Vegan

Vegetarian food (Shojin Ryori) located inside Sogen Garden of the Tenryu-ji temple, Arashiyama. Garden admission fee is 500 Yen. Address in Japanese: 京都府京都市右京区嵯峨天龍寺芒ノ馬場68. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-2:00pm.


Venue map for Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu
© OpenStreetMap contributors

66 Reviews

First Review by backpasher

LakshanFernando

Points +32

Vegan
10 Mar 2024

Great shojin ryori experience

Wanted to try this vegan experience since reading about it. I was so happy when the Happy Cow app showed this place when I was visiting the temple. The food, the separate dishes, sitting on the mat, dining with the other guests were an experience that I would carry for ever of my visit to Japan!

HoneyHan

11 Mar 2024

Hi just curious whether u made a reservation or walk-in?

20tleeper

Points +49

Vegan
18 Feb 2024

A Must Do Experience

If you are vegan or have any desire to explore traditional Buddhist cuisine, please come here. It will not disappoint. The food was delicious and unlike anything I have ever had in my life. It was also a very filling and clean meal. I felt very satisfied and genuinely felt good after eating it. Some of the food was a little unidentifiable, so I didn’t know everything I was eating…but it was all good. It was of course on the more expensive side of eating in Kyoto but it is understandable why.

Pros: The Ambiance, Serving Size

Cons: Some food wasn’t identifiable

Thunderflop

Points +124

Vegan
10 Feb 2024

Experience 10/10

Shigetsu offers tasty veganized Japanese dishes in a beautiful setting. You will be sitting on tatami mats, savoring every bite of their traditional flavors. Staff is very friendly and they speak English.

FaithUgates

Points +399

Vegan
31 Jan 2024

It was an experience

It was my first time dining in a restaurant like this and having a shojin ryori meal. This is heaven for a vegan/vegetarian and a must try if you are visiting the area. I ordered the least expensive set but I still ended up very full. I love everything about it, the food, the ambiance, the location and the staff. #Veganuary

Tyrni

Points +32

Vegan
26 Dec 2023

Really good Shojin Ryori

I was a bit wary since the area around the temple is quite touristy, but the food was fantastic. I haven't had Shojin Ryori anywhere else so I cannot compare it to anything, but everything was delicious and the flavors were very unique for me.

I paid 3300 JPY for the set menu but prices are due to increase shortly according to the website. There are other higher priced sets where you get more courses. It is a relatively high price considering how inexpensively you can eat in Japan, but it was well worth it for me and I got plenty of food.

KatharinaW.

Points +60

Vegan
23 Oct 2023

Very good!

While this spot is in the middle of such a large tourist attraction and the restaurant seems to run like a well-oiled machine, it is still very good and very worth visiting.

I arrived without reservation and was served the Yuki/Snow course. It was a full tablet of temple cuisine with a big pot of tea. Among different kinds of veggies, I was served Yuba, Konjak, Rice, Goma Dofu, spinach in Yuzu - A very good mix of flavours.

To my delight they kept bringing more food, so I also received a pumpkin soup with a rice cake, a fresh sweet potato croquette and seasonal fruit.

The food was very good. I ate a lot of temple cuisine in Japan and this was definitely among my favorites. Like mentioned before, temple cuisine tries to preserve the original flavours of the ingredients and can therefore be a bit on the bland side. I found this course to be much more flavorsome than some others I tried.

If you have the chance, don't miss this spot!

I paid 3300 Yen for the whole course tea.

Updated from previous review on 2023-10-23

Pros: Great Seasonal Food!, Friendly English-speaking staff

Cons: A bit on the touristy side

Beverlovely

Points +19

Vegetarian
15 Oct 2023

Not the best

The venue is lovely and the staff very nice but unfortunately we found the food bland and sometimes unidentifiable. I understand this is a temple and the food is simple but it was not for us.

Pros: Soup was nice, Presentation of food

Cons: Found food bland, Unidentifiable

Gub

Points +82

Vegan
11 Oct 2023

Spectacular experience in a unique setting

We pre-booked the Hana course which included a private room. After entering without shoes we were seated on the floor at our individual tables and the servers brought the courses. Although each of the 15 or so individual dishes was quite small, there was so much food I was the most full I’ve been in a long time.

We were not told what all of the dishes were so I would only recommend this to open-minded eaters. Fussy eaters probably won’t enjoy the mystery!

Although it may seem expensive compared to other meals in Japan (around £90 total for the two of us), it was such a special experience which we’ll remember forever.

Pros: An opportunity to try many traditional foods, All vegan, Unique setting

Cons: It would be nice to know what each dish was

mcallavera

Points +178

Vegan
09 Oct 2023

Interesting experience

Lunch was a completely new experience to us. Relaxing atmosphere and extremely nice staff. The food was wonderfully arranged but some of it was really strange to our western palates. You could tell it was high quality though. I found the price for our menu a bit steep at 5500¥. There are cheaper menus though, which I would probably recommend if you are not used to this kind of cuisine.

RainbowTrainy

Points +1087

Vegan
11 Sep 2023

A relaxing dining experience!

My boyfriend and I each had the HANA course which consists of rice, soup, and 7 side dishes for ¥8.000,- per person. The staff was super friendly, and the dishes were presented so beautifully. A relaxing experience where we sat on the floor and drank tea. The food was partly bland and slimey, but that is so be expected from this kitchen. Overall, a good experience and would recommend 🌱✨

Pros: Relaxing atmosphere , Beautiful food

Cons: Slimey food

Osnati

Points +40

Vegan
27 Aug 2023

An unforgettable experience

Traditional dishes, very well thought out and delicious. Unique textures and flavors. We have not identified all the ingredients. The meat eater enjoyed the meal very much, he was ready to eat such a meal every day and join the vegan community

Updated from previous review on 2023-08-27

SJ738

Points +107

Vegan
19 Aug 2023

Once In A Lifetime Experience

Once in a lifetime experience of multi-course vegan Japanese food. Each course uniquely prepared with fresh vegetables and authentic flavor. Reserve in advance, higher price allows for more courses and private room.

syong2

Points +174

Vegetarian
04 May 2023

Traditional Japanese Vegan Meal in Exceptional Environment

When we first did our research on this restaurant which was part of our Kyoto trip planning to Arashiyama, we were initially put off by how expensive the meals were. However, we decided to take the plunge and eat here since it is not every day that we as vegans get to enjoy traditional Japanese Vegan meals in such a great environment. And we were not disappointed. The food was great (we are asian so rice-based food tend to be great for us) and the environment excellent. We also saw that the restaurant was recognized by Michelin. The online reservation process was super-easy (Thanks to Google Translate), but you must do it at least 3 days in advance. The reservation gets sent to your email, and we just showed the receptionist our email confirmation and we were escorted to our seats.

Pros: Unique cultural experience

Cons: Expensive

Nattata

Points +365

Vegan
25 Apr 2023

Worth it for the experience

Shojin ryori is not the most flavorful cuisine. The meal was fairly austere flavor-wise, though quite pretty. However if you are a tourist to Kyoto looking for a shojin ryori experience without breaking the bank, this is the place to go. I wouldn't eat here every day, but I would recommend everyone eat here once.

Pros: Cultural experience, unique food

Cons: Not super tasty

MariaD

Points +2488

Vegan
24 Apr 2023

Wonderful experience and fantastic Zen Buddhist food

Loved the authentic dining experience! Went pretty early at their opening time at 11am because we didn't have a reservation. Thankfully, they were able to accommodate us pretty quickly! You are required to take your shoes off and then are guided to a shared dining room where you sit on the floor on tatami.

The food was delicious! The eggplant and the sesame tofu were the winners! Plus, green tea is included in the set. Additional drinks like hot sake, wine, oolong tea, etc. can be ordered at an additional cost.

The food was enjoyed by vegans and non-vegans alike😄The only set available was the cheapest one at 3300 yen which was fantastic because the sets can get pretty pricey at 5000 yen. Definitely recommend this place!

Pros: All vegan!

nerissawvh

Points +165

Mostly Veg
16 Apr 2023

A cultural experience

During high season it is less peaceful but we enjoyed it. Wasn't easy to reserve online due to language issue although chrome browser translates pretty well. Must reserve in advance

Updated from previous review on 2023-04-16

Pros: Beautiful presentation of local food , Stunning gardens in spring , Traditional tatami setting

Cons: Seated close to other tourists who may be talking , Not easy to find. Ask and look for signs, Food is exotic and you have to be open minded

hotmilk993

Points +452

Vegan
16 Apr 2023

Great food but hectic environment

The restaurant is located inside the Tenryuji Temple complex which is swarmed with tourists (you need to pay garden entrance to reach the restaurant, but it’s cheap and the garden is nice). The restaurant itself has a bit of a theme park restaurant vibe as a result. I think there are some private rooms but most people sit in large rooms (like a dining hall) where you are very close to other parties.
We got the cheapest menu and it was very filling, so don’t worry about that when selecting your course!
Reserve in advance.

Ebsveg

Points +2031

Vegan
13 Apr 2023

Unique experience

Honestly this is a 10/10 experience that I really recommend to anyone if they can go. Food wise maybe more so 8/10. I loved half the dishes, liked a quarter and wasn't super fond of the last quarter but that's why I liked about the experience. You get to try such a variety and between all 3 of us we all loved different dishes which I loved.

Although the sign outside said fully booked we walked in at opening and they said there was space, so if it says fully booked i think just try and see if there is space. It is pricey and you do have to pay entry to the garden (500 yen) but it was such an amazing experience I think it's really worth doing.

cheerfulgoat

Points +245

Vegetarian
22 Mar 2023

Very disappointing

Was so excited to try this place and yet it wound up being both our worst and most expensive meal. It’s very much a texture experience and not one I liked. My group of four had three haters and one “it was fine.” I’ve had temple food a few times now and this was by far the least appetizing. The experience itself was nice though.

Pros: Quite a bit of food, Nice atmosphere eating in rows with everyone else

Cons: Did not enjoy the food, Expensive

jollieduck

Points +1419

Vegan
19 Mar 2023

A sublime experience

A delightful and delicious vegan spread inside of a UNESCO world cultural site. I really enjoyed the experience, although and not completely sure about the composition of everything that I ate as there were no explanations for the set menu. I ordered the smallest option at 3,300 Yen and it was more than enough food.

Everyone sits on the ground in a long row, facing another row of diners. I was happy to be on the end to get an oblique view of the gardens outside.

They were fully booked for the day when I arrived, so I’m glad I had made a reservation before my trip.

Updated from previous review on 2023-03-19

lulu-c

Points +156

Vegan
09 Mar 2023

I don’t know what half of the dishes actually were but they were good

Took several non-vegan friends here and everyone came out impressed. Note, we got the smallest course number and we were all incredibly full when we walked out. Highlights were the best tofu I’ve ever had, a delicious soup, broccoli in wasabi sauce, and daifuku dessert. The atmosphere and views are really pleasant too.

Outshine5610

Points +12

#Veganuarian
17 Feb 2023

Expensive but quality food

Unique food. Great experience. Last order was at 2:00 pm which left plenty of time to wander around the beautiful surroundings.

Updated from previous review on 2023-02-17

Pros: New options for vegans , Flavours we had not experienced before, Amazing interior

Cons: Expensive

AnnChee

Points +427

Vegetarian
05 Feb 2023

Oriental Vegetarian (Allium-free)

Made a reservation beforehand to request for Oriental vegetarian option. Shigetsu awarded Michelin 2023. Very zen and quiet place for dining. The staff mentioned that we are not allowed to video/photograph other diners and hence were unable to take a photo of the dining place. Each room has two rows of tables, one of the rooms allows you to sit opposite each other while in the other room, you can only sit side by side. Recommended to have a light breakfast beforehand as there are a lot of dishes and I took quite a long while to finish all of them~

meagabug

Points +335

Vegan
15 Jan 2023

Unforgettable

I noticed the man sitting across the room from me closed his eyes as he chewed his food. I tried it too. I savored the moment in the quiet room, took in the flavors of all the different dishes, cherished the comfort of sitting on tatami after a long morning of traveling, heard the hushed voices around the dining room. I’ll never forget my meal here.

Hayden5780

Points +172

Vegan
10 Jan 2023

Lovely experience

A lovely, unique experience being able to dine inside the temple. We had the smallest set and there was plenty of food. We found none of the dishes were stand outs for flavour but would recommend for the experience.

Dariush

Points +748

Vegan
21 Oct 2022

Great experience

As noted, make sure you book three days in advance. You’ll be served in separate tatami rooms- in our case, it was just our party of five to a room. We ordered the largest set, which was pricey but well worth it- massive amounts of food, all clearly prepared with love and care. This is not an exhaustive or particularly accurate list, but my set included rice, pickles, mushrooms, tofu, two different soups, matcha and mochi for dessert… needless to say I left full.

FieldRoaster🌱

21 Oct 2022

spirrettsensei

Points +67

Vegetarian
13 Mar 2022

Authentic shoujin ryouri experience

Simple online reservation system but recommended to book three days in advance. Will get a phone call to confirm your reservation and this will probably be in Japanese. Surprised to see not many people there, when they can clearly accommodate many people at one time.

We had the smallest set, which was a little pricey but well worth the expense. Every bite was an interesting flavour that really made the experience special. The atmosphere is very peaceful and the service very friendly!

Pros: Variety of dishes and flavours, Unique experience, Friendly staff

Cons: Little pricey, Have to pay admission to the gardens to get in




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