SEN
杦
Kaiseki in Pontocho, Kiyamachi & Kawaramachi, Kyoto, 5 min walk from Gojō Station
Our analysis
- #2of 56 kaiseki restaurants in Pontocho, Kiyamachi & Kawaramachi
- ¥12,100least expensive lunch course; median ¥16,500
- ★Michelin Guide 2026
- Englishonline booking from abroad
Dinner ¥20,000–29,999Book online: Pocket Concierge
All 21 photos, by dishes, the room and the entrance
Dishes 13
Inside 6
Entrance 2
In our ranking, SEN is 2nd of the 56 kaiseki restaurants in Pontocho, Kiyamachi & Kawaramachi and 29th of 332 in Kyoto. Its least expensive lunch course is ¥12,100 (on Pocket Concierge), 27% below the ¥16,500 median of the 21 kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto ranked nearest to it. Its record: one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide 2026 (one of 68 in Kyoto in this guide), The Tabelog Award every year since 2021 (6 times; one of 38 in Kyoto in this guide with that run), and Tabelog 100 in 2021, 2023, and 2025. From abroad it can be booked online in English on Pocket Concierge and OMAKASE; 132 of the 332 kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto can be. Good for a seat at the counter, a private room (for 6), and an anniversary (it prepares a celebration if asked when booking). Course prices that sources agree on: ¥24,200 on both Pocket Concierge and Ikyu.
How it compares
Kaiseki restaurants in Pontocho, Kiyamachi & Kawaramachi with a dinner budget close to its own, nearest to it in our ranking.
| Restaurant | Rank in Kyoto | Dinner from | Lunch from | Booking | Awards | Walk | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEN | #29 | budget ¥20,000–29,999 | ¥12,100 | Online in English (Pocket Concierge) | ★ · Bronze 2026 · Tabelog 100 2025 | 5 min, Gojō | — |
| Yokoi | #50 | ¥27,500 | ¥16,500 | Online in English (TableCheck) | ★ | 5 min, Gojō | Mon |
| Ayanokoji Karatsu | #51 | ¥27,500 | ¥19,800 | Online in English (OMAKASE) | ★ · Bronze 2026 · Tabelog 100 2025 | 5 min, Shijō | Sun |
| Wagokoro Izumi | #53 | ¥20,790 | ¥13,860 | Online in English (Pocket Concierge) | ★ · Bronze 2023 · Tabelog 100 2023 | 1 min, Shijō | Mon |
| Godan Miyazawa | #60 | ¥16,335 | ¥9,680 | Online in English (Pocket Concierge) | ★ · Bronze 2019 · Tabelog 100 2021 | 4 min, Gojō | Tue |
| Miyagawacho Hotta | #69 | ¥26,400 | — | Online in English (TableCheck) | ★ | 3 min, Kiyomizu-Gojō | Sun |
For international visitors
Some support for visitors
Either takes bookings online in English or has a menu or staff in English, not both.
| Menu | Not listed |
|---|---|
| Staff | Not listed |
| Website | In English |
| Payment | Credit cards |
| Seating and facilities | Counter seats, Private rooms |
How to book SEN
- Book online in English on Pocket Concierge or OMAKASE, the booking services the restaurant uses.
- The restaurant also takes online bookings in Japanese through Gurunavi or Ikyu Restaurant.
- Call 050-5589-8991 (+81-50-5589-8991 from outside Japan). Staff may speak only Japanese, so a hotel concierge can call for you.
- Reservations: required. Walk-ins are not accepted.
- Anniversaries and birthdays: the restaurant prepares a celebration if you ask when you book (a dessert plate with your message, a cake or a surprise). More in Kyoto.
Courses and prices
As listed on Pocket Concierge, which takes bookings in English. Prices are per person. Book on Pocket Concierge
Omakase
Lunch
¥12,100
per person, ≈$80
Cheapest
Omakase
Lunch
¥24,200
per person, ≈$160
¥12,100 more than the one above
Omakase
Dinner
¥24,200
per person, ≈$160
The food
Photos from the restaurant's pages on Tabelog and Ikyu.
Prices
| Dinner | ¥20,000–29,999 per person |
|---|---|
| Lunch | ¥15,000–19,999 per person |
| Diners report spending | ¥20,000–29,999 at dinner, ¥15,000–19,999 at lunch |
| Service charge | A separate 10% service charge will be charged. |
| Credit cards | Accepted |
| Electronic money | Not accepted |
Opening hours
| Thursdays and Not fixed. | Entry time: 17:00 - 20:30 |
|---|
- ■Business hours
- [Lunch] Starts at 12:30 (Available only on Tue, Wed, Sat & Sun)
- [Dinner] 18:30, 19:45
- *For reservations outside of these hours, please inquire.
- *By reservation only.
- ■Closed on
Seats and rooms
Inside
The dining room, in the restaurant's own photos.
| Seats | 7 |
|---|---|
| Private rooms | Yes, for 6 people |
| Private hire | Possible |
| Smoking | Non smoking |
| Setting | Hideout, Relaxing space, Counter seating |
| Drinks | Sake (Nihonshu), Shochu (Japanese spirits), Wine |
| Services | Parties over 2.5 hours |
| Opened | March 2018 |
Getting there
5 min walk (380 m) from Gojō Station.
Also near: Kiyomizu-Gojō (Exit 3): 5 min · Shijō: 12 min
- Leave Gojō Station and walk east for 380 m.
SEN is on your left.
On your left
Look for
杦
The restaurant's name, as on its sign
The entrance, in the restaurant's own photo
Show this to a taxi driver
杦京都府京都市下京区五条通柳馬場上ル塩竈町379
The address in Japanese, as drivers enter it
Location
| Address | 379 -, Kyoto 600-8103 |
|---|---|
| Stations |
|
| Directions | 6 minutes walk from Keihan Kiyomizu Gojo Station / 450 meters from Kiyomizu Gojo Station (Keihan Main Line). |
Awards
MichelinMichelin Guide 2026: one star
SEN has one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide 2026. SEN in the Michelin Guide · All Michelin-starred restaurants in Kyoto · Michelin-starred kaiseki in Kyoto
- Selected for Tabelog Japanese cuisine WEST “Tabelog 100”, 2025
- Selected for Tabelog Japanese cuisine WEST “Tabelog 100”, 2023
- Selected for Tabelog Japanese cuisine WEST “Tabelog 100”, 2021
Questions visitors ask
How much does SEN cost?
The restaurant puts dinner at ¥20,000–29,999 per person and lunch at ¥15,000–19,999. Drinks and a service charge (A separate 10% service charge will be charged.) may be extra; credit cards are accepted.
What is the nearest station to SEN?
Gojō Station, about 5 minutes on foot (380 m). Kiyomizu-Gojō Station is about 7 minutes away.
Does SEN have a Michelin star?
Yes. SEN has one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide 2026.
Sources
Facts on this page come from Tabelog (checked in November 2026), Ikyu, Pocket Concierge, the Michelin Guide, and the restaurant's website; the walking directions from OpenStreetMap. Report a correction.