, understated, steady. Together they create an atmosphere of peace that is increasingly rare. On my latest visit, the chef prepared the entire menu himself, carefully explaining each dish through translation. At the end he even handed me a handwritten Japanese menu with his seal — a gesture I will never forget. I have eaten at many Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan and abroad, and Akai is, without question, a two-star experience. It is one of the great understated treasures of Kyoto dining: honest, seasonal, intimate, quietly magnificent. To anyone who loves Kyoto, who cherishes the changing of seasons, and who values sincerity over spectacle — Akai is a place you should not miss. Deepest thanks to Chef Abe and his wife for two unforgettable meals. I hope our paths cross again in another season. Price per person: ¥10,000+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Response from the owner 8 months ago

スペインから心温まるエールに感謝また再会できる日を願っています。

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林利亚 9 months ago on Google

They are two gentle persons who made fine foods with reasonable price.the amount of food is so much that we are depressed by one more and one more again.The lunch last almost 2.5 hours and we enjoyed every moment. Thank you for your kindness and love of food. Meal type: Lunch Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Response from the owner 9 months ago

本日は上海より当店へお越し頂きありがとうございました。楽しいひと時を過ごせた事と思います。また春のベストシーズンにお待ちしております。

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+81 50-5486-3140

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Japanese, Seafood

$$$$ Price range per person JPY 10,000

430-2 Kamibentencho

Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Address

430-2 Kamibentencho, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Features

Сredit cards accepted No delivery No takeaway Booking Not wheelchair accessible

Opening hours

SundaySun	12PM-3PM 6PM-10PM
MondayMon	12PM-3PM 6PM-10PM
TuesdayTue	12PM-3PM 6PM-10PM
WednesdayWed	12PM-3PM 6PM-10PM
ThursdayThu	12PM-3PM 6PM-10PM
FridayFri	12PM-3PM 6PM-10PM
SaturdaySat	12PM-3PM 6PM-10PM