Cenci

Our dinner at Cenci Kyoto was an amazing experience that we will not forget! The restaurant is located in a calm and peaceful part of Kyoto that adds to the experience. Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the friendly and helpful staff that offered to take our jackets and hang them up. During the meal, all of them were happy to assist us and carefully introduce every dish presented. Chef Sakamoto also came to every table to introduce himself which added a great touch. As for the restaurant atmosphere, it was amazing with a modern and clean environment making the dining experience enjoyable. Lastly for the food, every dish was amazing and prepared carefully with high quality ingredients that were essential for the great experience we had. Overall, I highly recommend dining at Cenci for an amazing Japanese and Italian fusion dining experience!

Chef Sakamoto personally greeted us both upon arrival and before we left, which added a warm, personal touch to the experience. The staff went above and beyond, explaining every detail of the menu and the sake selections with care and expertise. The food was exceptional—so much so that even my husband, who isn’t typically a seafood fan, thoroughly enjoyed every seafood dish we tried. We left feeling completely satisfied and pleasantly full. I truly hope this restaurant continues to thrive and attracts more patrons. We’ll definitely be returning!

I think with Michelin Star rating, one has to manage their expectations. Some of the dishes were slightly under seasoned and not amazing. But still technically proficient and well executed. The Japanese prosciutto, olive oil, focaccia were excellent. Overall, very enjoyable experience but it is hard to name a dish that really stood out. We really enjoyed chatting with the chef.

Had an excellent dinner here, through the dishes, one could experience the heartfelt passion of Chef Ken Sakamoto. The quality of the ingredients come through its taste, the creative combinations masterfully paired reflect the effort of the Chef. Thank you for the wonderful experience.

One of the best meals I had in Japan. While it is one Michelin star right now, it really should be two or three — better than many other places like Ryugin or even French Laundry. The ingredients are largely local and the style is influenced by Italian and even Indian. It is very creative and beautifully plated without being too abstract. Most importantly every bite was delicious and I would want to actually come back to eat. The standouts were the starter fried lake fish, the prosciutto with dosa, the conger eel and the cacao with almond jelly and pear dessert. The wine pairing was probably the best matched I’ve ever had and it featured some unusual wines like one from Hokkaido and another from Czech Republic. I would definitely go out of my way to eat here again.

Cenci was a great experience for my wife and me when we visited Kyoto. It is listed as an Italian restaurant, but I would more call it a Japanese cuisine with Italian influences. There were some massive hit (and some misses) dishes. They take local ingredients that are in season and make some masterful dishes with them. Everything tasted incredible fresh. The prosciutto was out of this world. Our waiter explained each and every dish (and every wine, as we got the wine pairing) in extreme detail which was helpful. Was definitely pricey but worth the visit!

Where to begin??!! We had an awesome experience at Cenci! Each course was full of fresh ingredients, clean flavors and pure culinary innovation. Italian inspired dishes with Japanese ingredients and perspective. My 9 and 12 year old kids enjoyed every dish. We opted for the wine pairing, which was creative, and complimentary to each course, sometimes in surprising ways. Some highlights included the prosciutto crisp, pork risotto, chicken, asparagus, focaccia and unagi fettuccine. See photos! The staff was exceptional, from first being greeted at the door, wonderful sommelier explanations with wine producer background, chef Ken welcoming us and all of the support staff dropping dishes and filling water. It was my wife’s birthday and they delivered! Big thanks! It will be a forever memory during our 2024 trip to Kyoto.

One of the best Italian/Japanese-fusion meals I have ever had. This restaurant is really good at combining in-season ingredients into unique dishes. We have tried both the wine and tea pairing, they are equally thoughtful and go well with dishes. Incredible staff as well, can communicate in English very well. To note, they offered me incredible assistance during my passport incident (which has turned out to be a false alarm , but still). If you are looking for a place to spend a quality night, then look no further

One of the best meals I had in Japan. While it is one Michelin star right now, it really should be two or three -- better than many other places like Ryugin or even French Laundry. The ingredients are largely local and the style is influenced by Italian and even Indian. It is very creative and beautifully plated without being too abstract. Most importantly every bite was delicious and I would want to actually come back to eat. The standouts were the starter fried lake fish, the prosciutto with dosa, the conger eel and the cacao with almond jelly and pear dessert. The wine pairing was probably the best matched I've ever had and it featured some unusual wines like one from Hokkaido and another from Czech Republic. I would definitely go out of my way to eat here again.

Second trip to Kyoto. So happy decided to end our 3 week vacation with a meal at Cenci. A Michelin star restaurant and voted Top 50 in Asia. It's a fusion of Italian and Japanese using the ingredients locally and what is available. The chef visited each table and chatted with us for awhile knowing we are in vegas and talked about the recent announcements of the best restaurants in world was held in Vegas. The staff spoke great English. They described each meal. Also waited to serve you meal and reexplain it when I came back from the restroom. Each dish were unique. Flavors were perfect. They took the time to let you finish each course and we weren't rush compare to a two star Michelin restaurant we went the day before. We opted not doing the wine tasting menu. But I opted to get the extra dish they offered- Fava beans, Aonori, Uni, risotto. Glad I did. At the end of the meal you had option of what drink to end your meal. They gave you sample of the beans or tea to smell. Bread service was great with the dipping sauce. They offered other type of bread as well. Place is a little far from city center and took a taxi (go app). The chef again escorted us out after our meal. The tasting menu was perfect. Perfect portion size!! The pictures would explain everything. Highly recommend.

The menu for our dinner was called Bunci as the head chef was at a dinner in Taiwan. The first 2 dishes of lotus root/ fire squid and amaebi/ lotus root were somewhat bland.The red bream, green and white asparagus dishes were better. The guinea fowl meat was nice and tender but I didn't like one of the sauces. The noodles were good. The guinea broth was very light. There were 3 desserts of sorbet, crepe and financier, last was the best of the 3. Service was very good.

This place was recommended by a friend and we were lucky to be able to snag a spot for this popular restaurant. We went for lunch. Entrance is an unassuming simple entrance way, easy to miss. Upon entering we were promptly greeted and guided to our table. Service was 11/10, very attentive and hospitable as is typical of Japanese hospitality and fluent English was helpful for us who are not fluent in Japanese. The menu was explained in perfect detail and the staff are very personable and try to get to know each of its visitors. The chef personally came out to greet us and chatted with us about where we were from and his inspiration for the menu. Amazing experience and the food had not even started. The food is simply delicious - Italian with local ingredients. It does not try to do fusion but rather serves excellent Italian fare that leverages the strengths of local produce and ingredients. Every dish was unique and solidly 5 star with respect to presentation and blend of flavors. We were full but not uncomfortably stuffed and ended with light and refreshing dessert. Very reasonably priced for the high caliber and high quality food and experience you get. Would definitely come back!

Lovely meal, recommend to everyone who is visiting Kyoto. The service: all of our waiters spoke English and the communication was definitely there and before every dish someone explained the components, the special seasonal ingredients and it definitely enhanced our experience. The food: delicious, the acidity was definitely there. All of the proteins were perfectly cooked. There was a choice of tea in the end. I'm going to post the food pictures with descriptions in this review so just read through that. The menu changes seasonally so I feel like no need to address any plate directly because it'll change by the time whoever reads this visits. My favorite part is that the chef owner Ken visited the table after the first plate and said bye when we walked out too. It made us feel welcome but also rounded out the meal experience. It made us really appreciate his efforts and delicious food. It must be difficult as a chef being away from family during most hours that most people spend with family. Thank you chef!

One of our most memorable meals in Japan. Cenci is a one Michelin Star restaurant in Kyoto, located near the Heian Shrine. They recently ranked #43 on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list. The ambience is elegant yet relaxed, with an open kitchen above the seating area, allowing guests a glimpse inside. The cuisine is distinctly Japanese, with a strong Italian influence. The 12 course tasting menu was priced at a reasonable ¥15000 per person, about $115 USD, with a supplemental course available for +¥3500. I highly recommend the wine pairing, which included primarily Italian wines, plus a few Japanese wildcards. The choices were thoughtful, and really enhanced the food. Every course was exceptional, and completely unique. They were happy to accommodate my pescatarian diet. Our waiter spoke perfect English, and did a great job of explaining the food. Most ingredients were locally sourced; even the ultra creamy fresh mozzarella. Highlights of the meal included the refreshing and bright "Persimmon, Turnip, Kawahagi, Yuzu", the decadent "Hakusai, Parsley root, Cod milt", and their signature dish, "Seaweed, Karasumi, Tagliolini". The supplemental abalone course was hearty yet nuanced. Order this if you are very hungry. There was great variety in the three dessert courses, concluded with our choice of coffee/tea. I opted for ceremonial grade matcha, which is grown just 20 minutes away in Uji. Chef-owner Ken Sakamoto was kind and welcoming, and his enthusiasm shined in the meal. An absolute must in Kyoto.

Lush, attentive and wonderfully inventive kaiseke-style set menu with Italian and multicultural influences. Entering sleek interior makes one feel like you are about to embark on a very special experience. Chef Sakamoto and his staff are warm and rightly passionate about their exciting offerings. Highly recommend for a special meal in Kyoto!