Gion Shizuka

Gion is the historic entertainment district of Kyoto, located north of Shijo-dori Street. One of its symbols is the Gion Tatsumi Bridge, which spans the Shirakawa River in front of Tatsumi Jinja shrine and attracts many Japanese and international tourists.

Just south of Tatsumi Bridge is Gion Shizuka, a restaurant that opened only in July 2024 and is based in a traditional “kyomachiya” Kyoto townhouse. It is a “Koryori-ten,” the name for an establishment that serves both food and alcohol and occupies a niche between a casual izakaya and traditional Japanese “kappo” cuisine.

The concept of Gion Shizuka is to “give customers the chance to encounter outstanding Japanese sake in Kyoto, a place where Japan’s traditional culture is communicated.” Gion Shizuka boasts a fine sake selection ranging from carefully selected and famous brands from across Japan to unusual, hard-to-find labels. The latter includes Juyondai, a rare sake unavailable for purchase by the general public. Gion Shizuka selects its sake with advice from the JAPAN CRAFT SAKE COMPANY, set up by Hidetoshi Nakata, a former soccer star who played in Italy’s Serie A and on the Japanese national team.

The restaurant's “Dinner Time” begins at 8 p.m., but before that, from 4 p.m., is Aperitif Time, when customers can enjoy sake by the glass. Bar Time is from 9 p.m. During Aperitif Time and Bar Time, Gion Shizuka serves Japanese whiskies and cocktails, as well as sake, so that customers may relax and savor the Gion night.

Gion Shizuka offers two dinner omakase courses, prepared by a Michelin-starred chef and featuring pairings of seasonal ingredients with sake. The dishes showcase flavors of the four seasons, while courses conclude with Kyoto oden and udon prepared using oden soup, a unique feature of a koryori-ten meal.

There is a private room on the second floor, to which customers can invite maiko (trainee geisha) and geiko (the Kyoto name for geisha) to perform at “ozashiki” geisha parties. Customers who wish to use this room must reserve well in advance.

At Gion Shizuka, customers can enjoy the finest sake paired with seasonal dishes in a traditional Kyoto townhouse. It is an unmissable chance to dine in the gorgeous Gion district and create unforgettable memories of Kyoto.

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