Cenci

Kyoto, Japan

• No.47 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024

Cenci seamlessly melds Italian heritage cuisine with Japanese precision. Located near Kyoto’s Heian Shrine, the restaurant’s entrance has a clandestine air about it, with access being through a red-brick tunnel built by chef-owner Ken Sakamoto and his team using the earth displaced during the venue’s 2014 construction. The Kyoto born-and-raised Sakamoto takes top-notch native produce as the inspiration for his hyper-seasonal 10-course tasting menu. Dishes raise eyebrows both for their unexpected pairings and for just how good those pairings turn out to be: think Kyoto pork with porcini mushrooms and Tasmanian grain mustard; Matsutake mushroom spaghetti, Hokkaido oyster on a bed of rice risotto, and a terrific chestnut ice-cream dessert. The high-octane kitchen is raised above the elegant seating area, allowing guests to watch Sakamoto and his cutting-edge crew in action.

Key Information

• Average price per person $115
• Tasting menu from $55
• Lunch and dinner: Sun – Mon
• 075 708 5307
• Visit Cenci's Website

Location

44-7 Shogoin Entomi-cho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606 8323