3 Best Restaurants in Kyoto, Japan

If you visit Tenryu-ji at lunchtime, consider dining at Shigetsu, within the temple precinct. The tenzo, a monk trained to prepare Zen cuisine, creates a multicourse meal that achieves the harmony of the six basic flavors—bitter, sour, sweet, salty, light, and hot—attributes necessary to balance body and mind. Although you won't partake in the monk's daily helping of gruel, a salted plum, and pickled radishes, you will try vegetarian Zen cuisine at its tastiest. The price for lunch in the large dining area overlooking a garden does not include admission to the garden, however. Open from 11 am to 2 pm. Reservations are required and can be made online.

This old-style soba noodle shop two blocks south of Tenryu-ji Temple sits right in the thick of things and has a splendid view of the river. Feel free to relax on a cushion and face the river while you recharge before visiting your next temple. The tempura comes highly recommended. An English menu is available.

Amid Arashiyama's lush bamboo forests, this quiet retreat offers a fine example of hot-pot tofu yudofu cooking. The set meal includes delicacies such as abura-age (fried tofu with black sesame seeds), tempura vegetables and shrimp, and Kyoto's famous Morita tofu. The service is leisurely and elegant, and most tables have garden views. Both floor and chair seating are available. The owner is an enthusiast of the bamboo shakuhachi flute. Its dulcet tones accompany meals.