8 Traditional Japanese Restaurants in Kyoto for Vegan Kaiseki

A Rise in Vegan-friendly Restaurants in Kyoto

With the MICHELIN Guide's world-renowned restaurants leading the way, more and more Japanese restaurants are beginning to offer high level vegan food. Kaiseki and shoujin ryori make use of traditional plant-based recipes and naturally vegan ingredients to enchant diners with Japan's traditional cuisines. In Kyoto, the birthplace of Japanese culinary canon, diners can enjoy a wide range of vegan dishes from these two schools.

Kaiseki is a formal style of seasonal Japanese cuisine that features a wide range of small dishes served one-by-one, following long-established traditions of preparation, order, and style. Shojin ryori is the traditional vegetarian diet of Buddhist monks, which limits the use of intense seasonings and animal-based products.

In this article, you'll find a selection of restaurants in Kyoto with vegan menus curated by OMAKASE, the only official partner of the MICHELIN Guide in Japan. Each restaurant featured here can be booked directly on OMAKASE Japan Eatinerary, including those with MICHELIN stars. Keep reading to discover unforgettable vegan and vegetarian friendly meals in Kyoto.

8 Traditional Japanese Restaurants in Kyoto for Vegan Kaiseki

The restaurants in this list are able to offer vegan accommodations at different levels. Some offer full vegan course menus as standard fare, available without advance preparation, though guests should still mention any specific concerns in the booking notes, as understandings of veganism vary between cultures. Others are able to serve vegan courses with adequate advance notice. These restaurants have been singled out in the text. Still others may not offer a fully vegan experience or may require that certain courses be omitted, but among these, vegetarian menu options are still available with some flexibility for items such as eggs and dashi.

1. Gion Fukushi (ぎをん 福志)

In 2023, this restaurant was named one of the hundred best washoku restaurants in all of Western Japan; it's also been a one-starred MICHELIN restaurant since 2019.Chef Takuji Fukushi opened his self-appointed "Gion Fukushi" after spending about 20 years between Ginza kappo and Kyoto ryotei kitchens. He served as head-chef in Kyoto for 3 years before moving on to establish his own restaurant where traditional kyo-ryori gets timely updates to satisfy contemporary guests. Well attuned to the needs of foreign visitors, chef Fukushi and his wife are happy to offer a vegan course meal if requested in advance and even provide non-traditional options for the finishing dish, like chilled soba noodles. Tables seating up to six are popular with groups and families, while pairs enjoy watching meals made up close at the 200-year old cedar counter. The chef's particular attention to seasonal celebrations and artisan ceramics have even charmed Michelin inspectors.

2. Kodaiji Jugyuan (高台寺 十牛庵)

Housed in a building by renowned Meiji-era architects, Kodaiji Jugyuan continues a century of ryōtei tradition beside Kodaiji Temple. Its menu takes inspiration from the French cuisson of Hiramatsu, utilizing western flame control in a menu that highlights animal protein as a notable departure from traditional kaiseki. Embracing modern values, the restaurant also prepares vegan-friendly menus for guests who avoid seafood or meat, as long as a week's notice is provided. From the second floor, diners overlook Kyoto’s quiet cityscape. On the first, they enjoy a garden once admired by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his wife. Though Jugyuan opened under the Hiramatsu group in 2017, its legacy reaches much farther back, to 1908, when Jugyuan was first opened as part of the ryotei lodgings . In 2025, Jyugyuan earned two Michelin stars, marking a new achievement for this cherished icon.

3. Noguchi Tsunagu (のぐち継)

Noguchi Tsunagu, opened in 2019, quickly rose to one star status in the 2021 MICHELIN guide. Tsunagu is the sister store to legendary Kyotenjin Noguchi. At Tsunagu, chef Daisuke Yoshida riffs on the Noguchi brand by marrying classical Kyoto cuisine with contemporary Japanese food, like croquettes, katsu and comfort bites. After 5 brief courses of seasonal kappo, guests are encouraged to continue the meal with their preferred orders, which range from small plate kaiseki to rib-sticking fried morsels. The signature dish, which appears during every course, is "nikusui," tender wagyu steeped more than cooked in a kombu and dashi broth. Tsunagu is able to offer some vegan and vegetarian alternatives in the menu, but they do caution guests that dashi is an irreplaceable element in many offerings, so hard-line restrictions may be difficult to accommodate. That said, those open to a little wiggle room with be moved by the creativity and quality of Tsunagu's unique course menu.

4. Shigetsu (篩月)

Tenryu-ji and its on-site restaurant, Shigetsu, have a host of globally recognized accolades; among them, world heritage site recognition, and 10 years of Bib-gourmand awards in the MICHELIN guide. Located on temple grounds, Shigetsu serves Zen buddhist vegetarian food. The shojin-ryori meals are often booked as far as a month in advance, though the restaurant can seat up to 250 guests for special occasions. Located in Arashiyama, to the southwest of Kyoto station, a visit to Tenryu-ji is more than a quick stopover. However,the temple's serene landscape and seasonal dressing is a welcome complement to the light meals served at Shigetsu. By nature, the shojin-ryori meals are vegan friendly, but it's still best to mention any specifics that need to be avoided, such as eggs or honey. The temple entrance fee is charged separately from the meal, so take time to stroll the grounds before or after to fully soak in the zen.

5. Kinobu (木乃婦)

Chef Takuji Takahashi utilizes a layered flavor profile that incorporate techniques such as fonds and bouillon on top of the traditional dashi broth-base of Japanese cooking. His cooking style comes from his wealth of experience in Japan and abroad. Awarded a Michelin star in 2019, the cuisine represents his consistent desire to create Japanese food that can stand on a global stage. Takahashi is the third generation chef of Kinobu, which was founded by the ryokan Kifuji. Originally a catering service, Kinobu evolved into a full fledged ryotei, featuring private rooms with a variety of dining styles. Whether guests prefer a more traditional dining style with horigotatsu seating, or a modern table, Kinobu is happy to accommodate. A vegan menu is available by special request, but so is a unique style of kaiseki that encourages guests to take advantage of chef Takahashi's sommelier license and enjoy a wine-pairing focused meal.

6. Kiyama (木山)

Start the meal with water from an on site well, boiled to pure, and finish with as many of the 5 shime as you care to enjoy. Kiyama is located near the Imperial palace gardens, on the unlikely first floor of an apartment building. Chef Yoshiro Kiyama, an acolyte of the legendary Wakuden who joined at just 19 and spent 10 of his 15 years there as head chef, has been recognized as a culinary prodigy. His characteristic glasses are a welcome sight for regulars, and his appreciation for good wines sees the team to Europe regularly for in-depth study. Chef Kiyama's dashi is the star of the meal, so while courses can be rendered plant-based otherwise, bonito flakes are an inevitability that may not be suitable for some vegan diners. Kiyama was awarded a Michelin star a year after opening in 2017. Kiyama has also been named one of the top 100 washoku restaurants in West Japan and once earned a gold distinction from the most well-respected domestic rating body.

7. Kanamean Nishitomiya (要庵 西富家)

Kanamean Nishitomiya is a one Michelin star restaurant located within a one Michelin key hotel, where innovation is seen as a natural complement to tradition, not an enemy of it. Kanamean's restaurant is available even to guests who aren't staying at the ryokan, unmatched an experience as it is. Since Kanamean has received widespread recognition from hotel and fine dining collectives around the globe, this family business has also leaned on the expertise of international chefs and adopted new ways of presenting Kyoto cuisine. In addition to offering wider accommodations for diners in need of vegan, plant-based and vegetarian menus upon request, they also incorporate western ingredients like caviar and truffles. Many guests choose to stay in ryokan for the traditional atmosphere that carries with it memories of a much older Japan, but at Kanamean they get to enjoy all that and the modern influence of sommelier selected wine and wagyu.

8. Ichijoji Norihide (一乗寺 乃り英)

The current Norihide continues the legacy of much beloved Kappo Norisen after the untimely death of its head chef. The restaurant, located in a sleepy residential area outside central Kyoto city, apparently used to be a tofu specialty shop before chef Fukuhara adapted it. The atmosphere is very traditional, looking more like a home than a restaurant. Each seat evokes a sense of calm and control, complete with windows that overlook the relaxing Japanese garden. From 2021 to 2024, Norihide held a Michelin star. Among Japanese dining connoisseurs, it is best known as a continuation of the Norisen legacy into modern day. The autumn courses, with their generous use of mushrooms and hamo (conger eel) are particularly highly praised. Diners are encouraged to write any vegan or vegetarian needs at the time of reservation and staff will do their best to accommodate.