The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t been kind to the hospitality industry, but Japan’s fine dining establishments continue to shine as brightly as ever. In the 2023 Michelin Guide for Kyoto and Osaka, which was released this month, 192 restaurants in both cities were awarded a combined total of 239 Michelin stars. The stars were distributed as follows:
Kyoto
- Six three-Michelin star restaurants
- 19 two-Michelin star restaurants (two new entries)
- 73 one-Michelin star restaurants (three new entries)
Osaka
- Three three-Michelin star restaurants
- Ten two-Michelin star restaurants
- 81 one-Michelin star restaurants (eight new entries)
Out of the featured restaurants in Kyoto, two restaurants were highlighted for holding three Michelin stars each for 14 consecutive years since the very first edition of the Michelin Guide for Kyoto and Osaka. These establishments are none other than Yoshihiro Murata’s Kikunoi Honten and Yoshihiro Takahashi’s Hyotei, both of which specialise in traditional kaiseki cuisine.
In addition, Kyoto had a whopping 98 restaurants included in the guide’s Bib Gourmand category with 15 new entries, while Osaka had 99 restaurants awarded the same honour with 14 new entries.
Check out the full guide here.
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